Chapter 321: Hokage, Pirate, Demon Slayer, and Claymore Team Assembles!
After the masked man escaped,
Kakashi reported the incident to the Hokage Tower.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that the village had been infiltrated by a mysterious masked figure,
he sighed and responded with a pained expression,
"The village's barrier defenses are managed by the Special Operations Unit, correct?"
"With their strength, something like this shouldn't have happened under normal circumstances."
"It must have been the Akatsuki's masked man exploiting a loophole. Don't worry—if no mistakes are made, this shouldn't happen again."
He made it sound like the infiltration was a one-time accident.
But between the lines, it clearly implied that the Special Ops Unit had failed in their duty—neglecting their role and letting Konoha's defenses fall.
Sure enough,
the clan leaders present all showed signs of displeasure in their eyes.
The barrier system was one of the village's most critical defenses. If breached,
the enemy could easily sneak in and destroy vital infrastructure,
or massacre unsuspecting shinobi.
One clan head stepped forward and criticized,
"Captain Kakashi, if a mysterious intruder had launched a surprise attack, the village could have suffered grave losses."
"I understand."
Kakashi had originally intended to explain—
that the masked man's powers were related to space-time and couldn't be blocked by the barrier system.
But seeing the atmosphere in the room, he knew that explanation would be pointless.
A strong Special Ops Unit, like the Uchiha Clan once was,
was seen as a threat by the other clans and even the Hokage simply by existing.
It was a contradiction that could never be resolved.
After leaving the Hokage Tower,
Kakashi returned to his residence—only to discover Rin had already logged into the game and left a note behind.
Kakashi, I want to fight alongside you—not be your burden.
Reading the message, Kakashi's face changed drastically.
It was already too late to stop her. She had likely taken a Counterattack Quest.
"Please be safe, Rin… or I won't be able to face Obito…"
Meanwhile—
Rin, now undertaking a Counterattack Quest, saw black text appear before her eyes.
[You have entered the world of "Ghost Stories of Qing Kingdom". Language module loaded. Searching for quest objectives...]
World Tier: Tier 2
Quest Description: The father of a wealthy landowner, Ren Fa, acquired a prime burial site through coercion and bribery.
A geomancer had warned that the body must be relocated after twenty years to avoid calamity.
But when they opened the grave, the corpse had turned into a zombie.
Main Objective: Kill Elder Ren (Demonic Zombie)
Rewards: 20,000 Reward Points, 1,000 Contribution Points
The scenery shifted.
It was broad daylight, yet the area still felt eerie and cold.
Gravestones stretched out in the distance.
It was clearly a cemetery.
At the center stood one large tomb,
with the characters "Ren Family" engraved on its stone monument.
Rin scanned her surroundings.
She noticed a thin energy membrane isolating her from the outside world,
everything blurry and indistinct.
But she wasn't alone—three others stood beside her.
"White armor, tight combat suit, tall build, massive sword… her features are unusual. Is she from a magical world like Kakashi described?"
"Shorter, scarred forehead, wearing earrings with a sun emblem—some kind of clan insignia?"
"And that last one… about my age, blue hair, carrying a katana… is everyone here a sword user?"
Rin silently assessed each of them, estimating their strength.
It was a necessary skill for every shinobi.
Except for idiots like Obito, most ninja were trained to read the battlefield instinctively.
Because in combat, those instincts meant the difference between life and death.
Too bad we can't party up for Counterattack Quests,
thought Gunilla, clad in white armor.
Though she appeared aloof, that was due to her fused Yoma blood.
All Claymores had blond hair and silver eyes because of it.
Inside, however, she was kind-hearted and longed for connection.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked punishment to save and protect Raki.
Counterattack Quests didn't allow manual party formation—
but occasionally generated group missions, likely as a way for the Game Merchant to encourage inter-world cooperation.
"All girls?"
The scarred boy with the sun earrings broke the silence first.
"Well then, I'll go first. My name's Tanjiro, from the Demon Slayer world."
Hearing his introduction,
Rin smiled and added,
"I'm Rin Nohara, from the Shinobi world. Since this is a team mission, we should also share our combat roles, Tanjiro-kun."
Then she explained,
"I'm a medical ninja. I can quickly heal most injuries, but I'm limited when it comes to internal damage."
"Still, my physical strength is several times that of an average person. I won't be a burden."
Thanks to the Reincarnation Game's rules, friendly fire was disabled in team missions—
an ironclad law.
This system naturally helped build trust among strangers and encouraged cooperation.
Gunilla spoke in a cold tone,
"I'm Gunilla, a Claymore—my body is fused with Yoma flesh. I'm physically powerful and can release demonic energy for burst combat if absolutely necessary."
But she had promised Shinobu not to use her Yoma powers lightly.
"Amazing!"
The blue-haired girl with the white sheath pouted slightly.
"I'm Kuina, from the Pirate world. I know some sword techniques, but I'm only slightly stronger than a normal person. I'm probably the weakest here…"
Recently, the Straw Hat Pirates had defeated a boss and used the dropped Resurrection Coin to bring Kuina back.
She was stunned to find the world had changed so much—
and even more stunned by Zoro's growth.
He had become a swordsman beyond her imagination.
Whether it was to fulfill her old dream of becoming the strongest female swordsman,
or to repay Zoro for bringing her back—
she needed strength.
And the Counterattack Quest was the perfect place to gain it quickly and fairly.
So Kuina accepted without hesitation.
"Sorry about that, my bad."
Tanjiro smiled sheepishly. "I'm a Demon Slayer trainee. I use Water Breathing techniques, and I'm stronger than most civilians."
"You're also a Demon Slayer? Do you know Shinobu?"
Gunilla turned to him, her piercing silver eyes looking down at the shorter boy.
Tanjiro blushed slightly under her intense gaze.
"Yes, Lady Shinobu is one of the Hashira. I'm nowhere near her level yet."
During his training on Mt. Sagiri,
Urokodaki had not only drilled him in swordsmanship,
but also taught him about demons and the structure of the Corps.
So he was very familiar with the current lineup of Hashira.
Gunilla gave a slight nod.
"If danger arises, I'll protect you. You're the weakest one here."
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