The sky was just beginning to lighten. At the mountain pass, the figures ahead were barely visible in the early dawn mist.
Towering within the valley stood several colossal trees, each dozens of meters tall.
Layers upon layers of thick vines clung to the mountain walls like intricate spider webs, completely blocking the entrance to the valley.
Everyone stood speechless in awe.
In the soft, hazy light, they could make out nearly a hundred wooden effigies suspended in the vines above, strung up like eerie decorations, casting a chilling atmosphere over the scene.
At that moment, Arima leapt down from the mountain wall and slowly walked toward the tangled vines.
He tapped one of the wooden effigies and, sensing a faint sign of life within, gave a satisfied nod and let out a breath of relief.
To Arima, though these people were enemies, and many of them had blood from Konoha shinobi on their hands, he still preferred not to kill if he didn't have to.
This was his principle, if killing isn't necessary, then let them live.
He understood that differing allegiances often meant kill or be killed.
But to coldly take a life without reason was the greatest cruelty. If killing was unavoidable, then he would make it swift and painless, free of suffering.
He had no hesitation with bandits and marauders, though. Their brutality made him instinctively loathe them. Cutting them down was, in his mind, an act of mercy for the world.
Over the years, Arima had developed his own understanding of what it meant to do good.
As he stood there lost in thought, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Daily Good Deed logged.
Refrained from killing during wartime, commendable.
Daily Good Deed reward criteria temporarily updated.]
A stream of information followed, and after processing it, Arima paused in surprise.
The system now had a new function. He could see a person's "Sin Value."
If he killed someone with a Sin Value over 1000, the excess would be converted into Good Deed Virtue Points.
Conversely, saving someone with a Sin Value under 10 would also earn him Good Deed Virtue Points, one life equating to 100 points.
But where this "Sin Value" came from, he had no idea.
He muttered in confusion, "What kind of celestial being is running this thing?
Are they expecting me to become some divine judge of humanity? Who gave me the right to judge anyone anyway?"
Driven by curiosity, he scanned the area. His eyes landed on the wooden effigy of the enemy leader.
A moment later, the system revealed a Sin Value of 530, neither innocent nor irredeemable.
He continued checking others one by one and found most values ranged from 100 to 800. Only a few exceeded 1000, and none were under 10.
Arima hesitated briefly, then decisively ended the lives of those few with Sin Values over 1000.
The system responded immediately, awarding him 80 Good Deed Virtue Points.
Arima thought to himself, 'Looks like saving people is more rewarding than killing them. But I am who I am. I don't act for rewards, I follow my own code.'
For the first time, he truly understood his own heart. The lure of points hadn't swayed him into becoming a mindless executioner.
By now, the rest of the forces had arrived from the valley.
Even from a distance, they had been stunned by the sight of those towering trees. Seeing them up close was even more awe-inspiring.
Many couldn't help but think, So this is the legendary Wood Release of the First Hokage... Its power is truly extraordinary.
Even the usually dismissive Uchiha were rendered speechless by the spectacle.
Standing before the massive trees, they looked up, unable to see the tops.
Morning sunlight filtered through the thick canopies, casting golden specks on the ground. In that moment, they felt how truly small and fragile they were.
In the face of overwhelming power, any scheme or trick felt laughably insignificant.
Some Uchiha had even been plotting to deal with Arima behind the scenes. But now, that idea had vanished completely.
As they all stood marveling at the scene, a cold laugh rang out from above.
"You see that brother? Gotta admit, though, these Konoha shinobi are pretty capable," a voice sneered from the treetops.
The speaker then turned his gaze to the effigy of the enemy commander and chuckled with contempt.
"That arrogant bastard... Now look at him, strung up like a lamb awaiting slaughter. Trash will always be trash, huh?"
Another voice replied mockingly, "Ginkaku, you may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but for once, you said something that makes sense."
Only then did the others realize who had arrived, none other than the infamous brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
Their appearances were unmistakable. Each bore a pair of horns on their heads.
Kinkaku had long, wild golden hair and a "Gold" character tattooed on his left arm. Ginkaku, with flowing silver hair, had the character "Silver" inked on his right.
Their mere presence made people instinctively uneasy. An oppressive aura of malice clung to them.
Even from their high perch, their pressure could be felt clearly.
But the Konoha shinobi soon sensed an even stronger aura coming from their own ranks. It reminded them that they, too, had powerful allies.
Ginkaku narrowed his eyes, feeling a force comparable to his and his brother's. To his surprise, it was emanating from a teenage boy.
"Big Brother, do you know who that kid is?" he asked, puzzled.
Kinkaku turned his attention to the boy standing at the front, Arima. Had Arima not been radiating such power, he might've gone unnoticed.
Kinkaku recalled hearing Second Raikage mention a genius from Konoha named Arima, but beyond the name, details were scarce.
Now, facing him in person, and sensing his mastery of the First Hokage's Wood Release, Kinkaku felt a surge of interest.
With both brothers present, he signaled Ginkaku with a glance, time to test this boy's strength.
But from the moment the brothers had entered the valley, Arima had already sensed their immense chakra.
He had quickly assessed the area, only the brothers were present, with no elite pursuit squad accompanying them.
That discovery brought him some relief. He was confident in handling the two of them, but a full-scale assault could've put the entire force in jeopardy.
Curious, Arima opened his system interface and checked the brothers' Sin Values.
To his astonishment, both had values exceeding 10,000.
He thought, If I can take them down today, I could earn tens of thousands of points. A few more like this and Mangekyo Sharingan, maybe even Eternal Mangekyo, would be within reach.
Excitement flared in his chest. This was a shortcut to power, swift, efficient, and relatively guilt free.
But the moment Kinkaku and Ginkaku looked at Arima, they were taken aback.
That hungry glint in his eye... it was all too familiar. It was the same way they had looked at prey before a kill.
They exchanged glances, rage rising in their chests. This brat... dares to look at us like we're the prey?.
Their fury erupted. Both entered Tailed Beast Mode, a crimson, tangible chakra enveloping their bodies.
The bystanders gasped. No one had expected chakra so dense it became visible.
The oppressive force radiating from the brothers grew unbearable, driving many to instinctively step back.
But not everyone was cowed. Among them was Uchiha Kawami, this mission's Uchiha clan leader.
He remembered the old battlefield where their former clan head once fought alongside a Tailed Beast against Konoha.
He had seen the terrain warped by the aftermath of that battle, and there too lingered that same red chakra, now pouring from the brothers above.
He found it odd. Weren't the Tailed Beasts subdued by Hashirama? How do these two possess such power again?
Though he had some intel, he chose not to share it with Arima, hoping the kid might suffer a little.
But Arima needed no reminder. He knew the creature sealed inside Mito's body, the Nine tails.
When he was younger, he'd begged her to let him see it. Under Mito's suppression, the fox had seemed calm and docile.
Now, seeing the same chakra again, he felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
He suddenly thought of Tsunade. I wonder if she's doing well in Konoha.
Arima drifted into his thoughts for a moment.
The brothers, already seething with rage, saw his absentminded face and felt utterly insulted.
Grinding their teeth in fury, their anger exploded. How dare this brat ignore us like that?.
"Enough. Do you take us for weaklings?" they roared in unison.
And with that, they dove from the treetops, charging straight at Arima.
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