"A shinobi? That young master actually hired a shinobi?"
In a secluded corridor at the corner of a grand estate...
A burly samurai with a face full of stubble spat on the ground after hearing the gossip from his subordinate.
"That young master sure has money to burn!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The sharp-faced underling, eager to please, grinned.
"Heh, exactly, Boss! If we'd known earlier, we should've charged him double!"
Swinging his massive blade, a towering samurai with tanned skin scoffed,
"Hah! What's a shinobi worth? Just wait and see—us samurai will show them what real warriors are made of!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The underling laughed along, nodding furiously.
"A mere shinobi? If they cross our path, we'll make sure they regret it!"
...
The leader of the group silently rolled his eyes at these ignorant braggarts. He tapped the sharp-faced lackey on the shoulder with his sheathed sword.
"Gather the others."
Unlike his inexperienced subordinates, he understood the reality of the situation. He had seen it firsthand—
Unless they were the elite warriors of the Land of Iron, trained to wield chakra, wandering samurai like them were no different from defenseless civilians when faced with shinobi.
"Boss, what's going on?"
"We're leaving."
"Huh? What?" The underling was dumbfounded. "Boss, what about the money?"
"What's more important—money or your life?"
The leader's tone left no room for argument.
If he had known from the start that the young master had hired shinobi, he wouldn't have even considered taking this job.
And that also meant... the people trying to kill the young master had hired shinobi too.
Although they didn't fully understand, the underlings knew better than to argue with the boss. They nodded and followed him without protest.
As wandering samurai, they carried little—a few bottles of sake, some dried snacks, a dull blade, and a worn-out hat.
They packed up and left.
Since they had been stationed in a secluded hallway, slipping away unnoticed was easy. On their way out, they passed by a few fellow mercenaries, exchanging only brief nods before moving on.
There was no camaraderie among wandering samurai. Drinking together was one thing, but trust? That was another matter entirely.
Not killing each other was already a courtesy.
They walked in silence, stepping through the estate's gates and onto the dirt road beyond.
Their figures soon melted into the darkness.
...
Some of the remaining mercenaries took notice of their departure but didn't give it much thought.
"Hah, maybe they got bored of sitting around all night and went to find some women."
"Yeah! Hahaha!"
A samurai swatted a mosquito biting his leg and scowled.
"That young master is having his fun inside while we sit out here feeding mosquitoes! After this job, I'm going for a woman too!"
"Yo~ the same one from last time?"
"Shut up! Don't spread rumors!"
"Oh, come on, just admit it—you're hooked on her."
Rustle, rustle…
...
"Boss, we're really just leaving?"
The sharp-faced underling still couldn't let go of the potential payday. His expression screamed regret.
"That was a hefty sum…"
His boss didn't hesitate—he lifted his foot and kicked the lackey.
"All you think about is money!"
"What's wrong with money?" The underling dodged with a grin, turning to the others. "Isn't that why we're in this business? This job could've set us up for a while!"
The burly samurai hesitated before nodding firmly.
"Boss must have his reasons. I trust him."
The others echoed similar sentiments.
The sharp-faced underling still lamented the lost fortune, but seeing the others move on, he reluctantly dropped the subject.
"Hey, you there! Hold up a sec."
A voice called out, stopping them in their tracks.
They instantly drew their swords.
"Who's there?!"
"Relax, I'm a Kirigakure shinobi."
A figure stepped out from the shadows, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture. The metal forehead protector bearing Kirigakure's emblem was clearly visible.
He looked like an ordinary Mist shinobi.
Sensing no immediate hostility, the leader lowered his sword slightly.
"A shinobi from Kirigakure? What do you want?"
"You guys were hired to protect someone from that noble family, right?" The Mist-nin shrugged. "I just scouted the entire estate, and I didn't see anyone important."
"The young master is holed up in the basement, fooling around with a woman."
"The basement?" The Mist-nin raised an eyebrow before nodding. "I see."
"If that's all, we'll be on our way."
The leader led his men past the Mist-nin without another word.
The underlings, though confused about why their boss had casually given away their former employer's hiding place, remained silent. If the boss did it, he must have had his reasons.
The Mist-nin leaped back toward the estate.
The sharp-faced lackey, unable to contain his curiosity, turned to his boss.
"Boss, why did you—"
Boom!
A figure crashed into a nearby tree with a thunderous impact!
The samurai recoiled in shock.
Dust and smoke settled, revealing the Mist-nin from before.
A puff of white smoke erupted around him as his disguise dispelled.
The standard deep blue armor of Kirigakure's shinobi faded into desert-toned garb, and in the humid air of the Land of Water, his headscarf appeared slightly damp.
The emblem on his forehead protector left no room for doubt—
Sunagakure!
"Cough…! Cough, cough!"
His ribs were broken.
Blood dripped from his lips as he glared toward a figure in the distance.
The samurai weren't his concern.
But that kid—where had he come from?!
"Alright, alright. Just tell me where your comrades are."
Yagura twirled a blade of water in his hand, strolling toward the downed Sunagakure shinobi.
He had been patrolling the rooftops when he noticed the samurai leaving.
Then he saw the disguised shinobi extract information from them.
If he hadn't overheard, they wouldn't have even known their target was hiding in the basement.
The Sunagakure shinobi struggled to his feet, reaching for his tool pouch.
Yagura didn't expect him to surrender. He closed the distance in an instant.
"Damn it! Get lost!"
The shinobi hurled shuriken and kunai, the latter rigged with explosive tags!
Yagura halted, dodging the projectiles.
The kunai embedded itself in the ground—
The tag ignited.
Boom!!!
Whoosh!
A signal flare shot through the explosion's smoke, streaking into the sky and bursting open.
Bang!
Yagura clicked his tongue.
Damn it.
Things just got complicated.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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