Kaede slightly narrowed his eyes and, without a word, headed toward the only shop still open in the village, a teahouse. The interior of the teahouse looked rather deserted as well.
The owner was a bit surprised to see a customer but quickly served tea and snacks when Kaede placed a generous amount of money on the table.
In the shadows.
Several pairs of eyes watched as Kaede walked into the teahouse.
One of them, after a moment of hesitation, quickly vanished into the rain and arrived at a small house on the north side of the village. He jumped up to the second floor and climbed in through the window.
"Boss… a ninja just arrived."
"A ninja?"
A man with a scar on his face, seated cross-legged in the room, opened his eyes and spoke in a deep voice, "What kind of ninja?"
"He looks young, maybe twelve or thirteen. He's not wearing a forehead protector, so he might be from Amegakure, or maybe another village. He doesn't look like a rogue ninja."
The scarred ninja narrowed his eyes. "only one person?"
A teenage ninja suddenly appearing in the village without a forehead protector was certainly cause for caution.
The subordinate nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Yes. Not sure if he's noticed us yet… Boss, should we take him out preemptively?"
"No."
The scarred ninja shook his head and replied solemnly, "Go notify everyone. We're leaving."
The subordinate looked stunned.
Just one unknown young ninja, and not even sure if he's noticed them or is targeting them, and the boss wants everyone to evacuate? Wasn't that being too cautious?
The scarred ninja stood up, his eyes glinting. "Go, now!"
He wasn't sure if that young ninja had just passed by or had come for them specifically, but this was wartime. Caution was essential. Leaving the village for half a month and returning later was the safest move.
As a deserter from Iwagakure during the Second Ninja War who had managed to survive and even build a small faction, his longevity depended on his absolute vigilance and caution!
Any battle with a ninja should be avoided at all costs.
Especially with an unknown one.
If they left even the slightest trace behind and the village backing that ninja decided to investigate, it would be huge trouble. Not just the Five Great Nations, even small ones like Amegakure or Kusagakure weren't to be trifled with.
"…Understood."
Though surprised, the subordinate acknowledged the order and left quickly.
The scarred ninja pulled out a bag from a cabinet, stuffed it with stacks of money, and added a long wooden box.
A short while later.
Nearly a dozen ninjas wearing cloaks and straw hats had gathered in a courtyard, all dressed in rain gear.
"Boss, it's just a brat. Isn't this too cautious?"
"Yeah, that kid might not even be here for us. He might just be passing through. We could just ignore him."
Several of the ninjas frowned and voiced their objections.
Evacuating the entire village over one unknown, possibly harmless young ninja felt like overkill. Plus, during wartime, traveling outside could be even more dangerous. Running into a large ninja force would be fatal.
"…Anyone who wants to stay, stay."
The scarred ninja emerged carrying the pack and ignored the complaints. He said coldly, "Those who want to come with me, follow."
Leaving those words, he walked straight out of the courtyard toward the village outskirts.
The remaining ninjas looked at each other. After a moment's hesitation, a few quickly followed him. Three or four others stood still, their expressions shifting.
"Boss is way too cautious."
"It's just a kid. If we're afraid of exposure, we should just kill him."
"Yeah, it's wartime. Even in the great villages, one dead ninja wouldn't trigger a full-blown investigation."
They exchanged glances and came to an agreement:
Kill that brat quietly!
Maybe they could even gain something from it.
…
A short while later.
At a river on the east side of the village.
The scarred ninja and his seven subordinates had made it here and were about to cross the river when they suddenly stopped.
on the opposite bank, a figure had appeared without them noticing. He looked no more than a teenager, with silver-white hair damp from the rain, no straw hat.
It was Kaede.
Kaede's expression was a little odd.
He stood on the far side of the river, staring at the scarred man and said, "It's no wonder you've managed to survive in such a dangerous world…"
This guy had just straight-up fled the moment he heard a ninja enter the village!
If not for his subordinates behaving more "normally" trying to ambush Kaede at the teahouse and getting killed, with one captured and interrogated, Kaede might've missed him entirely!
The most ridiculous part—
This guy didn't even know who Kaede was! Didn't know he was a Konoha ninja! Had no idea about Kaede's achievements in the Land of Grass!
He simply saw "ninja" and bailed.
Even I, Uchiha Madara, must call you the king of playing it safe!
"You have a Kusanagi Sword, don't you?"
Kaede asked directly.
The group of ninjas across the river glared at him coldly. one of them sneered, "You're awfully cocky for a brat."
But—
Before his words finished, the scarred ninja suddenly pulled a wooden box from his bag and threw it at Kaede. The box burst open mid-air, revealing a sheathed Kusanagi Sword, which landed directly in front of Kaede.
Not only did the other ninjas freeze in disbelief, Kaede himself was a bit stunned.
"…Here. Take it."
The scarred ninja spoke quietly, then turned and fled at top speed.
Silence.
The scene turned awkward.
The remaining ninjas stared blankly at what had just happened, unable to process it.
The kid came for the Kusanagi Sword, and their boss… just handed it over and ran? What the hell was that brat?!
"Tch. Interesting."
Kaede caught the sword, blinked for a second, then chuckled. He'd never met a ninja like this before.
He was all set to kill and take the sword, but the other guy was so scared he handed it over before any fighting even started. This wasn't how the plot was supposed to go!
"…"
Among the remaining ninjas, one finally snapped out of it. His eyes locked onto the sword in Kaede's hand, and a look of greed slowly surfaced.
The Kusanagi Sword.
A divine weapon!
If he could get his hands on it, sell it, he could live out the rest of his life in luxury, no longer needing to take assassination jobs in the underworld!
While their boss had the sword, he didn't dare think about it. But now that their boss had thrown it to a kid…
This kid was probably a ninja from a major village. Even their boss didn't want to provoke him. The Five Great Nations were indeed fearsome.
But…
Fortune favors the bold.
If he killed the kid here, took the sword, and disappeared into the civilian world, even a great village might not be able to track them down!
He took a deep breath, chakra beginning to flow through his body, and his kunai subtly shifted in his grip.
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