Baki's opponent was a young man dressed in simple attire—straw sandals and cloth garments—more like a commoner than a criminal. However, the way this "commoner" gripped a kunai left Baki with no room for complacency. Though the young man's movements were somewhat stiff, it was clear he was a ninja!
The young ninja's fighting spirit was low, and he had sustained several injuries during his capture. However, his foundational skills remained intact, making it easy for him to handle Baki.
Facing a ninja who could enhance his physical abilities with chakra, even with Baki's utmost vigilance, his thigh and wrist were swiftly cut by the kunai. The opponent clearly held back, showing no intent to kill.
Dango was visibly displeased, repeatedly slamming his hand on the table. The kunoichi Fūka whistled, and the thirty samurai acting as guards drew their long swords, gradually tightening the encirclement to force the young ninja and the battered Baki into a fight to the death.
"Ah!" A scream suddenly echoed from the distance.
Almost simultaneously, a sharp whistle sounded from another checkpoint.
Enemies were approaching!
Fūka, cautious, immediately shielded Dango. She pointed at a ninja and ordered, "You, go see what's happening."
The ninja ran swiftly, but his fate was sealed even faster. A violent gust of wind swept through the distance. Judging by the scale and power of the technique, Fūka knew the ninja she had sent was doomed.
She pondered for a few seconds, and only after Dango urged her several times did she share her analysis: "It appears to be an extremely powerful Wind Release Ninjutsu. The attacker is undoubtedly a ninja."
Dango lowered his voice, "Is it a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village? Are they here for me?"
"That's... hard to say," Fūka replied uncertainly.
She was here to earn money. The conflicts between ninjas, daimyos, and samurai held no meaning for her. Previously, she worked for a ninja village; now, she worked for a daimyo. She was just a tool—what difference did it make?
Among the seven "elite" ninjas, including herself, one had already been lost. Now, she had to protect Dango's life. He was a major benefactor, controlling the financial power of an entire nation. Even a small fraction of the wealth he could spare would far exceed what Fūka could earn through arduous missions in the Sand Hidden Village.
The big benefactor had to be protected.
In dangerous situations, the primary duty of a bodyguard ninja was to evacuate the mission target immediately.
The distant Wind Release Ninjutsu only strengthened her resolve to flee.
She was here to earn money, not to risk her life for a pittance.
Pointing at the two strongest ninjas in the group, she commanded, "You two, come with me to escort the lord to safety. You three, take on the lord's appearance and buy us time."
Her words clearly intended to sacrifice the three ninjas and the thirty samurai as decoys. This was a group gathered for money—who would follow such orders?
As soon as Dango and Fūka left, the three ninjas from smaller villages scattered in different directions. The thirty samurai, however, remained loyal, but chaos had already erupted.
Guards were shouting, prisoners were attempting to escape, and someone knocked over a brazier, quickly igniting a fire.
Baki, in the midst of the fight, was overjoyed. He wanted to flee but didn't know which direction to take.
The young ninja gestured for him to follow, "Come with me. There are many other civilians they've captured in the cells. We need to unite and escape together."
Baki didn't agree with this sentiment. Fewer people made it easier to escape, while more people would only be a burden. However, he did acknowledge the young ninja's combat prowess. "Uh, thank you. I'm Baki."
The young ninja hesitated for a moment before introducing himself, ".Ibiki Morino."
Baki gave him a once-over. "You have a family name? You're not a commoner. You're a ninja?"
"I used to be. Let's hurry and save them."
Ibiki Morino was extremely enthusiastic, and Baki had no choice but to brace himself and charge into the prison with him.
Thick smoke billowed from the prison, reaching the sky. Dango, who was being carried to safety by a ninja, glanced back, his hatred for the ninja profession growing even stronger.
The four of them left the prison, and after half a day, they rested by a stream.
The ninja could have run for another day without issue, but Dango, an ordinary man, couldn't keep up. Accustomed to a life of luxury and at the age of fifty, even being carried by a ninja had taken its toll. He ordered the three of them to stop and rest.
One of the ninjas went to fetch water. Not long after, the ninja called out from a distance, "Lady Fūka, come quickly! There's something wrong over here."
Fūka, a kunoichi from Sunagakure, was experienced and cautious. She glanced over from afar. The person she had brought with her was undoubtedly a trusted subordinate, so there was no chance of mistaking them.
The tone, movements, and demeanor all seemed normal. The ninja was pointing at the river, likely indicating something in the water.
She walked to the riverbank and looked in. "What are you talking about? Huh?"
The ninja she had considered a trusted subordinate suddenly drew a kunai and stabbed at her heart.
As a Special Jonin from Sunagakure, Fūka had always been highly vigilant. Her skills far surpassed those of ninjas from smaller villages, so even in the face of a sudden attack, she had the ability to counter.
She sidestepped the attack with precision, snatched the kunai, and stabbed it into the ninja's shoulder. "Why are you attacking me? Who sent you?"
Just then, a puff of white smoke rose.
"Shadow Clone Technique?"
Fūka quickly turned around.
A Wind Release Ninjutsu of terrifying power came rushing toward her.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
The high-pressure wind sphere was ferocious, like a tornado, with wind blades slicing through the area with unparalleled sharpness. In the blink of an eye, countless trees were toppled, and the ground was plowed with over a dozen deep trenches by the residual wind force.
This Wind Release Ninjutsu, obtained from the Waterfall Village, was known for its catastrophic destructive power. Ino had never used it in front of others, not even in her battle with Neji. Outsiders had no idea she knew this technique, which she had saved for this very moment.
Now, driven by her vast chakra, the sharp Wind Release enveloped Fūka and the surrounding area of forty to fifty square meters.
This long-range, stealthy ninjutsu approach was Ino's favorite! Standing face-to-face and engaging in close combat? That was just lame.
After unleashing Wind Release: Pressure Damage, Ino didn't think much of Fūka. Earlier, using the Mind Body Switch Technique and Mind Reading, she had extracted a lot of information from the water-fetching ninja's mind. The name Fūka was unfamiliar to her, so she assumed Fūka wasn't a significant threat.
With a calculated move against an unsuspecting target, a Wind Release Ninjutsu that could be considered one of the most powerful B-rank Ninja techniques was more than enough to take her life.
As the Wind Blades subsided, Ino used her Sense ability to detect the situation. To her great surprise, the Kunoichi Fūka, who had been directly hit by Wind Release: Pressure Damage, was still alive! Judging by the other party's life force, it seemed she hadn't suffered much damage.