"Defensive weapon?"
The man who was supporting the injured shinobi froze for a moment, but inside he was shaken by a storm of greed.
In the ninja world, offensive weapons were common, but defensive weapons were extremely rare.
Each defensive weapon was worth a small fortune, and some villages treated them as strategic resources.
He hadn't expected that this young-looking kid in front of him would own such a treasure. A flash of greed crossed his eyes. "Who is this brat?"
"Judging by his clothes, he looks like an Uchiha kid." The shinobi who had been kicked by Hinata sneered. A cruel light flitted across his eyes.
"The Uchiha are rich. It makes sense for a clan member to receive a defensive weapon when they go out to train. Everyone knows how much the Uchiha spoil their youngsters."
He sneered as he spoke. "If that's the case, we kill him and take the weapon."
To men like them, who lived on the edge and licked the blade of danger, the Uchiha name didn't intimidate them.
If they killed Genya, grabbed the weapon, and left quickly, no one would know it was them.
Even if they couldn't use the defensive weapon themselves, they could sell it on the black market for an enormous price.
"Heh. Then let's move. Quick and clean." With a cold laugh, the two of them rushed into the fight. "Kill them all so this doesn't get out. The Uchiha are trouble."
The other shinobi agreed. "Alright."
In an instant, all four attackers struck at once. Their assault was fierce, pushing toward Hinata and Aburame Shino.
Long whips coiled like vipers, aiming for the vital spots on Hinata and Shino.
Some even tried to break through their defense and directly kill Genya.
But Hinata and Shino performed far better than the attackers expected.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Hinata's Gentle Fist flowed like water. Each palm struck precisely at the joints of the chains.
With every strike, the chain links shattered piece by piece. The attackers' assault collapsed in an instant.
On the other side, Shino's insects had quietly surrounded two of the killers.
The insects crawled all over the killers' bodies, pinning them down.
Any sudden movement would trigger the insects to attack and drain their blood.
Now Hinata and Shino had almost completely subdued the four killers. The situation was overwhelmingly in their favor.
"Sensei, aren't you going to help? That's your disciple!" Tazuna watched the battle in front of him, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He felt anxious and wanted Kurenai to join the fight to end it quickly, to avoid causing more trouble.
However, Kurenai didn't pay attention to the battle. Instead, her gaze shifted toward Tazuna.
Her eyes carried a hint of scrutiny as she slowly spoke, "These ninjas… their target should be you, right, Mr. Tazuna? So, you were already being watched when you issued the mission?"
Kurenai's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone questioning.
She had long suspected that this mission wasn't simple, but Tazuna had never revealed the full details along the way.
Now, she wanted a direct answer.
"I—" Tazuna was momentarily at a loss for words, more sweat dripping from his forehead.
He bit his teeth, struggling internally, but ultimately stayed silent.
"Mr. Tazuna, the mission you issued was simply for us to escort you safely to the Land of Waves and deal with some bandits along the way," Kurenai pressed when he didn't speak.
"Now you know ninjas are after you, yet you intentionally obscured the mission's difficulty. According to Konoha rules, I have the right to terminate this mission!"
Kurenai's tone carried a warning, clearly displeased with Tazuna's concealment.
"No… don't cancel the mission! I must reach the Land of Waves!" Tazuna finally couldn't hold back, gritting his teeth.
"The people there invited me to build a bridge connecting the islands. But the project was discovered by Gatō, the region's biggest shipping merchant. He feared the bridge would hurt his business, so he sent ninjas to stop me!"
Tazuna poured out the full story in one breath.
His voice was filled with helplessness and urgency, clearly cornered.
"Oh?" Kurenai frowned, her eyes narrowing with scrutiny. "If you were really in trouble, you could have reported directly to Konoha. Konoha wouldn't refuse a reasonable mission request. Yet you intentionally obscured the mission's difficulty. That could have caused casualties among Konoha ninjas."
Her tone carried reproach.
She knew very well that if this mission had been taken by some Chunin, it could have ended badly.
Fortunately, she and Genya were the ones assigned this mission.
"Heh… how do you know I didn't ask Konoha's higher-ups for help?" Tazuna forced a bitter smile, a hint of despair in his eyes.
"I sought help immediately, but it was outright rejected! If I weren't desperate, I wouldn't have resorted to such measures!"
Tazuna spoke with a tone full of helplessness.
He had once approached Konoha for help, full of hope, only to be directly rejected by the higher-ups.
Left with no other choice, he managed to gather some money and issued a C-rank mission, hoping to reach the Land of Waves that way.
"Rejected?" Kurenai's face immediately darkened.
Konoha had always aimed to help the weak and maintain peace in the ninja world. How could Tazuna's mission be rejected?
By Konoha's standards, his mission fully met the criteria for aid.
The only explanation was that the higher-ups didn't want to get involved.
And since all missions required the approval of the Hokage, this meant it was Hiruzen Sarutobi himself who had made the decision.
A Hokage who prided himself on kindness and maintaining peace, yet he refused such a mission?
Kurenai felt a surge of dissatisfaction rising in her chest again.
Seeing Kurenai's grim expression, Tazuna quickly explained, "It's not that I'm unwilling to spend more money on the mission. All my funds are already being used to help the people of the Land of Waves repair their bridges. There's no money left!"
His voice was filled with urgency and pleading, afraid that Kurenai might cancel the mission because of it.
If the mission were canceled, the people of the Land of Waves would once again fall into despair, controlled by the local merchants.
"Don't worry. Since we've accepted your mission, we'll make sure you reach your destination safely," Kurenai said, taking a deep breath. "But I hope you won't hide critical information about the mission in the future."
After speaking, Kurenai ignored Tazuna and turned her attention to the battle ahead.
At this moment, Hinata and Shino… had completely gained the upper hand.
The four assassins were steadily being pushed back, almost powerless to fight back.
The assassins exchanged glances, a flicker of panic in their eyes. It was clear they were thinking of retreating.
"Trying to run…?"
Hinata's eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of deep blue lighting up her pupils.
Her gaze locked onto the four assassins attempting to escape. In an instant, the air around them seemed to freeze.
Those who had wanted to flee suddenly felt their bodies stiffen, as if bound by an invisible force.
Their eyes were wide with terror, their bodies completely unresponsive, unable to move even a single finger.
****
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