Ready for Battle!
"Boss! Those are ninja, and from Konoha at that. There's four of them! Even if we succeed, we can't just throw our brothers' lives away like this!"
Another man urged caution, deliberately lowering his voice. But in his excitement, he ended up speaking louder than he intended.
He couldn't help casting a worried glance toward the ninja thirty or forty meters away. Seeing none of them reacting, he felt slightly relieved.
From this distance and with the cicadas' noise covering their presence, even ninja shouldn't be able to detect them here.
But this was only his one-sided assumption. In truth, ever since they'd chosen this concealed location, Hayate Gekko had already started idly tapping his hand against the hilt of his sword occasionally.
"F*cking idiot! If those ninja hear you, I'll cut your head off myself!" The bandit leader shot back furiously, his eyes flashing dangerously.
The man instantly realized how far out of line he was. "S-sorry, Boss..." He stuttered out an apology right away, well aware the leader wasn't bluffing.
To become a bandit chief, one had to kill ten or more brothers without hesitation.
To them, the boss was as powerful as a monster. Though not a ninja himself, he'd definitely undergone samurai-type training.
Most among them didn't even know what chakra was. The gap between them was practically heaven and earth.
While the bandit chief held absolute authority, he also understood that without his men's recognition, they would gradually desert him until he ended up completely alone.
So he turned to his men and said, "If we back down now, we'll keep backing off every time. Do you want to starve? There are still families depending on us in the village!"
At his words, the previously reluctant bandits fell silent. Most of them were villagers who knew each other thoroughly; otherwise, they wouldn't have managed to gather such a group together.
"What if we move to another village?" One suggested.
Before the leader could comment, someone else objected, "Move again? We'll be wiped out before we even get there! If real ninja villages send ninjas after us, none of us will survive."
"But these ninja aren't easy opponents either."
The bandit leader pulled out his knife and stuck it into the ground. "What do you mean 'ninja'? At most, it's just some sickly man leading a few kids? Are you really afraid of that? How can we show our faces in public later? Whoever says another stupid thing can take this knife and end it yourself right here!"
With these words, everyone understood: trying to stop the chief was impossible now.
Besides, what the chief said did sound quite reasonable. After all, their opponents were merely a sickly man and three children.
What exactly was there to fear?
Silently, each bandit started steeling himself. Having experienced numerous killings before, they understood that if they lost their nerve now, nothing good would come of it.
Since they had already decided to go through with this heist, they needed to show their fiercest demeanor.
Yet how nervous they actually were, only they themselves knew.
Even the bandit leader felt somewhat apprehensive because the frail young man in the middle wore a green vest — the mark of a Konoha shinobi. Truthfully, he had only ever seen one ninja wearing that green vest.
That time, he barely managed to escape with his life.
Later, he specially inquired and learned that those wearing green vests were all Chunin from Konoha.
Of course, he wouldn't mention such things to his men now. Those at the very bottom of society naturally lacked the knowledge to understand the ranks of Konoha ninjas.
This ninja they encountered now looked so weak; perhaps he was among the weaker Chunin?
With his brothers' help, maybe he could defeat him?
The bandit leader kept mentally encouraging himself. Truthfully, if food supplies in the village hadn't nearly run out, he would never have made this decision.
But every ninja carried unimaginable wealth for ordinary people. After completing this heist, they might even afford enough provisions in a large village to last them half a year without working again.
Thinking about it, the bandit leader spat forcefully on the ground.
A grinding sound rang out once more.
Everyone's heart tightened. If the first teeth-grinding sound was preparation, then the second meant they would formally launch their attack.
Ferocity burned in the bandits' eyes. Once they struck, there'd be no turning back.
Either the enemy would die—or they would.
Because should he return to the village alone, the remaining villagers would certainly not spare him.
At this moment, they could only try imagining the beautiful future after success.
They'd feast like kings, drinking and feasting until their bellies ached.
However
The gang leader had never realized that Hayate Gekko's green vest was not a Chunin's at all—it was the garb of a Jonin!
True, due to his illness, he was only a Tokubetsu Jonin—but still far above a Chunin.
"Brothers, get ready for some feasting!"
As his words fell, everyone began preparing themselves.
They formed a half-encircling formation, gradually approaching this seemingly inexperienced group of ninjas.
Their hesitation always implied the possibility of death awaiting them.
Just as they were about to attack, Hayate Gekko, the sickly-looking ninja, actually warned the brats around him.
This frightened them further—but also hardened their resolve.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
One by one, figures burst from the bushes, blades raised, charging like cornered beasts driven to the edge!
Chapter 98 Suspicion
"The red devil!" Thinking about that even more terrifying figure, the bandit leader couldn't help exclaiming aloud.
Rip!
The sound of muscle being torn by blades came next, warm blood scattering into the air like cherry blossoms—beautiful, yet deadly.
The last bandit participating in the encirclement was permanently left here by a blade as pure white as clouds.
"The red devil?"
Shiki lowered his hand, and a light blue chakra blade in the shape of a dagger materialized above his palm.
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