A few minutes passed in a tense silence. Yuji looked around at the five attackers who were now bound with ninja wire, lying unconscious on the ground like broken dolls. The small, sound-based traps they had set up around the camp seemed to have been known by the attackers; they hadn't functioned at all. These assailants were professionals, or at least competent enough to avoid standard Genin traps.
After finishing tying up the unconscious enemies with knots they wouldn't be able to escape, they all gathered again near the remains of the campfire. Tsukasa-sensei stood casually, a faint smile having returned to his face as if the life-and-death battle a few minutes ago was just a light warm-up. He was back to his usual self, standing casually near the shaken-looking Akane and Koji.
"I... I didn't know they would go this far," Koji finally spoke, his voice hoarse, his teeth clenched in anger and perhaps a bit of fear.
"What do you mean?" Tsukasa replied, his tone light and full of curiosity, though Yuji knew it was just an act.
"Those people! Them!" Koji shouted, pointing angrily at the unconscious attackers. "They once offered us an unreasonable contract! They were forceful, trying to buy my hard work for an insulting price! And I always said no!"
Kiba, whose adrenaline was still pumping, stepped forward irritably. "You'd better be clearer, Old Man! Who are they?! Why are they attacking us?!"
"Shut up, you brat!" Koji glared, ready to start another argument. But before he could continue, Akane placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Father, that's enough," she said softly. She looked at Tsukasa and his team with a tired expression. "This is our fault. We should have told you from the beginning." She took a long sigh, as if releasing a burden she had been holding. Then she said, "They are men from the Ritsu Company."
"The Ritsu Company?" Masami asked, her eyebrows slightly raised. "The ninja weapon manufacturing company from the Capital?"
"The very one," Akane nodded. "Their company produces a huge amount of mass-produced ninja weapons. The quality is mediocre, but the quantity is large. About a year ago, one of their representatives was touring small villages like ours. 'Who knows if there's anything interesting that people on the fringes can produce,' is what he said."
She paused for a moment, her eyes staring into the darkness beyond their circle of light. "Then he saw our work. My father's work. He was so stunned by the result. Which is to be expected. My father has been working on it for almost two years."
"It's not just any weapon," Akane continued, her eyes focusing back on them. "It's made from a new type of iron we found in the caves in the hills near our village. We've already informed the Daimyo's representative about the discovery, and we were allowed to research it exclusively for the time being."
"The iron... is difficult to forge," she said, choosing her words carefully. "And it requires a special technique that has been passed down in our family for generations to achieve a 99% perfect result. Unlike ordinary iron, this iron seems... alive. It has a sort of chakra resonance. And it requires a matching chakra frequency to be forged correctly. Our technique, it's the melody that suits it."
"Then, after seeing the result," Akane continued, a bitter note creeping into her voice, "the Ritsu representative offered us a contract. They didn't just want to buy the design, they wanted us to teach them the jutsu. Which we of course refused. Their offer was unreasonable. The price only benefited them. They wanted to buy our family's secret that has been guarded for generations for just a few chests of ryo."
"For several days they kept offering, raising the price bit by bit, but we remained steadfast," she said. "Finally, they left. They weren't angry, or at least that's what their faces showed. But I could see a flame there. Greed in their eyes."
Silence fell upon them again. The story explained everything. This wasn't about random bandits. This was industrial espionage turned violent.
"So," Yuji spoke up, his genuine curiosity overcoming his caution. "What's so special about your weapon?"
Akane looked at Yuji, then around at the other team members. Her final gaze fell on Tsukasa. She glanced at her father, who looked back at her and gave a short, firm nod. A wordless permission.
With the decision made, Akane walked to the cart. She opened one of the most secure chests and took out the same long bag Koji had carried on his back. She opened it carefully.
It was a katana.
The blade was pitch black, so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it. There was no gleam, no reflection. Just pure darkness in the shape of a long sword. The hilt was wrapped in black leather, and the handguard was simple, a circle without any adornment.
"This," Akane said, holding the katana with reverence.
She extended her free hand and channeled a bit of her chakra into the hilt.
Instantly, the black blade came to life. Brilliant blue lines like blood vessels began to crawl along the blade, emitting a dazzling and cold light. The entire katana was now glowing with a powerful blue aura.
"This weapon is different from a regular chakra blade," Akane explained, her voice filled with awe for her own work. "A regular sword is only coated with chakra on its surface. Most of that energy is wasted, leaking into the air. But this iron... this iron absorbs chakra. It doesn't just coat it. It merges with it. Becomes one. No energy is wasted."
To prove her point, Akane walked to a nearby tree. She slashed the katana with a quick, smooth motion. The blue blade passed through the tree trunk without a sound.
For a moment, nothing happened. The tree still stood tall.
Then, with a soft ssst sound, a thin blue line appeared where the blade had passed. And the top part of the tree shifted to the side and fell to the ground with a loud thud. The cut was so clean and smooth it looked like glass.
"COOL!" Kiba cheered, his eyes sparkling like a child in a toy store.
"So far we haven't found anything it can't cut, although it requires a fair amount of chakra," Akane let the chakra in the katana subside, and the blade returned to its pitch-black state.
"Only my father can make this with a 99% perfection rate," she said, returning to the group. "I can use the technique, but when I forge, my best result is only about 75%. But I think that's enough. Even at 75%, it's far stronger and more efficient than a typical chakra blade."
Yuji nodded to himself, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. So it couldn't be mass-produced. At least, not easily. It required a special craftsman who had been taught the secret technique. That made it far more valuable.
But then, a disturbing thought entered Yuji's mind. Why... why had he never heard of this? In the original story, in the canon, there was never any mention of "living iron" or the Ritsu Company.
Maybe... maybe in the original timeline, this mission failed. Maybe Koji and Akane were kidnapped or killed. Maybe the Ritsu Company got the secret, or maybe the secret died with Koji. Whatever it was, this weapon never reached the exhibition in the Capital.
Yuji sighed softly. Sometimes, having knowledge of the future felt like a curse. He was constantly comparing this reality to the story he remembered, and every difference felt like an echo of his own actions. He felt like a character in a fanfiction, living in a "what if" version of a story whose ending he already knew.
"So that means," Tsukasa's calm voice pulled Yuji from his reverie, "you're willing to teach your jutsu to anyone, as long as there's a suitable price for future production?"
Koji, who had been silent, snorted. "Of course," he said, a bit of a craftsman's pride returning to his voice. "We are businessmen, not saints. If the Daimyo or the Konoha higher-ups want to make a fair deal, we will listen. If the price matches what we want."
"Alright," Tsukasa said, his light tone returning, but his dark eyes still had a sharp glint as he looked at Koji. "That explains a lot."
He turned away from their tense clients and faced his students, his usual wide smile returning to his face as if he had just flipped a switch. "By the way, good job, my little soldiers!" he exclaimed, his voice cheerful again. "I knew you could handle this little ambush." He looked towards Yuji, and gave him a quick, meaningful wink.
A small part of Yuji felt proud of the acknowledgment, but most of him was too busy analyzing the newly revealed situation.
"Of course we could! This was easy!" Kiba interjected, his post-battle adrenaline still making him antsy. He puffed out his chest proudly. "They didn't even have a dog!"
"By the way, Sensei," Yuji spoke up, ignoring Kiba. He directed his gaze at the five unconscious figures. "What should we do with them?"
"We can't just leave them here, can we?" Masami added, her calm voice carrying a weight of cold practicality.
Tsukasa laughed, a loud, cheerful laugh that sounded strangely out of place in the dark and silent forest, surrounded by unconscious bodies. "Hahaha! Of course not, Masami-chan! Do you think I'm that foolish?" He grinned, and this time his smile didn't reach his eyes. "We're not going to let them sleep soundly here, and let them wake up only to try to cut our throats again. That would be very rude of them."
Yuji stared blankly at that sentence, an uneasy feeling starting to creep up his spine. He wondered why this person was saying such a horrible thing while laughing as if it were the best joke in the world. There was a deep disconnect between his tone and his words, an oddity that made his hair stand on end.
"So, what's the plan?" Yuji asked.
"The plan?" Tsukasa grinned, and this time his grin looked a little wild. "First, we're going to interrogate them. This is to confirm a few things. I don't like working based on assumptions."
Without waiting for approval, Tsukasa walked casually towards the prisoners, his steps light and carefree. He arrived in front of the blonde woman Yuji had defeated. With an oddly gentle demeanor, he crouched down.
Then, he patted the woman's cheek lightly. "Hey," he said in a sing-song tone. "Wake up. Are you going to sleep all night? The party's just getting started."
For a few seconds, the woman didn't move, which was to be expected. Yuji knew exactly how hard he had struck that weak point. The pain must have temporarily shut down her nervous system completely.
Tsukasa clicked his tongue in impatience. He moved to the next man, one of the ones he had defeated himself. "How about you, buddy? Sleep well?" He did the same, patting his cheek.
When the result was the same, Tsukasa let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Geez, people these days. No stamina at all."
Then, without warning, he drew back his hand and slapped the man. Hard.
SLAP!
The sound tore through the silence of the still-dark forest. It wasn't an ordinary slap. It was the sound of flesh meeting flesh with calculated force, so loud it made Yuji flinch slightly.
The unconscious man groaned in pain, his body convulsing. His eyes, which had been tightly shut, now flew open in shock and pain.
"Finally, you're awake," Tsukasa said, smiling friendly as if he had just woken up a friend for breakfast. "I was running out of patience watching you all sleep so soundly in front of me, you know?"
Then, his smile not wavering in the slightest, he grabbed the man's hair, pulling his head back roughly until his neck was exposed.
"Tell me," Tsukasa said in a light conversational tone. "Were you really sent by the Ritsu Company?"
The man, still dazed from just waking up, could only groan. "Screw you," he hissed, pain and hatred evident in his eyes. "I don't know what the Ritsu Company is!"
"Don't lie," Tsukasa said, his expression unchanged. He was still smiling. But his grip on the man's hair tightened, making the man wince. "Lying gives you wrinkles. And that's a hassle for me, because then I have to find out the truth myself."
"Screw you!" The man tried to spit, but his movement was weak and pathetic. His saliva only dribbled down his own chin.
Tsukasa sighed again, this time with a feigned tone of disappointment. "I really don't want to use violence, you know?" he said, still with his charming smile. "I'm usually not such a nice person. In the past, I would always pull out a few nails, or maybe a few teeth, or something interesting from my enemies to make them more... cooperative."
Yuji felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He glanced at Kiba, whose face was pale and his eyes wide with horror. Even Masami looked a little tense.
"But now," Tsukasa continued, his tone becoming brighter, "there are children here. I have to set a good example, right? So, you're very lucky today."
He let go of his grip, and for a moment, Yuji thought it was over.
He was wrong.
"So," Tsukasa said, "let's settle this in a more civilized way."
Then he slapped the man again.
SLAP!
Harder than before. The man's head snapped to the side.
SLAP!
Again. A backhand strike.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
He kept slapping him, over and over, with a steady and merciless rhythm. It wasn't an act of anger. It was a process. A method. Each slap was executed with the same force, in the same spot. It was a cold and brutal interrogation, disguised behind a smile and slaps, not fists.
While everyone, Yuji, Kiba, Masami, even Koji and Akane, could only stand there in stunned silence.
…
Dawn broke cruelly, its pale, silvery light piercing through the forest canopy and illuminating their chaotic camp. The cold morning air felt sharp in Yuji's lungs, carrying with it the smell of damp earth and the remnants of ash from the firewood.
The man who had been interrogated by Tsukasa all night was a broken man. He lay on the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably, his face swollen and bruised from countless slaps. Yuji had healed him several times on Tsukasa's orders. But it wasn't the physical wounds that were the worst. It was the look in his eyes, the empty stare of someone whose spirit had been shattered into pieces.
When morning came, the man finally confessed.
"Yes... yes, it was Ritsu," he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken, each word a painful effort. "They sent us. They want... the sword. And the secret."
Tsukasa, who looked as fresh as if he had just had a good eight hours of sleep, crouched in front of him with the same friendly smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Please..." the man began to sob, tears mixing with blood and dirt on his face. "You have to let me go. Let us all go. If they find out I talked... they'll kill me. Kill us." The desperation in his voice was so real it made Yuji's stomach churn.
Tsukasa just looked at him, his smile unwavering. He seemed as if he hadn't heard the man's plea at all. He just nodded slowly as if he had just confirmed the weather forecast.
"I'm not listening," Tsukasa said cheerfully. He stood up and turned to his team. "Alright, my little soldiers! Time to pack up! We have a schedule to keep!"
He walked from one attacker to the next, most of whom were still unconscious. With quick and efficient movements, he formed a few simple hand seals and pressed his palm to each of their stomachs. Yuji could feel their chakra flow become chaotic and disrupted, a technique that would prevent them from using any jutsu for a while.
After that, he casually tied them all up with more ninja wire, gagged their mouths with torn cloth, and tape, then with the help of a reluctant-looking Kiba, they lifted the limp bodies onto the back of Koji's cart.
"What... what are you going to do with them, Sensei?" Kiba asked, his voice sounding hesitant for the first time.
"Bring them with us, of course!" Tsukasa answered. "We can't leave trash scattered in the forest, can we? That's not environmentally friendly."
Koji and Akane watched in silence, their faces filled with a mixture of gratitude and unspoken horror. They quickly broke down the camp, and in less than half an hour, they were back on the road, now with five quiet and bound extra passengers.
The journey felt different. There was no more of Kiba's chatter or silly arguments. A heavy silence enveloped their group, broken only by the creak of the cart wheels and the occasional muffled groan from the prisoners. Yuji walked beside the cart, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but his mind was racing. He could feel Kiba's uneasy gaze on their teacher, and even Masami seemed more withdrawn than usual.
They walked for about an hour, moving away from the main path and into wilder, rockier terrain. Then, Tsukasa raised his hand, signaling them to stop.
In front of them, there was a ravine.
It was a deep, gaping chasm in the earth, as if the earth itself had been torn apart. Far below, Yuji could hear the roar of a rushing river, its white-foamed water looking like a thin ribbon from this height. A rickety-looking rope bridge was the only way across.
"Alright, everyone, a short break!" Tsukasa called out, his smile returning with full force.
He walked to the back of the cart and began to unload the prisoners one by one, dragging them to the edge of the ravine. The man he had interrogated was now fully conscious, his eyes widening in panic as he realized where they were.
Tsukasa removed the tape from his mouth. "A beautiful view, isn't it?" Tsukasa said, looking across the ravine. "Makes you feel small and insignificant."
"What... what are you going to do?" the man whispered, his body trembling violently.
Tsukasa turned to him, then to his three Genin who stood watching in stunned silence. He smiled, the smile of a teacher about to impart an important lesson.
"Remember this, kids," he said, his voice clear and calm in the cool mountain air. "The umpteenth lesson in my shinobi handbook: no mercy for your enemies."
Yuji didn't move. He didn't breathe. He just watched as Tsukasa continued.
"The enemy you let live today," Tsukasa said, his eyes staring pointedly at Yuji, Kiba, and Masami, "is the enemy who will come back to kill you in your sleep tomorrow. They will kill your comrades. They will kill your clients. They will not give you a second chance. So, never give them one."
He turned back to face the terrified man. "You might just be a mercenary. You might have a family. You might have your reasons. But you chose this job. And when you pointed your sword at my students, you stopped being someone with a story. You just became a threat. And a threat," he said, his smile reaching its peak, "must be eliminated."
Then, he kicked the man.
It wasn't a hard or angry kick. It was a gentle, almost casual nudge with the tip of his boot, like someone kicking a pebble out of their path.
The man had no chance to scream. He just tumbled backward, over the edge of the ravine, his body falling into the void.
Tsukasa did the same to the other four, one by one. Pushing them gently, as if he were launching paper boats into a river. He even waved cheerfully as the last body fell, while their un-gagged eyes widened in pure terror before disappearing into the river mist below.
Then, he dusted off his hands as if he had just cleared some dust. He turned to face his team.
"There!" he said cheerfully. "Problem solved! Who wants lunch?"
----
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