Chapter 200: The Mayor Who Can't Stand the Suffering
Mugetsu instructed his disciples to investigate whether the giant eagle was truly harassing the townspeople and to gather opinions about the Mayor, while he himself headed straight for the Mayor's residence.
To prevent any mishaps, he created a Shadow Clone to secretly guard his disciples.
Although he hadn't asked for directions, he didn't need to. The most luxurious courtyard in a poor town was bound to belong to the Mayor.
Sure enough, Mugetsu soon found a large compound that stood out among the rest—flowerbeds, a pond, and fine stone walls. Quietly, he slipped inside.
"Haha! I'm clever, aren't I? As long as we spread the word, someone will eventually come deal with that strange bird," a smug middle-aged voice said from within.
"Yes, Mayor, you're truly wise," a man beside him replied flatteringly.
"Of course! Why else would I be the Mayor?" the man laughed, puffing his chest in pride.
"Did you really think those commoners could hire a Ninja? I'm sure that fool took their money and ran—or died on the road. The world's dangerous these days."
"Mayor, if you knew that villager might not return, why didn't you just take the thirty thousand taels as compensation or send someone to follow him?" the subordinate asked in confusion.
"Fool! Forcing them to hand over money for a job is far easier than robbing them outright. Besides, the roads are dangerous. I don't pay my guards to protect peasants."
He snorted and added, "Thirty thousand taels isn't much. What matters is keeping those peasants broke. There are still a few plots of land in town that aren't mine yet—and that Bao family girl isn't bad either."
Mugetsu quietly memorized the man's fat, lecherous face. From their conversation, he understood the situation completely.
Mr. Hamaji hadn't told the whole truth. Those two strong men might have been hired—or even locals working with him—to provoke sympathy and push Mugetsu's team into action.
Still, most of what Hamaji said about the Mayor was true. In mere minutes, the man had admitted to land seizures and even trying to buy off families' daughters.
"Has the information on that strange bird been gathered?" the Mayor asked. "Those Ninjas came this morning, strange bunch—so diligent, and for free."
Mugetsu almost chuckled. Different worlds, different priorities. The Mayor couldn't begin to understand the value of a Nin-Beast or the existence of Summoning Techniques.
The subordinate nodded, and together with several guards, they set out toward the area where the Ninjas were staying.
At the courtyard gate, a ragged beggar knelt down. "Mercy, good sirs, just a little food—"
"Get out of here!" the subordinate barked. "Can't you see our Mayor is too kind to stand such suffering? Don't test his patience!"
The beggar flinched and scurried away. Mugetsu's eyes narrowed as he quietly followed.
A short while later, the Mayor greeted a group of black-clad Ninjas carrying swords. "Honored sirs, we've brought the latest information. The strange bird nests atop the mountain."
"Good," the sword-bearing Ninja said coldly. "We'll handle it soon."
"I wish you success," the Mayor said, smiling with false sincerity.
"Heh. Since we're doing this for the people, surely you'll show some appreciation, won't you?" a muscular Ninja said with a grin.
"Didn't we agree there'd be no payment?" the Mayor's subordinate asked, confused.
"How dare you talk back to these gentlemen?" the Mayor snapped, forcing a laugh. "Of course, a token of gratitude is fine. I'll pay fifty thousand taels as a hardship fee."
Inwardly, he cursed. If he hadn't seen their terrifying lightning techniques firsthand, he would've refused. These Ninjas were monsters, and his hired guards wouldn't last seconds against them.
"Haha, then it's settled," the muscular Ninja said with satisfaction.
A bird Nin-Beast capable of carrying people—and payment on top of that—was more than worth their trouble.
After reluctantly agreeing, the Mayor left quickly, still fuming over the money.
"Beroka, isn't this bad for the village's reputation?" a tall, thin Ninja asked once the Mayor was gone.
"Haiiro, you're too uptight," Beroka scoffed. "What reputation? They didn't post a mission through Kumogakure, so they're not clients. Besides, this isn't the Land of Lightning, and we're not even wearing our headbands."
"Even if we were," Haiiro said dryly, "no one here would recognize them anyway."
"Iraka, don't you agree?" Beroka turned toward the swordsman.
Iraka nodded slightly. "Haiiro has a point, but it's nothing serious. If this war goes well, Kumogakure's name will spread across the Ninja World. When that happens, we'll get more foreign missions. Still, if this leaks, it could be troublesome. After we capture the Nin-Beast, we'll kill those men. They've got wealth worth taking."
Beroka grinned. "You're ruthless."
Iraka smirked. "We'll leave a Sand Ninja headband behind to confuse the locals. They'll never know who really did it."
It was a simple, effective cover-up. After all, no one would investigate the death of a greedy mayor during wartime.
Iraka ordered his companions to prepare their equipment before heading toward the mountain.
Mugetsu watched from the shadows, his Byakugan quietly activating. "That skin tone and equipment… definitely Kumogakure," he muttered.
He used his Appraisal Technique to confirm their stats. Only Iraka stood out—over four thousand chakra and proficient Lightning Release at two thousand points. The other two barely had three thousand chakra and lacked notable skills.
Perfect training material, Mugetsu thought.
He had no intention of intervening. Against enemies of this level, his disciples could gain valuable combat experience.
Last time, they faced elite Jonin, and he'd been forced to act quickly. This time, however, he would let them fight on their own.
Mugetsu created another Shadow Clone to tail the Kumogakure trio while his real body scanned the area again with Byakugan, ensuring no stronger enemies were nearby.
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