Chapter 235: The Gnat's Insolent Buzz
Their journey from the Land of Sound was a swift, shadowed affair. Ren and his Eagle Team arrived at a small, bustling port town in the Land of Waves, a key transit point for travelers from the distant, mist-shrouded Land of Water. The air was thick with the salty tang of the sea and the cries of gulls, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of their hidden village.
"This is the place?" Ren asked, his voice a low murmur as he surveyed the lively docks. "The Mizukage's landing point?"
Karin consulted a small scroll, her glasses glinting. "According to the intelligence, yes. Their ship will dock here before they begin the overland journey to the Iron Country."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Ren's lips. "Good. Since we have time before our guests of honor arrive, we might as well acquaint ourselves with the locale. It's been a long time since we've walked among the common rabble without a specific target in mind."
The team moved from the windy docks into the heart of the town. Though small, it was a hub of commerce, its streets thrumming with the energy of merchants, sailors, and tourists. The cacophony of haggling and laughter was a world away from the silent, deadly precision of their usual missions. As they turned a corner, Ren stopped dead, his gaze fixed on a familiar, brightly colored sign.
"Ichiraku Ramen," he read aloud, a flicker of genuine surprise in his eyes. "To think a branch would exist all the way out here..."
Suigetsu peered over his shoulder. "What's up, Boss? You hungry or something? It's just a ramen shop."
"Or something," Ren replied, a wry note in his voice. "I haven't tasted Ichiraku's broth in a long time. Let's see if this place lives up to the memory." He pushed the noren curtains aside and entered, his team following suit.
The interior was larger than the Konoha original, with several tables occupied by chatting patrons. The owner was a different man, but the comforting aroma of simmering pork bone broth was unmistakably the same. They found a table, ordered four bowls, and for a few moments, there was no talk of war, Kage, or conquest—only the simple, satisfying act of eating.
"Wow, this is actually amazing!" Suigetsu slurped, his earlier skepticism gone. "How'd you know it would be this good, Boss? You been here before?"
"I had a feeling," Ren said, his answer cryptic and dismissive as he savored the familiar taste, a ghost of a simpler past.
The moment of peace was shattered by a deafening BOOM! from the street outside. The building shuddered, and a cloud of dust and grit billowed through the entrance, settling unceremoniously into their half-finished bowls. The rich broth was now a gritty, inedible paste.
Ren's chopsticks, which had been poised to pick up a slice of chashu, slowly lowered onto the rim of his bowl. The casual ease evaporated from his posture, replaced by a stillness that was more threatening than any sudden movement. The air around their table grew cold.
He said nothing. He simply stood, the legs of his chair scraping against the wooden floor with a sharp, final sound. He walked out of the ramen shop, and his team fell in behind him, their own meals forgotten, their expressions shifting from relaxation to cold readiness.
The street, once bustling, was now deserted, civilians having fled in panic. The scene that greeted them was a tableau of three figures. Two women—one a stern, middle-aged kunoichi in practical armor, and another hidden within a traveler's cloak—stood facing a single opponent. This man, perched atop a bulky, mechanical suit, had a face etched with a mixture of arrogance and lechery. A fresh crater under the machine's feet marked the source of the disturbance.
"You again? You're as persistent as a bad stench!" the middle-aged kunoichi shouted, her hand hovering near a kunai pouch.
"I'm not interested in a washed-up guard like you," the man sneered, his voice a grating whine. "I'm here for a match with the famous Princess Shizuka!"
The cloaked figure, the 'Princess,' placed a calming hand on her guard's arm. "This is my burden to bear. Please, stand down." Her voice was calm, melodic. She stepped forward and, with a dramatic flourish, threw off her cloak, revealing a young woman of striking beauty and a nimble, athletic build clad in shinobi attire.
The man on the robot leered. "You're always so captivating! Just agree to marry me already, Miss Shizuka!"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Slow, sarcastic applause broke the tension. All eyes turned to Suigetsu, who was leaning against the ramen shop's doorway, a mocking grin on his face. "Yah! Yah! So, what's this? A bad play? I'm not sure I follow the plot."
"Shut up!" the wretched man shrieked, his face turning red with anger. "This is none of your business! Scram before I have my mighty machine crush you all!"
Ren's gaze, which had been dispassionately analyzing the strange robot, now slid to the man. His voice was deceptively soft, a whisper of steel being drawn from its scabbard. "That little earthquake. The one that ruined my meal. That was you?"
The man puffed out his chest, emboldened by his machine. "Yeah, that was me! So what? Now get lost while you still can!"
Ren's eyes narrowed. A gnat. An insignificant, buzzing gnat that had dared to spoil a rare moment of peace and now had the audacity to shriek at him. He was not a man who suffered fools, and his patience, never abundant, had just evaporated.
"Suigetsu," Ren said, the name a quiet command.
A feral light ignited in Suigetsu's eyes. "Ha~! With pleasure!"
In a blur of motion, he was gone from the doorway. The Beheading Sword was in his hands, its massive form whistling through the air. The wretched man's eyes bulged, his triumphant smirk dissolving into pure, unadulterated terror. He had no time to command his machine, no time to scream, no time to even process the speed of the attack.
SWISH—THUD!
The swing was clean, brutal, and final. The result was exactly as one would expect when a legendary executioner's blade met a flimsy ego encased in a tin can.
The street fell silent once more, save for the faint drip-drip of moisture Suigetsu's body passively generated. Ren didn't even glance at the aftermath. He turned his head slightly, his cold gaze now settling on the two women—the kunoichi and the princess—who were staring in stunned silence.
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