Chapter 21: Shadows in Sunset Town
After three days of travel, Team 7 finally arrived at their destination. Sunset Town was nestled in a valley, its name seemingly derived from the way the dying light of day painted its collection of simple wooden houses in hues of orange and gold. A handful of villagers were outside, focused on their handicrafts, but a palpable tension hung in the air, a stark contrast to the serene setting.
Kakashi approached one of the villagers. "Excuse me, could you direct us to the mayor?"
The man didn't look up from his weaving. "He hasn't returned for three days."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly. The mayor was their client; without him, they had no briefing on the bandit threat. "Do you know where he went?"
The villager's hands stilled for a moment before he pointed a trembling finger toward a densely forested mountain in the distance. "There."
"And what was he doing there? When is he expected back?" Kakashi pressed.
The villager shook his head rapidly, refusing to say more, and hurried back into his house, shutting the door with a definitive click. The fear was evident.
Frowning, Kakashi regrouped with his team. "We'll split up to gather intelligence. Meet back here in thirty minutes." He glanced at Sakura, whose face was pale with nerves. "Sakura, you stick with Naruto."
The four shinobi dispersed, unaware that from the shadowed mouth of a nearby alley, a group of rough-looking men were silently monitoring their every move.
Sakura trailed a few steps behind Naruto, her mind a whirlwind. "Naruto-kun, where should we start looking for information?"
Naruto stopped abruptly, his gaze fixed on a building down the street. "There."
Sakura followed his line of sight. Her face flushed a brilliant scarlet. "The... the bathhouse?!"
"Just follow me," Naruto said, not waiting for a reply as he darted toward it.
Sakura's heart hammered against her ribs. 'What is he thinking? We're on a mission! But... what if he...? No! He has Hinata! But he did used to have a crush on me...' Her chaotic thoughts were cut short as she saw Naruto suddenly veer into a narrow, grimy alley that ran behind the bathhouse.
"Naruto, the bathhouse is—" she started, but he was already gone. Swallowing her confusion, she sprinted after him.
She skidded to a halt in the alley. Several men were sprawled on the ground, groaning, while Naruto stood over them, his voice low and demanding.
"Naruto-kun, who are they?" Sakura asked, her voice shaky.
"They've been watching us since we entered the village," Naruto explained without looking back. "They're part of the group."
"Part of it? Are there more? Are Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke in danger?"
"Don't worry. These are just thugs. They're no match for Kakashi or Sasuke."
Naruto turned his attention back to the men. "I'll ask you one last time. If you don't answer, you have no more use for this world."
Sakura flinched, a cold dread seeping into her. Was he really going to kill them?
"Who are you, and why are you watching us?" Naruto demanded of one of the men.
The man spat on the ground. "I ain't tellin' you sh—"
A kunai flashed. A crimson arc painted the air, and the man crumpled, his sentence forever unfinished.
Sakura screamed, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.
The sudden distraction was all another man needed. He surged to his feet, his movements surprisingly fast for his size. Before Sakura could react, he had an arm locked around her neck, pulling her tight against his chest.
"You! Drop your weapons and kill yourself, boy," the man snarled at Naruto, "or I'll snap her neck!"
Naruto stared, utterly unimpressed. 'What kind of idiotic logic is that?'
"Naruto...!" Sakura whimpered, tears of fear and shame welling in her eyes. She was terrified, both of the man killing her and of Naruto actually complying.
As her mind raced, a shuriken whizzed past her ear with a deadly thwip. She felt a warm, wet spray against her cheek. The pressure on her neck vanished. She stood frozen for a moment before slowly turning her head. The man lay on the ground, a shuriken buried deep in his temple.
Five minutes later, the sole remaining survivor, trembling uncontrollably, spilled everything. "We're from the Blood-Sand Gang on Sunset Mountain! Our boss found out the mayor hired ninja! He took the mayor's family hostage, threatened him to call it off! But the old fool wouldn't budge! He came up the mountain three days ago and... and killed himself! Our boss panicked! He told us to intimidate the villagers, hide the truth, and keep an eye on you! We were supposed to report your movements, see if you'd give up without a client!"
Once he had the information, Naruto dispatched the final thug with a grim finality. The moment it was over, he stumbled to the alley wall and vomited, his body shaking. This was his first kill. The metallic smell of blood and the sight of the corpses were overwhelming.
Wiping his mouth, he looked at Sakura. She was pale and visibly shaken, but the initial, paralyzing terror was gone from her eyes. She had learned a brutal lesson.
"Naruto, are you okay?" she asked, her voice small.
"I'm fine," he grunted, straightening up. "Let's go. We have what we need."
Back at the rendezvous point, Kakashi and Sasuke were already waiting. Kakashi's sharp eyes immediately noted the flecks of blood on Naruto's clothes and the red-rimmed, haunted look in Sakura's eyes.
"You encountered the watchers too," Kakashi stated.
Naruto nodded. "We got the information from them. The mayor is dead."
"The ones I tracked also talked," Sasuke added coldly.
After cross-referencing the details and confirming the story, Kakashi made his decision. "Even though the client is deceased, the mission fee was paid. We will honor the contract. To avoid a long night and complications, we'll move up the mountain tonight."
Naruto shook his head. "I think we should go now. We don't know if they have more scouts. If we wait and they flee, the mission fails." He felt a professional obligation to see the job through, especially since the payment was already secured.
Kakashi considered this. His initial plan for a night assault leveraged their shinobi skills in stealth. A daylight raid was a blunt, frontal approach. But looking at his team—a jōnin, a chūnin-level fighter, and two determined, if green, genin—he knew they had the strength for a direct confrontation.
"Alright," Kakashi agreed, his voice firm. "We go now."
(End of Chapter)
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