During wartime, a shinobi who killed a civilian from an enemy nation could shift the blame for the death onto a civilian of their own nation.
After all, with two nations at war, a civilian killing a civilian was considered normal and beyond reproach.
But in peacetime, without the grand justification of nation against nation, a shinobi killing a civilian became a major event that rattled everyone's nerves.
Every Hidden Village had to display a righteous stance!
No normal shinobi would attempt to murder a civilian in broad daylight.
After all, this would cause incalculable damage to the village's reputation, an unforgivable offense.
Therefore, the strong man was clearly a rogue Shinobi, and his mind was likely unbalanced.
An ordinary rogue Shinobi would only be hunted by the shinobi of their original village.
However, a shinobi who abuses and murders a civilian would be jointly pursued by the entire Shinobi World.
The strong man's actions just now had no benefit other than increasing the difficulty of his own survival.
The effect was indeed immediate.
Yugito Nii was the first to strike at him.
Immediately after, several shinobi around them stopped to watch.
Should Yugito Nii fail to defeat the strong man, they would decisively intervene, representing their respective villages to demonstrate their dedication to protecting civilian safety.
With everyone watching him menacingly, the strong man remained completely fearless. He had only survived until today because of his strength!
Blades clashed, and sparks flew.
After several rounds, Yugito Nii hadn't gained any advantage.
It was genuinely surprising to her that this despicable shinobi, lacking in sense, was actually a master.
The middle-aged female shinobi accompanying her also showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Although Yugito Nii was young, her strength was undeniable.
Yet, her opponent was matching her kunai against her shinobi blade without falling behind.
A troublesome character!
The middle-aged female shinobi narrowed her eyes, her hand on her sword hilt, ready to strike at any moment.
"So strong! So strong!"
Seiya was thrilled by the sight and clapped enthusiastically, his little hands patting non-stop.
A moment later, Megumai estimated the time and realized the samurai patrolling the street would arrive soon.
According to the laws of the Tetsu no Kuni, attempted murder of a civilian by a shinobi did not meet the standard for the death penalty, resulting in a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
This did not align with Megumai's wishes. She absolutely would not allow anyone who harmed her son to live on this earth!
Before the samurai arrived, she had to end the life of this bastard!
At this thought, Megumai, without a word, sent the reluctant Seiya back to the office, while she returned to the street with a snow-white shinobi blade in her hand.
Bloody business-like killing was not suitable for a two-year-old baby to witness personally.
On the empty street, Yugito Nii was still fighting fiercely with the strong man, neither gaining the upper hand.
In fact, she was subtly beginning to lose ground.
The fourteen-year-old girl was ultimately no match for the strong man in the prime of his life in terms of physical condition.
As for Ninjutsu, Yugito Nii didn't dare to use it.
After all, once they clashed with Ninjutsu, the combat range would be difficult to control.
With too many civilians on the street, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yugito Nii was also afraid to use Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
Otherwise, exposing herself as the Two-Tails' host in a bustling city would invite incalculable risks!
"With just this much skill, you dare to stand up for others!"
The strong man sneered, used a kunai to parry Yugito Nii's shinobi blade, and then leaped onto the rooftop, sprinting away rapidly.
Fighting in a busy city would only attract more opponents.
Furthermore, based on the regular schedule, the samurai were about to begin a new round of patrols.
At that point, two fists would not be able to fend off four hands, and he would surely die!
The strong man was not simply an idiot; he decisively chose to run.
Yugito Nii jumped up to pursue without a second thought, but suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Little sister, leave him to me."
An unfamiliar female voice.
Yugito Nii was startled, involuntarily holding her breath.
She turned her head to look, but only felt a gentle breeze pass by, saw no one, and merely caught a faint, subtle fragrance.
What incredible speed!
Yugito Nii's eyes narrowed, and a cold sweat drenched her back. She quickly asked, "Atsui, who was that?!"
"It seemed to be the little child's mother."
The middle-aged female shinobi's expression was grave as she pointed in the direction Megumai had left.
"What a powerful Body Flicker Jutsu! It seems even better than Uchiha Shisui's of Konoha!"
Across a row of neat rooftops, Megumai caught up with the rapidly fleeing strong man in just a few breaths.
A flash of white light swept past, and the strong man's head was separated from his body.
Megumai sheathed her blade and kicked the corpse down onto the street.
The patrolling samurai happened to see this scene and quickly approached to understand the situation.
After interviewing the neighborhood and checking surveillance, the patrol captain acknowledged the legality and righteousness of Megumai's actions.
"Shop Manager Tojo, you truly hide your talents! I've known you for four years, and I never expected you to possess such incredible skill!"
Megumai replied calmly, "I prefer to live quietly among the populace. But this man tried to harm my son, and I could not let him leave alive."
"It's only natural, only natural!" The patrol captain cheerfully collected the strong man's corpse, arranged for people to clean the blood from the rooftop and street, and then led his squad to continue patrolling, not taking issue with Megumai's excessive force in self-defense.
After all, the person who died was a shinobi, not a samurai!
...
The minor commotion quickly concluded.
Megumai smiled and nodded to Yugito Nii, "Thank you, little sister, for stepTojo in earlier!"
"It was nothing."
Yugito Nii waved her hand dismissively.
Having fought for a long time without capturing the strong man, she felt a bit awkward accepting Megumai's thanks.
Especially since the other party had personally and effortlessly killed the man. Her intervention had made no difference to the outcome.
In truth, Megumai wasn't thanking Yugito Nii for her heroic act, but rather for providing Seiya with an excellent Taijutsu performance.
"Your strength, senior, is outstanding, I am truly impressed!"
Yugito Nii's praise was heartfelt.
She couldn't help but look Megumai up and down, dressed in civilian clothes, and inwardly sighed that the Shinobi World truly held hidden masters.
Coming across the sea to the Tetsu no Kuni for a mission, she had encountered two masters immediately upon landing.
One was a muscle-bound strong man with top-tier Taijutsu, and the other was an unknown woman who effortlessly dealt with him.
Against the former, Yugito Nii was confident she could win using Tailed Beast Transformation.
But against the latter, she did not have that confidence.
Facing the younger generation's praise, Megumai offered a humble smile.
"It was just a trivial skill, nothing worth mentioning."
As soon as she finished speaking, a 'boom' of white smoke erupted from her hand, and the shinobi blade vanished.
Megumai was eager to return to her son, so she directly invited the girl to shop at the supermarket, offering to pay for all purchased items as a token of her gratitude.
Yugito Nii had been planning to enter the supermarket to buy a few things anyway.
At this moment, she didn't stand on ceremony and readily accepted Megumai's invitation.
Meanwhile, not far away, in a casino facing the street, a person stood by a third-floor window, watching Megumai enter the supermarket.
He recalled the snow-white shinobi blade, and then Megumai's image began to flash in his mind.
Everything gradually became clear.
"Is that you, Uchiha Megumi?"