"Traitorous ninja!"
At the moment he saw the forehead protector on the opponent's waist, Ichiro Kitano tightened his grip on the samurai sword in his hand, and cold sweat instantly dripped down his face.
After all, if the opponent were an ordinary ninja who attacked them for any reason, within the borders of the Water Country, with Shimizu Akihiro's identity, there might not be a life-threatening situation.
But traitorous ninjas were different.
Originally referring to ninjas who left their own villages for reasons like crime, these ninjas generally acted without any restraint. In front of even Shimizu Akihiro, who had lost the status of the Shimizu family head's son, and perhaps even in front of the daimyo himself, they would likely act without hesitation.
"Your Highness, the opponent is a defector from the Hidden Mist Village. I'm afraid we are truly in danger this time..." Ichiro Kitano looked at Akihiro and said with bitterness.
Shimizu Akihiro responded with a nod of understanding, but instead of showing nervousness or panic, he lifted his head with interest, carefully assessing the female defector he asked, "Can you tell me why you're attacking us?"
Hmm?
The female shinobi had short brown hair, a white band tied on her head, wearing a blue low-cut dress with a forehead protector marked by the crossed-out symbol tied around her waist. She looked to be under thirty, with a surprised expression on her charming face.
In her eyes, Shimizu Akihiro's calm demeanor seemed a bit too much.
Feeling a bit wary, the female shinobi glanced at Akihiro and suddenly smiled, swiftly producing a kunai from her sleeve, holding it in her hand.
"Kid, being sluggish in battle is a big taboo for a ninja!"
Oh!
As the female shinobi spoke, she moved swiftly, turning into an afterimage shooting towards them.
Ichiro Kitano's pupils shrank, shouting a word, and the voice of the female Shinobi instantly appeared among the samurai.
Hoho!
A muffled sound of impact echoed, and even before the samurai could react to what had happened, all of them were instantly knocked out.
Then, almost at the same time the samurai landed, the female shinobi appeared in front of Ichiro Kitano.
With a swift motion, the kunai cut through the air towards Ichiro Kitano's neck.
Ding!
Ichiro Kitano exerted all his strength to block the kunai with his samurai sword, and sparks flew as the kunai and the blade clashed.
"Die!"
Ichiro Kitano roared, and the samurai sword suddenly burst out his chakra on his blade, sweeping forcefully and pushing the female shinobi back, making her stumble for a moment.
A good opportunity!
Ichiro Kitano's eyes lit up, holding the sword with both hands, the chakra flame on the blade surged, and he forcefully swept it out.
"Evade!"
Hmm!
A white crescent-shaped light flashed.
Boom!
A three-meter-high rock not far away was split in half, with one half flying high and then crashing heavily to the ground.
At the same time, the female shinobi wore a puzzled expression on her face, being cut in half at the waist.
However, before Ichiro Kitano could smile, the female shinobi's figure appeared behind him.
With a kunai lightly pressed against his neck, she said, "Very nice sword skills. However, if you think this can defeat me..."
"Why... Is it... like this..."
The samurai sword fell to the ground, and feeling the cold touch of the kunai on his neck, Ichiro Kitano turned pale.
He never expected that his strongest strike wouldn't even touch her clothes!
'No wonder samurai are being replaced by ninjas, the gap is too big...'
Watching the samurai, including Ichiro Kitano, being defeated almost in an instant, Shimizu Akihiro couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Then, looking at Ichiro Kitano about to be dealt with by the female defector, Shimizu Akihiro softly said, "Vergo."
"Vergo?"
The female defector glanced at Shimizu Akihiro, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. She quietly muttered the word in her mouth, seemingly trying to guess what it meant.
However, her actions were not slow at all. With a forceful wrist movement, she prepared to strike Kitano Ichiro's throat with a kunai.
Just at that moment,
"Rankyaku."
A deep male voice faintly reached the female shinobi's ears.
In an instant, the hairs on the female defector's body stood on end, and she disappeared from the spot.
Swoosh!
At the moment the female shinobi vanished, a blue crescent-shaped slash suddenly shot out from the nearby mountains and forest. After tearing the ground along the way, it flew past Kitano Ichiro's back in an instant, amidst flying gravel.
"What was that? A samurai's sword technique?"
The figure of the female defector reappeared above the carriage, her gaze vigilant towards the direction of the approaching crescent aura.
There, a tall figure emerged from the mountains and forest.
With a robust stature exceeding two meters, wearing a white mesh coat, lightning-like sideburns on both cheeks, black short hair, and a resolute face covered by a pair of sunglasses. In his right hand, he held a fresh, green bamboo shoot.
Watching this scene, Shimizu Akihiro's lips curved into a pleasing arc.
Indeed, the newcomer was Vice Admiral Vergo, recruited by Shimizu Akihiro from the Marine Headquarters.
In fact, when they were under the relentless assault of countless kunai and shuriken earlier, Shimizu Akihiro received a prompt from the system that Vergo has arrived.
It was because of this that Shimizu Akihiro dared to confidently descend directly from the carriage.
Otherwise, even though he had now learned one of Zoro's sword techniques, he wouldn't dare to face a defector shinobi directly in this way.
"Who are you?" The female shinobi stared at Vergo, who was gradually approaching.
Vergo, however, showed no intention of answering and continued to walk steadily towards her.
"Courting death!"
(TN: I Intentionally kept this line xD)
Seeing Vergo completely ignoring her words, a hint of anger and coldness flashed in the female defector's eyes. She clasped her hands together, turning into a series of afterimages, forming seals.
A few seconds later,
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
The female shinobi exclaimed.
Hmm!
At that moment, a faint drizzle fell from the sky, as if it was rapidly gathering and condensing under an invisible force, forming two swiftly rotating, robust water pillars in the air, aiming sharply at Virgo below.
In an instant, they were less than five centimeters from Virgo's calm face.
The next moment,
A light dust rose from the ground, and Virgo's figure instantly disappeared from the spot, as if teleporting, appearing next to the female defector who had just finished forming seals.
With bamboo in his right hand, he casually lifted his left hand.
So fast!
The female defector's pupils suddenly contracted. In a critical moment, she subconsciously raised the kunai in her hand to block in front of her chest.
"Shigan"
Boom!
The metallic impact sound and the explosive noise caused by the two water pillars hitting the ground rang out simultaneously.
In the astonished gaze of the female shinobi, the kunai in her hand shattered like glass, and the terrifying force transmitted from her hand made her body uncontrollably fly backward for a moment.
_______________
Translator's Note :-
The First Naval Officer has finally arrived. Also for those who might be wondering that Vergo is originally disloyal to the Navy so he might backstab MC, there is an explanation about that later.
Also DONATE POWER STONES. It motivates me to release faster.
Also how was your day, write it in the comments:)