Under the cover of night, two men strode through a dimly lit corridor. Muraoka, the taller of the two with his muscular build, led the way.
He was the head of the Iron Fang Mercenaries, a position that demanded respect and instilled fear. Walking beside him was his right-hand man and advisor, Azuma, who stood a shoulder length shorter with a much more leaner build.
Azuma had black hair, just like Muraoka, but the two men had their differences. Muraoka sported an uneven beard that was greying at the ends, giving him a rugged, battle-worn appearance. Azuma, on the other hand, had only a neatly trimmed moustache.
Both men wore black jumpsuits similar to what most shinobi wore, allowing for ease of movement. Their jumpsuits were plain, distinguished only by the armbands on their right shoulders. The armbands were black to signify their jounin ranks, with Muraoka's bearing the symbol of two fangs, denoting his leadership of the organization.
The armbands were the group's way of distinguishing members of all ranks as Chunin members wore white armbands, while genins sported green ones.
"...So that's the current situation in the Land of Wind. The tensions are rising, and even the Kazekage contacted us. Should we take his offer?" Azuma asked, his voice low but urgent.
Muraoka didn't respond immediately. He took a drag from the cigarette in his mouth, savouring the bitter taste before exhaling and throwing it to the ground.
He crushed it under his boot with a slow, deliberate motion, as if contemplating his next words. Finally, he spoke,
"No, Azuma. You know most of our jobs come from the Tsuchikage. If we take the Kazekage's offer, we will be burning that bridge."
Muraoka's decision was based on a complex web of political alliances and enmities. Osaka's actions had forced Satetsu, the Kazekage, to act.
Within the Village Council of Suna, Chiyo, the head of medicine and a powerful figure, and, driven by a personal vendetta, was screaming for retaliation which was more radical than Satetsu's plans.
This internal conflict meant that Satetsu had to seek a compromise. He managed to convince the majority of the Village Council to use mercenaries instead of their own shinobi, thus avoiding direct involvement while still addressing the threat.
"But we need money to keep running, and the amount offered is substantial. If we don't take up the offer, they might turn to the Golden Wind or worse, the Silent Blade," Azuma argued, his concern evident.
In No Man's Land, three major mercenary groups operated above the rest. They were the Iron Fang, Silent Blade, and the Golden Wind. The Silent Blade was Muraoka and Iron Fang's biggest competitor, while the Golden Wind was the most recent entrant to the scene.
"I'm sure they already have the Golden Wind, but they still want us. I won't choose one job over the constant stream of work the Tsuchikage sends our way.
Besides, if we stay out of this and the Silent Blade accepts the offer, we can still align ourselves with Suna if they win and then attack Silent Blade since they will lose their numbers. Just give them an excuse now, like we are too busy with other missions in Konoha or Kumo," Muraoka said, lighting another cigarette. His tone was final, leaving no room for further debate.
Azuma, though not entirely convinced, knew better than to voice his disagreement. He understood how stubborn Muraoka could be. With a nod, he accepted his leader's decision and resolved to decline Suna's offer.
As they reached Muraoka's quarters, Azuma was just about to say his goodbyes when both men turned their heads simultaneously toward a distant direction. They heard a series of shouts, breaking the stillness of the night.
======
When the squad reappeared, they found themselves in a stony and sandy environment.
Renjiro recognized the place instantly. 'Back where we were,' he thought, noting the familiar terrain.
It was indeed the spot where they had set up a couple of weeks ago. Despite the wind sweeping away any traces they left behind, the dents and cracks on the surrounding rocks, caused during their training, remained as markers of their previous presence.
"I could have teleported us nearer to the base, but I feared it might alert their defences—something we do not want," Minato explained. Hiro nodded in agreement, understanding the precaution.
The squad then began moving east, quickly locating a nearby river. They followed the river upstream, knowing the base of the Iron Fangs was situated further along.
As they moved, Hiro couldn't help but nudge Renjiro, "I know there are other mercenary groups here. What will we do if some decide to act as reinforcements for the Iron Fangs when we attack them?"
Renjiro smirked at the thought. 'Mercenaries helping each other?' he mused. It was an amusing concept. While he hadn't had many direct interactions with mercenaries, he had read and heard enough about them to understand their nature.
Mercenaries offered their services to the highest bidders, and their lack of allegiance to any shinobi power made them even more wary of other groups. They were more likely to sit back and watch when one group was in a compromising situation rather than offer help.
'Now that I think about it, even the shinobi villages are like that. If helping you doesn't align with their interests, they might not honour the shallow pacts they form with you,' Renjiro reflected.
He turned to Hiro and said, "You don't need to worry about that, Hiro. They rarely help each other since there is no honour amongst mercenaries."
Hiro looked a bit confused but nodded, getting the gist of Renjiro's explanation. The squad continued their journey, moving with caution and purpose. After several minutes, they reached the base. When they were just a few meters from it, Minato signalled for them to stop.
Minato took a few steps forward and began disarming the fuinjutsu seal guarding the base.
Renjiro activated his Sharingan, keen to observe and understand what Minato was doing. The seal Minato was working on was foreign to Renjiro, and he watched intently as Minato's hands moved with practised precision.
It took Minato a couple of minutes to disable the seal. He then disappeared, presumably to work on another safeguarding seal, before reappearing a moment later.
Minato turned to his squad and said, "Don't use your chakra fields until I give you my signal. I will make sure that you only find chunins at best when you get in. Yano and I will move first. Once I signal you, you can enter."
As Minato was preparing to leave, Renjiro couldn't help but ask, "No kunai this time?"
Minato paused for a moment before a chuckle escaped his mouth. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't need them," he replied, his confidence reassuring.
Minato and Yano then moved toward the base. Contrary to Renjiro's expectations, they didn't disappear but instead split up, moving in different directions.
'Huh? What are they planning?' Renjiro wondered.
With only the three of them left, Renjiro, Sama, and Hiro stood in silence. Until Hiro decided to break the silence,
"Wait, he didn't say how he was going to signal us."
Just then, a loud explosion echoed through the area
"Boom!!"
The ground trembled slightly, and a plume of smoke rose in the distance.
Renjiro shrugged, "I guess that is our signal."
The three chunins sprang into action, moving quickly towards the base. Renjiro's heart raced with adrenaline.
'Here we go!'
When Muraoka and Azuma heard the shouts they presumed to be from their men, they immediately became wary. The explosion that followed next clarified their suspicions: their base was under attack.
"What is going on?" Azuma couldn't help but ask, his voice tinged with urgency. Muraoka, who shared the same thoughts, didn't answer. Instead, he sprinted towards the source of the explosion, Azuma close on his heels.
They navigated the winding corridors of the base with practised ease, the sounds of battle growing louder with each step. Suddenly, they came to a halt when a figure appeared in front of them.
The man, with a distinctive uniform and blonde hair, spared their armbands a brief glance.
Seeing the man's uniform, Muraoka's mind raced. 'Konoha,' he thought, recognizing the attire instantly. Before he could react, the blonde man vanished and reappeared next to Azuma, grabbed him by the arm, and disappeared again in a flash.
"What the—" Muraoka began to mutter, his heart pounding. He readied himself for the next move, but before he could complete his thought, the blond man appeared beside him, grabbed his arm, and they both vanished.
=====
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