Under the moonlight.
Natsuro observed the three genin from Konoha, noting their wary expressions. At least they weren't complete novices; they didn't trust him just because of his forehead protector.
"Who are you?" the leader of the genin asked, his kunai raised and eyes fixed on him.
"Tenzo Team," Natsuro replied calmly.
The genin leader sighed in relief. "What's the situation now? Is Master Blacksmith alright?"
"He's fine. But you're only to guard around the carriage. No entry allowed," Natsuro said coolly. While he could determine their identities, he still couldn't rule out the possibility of a traitor among them.
"Why should we?" the female ninja asked, her voice tinged with anger.
"Because I don't trust you," Natsuro answered bluntly.
"How dare you!" The female ninja was about to retort, but was stopped by her companions.
To them, Natsuro seemed genuinely formidable. The numerous bodies around likely testified to his prowess. Their teammate's previous bravado was nothing compared to Natsuro's deadly seriousness.
"Can we at least see Master Blacksmith to confirm what you've said?" another ninja asked.
As soon as he spoke, the carriage door opened. Master Blacksmith and Tetsuya stepped out. They looked at Natsuro on the carriage roof and then at the three genin.
"Young Ink, have you resolved the situation? Can you prove it now?" Master Blacksmith asked.
"Yes," the genin leader responded after seeing Master Blacksmith. "We'll stand guard nearby. Rest assured, Master Blacksmith, with us here, you'll be safe."
"Alright," Master Blacksmith replied, though somewhat dismissively. He trusted Natsuro more than the genin, given the silence of their carriage despite the chaos outside it showed Natsuro's strength was even greater than he had imagined.
"Now that you're satisfied, return to your duties…" Natsuro's words were cut off as the Mist Technique completely dissipated.
Everyone could now see the scene clearly: dozens of corpses littered around the carriage.
The previously angry female ninja was now stunned, her anger replaced by fear as she realized who was responsible for the bodies. She shivered at the thought of her previous rashness and was grateful her teammates had restrained her. Otherwise, Natsuro might have truly killed her.
Master Blacksmith, too, stared at him in shock. He hadn't expected the seemingly reclusive child to be so ruthless. The lack of noise was because Natsuro had eliminated everyone who came close.
Feeling a mix of gratitude and awe, Master Blacksmith recognized the strength of the Konoha ninja sent to protect him. Tetsuya, who witnessed the scene, felt a mix of fear and admiration. If the situation had been different, he would have eagerly sought to become Natsuro's apprentice.
"Return to your posts," Natsuro said.
"Understood. Thank you, young friend," Master Blacksmith said, leading Tetsuya back into the carriage.
Natsuro surveyed the scene. Many carriages had been overturned or set ablaze, especially those carrying supplies, most of which were destroyed. These carriages had moved a considerable distance after the attack, unlike theirs, which had barely been disturbed.
Noticing many people converging towards the area, he put on his Anbu mask. The presence of so many onlookers posed a problem.
"Don't let them get close," Natsuro instructed the three genin.
"But how do we stop them? There are so many…" The genin understood the importance of keeping people away but were overwhelmed by the numbers.
"How to stop them? Persuade them? Injure a few as a warning? Or if necessary, kill a few? After all, your captain has likely told you that your main task is to protect Master Blacksmith. So, for the sake of your mission, take action," Natsuro said in a somewhat nonchalant tone.
The genin shivered at his words, hesitant to argue with the emotionless mask.
After the three genin agreed to try and block the intruders, Natsuro's gaze shifted to the distance. The primary battleground was there, with intense fighting indicated by the swirling Wood Release techniques.
To be able to fight Tenzo so fiercely… Could it be a Mist Village's jonin?
At that moment, Hyena and Fox, having arrived after the Mist Technique dissipated, approached.
"You're a bit late," Natsuro said.
"Ha, what can we do? We were engaged with the ninjas coming from this direction. Once the mist cleared, we couldn't follow," Hyena said, patting Gray Fang, their ambush partner.
"Woof!"
The Mist Technique had been advantageous for them too, given their reliance on their sense of smell. They often used smoke bombs to obscure their opponents' vision in battle.
"Stay here and keep watch. I'll assist the captain," Natsuro said, sensing no other ninjas nearby.
"Understood." Hyena and Fox exchanged glances, recognizing his strength, and made no objections.
"Here's some remaining military rations. Take them," Fox said, tossing a bottle to Natsuro .
Natsuro accepted it without hesitation and vanished from the carriage roof, heading towards the area of intense combat.
Inside the carriage, Master Blacksmith, hearing Natsuro and his teammates' conversation, sighed. Despite the increased protection, he felt less secure than before.
Natsuro didn't head directly to Tenzo's location, as it seemed difficult to intervene there. Instead, he decided to find the remaining ninjas.
Their positions were spread out, so as long as they appeared within his sensory range, he could detect their locations clearly. Soon, the first Mist Ninja appeared in his senses.
However, these ninjas were not heading towards Master Blacksmith but rather towards the supply carriages. It seemed their goal was also the supplies.
He realized there was more to the situation than just the obstruction by Hyena and Fox. Nevertheless, the enemies would eventually come for Master Blacksmith, so they were still enemies.
And for him, enemies meant targets to be eliminated.
Natsuro moved stealthily. Since the ninjas were scattered while scavenging for supplies, it was a good opportunity to eliminate them one by one and test the effectiveness of his newly combined sword and chakra techniques...
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