"Throw the katana at your waist and all the weapons on you in front of me, and that goes for your companion too!"
"Alright! Zhe, do as he says!"
"Got it!"
While communicating with Zhe, he threw his own katana, the pouch of ninja tools on his back waist, and even the kunai tied to his leg in front of the opponent.
"Okay! We have done as you asked! Now, shouldn't you show us some sincerity in return?"
Seeing the two ninjas on the other side had thrown their weapons in front of him as requested, he thought for a moment. Given the current situation, it was necessary to maintain some mutual understanding.
He loosened the grip of the dagger on Uchiha Yan's neck and said, "You two, and that group of women! All of you go into that house over there. Also, close the doors and windows, and don't peek outside!"
"I'm warning you, do as I say, or I can't guarantee this little girl's safety!"
He had made up his mind that once they were inside the house, he would take the girl and escape through a pre-planned route built when the hideout was established to leave this dangerous place. Although it was still a bit risky, it was the best plan he could come up with.
"Alright! We will do as you say! But how can you guarantee her safety?"
"If we follow your instructions and you still kill her, then it would all be meaningless to us!"
Hitsugaya, faced with the request, didn't just blindly comply but asked his own question.
"Yes! Yes! How can you ensure Yan's safety if we do as you say?"
Uchiha Zhe, who had been beside them, broke free from his fearful and anxious state and echoed the question.
Ensuring the safety of the girl was indeed a big issue! He knew that if he couldn't offer them any guarantee, there was no way they would let him have his way. For a moment, he hesitated as well, and both sides fell into silence.
Just as the atmosphere became quiet and still, a sudden change occurred. A bright flash of a blade appeared behind the nameless bandit chief.
It all started when Yan and Zhe were conversing. Their conversation had drawn Hitsugaya's attention, and out of curiosity, he turned to look at his companions. Hitsugaya, who was still relatively relaxed at the time, never expected to witness Yan being seized by the bandit chief. Momentarily stunned, Hitsugaya quickly reacted and had planned to use his instant movement to rescue Yan immediately. However, that brief hesitation allowed the bandit chief to seize Yan, and Hitsugaya missed the best opportunity to save her.
A person from a peaceful modern era, when faced with a life-and-death situation, such a momentary lapse was not unusual.
Even so, he still attempted to remedy the situation! The bandit chief who was wracking his brain to find a way to agree with the two ninjas for his escape plan suddenly got a fatal warning from years of battling at the edge of life and death. It was like being a frog staring down a snake, an overwhelming sense of danger filled his brain.
The feeling of being hunted down, a sensation experienced since when he was a weak bandit, resurfaced, and memories from those close-call moments that helped him survive rushed back vividly. To this day, the memory remained ingrained in his mind!
Despite the situation, as a veteran bandit, he showed no sign of fear or panic. He steeled himself, planning to take the "ninja girl" in front of him down to the afterlife with him.
"Having a ninja companion on the road to the afterlife wouldn't be so lonely," he thought, activating the explosive tags fixed on his hostage's back.
Even in death, he intended to bring down as many people as possible with him.
"It's just a pity for the women I robbed in the hideout and haven't had enough of yet, and the treasures I stashed away! I wonder which scoundrel will benefit from them in the end!"
Resolute in his doomed decision, at the final moment of his life, his mind wandered to these mundane thoughts. Just then, a sharp whistle signaled a blade's slicing motion, followed by the sound of a sword being drawn.
"Clang!"
The clear sound of Hitsugaya's small katana being drawn echoed across the small square in front of the wooden house. The nameless bandit chief met his end in that moment.
A sharp pain surged through his right hand, followed by a sensation of flying. He saw a figure behind him holding a small katana, standing there.
Even the katana's glint, reflecting the first light of dawn, was clearly visible.
"Wasn't this guy standing in front with the other kid? How did he get behind me?"
His final thoughts were of bewilderment as he involuntarily looked toward his own standing shadow.
"So that standing figure is me, huh!"
As his mind drifted into darkness, he saw his headless body standing, then his consciousness faded away.
(End of Chapter)