"Sorry if I made you wait," Shin said casually as he finally strolled to the entrance of the Shonin Clan, spotting Team Gai already gathered there.
He didn't actually care how long they had been standing around, but for now, it was time to act like a gentleman—despite being about as far from one as you could get. The facade was necessary, at least for appearances.
"Yes! You di—" Rock Lee, always the energetic one, was about to shout something out, his eyes wide with enthusiasm.
But before he could finish, Tenten swiftly moved in, clamping her hand over his mouth to stop whatever loud nonsense was about to come out.
"No, we just got here, Shin," Neji chimed in smoothly, though his eyes flickered coldly toward Rock Lee. Lee had been getting bolder recently, maybe a little too bold for his own good.
Neji figured Lee would get knocked back down to reality soon enough, probably by another rejection from Sakura. That always seemed to humble him—if only temporarily.
Neji couldn't for the life of him figure out what Lee saw in her. Sure, she was strong, but Lee was practically a simp at this point. Neji shook his head slightly. Weirdos, all of them.
"That's good to hear. So, let's get started," Shin replied, stretching his arms lazily. Without warning, he moved, his body flickering for a second before he suddenly appeared right beside Neji.
"What the—?! So fast!" Neji thought, eyes widening for a split second. He saw Shin's image blur into a mirage before settling next to him.
Impressive speed, but Neji had seen faster before. Still, it caught him off guard.
Rock Lee and Tenten exchanged glances, both a little taken aback as well.
Shin, meanwhile, wasn't nearly as fast as he made himself seem. In fact, if it came down to raw speed, a determined street dog could probably catch him if he tried to run.
The trick was all in the 'Footsteps of the Phoenix,' technique which he had used to fake that flashy movement.
It wasn't about being fast—it was about looking fast. And that, Shin had down to a science.
As they left the Shonin Clan estate, they walked in silence for about a minute before Tenten stepped closer to Shin, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Uh, Shin, are those guards going to follow us?" she asked, gesturing toward the four men who had appeared out of nowhere, walking a few paces behind the group.
Each guard was clad in the familiar uniform of the Shonin Clan, so it seemed like they had something to do with Shin—or at least, that's what Tenten assumed.
Without turning his head, Shin responded in his usual nonchalant tone, "Yeah, they're supposed to guide us. You see, the Land of Teas isn't like the Land of Fire.
They don't have much in the way of, you know, public safety. Crime here is kinda rampant. So going out alone... well, you might as well be tying the noose yourself."
Tenten nodded thoughtfully as Shin's explanation sunk in. She shot another glance at the guards, now understanding why they were tagging along.
This place wasn't as peaceful as it seemed. Neji, on the other hand, remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Rock Lee, as usual, looked like he was about to say something, but then caught himself, realizing it wasn't worth it.
The group soon found themselves in the bustling city where the Shonin Clan was based. The streets were lively, filled with people going about their day, and the scent of food filled the air.
"Woah... this place is full of delicious food!" Rock Lee exclaimed, his eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store.
His nose twitched as the smell of freshly cooked dishes from various street vendors hit him, and he practically started salivating on the spot.
'Ah... great, here goes another one,' Shin thought sarcastically, watching Lee get all starry-eyed.
To him, it was just another example of Rock Lee being, well, Rock Lee. Shin knew the food here wasn't anything special. The vendors just had a trick up their sleeve, using herbs or even weak drugs to make the food smell irresistible.
Anyone who wasn't used to it—like Lee—would fall for it easily. Shin, though? He wasn't that gullible.
Just as they were walking, Shin heard a small voice shout from behind, "DIE, DEMON!"
Before he could even register what was happening, something sharp slammed into his leg with a thud.
'Ouch!' Shin grimaced internally, his face twitching slightly as he reached down to rub the spot where he had been struck.
He glanced back and saw a group of kids laughing and running away, one of them clutching a rusty metal pipe they had clearly been pretending was a sword.
'Ugh... this is why I hate kids,' Shin thought darkly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the little brats, then shot an irritated glare at the guards. How had they let those pests get that close to him?
For a brief second, his eyes flickered with a murderous glint, like he was seriously considering making someone pay for that hit.
But just as quickly, his expression returned to its usual calm, even if his patience was wearing thin.
"Are you okay?" Tenten and Rock Lee asked him in unison, their tone casual. Neither of them seemed to think much of the kids' attack, assuming it hadn't really affected him.
In reality, though, the hit stung more than Shin would ever admit. His body was kind of... pathetic.
"Yeah, didn't even feel it," Shin replied with a forced smile, the kind of smile that screamed fake positivity. "On the bright side, it's good to see kids being so active these days."
His tone dripped with sarcastic enthusiasm, but none of them seemed to notice—or care. With that, they all continued walking, as if nothing had happened.
The calm didn't last long. Suddenly, a series of loud, gut-wrenching screams erupted behind them.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The entire group whipped around to see what was happening. Their eyes widened in shock as they saw the kids who had just attacked Shin being ripped apart—spun violently like meat in a blender.
Their bodies were caught in the whirling motion of a sword, flesh shredding, blood splattering everywhere. The scene was horrific, turning the lively street into a nightmare.
"Fucking commoners," sneered a boy, not much older than the shin or team gai. He stood there with a smug smirk, his sword dripping with what was left of the kids, now reduced to nothing more than a pile of blood and gore.
Not even a scrap of flesh remained intact.
"Wha—" Shin barely managed to get the word out, his mind struggling to process what he had just seen. His stomach churned at the sight, though more from the suddenness of it than the gore.
He'd seen worse... but this was so senseless.
Before he could even react further, a system panel flashed before his eyes.
{Martial arts from the Martial World have been detected}
{These techniques are identified as the martial arts of Mount Tian Hua}
{A/N: So, here's the deal—I'm making some changes to the Naruto world, not in terms of the lore, but society-wise. Think more villages in each nation, bigger populations, and obviously, way more shinobis.
Let's be real, as cool as the Naruto world is, it doesn't quite stack up against the insane level of bloodshed you'd see in high-grade wuxia or any level of xianxia. So, to make things more... interesting, there will be a lot of adjustments.
Oh, and by the way, drop some comments and power stones to keep me motivated. If I get enough, who knows, maybe you'll get some extra chapters today!}