"You can't be serious, that's all you've got?" Naruto stopped helplessly, "Hurry up, don't dilly-dally like a woman."
Yugito was drenched in sweat, as if she had just been fished out of the water. She lifted her head and shot Naruto a glare, biting her lip in frustration.
"I am a woman, damn it! Can't you slow down a little?"
"Slow down? What do you think this is, a sightseeing trip?" Naruto said in a dissatisfied tone, "We are in a hurry. Slowing down is simply a waste of time. Can't you keep up?"
"I can't. I'm done. I can't run anymore." The cat girl gave up completely, collapsing onto the ground in utter defeat, looking as if she was at his mercy, "Go ahead, kill me if you want, I'm not moving."
Hearing this, Naruto walked over, glanced down at her for a moment and curled his lips, 'Bullying someone who wouldn't even resist? What was the fun in that? The real entertainment was watching her struggle to keep up.'
"Why would I hit you? I just enjoy watching you gasp for breath as you run." Naruto had no intention of showing any mercy and unceremoniously yanked her back to her feet.
"I have no strength left. I'm not moving." She was limp as a rag doll, completely drained. The high-speed travel had been absolute torture, pushing her to the brink of mental collapse.
"At worst, I'll give you one chance."
"No need, I'm not interested." Yugito shot down his offer immediately, but then noticed Naruto scrutinizing her.
"You're not moving, huh? Then what do we do?" Naruto scratched his head, looking troubled. "Actually, there are other ways to travel. We don't have to run everywhere on foot."
"What?" Yugito's chest rose and fell sharply as she panted for breath. Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, making them sting, forcing her to squint as she looked at him.
"Money, of course." Naruto smirked and made a gesture of counting coins, his tone full of shamelessness, "There are transportation methods in this world. If you cover the cost, I'll let you off the hook."
"Where the hell am I supposed to get money?" Yugito said in exasperation, "Unless I return to Kumogakure…"
"Cough cough, this isn't Kumogakure." Naruto reminded her with a smirk, "But that doesn't mean we're out of options. We don't have money, but other people do."
"Huh? You can't be serious!" Yugito was stunned, completely unable to accept such a shameless proposal.
"You're thinking too much. I meant Rogue Shinobi." Naruto chuckled, "I'm a law-abiding citizen, okay? I'd never target civilians?"
"Rogue Shinobi have high combat power and often attack civilians for money. They usually work in groups. We've encountered quite a few on the road. How about finding an opportunity to rob them?"
"This… this is outrageous!!" Yugito's expression darkened instantly, staring at Naruto with cold eyes, "Even if I'm… yours, I still have my bottom lines."
"No matter what, I'm still a Shinobi!"
"Shinobi? Ahhh!! It hurts! Please, I beg you, spare me!" A female Rogue Shinobi knelt down in the darkness, clutching her bleeding thigh as she pleaded in agony.
It was a dark and windy night, and she was filled with deep regret.
Her seniors had warned her that the wind was strong lately and that it wasn't a good time to commit crimes. But after a string of gambling losses, she was desperate and had no choice but to take the risk.
She had even hoped she wouldn't run into that yellow-haired duo, who were preying on Rogue Shinobi recently. But who could have thought that she had already been taken down before she could even make a move.
"After all you had done, you still want us to let you off?" Naruto stood on the side with his hands crossed, sneering at the woman begging for mercy on the ground. This woman had just slaughtered an entire merchant family, and he and Yugito had caught her in the act.
The composition of Rogue Shinobi is complex, and they are not a group that can be fit into a single category. Missing-nin, wanderers by choice, and outright criminals all fell under the label. Each had their own story.
If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, who would believe that this frail, flat-chested woman was a Rogue Shinobi who killed people without blinking an eye?
People were deceptive, and judging by appearances was simply childish.
However, Yugito had no patience for a fellow woman whining endlessly. So without hesitation, she finished her off. She then glanced at the massacred family and shook her head.
"Let's go." She turned away, already looking for the next unlucky target.
Though both Naruto and Yugito were short on funds, there were some lines they wouldn't cross. Even if that family was already...
This is how this Shinobi World is, and order cannot completely protect civilians.
Some orphans, who are lucky enough to inherit a trace of Chakra from their bloodline, would unknowingly awaken their abilities and end up entangled with Rogue Shinobi.
After all, becoming a Shinobi required structured training, and even rudimentary skills needed a mentor. This led to a chaotic world where civilian deaths were all too common.
Wealthy people will choose to live in Shinobi Villages, or move to metropolitan cities in various countries, or settle down in large towns.
Those without money often went into hiding, or if bold enough, lived in regular villages. When faced with trouble, be it Rogue Shinobi or other threats, they typically cooperated first and sought help from Shinobi Villages afterward.
At the end of the day, rogue ninjas were both a menace and a resource… used by the rich but hunted by the Shinobi Villages.
As for completely eradicating them? That was impossible. After all, Rogue Shinobi are like weeds that will never stop growing.
The only scenario where they might truly disappear was if the Otsutsuki wiped out all life on this planet… only then would Chakra vanish completely.
But even then, the bloodlines of the Otsutsuki wouldn't disappear. Over time, there would still be a small chance of stronger mixed-bloods emerging.
"The Rogue Shinobi around here aren't showing up anymore. Maybe we should move to another area." Naruto remarked casually, his gaze scanning their surroundings.
They were sitting in a small teahouse. A few plates of snacks and two cups of fragrant tea rested on the table. Wisps of steam curled upward, faintly obscuring Yugito's furrowed brows.
"Anyone with a reputation has already been 'visited' by us. The rest probably don't dare to show themselves." Yugito nodded, agreeing to Naruto's suggestion.
Naruto ate as he observed Yugito. Seeing that she no longer resisted these activities, the corners of his mouth curled into a grin. This was all part of her training.
Compared to Yakumo and Ajisai, Yugito was undeniably more capable. But at the same time, she is also a Kumogakure's Shinobi, and it is impossible for her to directly choose to be a traitor.
Even if she did make that decision, she would waver, hesitate, and struggle with it. Naruto's goal was to slowly grind her down, influencing her both physically and mentally.
A person's bottom line was like a girl's underwear, which had to be broken little by little. If there is a first time, there will be a second time, and the small stream would eventually break into a floodgate.
The journey could be slow, but he had to make sure Yugito didn't sit on the fence.
There were not many customers in the teahouse, and they were seated far apart, so there was no possibility that the conversation could be overheard by the people sitting next to them.
After a brief silence, Yugito suddenly raised her heads and asked, "Why do you think those Rogue Shinobi can be so ruthless, targeting civilians like that?"
"What's so surprising? This is the real Shinobi World." Naruto responded indifferently. "Shinobi are born as tools of war and killing machines."
"If they're not fighting a war, they're on their way to one. Rogue Shinobi aren't part of any system… they don't dare target those protected by Shinobi Villages, so who else can they prey on but civilians?"
Hearing this, Yugito didn't say much more. She was not a naive Genin, and she had climbed all the way to the position of an Elite Jonin, so she had seen a lot of blood and gore.
Her question had been a momentary thought, not something she truly dwelled on.