"Why the hell are you attacking Konoha shinobi, you bastard?! You want a war?!" the jonin roared.
Kaoru, already mid-step preparing his next strike, froze. The air around him shifted subtly, his chakra's intensity dimming, not out of hesitation, but confusion.
"You are from Konoha?" he muttered, brows furrowing.
"Acting like you didn't know won't save you now!" the jonin snarled. "You want war? We'll give you war!"
He had no real leverage left - his breathing was ragged, his movements slow, and blood loss was painting the ground beneath him. But seeing Kaoru hesitate, he pressed forward with words, realizing this was his only chance.
"If you're really from Konoha," Kaoru said quietly, "why did you kidnap that woman?"
"Kidnap?" The jonin nearly choked from the accusation. "Are you fucking stupid? That bitch tried to poison us! Even then, we didn't kill her, we were gonna q…"
He caught himself, mouth snapping shut mid-confession.
"Why the fuck am I explaining this to you…" he spat, eyes swimming with fury and delirium.
Kaoru's gaze hardened. The pieces didn't add up, but hesitation was no longer an option. He quickly analyzed his options and made a decision.
He moved.
He kicked the ground and swiftly closed the distance. The jonin flinched, struggling to move, but his body couldn't keep up. Blood loss had already dulled his instincts, and his limbs no longer obeyed his will as quickly as before.
Nagizume's blade came from the side in a deadly arc, targeting the defensless waist where arm provided protection before. The jonin tried to twist, tried to deflect, but his right side was too slow to compensate.
Kaoru felt the crunch of bone as Nagizume tore through his opponent's waist.
"You bastar…" A wet, guttural scream escaped the jonin's mouth as he collapsed. Blood spilled from the gaping wound, along with the grotesque stench of ruptured guts and bile. The dirt beneath him turned a deep, oily red.
Kaoru instinctively turned his head. The smell burned his nose and made his stomach clench. But he didn't dwell on it. His gaze shifted toward the mist, toward Misa.
She had already finished.
Two chunin lay sprawled beside her, unmoving. The third was still alive, but barely - he was on his knees, slumped and trembling, blood gushing from deep slashes across his back and ribs. Even if Misa spared him, he wouldn't survive the hour.
Kaoru turned back to the ruined corpse at his feet.
He summoned a shadow clone without a word. The clone stepped forward, kneeling beside the body and beginning a methodical search - documents, gear, anything that might identify the man's origins.
Kaoru, meanwhile, turned toward the forest. He started to slowly walk toward the unconscious jonin he'd taken down earlier.
'I was planning to let one escape, track them back to their base, maybe uncover the network behind all this,' Kaoru thought. 'But if they're truly from Konoha… I can't take that risk. If word spreads that Takimura shinobi attacked and killed Leaf nin, it could escalate far beyond a regional skirmish.'
His eyes were locked on the silhouette slumped against the tree. The jonin he'd knocked out hadn't moved an inch.
Kaoru didn't rush. He had time now.
'But would true Konoha shinobi shout their allegiance like that? Especially… why weren't they wearing Konoha protectors?'
He had already checked. The first man wore nothing to identify his allegiance, no forehead protector, no sigil, nothing. Either they were hiding their identity, or they were rogues. And yet… their strength and coordination weren't ordinary.
'I knew these men weren't just common thugs. But Konoha? They are supposed to be protecting this region. So what the hell are their shinobi doing, kidnapping women and robbing travelers like bandits?'
Kaoru had immediately dismissed the jonin's earlier outburst about Ria trying to poison them. That story didn't seem realistic. But deep down he felt unease.
'I'll interrogate this one first and then I'll decide. But whatever this is… this mission is way more complicated than I expected.'
Kaoru crouched beside the jonin, watching him with narrowed eyes. He'd already tried pouring water over his face, even delivered a solid kick between the legs. Still, the man remained unconscious.
So, in the end, Kaoru waited.
Footsteps approached from behind, soft but firm.
"Lord, the enemies are dealt with," Misa reported in a calm voice as she stepped into the clearing. Blood smeared her sleeves, but none of it was her own. "I searched their bodies. They carried nothing but a few scrolls and standard tools - kunai, wire, explosive tags. But no village protectors."
'Yeah… that jonin was probably lying. None of the Konoha nin wearing protectors is very unlikely.' Kaoru nodded slightly, eyes never leaving the unconscious man.
"Should I go and free the woman?" Misa asked, signaling toward the camp where Ria still sat like a captured animal.
"Not yet," Kaoru answered. "I want to speak with this bastard first."
He kicked the jonin sharply in the stomach.
The man let out a low grunt, body flinching.
"I know you're awake," Kaoru said flatly. "I can see you are trying to stir the chakra. Don't bother. I've already placed the suppression seals on you."
A bitter smile appeared on the jonin's face as his eyes fluttered open.
"Who the fuck are you?" he rasped, teeth clenched. "You're not some no-name thug. That much is clear…"
He tried to sit up, but he could not even turn around with his limbs tied to his back.
"You're not the one asking questions," Kaoru said. "You answer mine. And if you do a good job, maybe…"
"Hah!" the jonin barked out a laugh. "Kid, is this your first mission? The moment I opened my eyes and saw the two of you standing around chatting, I knew my squad was dead. And that means you are not letting me live."
Kaoru said nothing
"So," the jonin continued, "that kunoichi with you called you lord… you've got power, status, probably from a strong clan, maybe even a hidden village behind you…You definitely are not here for our supplies… and that woman can't be related to you either… then what the hell are you doing out here?"
"You're truly smart," Kaoru said, smirking faintly. He reached up and pulled back the hood covering his face, revealing the forehead protector, the metal glinting under the moon's light.
The jonin's eyes landed on the symbol etched into the metal. His brows twitched in confusion.
"Takimura…" he muttered. "But we're not at war with Takimura. Why are you attacking us?"
"You kidnapped a civilian," Kaoru said coldly. "We are not at war, you say… you're thugs."
"What?" The man frowned, the confusion on his face deepening. "Who told you that?"
Kaoru didn't respond.
The jonin let out a dry, bitter laugh. "That woman… she tried to poison us. Did you know that? And she did it clumsily, like someone who'd never killed before. So we didn't execute her. We figured she was being forced into it. That's why we kept her alive."
Kaoru's eyes widened.
"You truly didn't know?" the jonin said slowly, watching him carefully, "someone fed you a lie kid… and sent her to us with poison. That means someone wanted a fight between us. We were both played."
Kaoru looked away. The weight of his mistake settled heavily in his chest, pressing hard.
The jonin's voice lowered, quieter now. "And you know why I'm telling you all this?"
Kaoru exhaled.
"Because you already know what I'm going to do," he muttered. "I'll find the ones behind this… and I'll kill all of them."
The jonin didn't answer for a long moment. Then he gave a weak, dry chuckle and raised his head as much as he could.
"Any chance you'll let me walk away?" he asked, his voice already knowing the answer. "No… never mind. I'd rather die with some dignity left than beg for what you won't give."
Kaoru didn't respond. Instead, he shifted the conversation.
"Why weren't any of you wearing Konoha protectors?" The question wasn't of necessity. He just needed something to dull the edge of guilt pressing in on him. Something to make it feel less like murder.
"You still doubt me?" the jonin sighed, exhausted. "You'll find them in the camp…"
The silence that followed settled like a stone in Kaoru's chest.
'I can't let him live,' he resolved himself, exhaling quietly.
"Don't pity me, you bastard!" the jonin snapped, as if reading his mind. "I'm dying as a shinobi. Killed by someone stronger. I don't need your sad look."
Kaoru's gaze lowered. His eyes began to glow, faint cyan light spilling into the night. A thin needle of water formed beside the man's temple, hovering silently.
"I'll kill everyone who set this up," Kaoru murmured.
The needle shot forward and embedded itself into the side of the jonin's skull. He died instantly, without a sound. Kaoru closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence stretch.
"Lord," Misa spoke behind him, her voice softer than usual, "they might not have been guilty in this case. But every shinobi outside our village is still an enemy. They're trained to kill, just like we are."
Kaoru turned toward her slowly, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Do you really believe that, Misa?"
She hesitated. Her eyes dropped to the dead man's body before she finally spoke.
"Urm… I remember running from Kiri. I was four, maybe five. We got separated from the clan during the escape. It was just me and my mother… wandering."
She crouched, checking the corpse out of habit more than purpose now, her fingers moving while her mind drifted.
"My mother wasn't a shinobi. She didn't have chakra, couldn't protect herself. When we tried to trade her last ring for food, the villagers turned on her."
Kaoru didn't interrupt. He only listened, quietly.
"I watched them rape her for days," Misa said flatly. "The only reason they didn't touch me was my age; I was far too little to please them. But they made sure I knew what would happen once I was old enough."
Her hands stopped. She stood.
"They hated us because of the symbols on our backs. Said shinobi scum deserved nothing better. Our clan was exiled for going against the brutal ways of Kiri, for protecting civilians, but those same civilians treated us like filth."
Her voice cracked slightly at the edges, but she pressed on.
"They gave us just enough to stay alive, water, a bit of stale bread, so they could keep going and enjoying my mother… she was more beautiful than anyone those bastards would ever dream to touch… when my mother begged to leave, swore we didn't want anything… they laughed."
She looked Kaoru dead in the eye now, fire burning behind her irises.
"Do you know what they did when Akura-san arrived? They locked us in the pig shed. Put on smiles. Called him lord. Praised him."
Kaoru said nothing.
"Luckily, I had awakened my chakra. I managed a small burst and it was enough. Akura-san found us." Her voice softened as she looked away. "He killed the village head. But not the others…"
Misa stepped closer.
"My mother died before we reached the settlement. She made Akura-san promise to take care of me… then slit her wrists in the night." Her eyes stayed distant, heavy with things left unsaid. "I don't think she looked at me even once after we left. I must've reminded her of everything she'd endured."
Kaoru lowered his gaze.
Misa exhaled slowly, collecting herself. "So, Lord Kaoru, I know you and Lady Suikage see good in people. You believe civilians, those without power, should be protected first." She paused, pressing her lips. "But for me… they're not the priority. I'd kill an entire village to protect you. Or anyone from the Takime clan. I wouldn't hesitate."
She smiled through the weight in her chest, her eyes glinting from tears. "So please, don't blame yourself. Your heart was in the right place. You were deceived, and they'll use that kindness against you again. I'm not saying you should stop being kind… That's one of the things I love about you. But don't trust civilians just because they're weak. The strong… they're usually honest about what they want. The weak survive through schemes. Lies. Desperation."
Kaoru let the silence sit for a moment longer before nodding.
"Thank you, Misa." He smiled faintly and turned toward the cage. "Let's find out who's behind this."
**
The Next Chapter on Tuesday
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