Whether it was blind confidence or reckless ignorance, the Missing-nin from the Hidden Mist didn't fully retreat, even after Renjiro's Mind Net exposed their position.
They had only pulled back just far enough to escape his sensory range—then boldly returned to their standoff just outside the village.
Renjiro and his team already knew the reason behind these ruthless attacks. Itai had explained everything during their earlier meeting. The enemy was applying constant pressure, trying to make life unbearable for the Genki Clan.
In short, they wanted to crush their will.
Within seconds, Team Renjiro assembled at the perimeter wall, just beneath the defensive fence.
Since the element of surprise was already gone, Renjiro looked at his team and said: "We'll follow the plan. Maemon, come with me to lay some tarps around the perimeter. Tsugami, you and Meri wait for the perfect moment to strike."
"Yes, captain!" The three replied in unison.
"Let's move."
With their roles assigned, Renjiro and Maemon climbed the wooden watchtower by the village gate and locked eyes with the three Mist Missing-nin standing just beyond bowshot range.
---
A kilometer away, the sensory ninja among the Missing-nin narrowed his eyes.
"I was right. We've got new enemies. Looks like clan leader Itai called for help from Konoha." He said seriously: "Tch! Those damn Konoha pests—always interfering!"
The one with a jagged scar across his cheek, shouted: "What now? Their arrival makes this way more complicated!"
The one with the upturned nose sneered: "What's there to worry about? Just a few kids from Konoha. We were raised in the Blood Mist—we're elites. Why fear them just because they wear Leaf headbands?"
"Exactly." The scarred one added: "As long as we clean up the scene properly, no one will trace it back to us. Even if Konoha investigates, they won't find a thing."
Their eyes gleamed with malice, filled with bloodlust.
Meanwhile, Renjiro—unaware of their conversation—had deliberately revealed his presence, hoping to draw all attention to himself.
Though he hadn't felt such an intense desire to kill since his reincarnation, he knew he had to stay calm. The cruelty of the Mist Missing-nin was beyond human, but he was a captain. As the leader of his squad, he couldn't let anger cloud his judgment. Reckless rage would only bring disaster.
He took a deep breath and shouted across the field: "Rogue Mist shinobi! You are on the border of the Land of Fire—Konoha's territory. You have no right to act lawlessly here. Crawl back to whatever hole you came from!"
From his position, Renjiro saw the three enemies glance at each other. They whispered quickly, then turned and began to retreat.
Renjiro narrowed his eyes: "Something's wrong." He thought.
In his mind, he ordered: "Arkain, activate Observation Haki Mode."
Immediately, his senses sharpened. With enhanced focus and support from Combat Assist Mode, he zoomed in—carefully reading their lips.
"Damn it!"
His face turned cold. What he decoded chilled him to the bone.
They weren't retreating—they were going to get reinforcements.
At the last moment, they'd changed their plan. Renjiro now understood why: they had seen through his bluff.
They realized he was trying attract their attention and this fault was on Renjiro.
These kinds of shinobi—rogues who lived by blood and betrayal—were always careful. Every decision could mean life or death. And Renjiro had given them just enough reason to be suspicious.
Instead of attacking, they decided to regroup and come back stronger.
"Move out!" Renjiro shouted as he jumped forward.
Whoosh!
Hearing the order, Maemon leaped from the tower and followed Renjiro at full speed.
Their sudden pursuit caught the rogues off guard. The Mist Missing-nin tried to escape, but the two Konoha shinobi stayed close, like shadows.
"Damn Konoha bastards!"
Furious, the Missing-nin stopped in a dense part of the forest. Their plan had failed, and now they had no choice but to fight.
Both sides faced off beneath the thick canopy.
The sensory ninja sneered: "You pampered flowers of Konoha are too impulsive. Do you even check your enemies before charging in?"
Renjiro drew his blade. Maemon pulled out his kunai. Neither bothered to answer. Their eyes stayed calm, steady, ready to fight.
The pig-nosed rogue licked his kunai with a smirk: "Enough talk. Are we sure they're alone?"
The sensor closed his eyes briefly, scanning the area, then nodded: "Confirmed. Just these two."
"Then let's finish this."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, a flurry of kunai flew toward Renjiro and Maemon, forcing them to dodge and split apart.
That was the enemy's plan all along—to separate them and eliminate them one at a time.
Bang! Bang!
Maemon clashed with the scarred Missing-nin alone. Renjiro found himself facing two opponents—the sensor and the pig-nosed shinobi.
"Kill this brat first! Then we'll help to take down the other one!" The pig-nosed man yelled and charged.
Clang! Clang!
Renjiro blocked the kunai strikes with his blade, staying alert in case the second enemy joined in.
The pig-nosed rogue was skilled—he didn't leave any easy openings.
Then, suddenly, the sensory ninja moved—forming hand seals quickly.
"Water Release: Water Whip!"
Fsshh!
A long, twisting stream of water formed in midair and cracked toward Renjiro's back like a whip.
Whoosh! Clang!
Renjiro spun, narrowly avoiding it. He struck back—slashing the pig-nosed rogue with force.
"Too predictable." Renjiro muttered with a smirk.
But the Missing-nin only grinned wider.
"Lightning Release: Ground Walker!"
Crackkk!
The pig-nosed one clapped his hands, and lightning burst from his feet—racing across the now-soaked forest floor.
"Tarp?!"
Only then did Renjiro realize—the Water Whip hadn't been an attack. It was meant to soak the ground.
"Damn it!"
He twisted to jump—
CRACK!
Blue lightning exploded around him. Electricity surged through the air, burning the ground and charring the leaves.
Smoke rose in thick clouds, as if something had been incinerated.
The two Missing-nin approached, grinning: "Haha!"
"Looks like we overdid it." The pig-nosed one chuckled: "He didn't even leave a body behind."
"Forget him. Let's go back up Koji." The sensor-nin said.
But then his face twisted in fear: "Wait—LOOK OUT!"
Fang Over Fang!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two spinning whirlwinds dropped from the sky. Tsugami and Domaru slammed into the Mist shinobi like living drills.
Boom! Boom!
Since Renjiro and Maemon had left, Tsugami and Meri had followed from a distance—staying hidden until the perfect moment. The ambush was a complete success.
Bang!
"Damn it!"
The two enemies were sent flying, coughing in pain. As they tried to get up—
Fss!
A blade pressed against one's neck.
Woof!
Claws dug into the other's throat.
Tsugami and Domaru stood over them like death itself.
"…That's it?" Maemon stepped out, dragging the unconscious, bloody rogue with the scarred face.
Meri followed a second later, brushing leaves from her hair. Clearly, Maemon's quick win was thanks to her help.
And just like that—the fight was over.
The Mist Missing-nin had been completely crushed.
---
"H-How is that possible?! How are you completely fine? Our jutsu hit you—I saw it! And where the hell did the others come from?! My sensing technique didn't detect anything!"
The sensory ninja lay on the ground, injured but still struggling to understand.
Renjiro calmly pressed the edge of his blade to the man's throat. A thin red line appeared. As a drop of blood trickled down, the man finally stopped panicking.
Maemon stepped forward and looked at him like he was a fool: "Do you think we're dumb enough to answer your questions? Besides, don't forget—you're the one lying here defeated."
"Stop wasting time. Are there more of you? Other shinobi—not just hired thugs?" Renjiro asked coldly, pushing the blade deeper.
The sensor smirked: "You think I'll talk just because you caught us?"
Renjiro narrowed his eyes and spoke in a pitying tone: "Don't make this harder than it needs to be." Then his voice turned ice-cold: "You really don't want to see what happens if we push harder."
"'Harder'? Don't make me laugh." The sensor hissed, face twisting in rage: "I'm an elite—raised in the Blood Mist! You think I'll crack from a little torture?"
Pff!
Before anyone could react, blood gushed from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. His body slumped to the ground.
He was dead.
"He… killed himself." Maemon said, scratching his head: "Didn't expect that. I thought Missing-nin were supposed to cling to life."
---
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