Yet somehow, he looked much cooler than Might Guy.
Ka Natsuko's blushing hadn't fully faded away. Sheltered under the umbrella Shiki Uzumaki held open, she found herself feeling deeply touched.
"Hey, Shiki."
"Hmm?"
Ka Natsuko softly asked, "If it wasn't me, would you still take on this mission?"
Such a question...
Shiki Uzumaki knew that if it weren't for Ka Natsuko, the temptation of a rare A-rank technique unknown to Konoha and the chance of gaining a new ally might have still been enough to lure him in.
But when a woman asks you something like that, admitting the truth just makes you a fool!
"If it weren't for you, Natsuko Onee-san, I probably wouldn't have."
Before he could finish his sentence, the woman had already leaned in. Her soft lips brushed lightly against Shiki Uzumaki's forehead, catching him off guard.
It lingered for a moment before she finally pulled away.
"This is an extra reward for this mission," she whispered. "But I need to warn you—if there's something you don't feel confident about, don't do it!"
Ka Natsuko pursed her lips slightly, speaking with a tone of gentle warning.
Shiki paused for a moment. He'd only said that to keep from hurting her feelings.
Ka Natsuko asked, "Okay, so what now?"
"For now, let me first take you to find an inn in the nearby town."
When Shiki Uzumaki returned to this border area, the sky had grown even darker.
Rain was falling, yet this time the clouds failed to block the cold glow of moonlight.
The silver-white light quietly blanketed the village.
Quietly moving through the shadows of the village, Shiki carefully used his chakra to sense every slight movement around.
At his current level, no one in Nikamura should be able to detect him.
Except for Duy Ni—who carried that unstable element.
Tap tap tap. His shoes splashed through puddles, echoing sharply in the still night.
Yet everywhere remained eerily silent.
Due to its severe population shortage, this once-prosperous village had become eerily lifeless.
Shiki had known this during his last visit.
But now wasn't the time to get caught up in those thoughts.
Right now, he focused on sensing any chakra activity—trying to pinpoint where the village's combat strength lay so he could gather useful intel.
Suddenly, Shiki's eyes lit up. And just like that, he was gone—vanished in an instant.
"So cold... A-choo!"
Kato Hiroshi shivered slightly as he walked silently along.
A cigarette dangled from his mouth, its glowing tip flickering like a flickering firefly drifting through the darkness.
"I can't believe they assigned me patrol duty! What rotten luck. There's no threat inside the village anyway—who would dare oppose Boss Duy Ni?"
These complaints brought a bit of comfort to his mind.
Beside him stood his companion, completely silent—seemingly comfortable with the darkness.
Equally cold and unyielding were the sword at his waist and the aura surrounding him.
Only those who had stilled their hearts could truly grow strong.
Only a cold heart can give rise to true strength.
This saying from their boss, Duy Ni, had always been cherished by him like a sacred mantra. The very example stood right beside him—he had the power of a Chunin.
Rip!
A tearing sound rang out. It should've been barely audible, swallowed by the silence.
Yet in the silent night, it echoed sharply.
Warm blood splattered across his face, thick and sticky.
He wanted to scream but held himself back instinctively, afraid of what might happen next.
Because a wave of deadly pressure engulfed him, and a cold steel blade pressed firmly against his throat.
"What a waste of time. This level of strength doesn't even qualify as a challenge."
A crisp voice came, slightly annoyed.
"Y-You... who exactly are you?" To be continued.
Chapter 231: No Leads
"N-No, don't kill me!" Facing death with blood smeared on his face, Kato finally couldn't suppress his panic any longer.
He'd never thought he'd feel this cowardly before. Once, he had completely believed in Boss Duy Ni's words.
He believed that someone like him, who had long become accustomed to death, wouldn't feel the slightest bit of fear.
But now, standing at the edge of death itself, he realized he was wrong. In the past, he still had the ability to fight back—that's why fear had never truly surfaced.
People always believe one thing—that they'll be the ones left standing when it's over.
But this time…
He no longer had the strength to resist. His life was entirely in the hands of the person before him.
Even his calm and strong ally had just now been killed—without even a sliver of a chance to fight back.
It completely shattered his will to resist.
"I'll tell you everything—please, just don't kill me!"
Kato roared, ready to reveal everything before Shiki Uzumaki had even started interrogating him.
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