Although the Shinju could indeed sense chakra within the boy, he wasn't wearing a forehead protector, and his identity seemed no different from that of an ordinary civilian.
The boy noticed Shinju stopping Naruto and glanced at him with a hint of surprise.
"Didn't expect at least one of you three brats to have some sense."
"But still, I'll give you a piece of advice…"
"This place doesn't welcome shinobi."
"Aren't you a shinobi yourself?"
Shinju tilted his head and asked.
"I…"
The boy hesitated, his face slightly tense.
Shinju's tone turned sharp as he continued,
"Don't bother lying. I can sense the chakra in your body."
Naruto and Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly at those words.
Under normal circumstances, civilians don't possess chakra.
If someone has chakra, there's a 99% chance they're a shinobi!
And as long as someone's a shinobi, they almost always wear a forehead protector after all, it's a symbol of honor.
But someone who has chakra, doesn't wear a forehead protector, and harbors this much hostility toward shinobi?
That almost certainly makes them a missing-nin!
Shinju said coldly,
"You've got chakra in your body but no forehead protector. You're not even worthy of being called a missing-nin… just a coward who abandoned his identity as a shinobi."
The boy's face darkened immediately after hearing that.
"You little punk, don't think I won't hit you!"
He raised his fist threateningly, yelling in humiliation and anger.
Before he could act, Shinju suddenly kicked forward his foot slammed straight into the boy's chest!
"Bang!!"
The boy's body flew backward, crashing hard into the teahouse wall!
Naruto, Sasuke: (꒪⌓꒪) ,⊙▽⊙
Naruto stammered,
"Wait… Shinju, didn't you just say shinobi shouldn't lay a hand on civilians?! ◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞"
Shinju explained calmly,
"That's only if they don't pose a threat. Just now, I suspected this guy was about to smash my head in with a punch. So I defended myself."
Naruto, Sasuke: "…"
Yeah, right.
Be real.
Forget civilians in the entire shinobi world, there's probably no one alive who could punch hard enough to smash your head!
Meanwhile, the boy Shinju had kicked was lying on the floor, utterly speechless.
Looking at the forehead protectors, these three brats were definitely from Konoha, weren't they?
Have Konoha shinobi always been this… violent?!
And that kick just now — it sent him flying seven or eight meters!
Was this guy really just a teenager?!
Sasuke cast a cold glance at the boy sprawled on the ground.
"Stop pretending to be dead. If you know what's good for you, leave."
The boy struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His voice was trembling, but he forced out his threat:
"Fine… I, Morino Idate, will remember this! You better hope I never run into you again!"
Just as he finished his line, he saw Shinju raise his hand slightly, and he immediately bolted…
Once the commotion settled, the shop owner approached nervously, holding a bill.
"Dear shinobi-sama, this is for the damages to the tables and chairs during the fight… and, um, also for the meal that guy skipped out on…"
"What?!"
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That guy didn't even pay before leaving?!"
...
Land of Tea. Degarashi Port.
After leaving the teahouse, Shinju and the others picked up their pace.
Within just three hours, they reached their mission destination.
Degarashi Port was a small town within the Land of Tea, strategically located at a major trading port, making it quite prosperous.
At the same time, Shinju learned from the locals that Degarashi Port was governed by two main families:
The Wagarashi family… and the Wasabi family — the very family they were here to protect.
In the past, these two families fought bitterly for control over Degarashi Port, causing significant trouble and even dragging civilians into their disputes.
After hearing of this, the Daimyo of the Land of Tea decreed that the outcome would be settled through a ritual contest a grand festival race held once every four years.
The so-called "festival" was essentially a long-distance running competition.
Each family would send one representative, starting at the same time, and whoever reached the finish line first would win.
The victor's family would gain the governing rights to Degarashi Port.
The rules imposed no restrictions on fighting participants were free to use any means to slow their opponents down, including underhanded tricks and ambushes.
So, while it was called a "race," in reality, it was a battle disguised as a contest.
Four years ago, the Wagarashi family broke tradition and secretly hired shinobi to escort their runner, which secured them victory and granted them four years of control.
This year, the Wasabi family had learned their lesson they issued a formal mission request to Konoha.
...
Shinju, Naruto, and Sasuke were now walking through the bustling streets of Degarashi Port.
The town was lively and prosperous, but Shinju noticed something peculiar almost every merchant wore a faint frown, their expressions heavy with worry.
Before Shinju could ask, they spotted a scene unfolding ahead:
A group of Wagarashi family members had just finished eating at a restaurant.
They wiped their mouths, stood up, and casually walked out without any intention of paying.
The restaurant owner hurried after them, pleading desperately.
"Please, Wagarashi-sama… even if your family governs Degarashi Port now, you still need to pay for your meals! We're just a small business trying to survive…"
"You trying to haggle with us?"
One of the Wagarashi men stopped and glared, his eyebrows shooting up fiercely.
"Believe it or not, I'll smash your entire shop to the ground!"
"We Wagarashi work hard to protect you merchants — spending our money and risking our lives."
"So what if I eat a few free meals?!"
He slammed his palm down on the table, the force making the owner flinch and fall silent.
The surrounding crowd began whispering.
"I miss the days when the Wasabi family governed… They never abused their power or taxed us so heavily…"
"Exactly!"
"Hopefully, this year the Wasabi family wins the festival!"
"Yeah, we can't endure another four years under the Wagarashi's tyranny!"
"Looks like the Wagarashi family isn't very popular here," Shinju muttered under his breath.
Naruto, on the other hand, was far more heated.
He rolled up his sleeves, furious.
"I can't stand bullies who throw their weight around! I'm gonna make those guys pay!"
Before Shinju could stop him, Naruto charged forward and swung a punch straight at the Wagarashi thug's jaw.
Sasuke and Shinju both facepalmed in unison.
"Naruto, calm down!"
Bang!
Naruto's punch landed cleanly, and the Wagarashi thug collapsed to the ground instantly, half his face swelling up like a balloon.
The other Wagarashi warriors were stunned for a moment, then drew their katanas with menacing grins.
"So, you've got that much strength, huh? You must be a shinobi."
"But even a shinobi can't take us all on at once."
The group raised their blades, slashing down at Naruto.
However, they weren't aiming to kill they just wanted to teach this reckless "boy" a painful lesson.
At that moment, Shinju used the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting behind Naruto like a phantom and whisking him away in an instant.
As they retreated, Naruto grumbled unhappily.
"Why'd you pull me away? Those guys had swords, sure, but my Shadow Clone Jutsu could've handled them!"
Shinju sighed, explaining helplessly.
"Fighting them won't do us any good. If you injure someone and the authorities get involved,you'll end up behind bars back in the village."
Hearing this, Naruto finally understood the situation.
He nodded reluctantly.
"Got it… better to live and fight another day!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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