Chapter 63 – The Shocking Truth
The moment Taichi mentioned "fighting them," the village chief's pupils contracted sharply.
"Fight back?" he said with a forced laugh, shaking his head. "We just pay to stay safe, that's all. Every time those bandits came, they took a large portion of our grain. Maybe they didn't want to attract too much attention, so after taking the food, they left us alone."
He sighed, but then smiled faintly. "Still, it's all over now. Those bandits are gone, and we can finally live in peace again. In fact, we should be thanking you—if word hadn't spread that Konoha was sending ninja here, they probably wouldn't have fled so quickly."
Taichi returned the smile politely. "I'm just glad we didn't come too late, sir. By the way, that fortress on the mountain nearby—do you know anything about it?"
The old man's gaze drifted toward the window as he recalled. "That place? Must've been built seven or eight years ago. Another group of bandits occupied the mountain back then. The stronghold was built during that time. When they were wiped out, the fortress was abandoned and left to rot."
"Are you interested in that place?" he asked curiously.
Taichi nodded. "We inspected it earlier. It's completely deserted now, and the traces there date back about ten days. If that's true, then you're probably right—the bandits have already escaped."
"Good, good," the old man said with visible relief. "If you've confirmed it yourselves, the village can rest easy at last."
Taichi glanced outside; the sky had already begun to darken. "In that case, sir, we'll take our leave. If the bandits have truly fled, our work here is done. We'll return and report to headquarters."
"Oh, so soon?" The chief looked mildly surprised. "It's already late—why not rest here for the night?"
"No need," Taichi replied calmly. "Traveling after dark isn't a problem for us."
He rose, and before the old man could insist again, led Yōhei and Saori out the door.
---
The three made their way out of the village, moving swiftly through the quiet night. Only when the settlement had completely vanished behind them did Taichi stop.
He turned to his teammates, his expression serious. "What do you two think about all that?"
Yōhei's usual grin was gone. "Something's off about that place, Taichi. Everyone acted strange. The chief said the villagers were afraid of the bandits, but… I got the feeling they were even more afraid of us."
Saori nodded in agreement. "I noticed something too. There were a lot of men in the village—almost no women outside. Either they're all hiding indoors, or… there's another reason."
Taichi gave her an approving glance. She really did notice the details he'd missed.
He continued, "When I talked to one of the villagers, he said they weren't afraid of the bandits. But the chief told us they paid them off to stay safe. Those two stories completely contradict each other."
"Maybe that villager was bluffing," Yōhei suggested.
"Maybe," Taichi conceded. "But think about it, Saori—remember the strange marks we found at the earlier battle sites?"
"You mean those rows of small round holes?" she asked, recalling the scene vividly.
"Exactly. I think I know what caused them."
Both Yōhei and Saori leaned in. "What was it?"
"Pitchforks."
The two blinked. "Pitchforks?"
Taichi nodded firmly. "A farming tool—long wooden handle, iron head, a few sharp prongs. Every household in that village has one. And here's the kicker—while I was talking to that man earlier, I noticed a porcelain vessel in his home. Not the rough, local kind—fine, high-quality ware. Something that shouldn't exist in a poor village like this."
Yōhei and Saori froze, eyes widening as realization dawned.
"Taichi," Yōhei said hesitantly, "you're not suggesting that village…"
"I'm not certain yet," Taichi interrupted quietly. "But at best, the villagers are harboring those bandits. And at worst…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence. The air grew heavy.
"What do we do now?" Saori asked, tapping her finger against her chin in thought.
"We wait," Taichi said. "Before leaving, I left a shadow clone near the chief's house. If something's wrong, they'll make a move soon."
Yōhei exhaled sharply and grinned. "Smart thinking, Taichi. You're way too cautious—but I like it."
Taichi gave a faint smile. "Let's eat and rest for a bit. I have a feeling the night's far from over."
---
Back in the village…
Not long after Taichi's team left, the sound of knocking echoed through the quiet chief's house.
As if expecting company, the old man hadn't even closed the door. "Come in," he called out casually.
Three figures entered—a pair of men and a woman. Leading them was the same burly man who'd earlier offered Taichi water.
"Hida, Hiron, Reiko," the village chief greeted them, his tone low and knowing. "It's late. What brings you here at this hour?"
The burly man in front, Wada, spoke first, his tone thick with impatience.
"Village Chief, don't play dumb. Those three ninja brats that came today—how's anyone supposed to sleep peacefully without knowing what they're up to?"
"Exactly!" added Hiden, another man beside him. Despite his name, which literally meant "Elegant Man," he was anything but—broad-shouldered, rough-faced, and built like an ox. "They were poking around all over the place today. None of us can relax!"
The woman, Reiko, wrung her hands anxiously. "Village Chief, do you think we've been exposed?"
"Shut your mouth!" the chief roared, slamming his hand on the table. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? We're ordinary villagers, not bandits! If anyone asks—no matter who—they hear that story, understand?"
"Yes, yes, Chief, don't be angry," Reiko said softly, her voice sweet and pleading. "It's not like I meant anything by it. We are real villagers, after all—our families have lived here for generations! We've only been... doing the bandit thing for half a year!"
"You idiot woman!" the chief exploded, jabbing a finger at her face. "You'll be the death of us all one day, running your mouth like that!"
"Alright, alright! I said the wrong thing, I won't talk anymore!" Reiko begged, bowing repeatedly.
Trying to defuse the tension, Wada changed the topic. "Village Chief, are ninja really that powerful? I mean, one of those three kids looked younger than my own son. Honestly, when he came to my house, I almost thought of tying him up—he's got that pale, delicate look. Bet he'd sell for a good price!"
PFFT!
The chief had just taken a sip of water—and spat it all out in a violent spray, immediately breaking into a fit of coughing so harsh it seemed he might cough out a lung.
"Cough—cough—cough—cough—cough—COUGH!"
He wheezed, pointing a trembling finger at Wada, face red with rage. "You—you—you—you—!"
He couldn't even form a full sentence.
The three panicked—Reiko rushed to pat his back, Hiden held out water, and Wada just stood there frozen. After a long struggle, the chief finally caught his breath, glaring at them with murder in his eyes.
"I swear, you three will kill me someday," he rasped. "Listen to me carefully—those aren't just kids. They're shinobi! Monsters wearing human skin! Even the youngest of them can kill faster than you can blink!"
"Village Chief!" Reiko protested. "Are they really that scary? We took down merchant convoys with the whole village working together—what's a few kids compared to that?"
"You—!" the old man's lips trembled, but he gave up scolding her, slumping back in his chair with a sigh. "Just keep your heads down. Once those ninja report back, this place might finally be safe."
It wasn't entirely their fault—they were simple people, most born and raised here, unable to read or write. To them, a "ninja" was no different from a traveler in a strange outfit. They had no idea what kind of beings they were dealing with.
They didn't know that even the prodigy Haku had awakened his Ice Release at only three or four years old—and was branded a monster for it.
"Go home, all of you," the village chief ordered wearily. "And remember—keep your mouths shut. Don't talk to anyone."
The three nodded quickly and left.
The house fell silent. A few minutes later, the lights went out.
Then, from the shadowed corner of the rooftop, a dark figure slowly rose. Silently, it leapt into the night. After gliding a short distance away, it vanished with a quiet "poof."
---
Several kilometers away, Taichi's eyes snapped open.
A sharp glint flickered within them as he muttered under his breath,
"—Got it."