"You lot better listen, or I'll kill whoever disobeys! Hahaha! So today, whether you agree or not, you will agree!"
After shouting, the bandit leader Fūrō (Wind Wolf) burst into loud laughter. He glanced at the children gathered nearby, the corner of his mouth stretching almost to his ears. From now on, his crew would grow even stronger. These children would be trained into pirates, the future of his gang.
Not only would they plunder at sea, but soon they would also prey upon the surrounding villages. Just the thought of his ever-expanding pirate band made Fūrō laugh uncontrollably.
"No—you killed my father just now! I'll fight you to the death!"
Suddenly, a little girl around five years old rushed forward. Her body wasn't bound, and she unleashed a flurry of fists and kicks at the nearest pirate.
"You little brat, tired of living?" The man's face twisted into a hideous sneer. Raising a hammer, he swung it down toward the girl's head.
The villagers cried out in horror. Some closed their eyes tightly, unwilling to witness the cruel scene.
But in that split second, a black shadow darted across the square. In one swift motion, it scooped up the little girl and vanished without a trace.
"What the hell?!"
All the bandits stiffened, tension rising instantly. Fūrō, who only moments ago had been lounging arrogantly on his grand chair as if he ruled the seas, leapt to his feet, staring in disbelief.
Nothing—no one. The children were still huddled together, sobbing quietly. The villagers watched nervously, eyes darting in confusion.
"Where's the girl?" Fūrō demanded. He was a jōnin, and even he hadn't seen clearly.
"Boss, we don't know… it was like something just rushed past!" one of his men stammered.
Before they could make sense of it, a cold gust swept through the square. Fūrō froze, stunned—then his head dropped cleanly to the ground, blood spraying everywhere.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
The children shrieked in terror. The adults rushed forward to shield them.
Every pirate felt their hairs stand on end. They no longer cared about the villagers—someone had killed their leader in the blink of an eye. Just a gust of wind, and he was gone.
How fast must that person be?!
Naoki stood dumbfounded. Daisuke's jaw dropped in disbelief. He had noticed something no one else did: besides the missing girl… Shigeo was gone too.
"All pirates—I'll give you three minutes. Either tie yourselves up… or be slaughtered."
The icy, childlike voice echoed across the town square, carrying a chilling authority that brooked no defiance.
"Wh-who are you? Quit playing ghost tricks! If you've got the guts, come out here!" the second-in-command shouted. His voice shook, his eyes glued to his leader's headless corpse.
Their boss had been a jōnin, killed in a single strike. They hadn't even seen who did it—how terrifying was that?!
From atop a wutong tree by the square, Shigeo dropped down. "I'm here. So what?"
All eyes swiveled toward him—the figure of a mere five-year-old boy.
"A… a child?" someone muttered, disbelief dripping from their tone.
"It's him! Shigeo Hyūga—I know him, we're classmates!" one of the children cried.
"Impossible…" Naoki gasped. Could the speed just now have been his?
The pirates stared, dumbfounded. Their leader killed in an instant, by this kid?
"You—you were tied up!" one of the pirates blurted, remembering he had bound Daisuke and the others.
Shigeo shot him a withering look, then turned to the rest of the bandits. "You have two options: tie yourselves up… or die. Choose."
Naoki and Daisuke were struck dumb. This was the same boy who had spent the afternoon practicing hand seals? And now… was he really the one who decapitated a jōnin?
"Shigeo! Run! Don't waste time with them—go call real ninja to save us!" Naoki shouted. He realized that even if Shigeo's speed and strength were terrifying, he couldn't possibly face dozens of bandits, some of whom were rogue shinobi.
Better to escape and find reinforcements.
But Shigeo only repeated coldly, "Well? What's your choice?"
"Kill them all!" the second-in-command bellowed, veins bulging. He refused to believe it was the boy—there had to be hidden helpers. He decided to use the hostages.
The pirates scattered, charging toward the villagers.
"Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall)
Around the villagers, massive walls of earth shot up, instantly blocking the pirates off.
"Kazeton: Senpū Ran Jin!" (Wind Release: Thousand Winds Wild Blades)
This was a jutsu Shigeo had developed himself that very day. The hand seal sequence was: Hitsuji → Ushi → Tatsu → Ne.
His hands blurred faster than the eye could follow, unleashing both jutsu simultaneously. Naoki and Daisuke, who had a clear view before the walls blocked them, saw everything.
Naoki's neck stiffened audibly. Slowly, he turned to Daisuke. "Did you… did you see that? He can use ninjutsu?"
"Yes. And it's strong! That Wind Release—I've never seen it before!"
Outside the walls, screams erupted. Pirates shrieked in agony as invisible blades of wind shredded through them. The air was filled with the sharp whistle of cutting gales and desperate cries for mercy.
In less than ten seconds, silence fell.
The earth walls crumbled, revealing a massacre. Four or five dozen corpses lay strewn in pools of blood. The villagers were safe.
The townsfolk emerged slowly, their eyes wide with awe and disbelief.
"You… young one, you saved us…" The elderly village chief stepped forward, trembling, tears brimming in his eyes. He clutched Shigeo's small hand and fell to his knees. "We owe you our lives—thank you, benefactor!"
At his cry, the entire village dropped to their knees, bowing in gratitude.
Shigeo flinched in shock, waving his hands frantically. "No, no, please don't! I can't accept this—get up, please!"
But the old chief wept openly. "You saved all our lives. We would give up everything, even our homes, for you. You are our savior, our true benefactor!"
The people echoed his words, their voices choked with gratitude. The square filled with a wave of heartfelt emotion, the image of a boy hero etched into their hearts forever.
(End of Chapter)
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