Someone knocked at the door.
The woman who had just arrived had remarkable, piercing eyes.
She wore the same bandage as the one on the man she was currently treating.
Behind her were five young boys and one young girl.
Noticing their forehead protectors, she let them inside.
"Certainly her students," she thought, seeing the way they addressed the woman in front of her as sensei.
"Tsume-san, you have made it. Sorry for the trouble," said the jōnin who was on the ground.
"It's all right. When we learned of your situation, we couldn't stand idle and do nothing.
After all, you are a fellow ninja of the Leaf."
Tsume quickly analyzed the injury and got to work.
As an Inuzuka, Tsume had some knowledge of healing techniques, so after she finished healing the jōnin and overseeing his injury, she wrapped him in bandages.
Dama recited what he had learned from the woman who treated him.
"We must free the chief of the village of Kuwa.
He is being held somewhere by the mercenaries.
She mentioned that it is on the other side of the city, southwest.
That is where the village chief is being held.
As long as these bandits remain in a position of strength, they remain a risk to security, and since they have attacked Konoha ninja, their intentions may be more malicious than we think.
They have real contempt toward konoha otherwise my team wouldn't have been attacked.
We must dig deeper into this matter.
To do so, let us free the village chief.
Who knows, we might even gain some benefits.
Also, these thugs have recovered something that belongs to our client.
We must retrieve it or at least compensate with the heads of the mercenaries.
Do you have a plan? Asked Tsume
Dama-sensei nodded, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.
That bastard had put his team in danger. He had to settle the score.
Dama started to cough.
"Well, for now you need to recover from your injury and replenish your reserves.
Leave the rest to me and my team.
Shintoki will go with Raizo to uncover where the bandit camp is and where they are detaining the elder.
As for me, I will be there to look after everything.
I trust in their ability to succeed. They are capable."
"Hahahahaha, how are you, chief?
I hope my men treated you well," replied the mercenary leader mockingly, with a false tone of respect.
"Hahaha, the city is doing well, old man.
No need to thank me. I told you, as long as this city has importance, we will not abandon it.
Of course, if we no longer need it, we will have to destroy it," he declared.
Leaving the village chief shocked and stunned by his dark and devastating expression.
"All right, I'll take my leave for now. I have a job to finish."
Not far away, Shintoki's team was advancing toward the city.
Two mercenaries were patrolling the road, but suddenly they were captured and disposed of by Shintoki and his companions, who disguised themselves as them.
Their objective was to gather information and free the hostages, among them the former village chief.
Their infiltration succeeded. They attacked the mercenaries, and a battle followed.
Shintoki allowed none of the mercenaries to retreat.
Blow after blow, Shintoki destroyed them with his sword strikes.
The area was thick with tension.
The air grew heavier.
The smell was unpleasant due to the decay and ruin of the place, and blood stained the ground from the bodies of the mercenaries.
Several bandits tried to pin him down, but with a chakra burst kick, they were sent flying.
Their abilities were no match for a ninja.
One tried to hit him from behind with a kanabō, but it only passed through Shintoki's afterimage.
With one hand, he sent him flying, his neck snapping from the force of Shintoki's blow.
Shintoki then rushed into them, and they were blasted back, bones snapping from the power of his strikes.
A rōnin suddenly appeared before Shintoki, chakra flowing from his sword, and struck.
But instead of Shintoki, it was the flesh of another bandit that was pierced, Shintoki having used the charging bandit as a shield.
Chakra crackled with blue intensity, then whoosh—the bandit's body was cut fully in half, this time by Shintoki himself, and it didn't stop there.
Seeing this, the rōnin swung his katana again.
It clashed with Shintoki's blade, but Shintoki's chakra blade felt no resistance and continued on.
Before the rōnin could pull back, his hand had already fallen.
"Ahhhhh!" the rōnin screamed in pain.
Paying no mind to his misery, Shintoki swung his sword again, this time not only cutting his torso open but blasting him through a wall, causing an explosion and breaking into the prison where the prisoners were being held.
At the same time, Raido and Kotetsu were running through the bandits they had to fight.
Like lightning, they moved like phantoms, destroying everything in their path.
The remaining bandits fell down in terror, but instead of being killed, they were tied up.
Their fate would be decided by the villagers they had haunted.
But Shintoki paid them no mind. His mission was paramount.
They quickly searched and found the village head.
Now it was time to bring him back to their sensei.
…
With Shintoki, they had just made it back to their team along with the town chief.
The chief did not remain with the prisoners.
He decided to return to the resistance and prepare, as it was obvious that the enemy would not let this slide.
If they followed Shintoki's group, they would not be able to hide from the mercenaries and would put them in danger.
Tsume congratulated them and helped heal the chief.
The elder chief thanked them and told them the history of the village, his version slightly different.
Once upon a time, the village was protected by someone.
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