The campfire blazed fiercely, its flickering light tearing a gash through the dark veil of night that shrouded the land.
"A ninja tool pouch?"
Uchiha Yu shifted his gaze away from the forest and focused on the quest reward.
Since it was a quest reward, it was bound to be something special.
Just like the Black Blade Dark Moon, which could alter chakra nature transformations without hand seals, allowing various chakra types to be infused for a range of offensive effects.
Or the Green Elixir, which could restore mental and physical energy upon consumption, and grant the user control over plants along with enhanced physical power.
As for the ninja tool pouch…
Uchiha Yu found himself growing slightly curious about its special qualities.
The quest's requirement was to infiltrate the Tsuchigumo Clan's caravan while leading a team. There were no follow-up conditions.
A simple mission.
The rogue Uchiha squad could use the caravan to hide within the mountains and stay concealed, avoiding the unknown dangers ahead.
Two birds with one stone.
Not far away, more than a dozen figures emerged from the forest, their shadows swaying under the dim moonlight as they strode confidently toward the campfire.
Wearing a black hooded cloak, Uchiha Yu seemed to melt into the night itself. He glanced toward the forest, raising an eyebrow before letting it slowly relax.
Delivery, straight to my doorstep?
"Hello there. Are you out here all by yourself?" asked the caravan's guard captain, Sōsen, stepping up behind the cloaked Uchiha Yu.
Around the campfire, only Yu remained, along with half a roasted wild boar on a nearby iron rack—no one else in sight.
Sōsen spoke politely, though his tone was careless. His eyes wandered around the campfire area, eventually locking onto the roasted boar.
The aroma made him instinctively swallow, and soon he noticed signs on the grass—flattened patches indicating people had been sitting or lying there.
It fit his understanding of vagrants in the ninja world.
They were usually tough—and rarely traveled alone.
"They'll be back soon," Yu replied calmly.
Sōsen chuckled, pointing back toward the forest they had just passed through. "Do you know what happened in that forest?"
"No."
Despite Yu's cold tone, Sōsen didn't seem offended. He simply raised his right hand and gestured for his men to take the meat, grinning:
"Alright then, this roast meat of yours…"
Before his subordinates could act—
Yu spoke again, his tone flat:
"They're back."
"Who's back?" Sōsen asked, confused.
"Ah—ah—ah—!"
Suddenly, strange sounds erupted from the woods behind them—groans and startled cries filled the air.
Sōsen's smile froze. His expression changed drastically as he and his dozen guards turned around in alarm.
What they saw terrified them.
The Tsuchigumo heiress, Hotaru, along with the clan elder, other clan members, and the entire guard squad, were being driven toward them by a group of over ten people wielding ninja blades.
Several guards from the caravan were groaning in pain, clearly having just been beaten down.
"This…"
Sōsen immediately realized what must have happened—in the few short minutes they had been away from the forest, a battle had erupted.
Their 50-person caravan hadn't even lasted long enough for them to return before being subdued by this group.
They were doomed!
That was Sōsen's first thought.
Moments later, the entire caravan was herded back to the campfire.
Only then did Sōsen, now pale with fear, turn to look at the cloaked figure who had had his back to them the whole time.
"Captain Sōsen, save us!"
Hotaru was being dragged forward by a baby-faced man, who had a ninja blade pressed to her neck. She was pushed roughly as she stumbled ahead.
The young girl, naïve to the ways of the world, was utterly terrified.
Her cries sparked a surge of desperation from the other caravan members, who now clung to their only hope—the man who had earlier claimed to have fought Orochimaru to a standstill.
"Save us, Captain Sōsen!"
"Captain, you said you fought S-rank rogue ninja Orochimaru to a draw!"
"Captain, show them what you can do!"
Hope gleamed in the eyes of everyone in the caravan.
They understood clearly now: this was no ordinary threat—they had run into powerful rogue ninja or bandits just outside their own territory.
Just moments ago, the escort team and Tsuchigumo clan members had barely made contact with these attackers before being completely overwhelmed.
In such a situation…
Their only hope of survival lay with this so-called hero who once battled Orochimaru.
And so, like drowning people grabbing at any lifeline, they reached desperately toward Sōsen—regardless of whether it made sense or not.
"Quiet! Quiet!"
Sōsen shouted, cheeks flushed with shame as the shouts and misplaced praise piled on.
"Captain Sōsen is about to act! Everyone quiet down—we're going to be saved!"
The caravan members immediately hushed, eyes filled with renewed hope.
If the captain acted, surely, they would be saved.
Under their watchful, hopeful gaze, Sōsen took a deep breath, gathered what little courage he had, and began walking slowly toward Uchiha Yu.
Maybe… he could talk to their leader.
Offer some money.
Perhaps these people were just after wealth, not blood.
"Damn it!!"
Sōsen muttered to himself as he walked, racking his brain. He couldn't figure out when Mount Katsuragi had become home to such a terrifying group.
Until—
He got close enough to the man in the black cloak… and finally saw the face beneath the hood.
A face that was unfamiliar… yet strangely familiar.
"It's… you!!!"
Sōsen's pupils dilated suddenly. His scalp tingled, and his whole body trembled.
With shaking hands, he pulled a newspaper from his robe and, using the firelight, compared the face under the hood with the photo in the wanted section.
After a long silence, his expression turned ashen—he finally accepted the grim reality. At this point, he only blamed himself for talking too much.
He had casually mentioned the man on the road… and now the S-rank rogue ninja was actually here, in Mount Katsuragi!
"What's wrong with our roast meat?"
Uchiha Yu glanced sideways at him, his voice calm.
Sōsen's eyes were blank, his mouth twitching.
"Y-Your roast meat… I think it's excellent. Look, the skin is perfectly crisp without being burnt, the fat fragrant but not greasy…"
Uchiha Yu cut him off.
"You fought Orochimaru to a draw. That true?"
"Made it up."
"Good. Hands on your head. Squat there."
Uchiha Yu slowly rose to his feet, lowering his hood so his face remained hidden in shadow. He turned and now faced the caravan of the Tsuchigumo clan directly.
"Understood!"
Sōsen didn't hesitate. He raised his hands, put them on his head, and slowly squatted down.
Seeing him so cooperative, Uchiha Yu actually relaxed a bit.
"What… just happened?"
The caravan members were stunned.
Their proud escort captain… just squatted down with his hands on his head???
This wasn't how it was supposed to start!
"Captain Sōsen…"
Hotaru's eyes widened in disbelief. She froze on the spot, something deep inside her shattering.
"I knew that man couldn't be trusted!"
The Tsuchigumo clan's Grand Elder seethed with anger, wearing an expression of utter disdain—he looked just about ready to spit on Sōsen.
"Captain, what are you doing?! Where's the courage you had when you faced Orochimaru?"
A Tsuchigumo clan member asked, still clinging to hope.
Sōsen snapped back irritably,
"What do you know? Having the courage to surrender is a kind of bravery too!"
"You…"
The Tsuchigumo clan members and the remaining guards were dumbfounded, inwardly cursing: Is this guy for real?
Meanwhile, the entire Uchiha squad—including Kurenai Yuhi, Nonōyu, and others—had disguised themselves using the Transformation Jutsu.
Before the caravan had reached the plains, Yu had already awakened them. They had lain in wait within the forest, ready to strike. In just a few minutes, the entire caravan was subdued.
"Boss, I caught a pretty girl. She looks like she's of age."
Tamao shoved Hotaru forward.
The girl stared at the cloaked man in terror.
Uchiha Yu glanced at her, his expression shifting slightly. He then turned to Uchiha Mikoto, the closest to him, and said coldly: "You. Come here and strip her."
°°°
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