"These past few days, everyone has worked hard."
Sakumo gave a faint smile. At last, they had managed to kill Tachiyama Shinsaburo, the traitor. His tense expression gradually softened.
From the time they accepted this mission until now, the four of them had been locked in battle for nearly a week, their nerves constantly on edge.
After all, how things had unfolded was somewhat beyond their expectations.
"Speaking of which, Minato, are you really alright now?" During the fight, Minato had sustained severe injuries, but looking at him now, he seemed fine.
Minato smiled slightly and waved his left arm, signaling that he was perfectly fine.
"In that case, after we return this item to the Hidden Hot Spring Village, let's rest somewhere overnight before heading back to Konoha."
Sakumo picked up the [Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons]. This object was a token of that so-called Evil Cult. It would be most appropriate to leave it under the care of the Hidden Hot Spring Village.
As for what happened afterward, Sakumo wasn't worried at all. With Fuu Akimoto there, hundreds of Evil Cult followers were likely already eliminated.
The Hidden Hot Spring Village also suffered heavy losses in this incident, so it wasn't suitable for Sakumo and others to stay too long. Fortunately, not far from here was a small town where Minato and the others could rest.
"Finally going home!"
Upon hearing Sakumo's words, Uchiha Yan and Junko Watanabe appeared lost in thought, as if they hadn't heard. Only Minato responded with a bright smile.
Calculating the time, when he returned to Konoha, the ten-day holiday at the Ninja Academy should be just coming to an end.
He pulled a hairpin from his pocket—the one he had bought at Izumi Town. Looking at it reminded Minato of Kushina's smiling face.
"Kushina, I've come back safely!"
Minato whispered silently, though Kushina didn't know about this mission to the Land of Hot Springs.
"Are we just leaving this guy's body here?" Uchiha Yan asked about Tachiyama Shinsaburo's lifeless form still lying nearby.
This man possessed an [Immortal Body], so it wasn't certain whether he was truly "dead."
Upon hearing this, Sakumo gave a slight smile. "Don't worry," he said. "Once we're gone, nature will take its course."
"This intense blood smell... it's already spread far enough."
Tachiyama Shinsaburo's body had been completely drained of blood, and the thick scent of blood heavily saturated the forest. Only because Sakumo and the others were present had the true rulers of this forest yet to approach.
Instantly, Minato, Uchiha Yan, and Junko Watanabe understood exactly what Sakumo meant.
Such an ending suited someone like Tachiyama Shinsaburo perfectly—a traitor with a heart as cold and merciless as a beast's.
Then the three simply ignored Tachiyama Shinsaburo's body and walked straight back along their original path.
...
By the time the four reached that valley again, their expressions subtly shifted—particularly noticeable on Minato's and Uchiha Yan's faces.
After all, it was where the bodies of hundreds had been left. Though the Hot Spring ninjas had tried gathering them, they hadn't had time to deal with them all.
Both of them were on their first mission. Although they had already seen dead bodies before, a scene resembling a small-scale war like this was something even Sakumo and Junko Watanabe had never witnessed.
Even someone like Yan Uchiha couldn't help but feel nauseated, squatting down on the spot with his face twitching.
Minato wasn't doing any better. Even Junko and Sakumo were frowning.
There was nothing unusual about their reactions.
"...This is..."
That dizziness which hadn't appeared in Minato's mind for a long time once again invaded his brain.
Fragments of momentary visions flickered within his consciousness. Looking around, he saw ruins beneath the night sky filled with corpses in various states of death.
Some were ninja, but most wore civilian clothing.
This place seemed familiar to Minato, yet also incredibly strange. Seeing such a sight made his mind begin to struggle.
"In the name of the Hokage, protecting the lives of our people within the village—that is my duty now."
A voice sounded in his ear. Together with these visions, an intense pain surged from his heart, twisting Minato's face in agony.
"I will absolutely never let you... run wild again!"
...
"Minato, what's wrong with you?"
Just then, a voice pulled Minato back from that state. His bright blue pupils sharply contracted, reflecting Junko's face.
"Nothing."
Minato shook his head slightly, dismissing what he had just seen as a dream.
Because that vision had been simply too horrifying.
Sakumo gave his shoulder an reassuring pat—anyone would have reacted strongly after witnessing such a sight.
Especially at their age.
"Mr. Sakumo, it seems you've completed your mission."
At that moment, Fuu Akimoto and Kato Eirei approached.
Sakumo smiled and nodded, handing over the Bloodthirsty Sickle of Three Moons to Fuu Akimoto. "This cursed artifact should never see the light of day again."
The Bloodthirsty Sickle, regarded as the Evil Cult's holy relic, exuded ominous energy.
Fuu Akimoto nodded, smiling faintly. "Thank you for everything this time. Otherwise, Hidden Hot Spring Village might have faced destruction."
He had faced Ryo Yagura directly and knew just how formidable that man was. Without Sakumo here, dealing with both an external threat from the Evil Cult and internal troubles, Fuu alone wouldn't have handled it easily.
Sakumo gave a slight smile, then bid farewell to Fuu Akimoto, taking Minato and others with him as they departed.
...
While walking, Minato murmured, "Why didn't we see Reina Oshima just now?"
Yan Uchiha remained expressionless. "That guy betrayed the village. Probably got killed."
Earlier, hundreds of corpses lay before them; they hadn't had time to determine whether Reina Oshima was among them.
"She must've been released by Chief Akimoto."
"Sakumo said. He could recognize someone just by their build, and among the corpses just now, he hadn't seen Reina Oshima's figure. Moreover, he had overheard some grumbling from a few of the Hot Spring Village ninja present.
Actually, given the clues he had already collected, reaching this conclusion wasn't difficult.
"Letting rogue ninjas off the hook—what a *peaceful* village indeed," Yan Uchiha remarked sarcastically. In his view, traitors deserved to be executed without mercy.
"I think it shows the kind of magnanimity expected of a true village leader. After all, Reina Oshima did save Fuu Akimoto's mother just now," Minato expressed his contrasting opinion.
Yan Uchiha's expression darkened again. He and Minato seemed naturally incompatible.
Noticing this, Sakumo gave a slight smile and decided not to press the issue further—it was another village's matter after all.
However, he didn't notice that beside him, Junko Watanabe was looking at him with a slightly complex expression...
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