"By the way, why are you tagging along on our mission?"
"Sigh... your dad's worried. He told me to watch over you."
At that, A snorted, arms crossed, and fell silent.
Seriously—ever since he lost to Yuzuru, Father hasn't trusted him at all.
He'd taken this escort job as an excuse to help Killer B unwind, and now he even had to find Yuzuru to keep an eye on him.
Sooner or later, he'd defeat Yuzuru and prove himself.
Seeing the two go quiet, the short, heavyset man sitting at the front of the cart said, "Folks, it's almost noon. How about we eat something before we push on?"
A said blandly, "You're the client. Your call."
The man wiped sweat from his brow and ventured, "Then let's stop for a bit."
"I haven't introduced myself—I'm Yuta Shiraishi. Our goal is to escort this cargo to the Land of Frost."
A, impatient, said, "It's all written in the mission brief. No need to repeat it."
Yuta Shiraishi immediately lowered his head and started chewing on his rations.
Yuzuru shot A a glare. "Be a little courteous to the client. Otherwise the business Kumogakure fought hard to win is going to dry up in days."
A tossed a Soldier Pill into his mouth. "Got it."
"Then smile."
"Yuzuru, don't push your luck!"
"I'm your uncle. If you don't behave, I'll tell the Third."
A drew a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face.
Before it fully formed, Yuzuru waved him off. "Don't. It's ugly as hell."
I must endure him!
A clenched his fists until they crackled, forcing himself not to lash out.
Getting pounded would only make him feel even more stifled.
Killer B suddenly broke into a dance. "New inspiration strikes—big bro is a blockhead!"
"Yo~ bakayaro, konoyaro!"
"Hahahahaha..."
Watching A's expression curdle like he'd swallowed dung, Yuzuru couldn't help bursting into laughter.
That's what you get for mocking me—see how that stings!
When he finished laughing, Yuzuru turned to Yuta Shiraishi. "Master Yuta, you look like you've got something to say, right?"
Yuta glanced at A, who had stalked off a short distance, then said, "Um... about this escort—are we really settling it at a C-rank fee?"
He'd posted a simple C-rank request, yet Kumogakure had sent A, Killer B, and Yuzuru to guard him.
He'd heard stories about A and Killer B in taverns—both were widely acknowledged as top shinobi of Kumogakure.
And that young man was the very Yuzuru who'd been the talk of the village lately—the one who successfully led the Uchiha in defecting from Konoha...
This kind of arrangement made Yūta feel like he had unintentionally fallen into some massive vortex, feeling as if his life was in danger at any moment.
Otherwise, why would such powerhouses move for the most ordinary of C-rank missions?
Sensing his worry, Yuzuru reassured him, "Relax. We're fair to everyone, and we'll absolutely guarantee your safety."
Hearing Yuzuru's promise, Yuta let out a breath.
With someone this strong vouching for him, maybe he wouldn't die after all.
After a quick meal and a short rest, the group hit the road again.
With periodic stops, they soon reached the border between the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Frost.
—
A and Killer B walked in front, Yuzuru behind them, the three forming a ring around the cart.
Suddenly, the twang of a snapped line rang out.
An instant later, Explosive Tags detonated with a roar, flames swallowing the cart and the figures of Yuzuru and the others.
Three shinobi wearing Leaf headbands emerged from the fields.
One said coldly, "Let those blind fools who hired Kumogakure shinobi repent in hell."
No sooner had he spoken than Yuzuru, A, and Killer B walked over from a distance. "You didn't really think such a clumsy trap would fool us, did you?"
The Konoha shinobi arched a brow. "So you noticed early. That was just a Shadow Clone?"
A flexed his fists, eyes blazing. "Finally, a chance to vent—rats who only skulk and hide!"
One Leaf shinobi smirked. "You dodged one trap and think victory's yours?"
As he finished, six more shinobi with Leaf headbands appeared, encircling Yuzuru, A, and Killer B.
"You're... already surrounded!"
Yuzuru ignored the posturing and said evenly, "Nine of you—three squads. Perfect: one squad each."
A nodded. "Works for me."
Killer B said nothing. Pencil in hand, he kept his eyes glued to his notebook, still lost in his own world.
"Go!"
The moment Yuzuru spoke, A's figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already in front of a Konoha squad.
"Liger Bomb!"
Before one Leaf shinobi could react, A seized him and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
As their comrade's skull burst and lightning danced around A's body, the other two Leaf shinobi lunged, kunai aimed for his heart.
A sneered and smashed the one before him with a single punch, bones shattering.
Behind him, the last Leaf shinobi's strike failed to pierce even the Lightning Release Armor.
"H—how is that possible?!"
Crack!
A twist, and the shinobi's neck snapped. In mere seconds, an entire squad lay dead.
On the other side, three Leaf shinobi hurled shuriken, kunai, and Explosive Tags at Killer B in a relentless barrage.
A thunderous blast shook the earth.
Before they could celebrate, a thick octopus tail lashed out of the smoke, caving in one shinobi's chest on the spot.
"W-what is that monster?!"
The other two stared at the massive octopus limbs sprouting from Killer B, terror flooding their faces.
Hands raised, Killer B swayed to a beat only he could hear. "Freely wielding a Tailed Beast's power—this boss is a phantom made real. Burn the name of Kumogakure's perfect jinchuriki into your minds..."
"Beee~"
With a casual flick, the pencil—sheath in Lightning Release chakra—drilled through a Leaf shinobi's forehead.
"Perfect... jinchuriki?"
"Quit joking! How could a jinchuriki use the Tailed Beast's power at will?!"
At their despairing cry, Killer B pointed at Yuzuru. "The Sharingan can suppress a Tailed Beast. Using its power isn't a burden anymore."
"Yo bakayaro, konoyaro"
He glanced at Yuzuru, puzzled. "Why haven't you moved yet?"
According to the plan, the three Konoha shinobi assigned to Yuzuru had already grabbed their lone surviving comrade from B's side and were sprinting toward the deep woods.
Yuzuru still didn't stir. "I have my own plan."
B didn't press.
For him, this trip was about unwinding—letting a few insignificant Konoha shinobi escape didn't matter.
A, however, was nothing like B. Scowling, he snapped, "Cut the act. I'm killing every last one of them!"
Just as he was about to give chase, a storm of needle-like projectiles whistled toward them.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"
T/n:
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