Raizen exhaled, tension easing slightly. "Alright. Let's go." He stowed his kunai, stepping back to let the trio of Pig, Deer, and Butterfly leave.
The three paused, casting one last wary glance before leaping toward the jungle. Nara Kimura landed on a thick branch and stopped, turning back to look at him.
"You're letting us live this time… Your Excellency. I, Nara Kimura, owe you my thanks. Please… tell me your name!"
"Amamiya Raizen."
Raizen replied flatly, barely registering her gratitude. In a chaotic age like this, verbal thanks were meaningless. Survival mattered far more than courtesy.
Once the Zhuludie trio disappeared into the foliage, the guards who had been sprawled on the ground, wailing in feigned injury, slowly picked themselves up. They hadn't actually been hurt by Akamichi Uchida; they'd been faking to cover for their lack of experience. Ordinary ninja rarely killed on a whim.
But now they looked at Raizen differently. The child before them—barely five by some counts—was no ordinary shinobi. And hearing about the Pig-Deer-Butterfly mission made them realize just how valuable the cargo really was. Something so coveted even by elite ninja and daimyo? That was no ordinary treasure.
A flicker of greed sparked in the guards' eyes—but it quickly faded. Raizen's presence, combined with the inevitable arrival of rival ninja, made panic creep in. Treasures are only valuable if you live to enjoy them; die chasing them, and they're nothing but cold metal and regret.
One guard muttered to himself, "This next leg… it's going to be dangerous. Even the daimyo cares about this. If ninja come for it, how can ordinary men like us stand a chance?" His mind was made up: he would find a way to slip away when the opportunity arose.
Khaki, the businessman, watched it all unfold with a resigned sigh. Ever since stumbling onto this treasure, stability had been a stranger to him. He had intended to hand it over to the daimyo, but now… chaos had followed. Seeing the guards' shifting expressions, he finally relented.
"You can take the goods if you want. And anyone who wishes to leave… take them and go!"
The guards' eyes widened. Some hesitated, but Khaki continued, "I'm not forcing anyone to die for this. If you want to survive, go ahead."
"Thank you!" The guards called out, moving quickly to grab the cargo—four carts in total—and make their escape without hesitation.
Raizen watched, cold amusement flickering in his eyes. Ants with a heartbeat… so ridiculous, fleeing with their loot like this?
He pulled a kunai from his ninja bag and started toward the guards step by step.
"Forget it, Lord Ninja!" Khaki muttered helplessly. After all, he could hardly blame the guards; this mess had been set in motion by circumstances beyond their control. He had no intention of forcing anyone's loyalty.
Raizen stopped. No attack was necessary—the goods were khaki, and Khaki was willing to let them go. His temporary irritation would have to wait.
"Master Ninja," Khaki said softly, approaching Raizen, "the next leg of your journey will be extremely dangerous. Any harm that came your way this time… consider this a small reward for completing the mission."
He reached into his arms and produced a single emerald. The stone gleamed with perfect clarity and quality, enough to cover the rewards of three or four S-rank missions by itself.
Raizen took the stone, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Well, at least someone's getting paid for this circus.