It was their first time leaving the village, and both Nawaki and Minato were very excited. To maintain a professional demeanor in front of their client, they involuntarily kept serious expressions, which Kyuushin found secretly amusing.
Kyuushin, with the soul of an adult, was naturally much more composed, but he wasn't entirely without excitement; he just appeared very natural on the surface. To avoid boredom, he struck up a conversation with the grand craftsman, Sekine.
Sekine had a rather stern appearance, but when conversing, he was very amiable and didn't look down on Kyuushin, who looked quite young for a ninja. He patiently answered all of Kyuushin's questions.
In the stories Kyuushin knew, the Land of Iron was a harsh and cold place, guarded by a group of warriors who called themselves samurai. It was also the only neutral country in the ninja world. Beyond that, little was known. Even school textbooks only briefly mentioned the country. However, through his conversation with Sekine, Kyuushin gradually formed a general impression of the Land of Iron.
The Land of Iron is located north of the Land of Fire. Because of its high latitude, the cold season is longer, but at this time of year, it is relatively comfortable. Although the country does not grow much grain, it is rich in mineral resources, especially iron ore. The name Land of Iron comes from this. And precisely because of the abundance of iron ore, the blacksmiths of the Land of Iron are quite famous. Renowned craftsmen like Sekine are a testament to their skill. Whether in cities or villages, furnaces burn day and night, forging a large number of iron tools. The Land of Iron relies on selling ore and tools, and its domestic economy has always developed well.
Kyuushin pondered that it was no wonder the samurai were almost entirely clad in armor; this was inseparable from the national conditions of the Land of Iron. Overall, ninjas tend to be more like assassins, so their attire is lighter, at most wearing a layer of chainmail underneath. However, in the Land of Iron, due to abundant iron ore, the cost of full body armor was much lower compared to other countries, thus forming a unique group of samurai. Although they also use chakra, they do not use ninjutsu like ninjas from other countries, but rather combine it with swordsmanship, leaning more towards being warriors.
However, what puzzled Kyuushin was that the current Land of Iron was not a neutral country; it simply rarely participated in the affairs of the ninja world. He guessed it would only declare permanent neutrality after the Second or Third Great Ninja War. Famous craftsmen like Sekine would also be invited by various great nations to forge ninja tools for them. In recent years, these invitations had gradually increased, which was why he had been away from his home for over half a year.
He hadn't originally planned to hire ninjas because, as honored guests of the great nations, people generally wouldn't have any designs on them. However, with the recent turmoil in the ninja world, a large number of commoners had turned to banditry, and these bandits didn't care if you were a renowned craftsman. Therefore, he had no choice but to consider his own safety.
Time slowly passed as they conversed along the way. Since Sekine and his apprentices were ordinary people, their pace was not fast. It wasn't until nightfall that they finally reached the next town. Sekine and his group naturally needed to rest before continuing their journey, so they settled down in an inn. He cordially invited Kyuushin and his team to join them, but they declined. As bodyguards, it was their duty to constantly ensure the safety of their employer, even in a seemingly safe town.
Therefore, Kyuushin discussed it with Nawaki and Minato, and they decided to take turns on night watch in three shifts. This routine continued for over half a month. Sometimes they would rest in towns, but most of the time they were in the wilderness. Minato and Nawaki, who were initially excited, had now grown accustomed to the journey. The life of a ninja is largely monotonous and boring, requiring a heart that can endure loneliness.
After more than half a month, they had completely left the Land of Fire. But some small countries are often barometers of stability in the ninja world. The common people in these countries are the most vulnerable to impact. Although a major war had not yet broken out, small skirmishes often occurred. What were minor skirmishes to the great nations were catastrophic turmoil to these small countries, which served as buffer zones. Consequently, bandits had become more prevalent.
Therefore, after leaving the Land of Fire, Kyuushin reminded Nawaki and Minato to stay alert and vigilant at all times.
Sure enough, as soon as they passed a large mountain, a group of bandits came rushing at them from all directions, howling.
"Attention, form a protective formation! Remember, don't hold back!" Kyuushin immediately reacted, forming a triangle with Nawaki and Minato to protect Sekine's group in the middle. To prevent them from hesitating, he specifically reminded them not to hold back. It was their first time truly facing enemies, and he had to consider many things.
As they got closer, Kyuushin made the first move, throwing several shuriken and kunai aimed directly for their vital points.
"Swish, swish, swish—" In an instant, three or four people fell, and the bandits immediately exclaimed, "Oh no, there are ninjas!"
"Don't be afraid, they're just a few brats! Charge them, kill them!" shouted someone who seemed to be the bandit leader. Under his shouts, they charged straight at them.
Seeing this, Kyuushin remained calm. The kunai in his hand never stopped flying; one kunai meant one bandit falling. However, there were too many bandits. After taking down a few more, they were almost upon him. As if they believed victory was assured once they got close, the bandits' shouts grew more frantic. Seeing this, Kyuushin stopped throwing kunai.
Instead, he silently gathered his strength, and just as the first bandit was about to reach him, he slammed his fist into the ground.
"Boom—" With a loud bang, the ground instantly cracked like a spiderweb. The bandits who were still charging forward stumbled and swayed, losing their balance and falling to the ground one by one.
Kyuushin seized the opportunity to draw the sword Sekine had given him, swiftly moving forward and cutting down one bandit after another. In just a moment, he had eliminated most of them. As for the remaining bandits who hadn't been affected, seeing Kyuushin's ferocity, they immediately lost the will to fight and turned to flee.
Kyuushin naturally didn't pursue them but turned to look at Nawaki and Minato. He wasn't sure if his words had had an effect, but both of them had performed very well, showing no intention of holding back. They didn't use swords but wielded kunai, darting through the crowd. In the instant they flashed past, a bandit would fall clutching their throat. Ordinary people were simply too fragile against two ninjas with Chunin-level strength. Seeing that they were fine, Kyuushin didn't go to help them but remained vigilant of their surroundings.
Only when there was not a single bandit left standing did Kyuushin walk over to them. When he got closer, he realized that neither of them was calm. They were breathing heavily, and both of their hands were trembling, even the kunai they held shaking slightly.
He walked up and patted them both on the shoulder, asking, "Are you alright?"
Nawaki looked at the blood on his hands, his voice trembling slightly. "Did I... did I kill someone?"
Minato, on the other hand, immediately covered his throat and vomited. Seeing this, Nawaki also retched and followed suit.
At this moment, Sekine, who was still recovering from the shock, stumbled over and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"
"We're fine," Kyuushin said. "Please excuse our behavior. To be honest, it's our first time killing someone. Just give us a moment to recover."
"Oh, oh, alright." Hearing this, Sekine said nothing more and wisely went to comfort his apprentices.
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