Chapter 23: The Attack
Night had fallen, and the setting sun was just about to sink beyond the mountain peaks.
In the northern region of the Land of Fire, near the border with the Land of Rice Fields, at the edge of a dense forest beside the main road, a group of figures was busy around a campfire under the cover of darkness.
This was a large merchant caravan, numbering over a hundred people and accompanied by more than a dozen wagons.
Most of the group consisted of merchants and attendants dressed in ordinary clothing, while the rest were escort ninja traveling with them.
Beside the campfire, a massive tent covering several hundred square meters had already been erected.
At the front of the caravan, from the largest and most luxurious wagon, a group of gorgeously dressed women clustered around a fat, middle-aged man clad in fine robes as he stepped down.
The man's name was Yoshida Jin, a well-known tycoon from the Land of Rice Fields.
In the ninja world, the weaker a small nation's control, the more easily oligarchs like Yoshida Jin came into existence.
Yoshida Jin's main businesses were human trafficking and the various "pleasure industries" favored by men. The dozen or so women around him were female courtesans he had purchased within the Land of Fire during this trip.
The Third Great Ninja War, which had dragged on for years, had devastated countless villages in the Land of Fire. Many women who had lost their homes and families were forced onto this road of no return.
Surrounded by the courtesans, Yoshida Jin's bloated figure disappeared into the newly erected tent.
Around the tent, more than a dozen rogue ninja—hired at great expense by Yoshida Jin—stood guard.
Elsewhere in the camp, over a dozen attendants were busy preparing dinner for the night.
At the edge of the caravan, three figures stood out as oddly out of place.
None of them were tall. One was rather plump, while the other two were slender, and one of them was clearly only a few years old at a glance.
These three were Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Ryuya.
Leaning casually against a large boulder, the three had taken out their dry rations and were eating them with cold water.
Looking at the busy attendants by the campfire and the tent from which faint sounds of revelry could be heard, Ryuya curled his lips into a mocking smile.
"Heh, truly a textbook example of getting rich without conscience."
Hearing this, Shisui and Itachi both raised their heads to look toward the tent. A thoughtful glint flashed in Itachi's eyes, while a hint of sadness appeared on Shisui's face.
In the chaotic ninja world, human life was cheaper than grass.
Not far away, the hot food had been prepared. One of the caravan's attendants carried a basin of steaming food, intending to bring it over to Ryuya and the others.
"What are you doing?"
Another attendant grabbed him from behind.
"Taking food over to them," the man holding the basin replied, confused.
"Why bother? Haven't you noticed the boss hasn't given them a good look these past two days?" Snatching the food away, the second attendant turned and walked back.
"But… they're Konoha ninja after all," the first attendant hesitated.
"So what? They're just three brats! This is an A-rank mission, and Konoha only sent these three? Looks like Konoha's running out of people too."
The two attendants melted back into the crowd, but every word they spoke was clearly heard by Ryuya and the others.
Hearing the conversation, the mockery on Ryuya's lips deepened.
Far away, several dozen meters into the forest, two dark figures lay hidden atop a large tree, silently observing everything in the camp.
"Go inform the boss. The fat sheep is in position—tell the brothers to move out."
An hour later, the figure on the right whispered to his companion.
"Got it."
The man on the left nodded and quickly leapt away through the trees.
Unaware of all this, the caravan continued its routine. After setting up camp, people lit fires and cooked. Within an hour, the hundred-strong group had finished dinner and retired to rest. The several dozen rogue ninja guards split into teams and began patrolling around the camp.
At the center of the camp, after indulging his hands and mouth to his heart's content with the courtesans, Yoshida Jin finally fell into a deep sleep inside the tent.
The night grew deeper, and the forest fell silent, broken only by the crackling of firewood in the campfires.
Swish—
Swish—
Suddenly, the sharp sounds of ninja movement cutting through the air echoed through the woods. Dozens of dark figures moved rapidly through the forest, several hundred meters away from the caravan camp.
"Something's wrong! There's movement!"
Inside the camp, one of the guard ninjas was jolted awake by the noise.
Pfft—
Before he could raise the alarm, however, another guard stationed with him on the southern side of the camp suddenly struck. A sharp kunai pierced straight through his back, hitting a vital spot.
"Y-you…"
The wounded ninja clutched his chest and turned to look at the companion he had worked with for so long, disbelief filling his eyes.
"Heh! You fool. I'm not your companion."
The attacker looked coldly at the fallen guard, a cruel grin tugging at his lips.
As he spoke, his face rippled and shifted, quickly transforming into an unfamiliar appearance.
Transformation Technique!
The severely injured ninja let out his final breath, dying with resentment.
A series of black shadows streaked through the air, and more than twenty figures soon arrived at the scene.
All of them were dressed as ninjas, but none bore the insignia of any hidden village—they were all rogue ninjas.
At the head of the group stood a middle-aged man with a long scar across his face.
"Well done, Ueda."
Glancing at the corpse on the ground, the scarred man praised the ninja who had used the Transformation Technique.
"Move! Take them all out!"
With a wave of his right hand, the scarred man issued the order.
At once, the twenty-plus ninjas behind him split into several squads and scattered toward the caravan camp.
"Ah! Who's there?!"
"Enemy attack!"
…
Sporadic sounds of fighting and screams erupted within the camp—only to be silenced moments later.
Clearly, under this sudden night assault, the caravan's guard ninjas hadn't been able to mount any effective resistance before being swiftly eliminated.
Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on the scarred man's face. Leading the remaining rogues, he rushed toward the center of the camp.
"Ah! Who are you people?!"
The tent flap was thrown open, and Yoshida Jin's pig-like scream rang out in terror.
Behind him, more than a dozen scantily clad courtesans huddled together, trembling in fear.
"Tsk. The world really is unfair. A stupid, bloated pig like this actually gets to enjoy such beauties."
The scarred man's cruel gaze swept casually over the inside of the tent as he sneered with disdain.
"Kill him."
Disgust and jealousy flashed across his face as he gave the order with a wave of his hand.
"Ah—!"
One of the rogue ninjas behind him drew a short blade and, amid the shrieks of the courtesans, swung it down at Yoshida Jin.
Clang!
Under the flickering firelight, the terror on Yoshida Jin's face was grotesquely clear. Just as the blade was about to strike him, a kunai shot in from outside the tent, striking the weapon and knocking it away with perfect precision.
In the next instant, two figures burst through the tent, appearing at Yoshida Jin's side.
"You're Konoha ninja?!"
By the firelight inside the tent, the forehead protectors on the two newcomers were clearly visible. Seeing the leaf symbol, fury and shock surged across the scarred man's face.
Damn it!
Why were there Konoha ninja here? Ueda and the others hadn't reported this at all!