Maruboshi Kosuke listened in silence before slowly exhaling. "Your deduction... is highly probable. If the city lord is truly involved, then this is no longer a simple criminal case. It involves a local official of the Land of Fire, which exceeds our mission authority and jurisdiction as ninjas."
"According to the agreement between Konoha and the Land of Fire, as well as village regulations, we must immediately cease the investigation and report the situation back to the village for Lord Hokage to decide. We would also need to negotiate with the capital of the Land of Fire and obtain authorization from the Daimyo. Acting without permission could cause massive political trouble."
"Senpai, should we return directly to the village then?" Shinichi inquired.
Maruboshi Kosuke pondered for a moment. "I originally intended to visit the client in the nearby village even if the mission was technically complete on the surface, but..."
Changing the subject, he looked at Shinichi. "Shinichi, what do you think?"
"Leave the city immediately," Shinichi answered without hesitation. "And we must act hurried and frantic, as if we've discovered some major upheaval. After leaving the city, head straight for the village."
"Oh?" Maruboshi Kosuke didn't interrupt, gesturing for him to continue.
"Initially, they might have just wanted to use that rhetoric to steady us and send us away. But from the moment I stepped into the city lord's manor, based on the butler's repeated and covert observations, it's highly likely I possess some 'trait' that is extremely important in their perception. His repeated confirmations mean they might have changed their original plan—from seeing guests off to keeping them."
Shinichi's analysis was calm and clear. "They are likely mobilizing people and setting traps right now. What we need to do is disrupt their rhythm and proactively jump out of the net they might be weaving. If we appear hurried and suspicious as we rush out of the city, it will likely prompt them to act ahead of schedule and intercept us on the outskirts."
"Drawing the snake out of its hole?" Maruboshi Kosuke immediately understood his intention.
"Exactly." Shinichi nodded. "As long as they strike first, no matter who they are, morality and legality will be on our side. It is a serious crime for Konoha ninja to attack local officials without cause; conversely, it is an equally unforgivable crime for local officials or their forces to attack Konoha ninja on a mission without cause."
Although the Daimyo was the nominal supreme ruler of the Land of Fire, Konoha's status within the country was extremely transcendent, holding substantial and absolute military power.
Looking back at the various shinobi world wars, every single one was directly initiated and led by the hidden villages of each nation. During wartime, local officials and administrative systems often could only passively cooperate, and their duties were mostly limited to being sent to newly acquired territories for governance and aftermath management after the war.
For example, during the later Third Shinobi World War, Sunagakure directly declared war on Konoha on the pretext of the Kazekage's disappearance, without even formally notifying the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.
This incident greatly angered that Daimyo, but after the war, he could only use 'Sunagakure's poor performance in the war' as an excuse to cut some funding as a symbolic punishment.
Even earlier, at the first Five Kage Summit, the first generation kage of the five great ninja villages openly discussed the division of national territories and the allocation of interests at the meeting, showing the extent of their power and independence.
He further clarified the key point: "Konoha ninjas are official military personnel commissioned by the Land of Fire. Even if there is suspicion of a crime, local administrative officials have no right to privately detain or dispose of them; they must negotiate with Konoha through official channels."
"Only when someone is officially declared a rogue ninja by Konoha can local officials cooperate in their capture after receiving authorization. If they proactively attack us, it's equivalent to handing us a legitimate reason to strike back and investigate deeply."
The country and the hidden village had long existed in a subtle and complex symbiotic state. While their jurisdictions overlapped and their ideologies often clashed, they formed a strange balance and coexistence based on the pragmatic mutual benefit of 'I give you funds and administrative convenience, you give me force and security guarantees.'
From this, a set of unspoken but mutually accepted rules emerged: you have no right to dispose of the ninjas under my command at will, and I do not directly interfere in the political affairs under your jurisdiction... and so on, together forming the 'One Country, One Village' system unique to this shinobi world.
And if your side oversteps your authority without cause, then morality and legality stand on our side.
Maruboshi Kosuke looked at the junior before him, who had such rigorous thinking and was skilled at utilizing rules, and a flash of approval crossed his eyes.
This was indeed a clever strategy in the current complex situation that could both avoid procedural risks and break the deadlock with a counter-move.
However, he did not agree immediately, instead speaking his concerns after a moment of silence. "The plan is good, but there are several problems. First, according to village rules, this matter has clearly exceeded the scope of our current mission. Second, the risk is unpredictable; we don't know exactly how many people the opponent has or what their strength is."
"Even if we hold all the moral and legal advantages in the end, the village might not be pleased to see us looking for extra trouble; they might think we're being meddlesome and starting incidents unnecessarily. Furthermore, even if His Highness the Daimyo doesn't pursue it on the surface, he will inevitably feel displeased that Konoha ninjas caused an incident within his territory."
Shinichi's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, "Senpai, I have been prepared for danger since the moment I decided to become a ninja. I also have a bit of my own selfishness here; I don't want my first mission to end so anticlimactically and unclearly."
"And those children..."
Speaking of this, he fell silent for a moment. "Their families are still waiting for them to come home. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we shouldn't give up."
'As expected of the successor of the Will of Fire personally handpicked by Lord Third Hokage!'
Maruboshi Kosuke sighed inwardly.
Shinichi continued his analysis with clear logic: "Senpai, besides, this isn't being meddlesome. As Konoha ninjas, we have the duty to maintain border stability and prevent the infiltration of unknown forces. Now, an unidentified organization has infiltrated the border of the Land of Fire and may have even turned a city lord; this itself is our responsibility."
"Finally, His Highness the Daimyo might not care about the disappearance of some commoner children, but he will never tolerate his own officials slipping out of control and secretly engaging in schemes he knows nothing about."
"Good!" Maruboshi Kosuke decided immediately. "We'll do as you say. We leave the city now."
---
That night, by a river channel near a forest, the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, leaving only the sound of gurgling water.
Shinichi and Maruboshi Kosuke, who were traveling in a hurry, suddenly stopped—in the shadows of the trees ahead, over a dozen figures clad in black robes emerged silently, blocking their path in a semi-encirclement.
"Ninjas of Konoha, why leave in such a hurry? It makes it seem like this city lord has been a poor host." The leader pulled back his hood, revealing Kurokawa Yasumasa, the city lord of Narumi Town.
Shinichi didn't respond, his gaze sweeping over the uniform mark on everyone's black robes: a triangle inside a circle, with crude lines and a dark red color like dried blood.
'This pattern? The Jashin Cult?'
"The Holy son, we... meet again." Elder Takahashi stepped forward slowly from the side, his gaze from under the hood locked firmly onto Shinichi. His eyes swirled with undisguised heat and desire, as if he were looking at a rare treasure.
"Please do not resist. If you are willing to comply, I can promise to let your companion... have an intact corpse."
His tone was flat, yet it carried a condescending certainty.
'Right, they were just two Genin after all.'
However, the very instant his voice fell.
Shinichi's hand hanging by his side moved imperceptibly, making a minimalist hand seal.
The next moment,
BOOM!!!
The originally calm river channel suddenly roared as countless streams of water tumbled out, surging into the sky to form an overwhelming tidal wave. Carrying a deafening roar and irresistible force, it smashed down toward the group of black-robed people on the shore!
Elder Takahashi's pupils constricted violently.
'This is a Konoha... genin!?'