Thud!
Just as Little Shigure reached out to catch her chipped bowl, she turned and spotted the ship in the distance.
She immediately fell backward onto the deck.
Her chubby little face froze.
Holding her breath, she bit her lower lip with her tiny teeth as her small body trembled uncontrollably.
The sight of that ship had clearly awakened a traumatic memory.
“Don’t be afraid.” Compared to the young girl, Uncle Meiyu remained much calmer.
Lifting her into his arms, he comforted her gently.
“They’re probably just river pirates.” Rather than calm, it was more accurate to say he had grown accustomed to it.
Traveling the waterways that connected the nations of the shinobi world, encounters with river pirates were inevitable.
As long as travelers paid a reasonable toll, river pirates generally wouldn’t take lives.
As Lord Unkawa had once put it, even river pirates believed in “sustainable development.” “I’m afraid this time, it won’t be that simple.” Unkawa shook his head inwardly but said nothing.
Instead, he gently pinched Little Shigure’s cheek and smiled reassuringly.
“I’m still here.
Don’t worry.” He then turned to Uncle Meiyu, whose face was filled with apology.
“Please take care of the children.” “Leave it to me, Lord Unkawa.” Uncle Meiyu nodded solemnly.
“I may be old and half-broken, but I’ll carry these children as high as I can.” The next instant, Unkawa vanished from where he stood.
At the same time, Jiyun, who had been watching the excitement from the ship, disappeared as well.
Not far away…
The deck of another ship had been stained crimson with blood.
Several mutilated corpses lay sprawled in widening pools of red.
Figures clad in raincoats walked methodically across the deck, crouching beside each body to search it.
Every corpse wore the same expression— Terror.
Confusion.
Whatever they had witnessed before dying had filled them with overwhelming fear.
This had been a passenger vessel.
Unfortunately, it had caught the attention of the wrong people.
Ordinary river pirates would collect a toll and move on.
Killing everyone was bad for business.
But these men…
Weren’t river pirates.
They wore matching uniforms.
They moved with discipline.
Each had a clearly assigned role.
They were rogue ninja.
“What rotten luck!” The leader wore a gas mask over his face.
On his forehead sat a Hidden Mist forehead protector, slashed straight through its symbol.
He fanned a stack of banknotes through his fingers with a sneer.
“A bunch of paupers.
This is all they had?” “Boss.” One of his men approached.
“We’ve searched everything.
We should leave.” The rogue ninja leader frowned.
“What’s the hurry?” “I heard there’s a new organization operating nearby.” Lowering his voice, the subordinate sighed.
“They’ve already accepted quite a few assassination jobs.” “We barely escaped those mad dogs raised by the Third Hokage.
The brothers haven’t rested in days.” “We’re better off not crossing paths with them.” The leader narrowed his eyes.
“Damn it…” “As soon as I sell the village intelligence to the bounty exchange, I’m sure both Konoha and the Land of Whirlpools will be very interested.” Even as he cursed, his hands flew through a series of hand seals.
Ox → Snake → Ram.
“Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!” Dense mist rapidly spread across the surrounding waters.
The crimson haze mixed with the blood in the rain until the ship seemed swallowed by a dreamlike sea of scarlet fog.
Satisfied, the rogue ninja leader nodded.
“Now no one will find us.” At that exact moment…
Two figures silently appeared atop the highest point of the mast.
“Now we don’t have to worry about being discovered.” Looking over the crimson mist, Unkawa nodded with satisfaction before lowering his voice.
“Good opportunity.” “Time for today’s lesson.” Jiyun, whose mouth Unkawa had been covering, blinked in confusion before turning to look at him.
Unkawa pointed toward the deck below without even lowering his head.
“Watch the man standing at the bow.” Jiyun instinctively lowered her gaze.
A hand immediately blocked her view.
“Eyes are useful.” “But you need to learn to observe with your peripheral vision.” Unkawa shook his head slightly.
“Shinobi are extremely sensitive to being watched.” “Before making your move, never stare directly at your assassination target.” “The same goes for killing intent.” “Never expose it too early.” “A shinobi’s sixth sense is very real.” Jiyun learned quickly.
And she listened.
She shifted her gaze slightly, using only the corner of her eye.
About a hundred meters away, a rogue ninja stood at the bow with his sleeves rolled up, revealing tattoos along his forearms.
He examined a bottle of sake he had apparently looted from the ship.
Curious, he pulled out the cork.
Yet even while doing so, his eyes constantly swept behind him.
He had developed the habit of remaining vigilant.
Then…
Jiyun’s pupils contracted.
A black silhouette suddenly appeared behind him.
A faint smile rested on Unkawa’s face.
A kunai was already pressed lightly against the man’s heart.
From beginning to end…
The rogue ninja never noticed a thing.
Death itself stood at his back.
Unkawa looked up toward Jiyun on the mast.
He deliberately raised the kunai as though preparing to strike.
“Hiss—!” The rogue ninja suddenly shivered violently.
Almost instinctively, he whipped out his own kunai and spun around to defend himself.
There was nothing there.
Only endless crimson mist.
“Understand now?” Unkawa’s voice sounded beside Jiyun once again.
“Kill the target…” “…before the target realizes you’re there.” Jiyun looked at Unkawa, who had somehow returned to sit beside her, then glanced back at the still-confused rogue ninja below.
Finally, she gave a silent nod.
“Good.” Unkawa smiled in satisfaction.
He placed a kunai into her hand.
“The theory lesson is over.” “Now comes the practical exercise.” As soon as he finished speaking, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders.
In an instant…
Both of them vanished from the mast.
The next moment…
They reappeared directly behind the same rogue ninja.
One tall.
One small.
Two silent shadows.
Nanaya Assassination Art.
A technique that transformed absolute stillness into an impossible high-speed descent without requiring any foothold.
Combined with Presence Concealment…
It became the blade of a ghost.
No movement.
No sound.
Not even the disturbance of air.
A silent phantom assassin.
It suited a villain perfectly.
The next instant…
Held securely in Unkawa’s embrace, Jiyun slowly raised her lowered eyelids.
Without the slightest hesitation…
She drew the kunai across the rogue ninja’s throat.
Slash!
A torrent of blood sprayed across her face, staining her vision crimson.
The Missing-nin from Kirigakure had still been drinking from his bottle.
Now red sake mixed with fresh blood as it poured from the gash in his throat.
The crimson mist surrounding the ship seemed even thicker than before.
“Too slow.” Unkawa spoke casually beside her ear.
“The human throat is like a water pipe.” “If your cut isn’t fast enough…” “…the blood will spray out through the wound.” Even so…
It was enough.
“I’ll take over from here.” Unkawa turned toward the blood-red mist.
His gaze seemed to lock onto the rogue ninja leader seated at the stern.
Smiling faintly, he murmured, “I’m rather curious about this ‘intelligence’ he mentioned.” Konoha.
The Land of Whirlpools.
Kirigakure.
Was this…
…the opportunity he had been waiting for?