NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Haruno Nomaru held strong to his beliefs, and there was no question about that.
But his mistake lay in the fact that, in order to achieve his own goals, he unleashed his cruelty upon an innocent group of people.
Right is right.
Wrong is wrong.
And if you've done wrong, you must pay the price.
"Thank you."
"If possible, I ask that you allow me to be buried alongside my fallen comrades."
"Tetsuya!"
"Yes, Master Yuhi!"
"I leave this man to you. Can you handle it?"
"No problem, Master Yuhi!"
"I'll take care of it properly."
Just as Yuhi Shinji was pondering whether his request had been too hasty, Fujiwara Tetsuya, suppressing the excitement swelling within him, began pushing Haruno Nomaru toward a nearby forest.
Haruno Nomaru wasn't weak. At the very least, he ranked at the peak level of an elite Chunin.
Killing him would surely yield a substantial amount of battle points.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing an elite Chunin, earning 97 points.]
Ninety-seven points? Not bad at all.
Listening to the pleasant voice echoing in his mind, the corners of Tetsuya's mouth curled into a faint smile.
Counting the four rogue shinobi he had eliminated earlier, his current total had now reached 185 battle points.
Given the value of these points...
I suppose I can grant you all the courtesy of being buried together.
Tetsuya gave Chunhe Nomaru's corpse a light kick, then found a soft patch of earth where he buried Nomaru along with the seven rogue shinobi under his command.
As for the ordinary bandits? They would receive no such respect. The beasts of the mountain would have them as their final meal.
---
Back in Sakura Town.
With the twenty or thirty hostages they had rescued in tow, Fujiwara Tetsuya and the others were naturally slowed down.
It wasn't until dusk that they finally made it back to town.
"Nanaiko!"
"Ichiro!"
"Thank you! Thank you, noble ninja of Konoha!"
Tears naturally accompanied the reunion of family members.
However, neither Yuhi Shinji, Uchiha Mikoto, nor Aburame Mokuto were moved by this touching scene. After exchanging a few polite words, Yuhi grabbed Tetsuya and headed straight for Murano Jihei's residence.
"You've returned."
"It seems you've taken care of Nomaru and his group."
Murano Jihei had clearly expected their arrival.
"Mr. Murano, I need an explanation," Yuhi Shinji said coldly. "Before we left, you didn't mention there were seven shinobi among the bandits. You understand what that means, don't you?"
He stared at the teacup in front of him, his gaze calm, yet his aura steadily intensified. Even though Yuhi tried to keep his anger in check, Tetsuya, standing behind him, still felt the overwhelming pressure like a mountain crumbling down.
"My apologies! I didn't mean to cause you trouble."
Murano Jihei sighed bitterly and knelt down, his expression helpless.
"I didn't withhold the information on purpose! But Sakura Town could only barely afford the payment for a C-rank mission. So to get rid of Nomaru's group, I had no choice but to conceal part of the truth."
"You possess enough strength to handle those rogue shinobi yourself, don't you?" Yuhi's voice was sharp now, having noticed the suppressed aura leaking from Murano. It was unmistakable—the presence of a Jonin-level shinobi.
"If I were a few years younger, yes," Murano admitted. "But now, I'm no longer at my peak. Besides, Nomaru and his men had taken innocent villagers hostage. I didn't want things to escalate to a life-or-death battle unless it was absolutely necessary."
"This entire situation is my doing alone," he continued. "The people of Sakura Town bear no responsibility for my actions. Please, do not take it out on them."
"I'll report this to Lord Hokage," Yuhi replied calmly. "Whatever the consequences, someone will come to negotiate with you."
"Thank you. You can rest assured, we are shinobi of Konoha, not wanderers."
Yuhi sipped the hot tea in front of him without saying anything more. Once he finished, he left the room, signaling for Tetsuya and the others to follow him out of Sakura Town.
---
"Is that so?" Lord Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke, his sharp eyes focused on Yuhi Shinji. "Very well. We'll classify this mission as a B-rank."
"As for Murano Jihei, I'll send someone to handle the negotiations."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Yuhi replied, bowing respectfully.
Even though Yuhi was a veteran Jonin, nearing the elite rank, he was still cautious when addressing Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was in his prime. Tetsuya, Uchiha Mikoto, and Aburame Mokuto were even more on edge, standing at attention before the Third Hokage.
"Tetsuya," Lord Hokage continued, shifting his gaze to the young shinobi, "you did well. You brought honor to the Fujiwara clan. Keep it up. Under Yuhi's guidance, I'm sure you'll become a fine shinobi."
"Yes, Lord Hokage! I will work hard under Master Yuhi's teachings to become a qualified ninja."
Tetsuya straightened up immediately, his face growing serious as he met the Hokage's eyes.
"Good. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I believe in your potential."
"Now, go rest for a couple of days. After that, return for your next mission."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" they chorused before taking their leave.
---
At the Fujiwara, Tanaka, and Uesugi clan compound.
When Tanaka Jiro saw Fujiwara Tetsuya return safely, he breathed a long sigh of relief. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.
"Uncle Jiro, take this," Tetsuya said, smiling as he pulled out a pouch containing 30,000 ryo and handed it to Tanaka Jiro.
This wasn't part of the mission reward. Even though the mission had been upgraded to B-rank, the reward would only amount to around 150,000 ryo at most. The 30,000 he was offering now had been taken from the bandits' lair.
According to Yuhi Shinji, it was his rightful share. Uchiha Mikoto and Aburame Mokuto had also received a similar sum.
"Tetsuya, where did you get this money? Did you say something you shouldn't have to Master Yuhi?"
For the Fujiwara, Tanaka, and Uesugi clans, 30,000 ryo was a small fortune. Combined with what Tetsuya had given them before, it would be enough to solve their immediate problems and even buy new clothes for the clan's children.
"Don't worry, Uncle Jiro," Tetsuya reassured him. "This money was taken from the bandits. Go ahead and use it. You've 9 to fear."
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