Konoha's Tatsuya

Night had fallen, the setting sun about to dip below 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 close to the main road, a group of people were busy around a bonfire under the cover of night.

It was a large merchant caravan, consisting of over a hundred people and more than ten carriages.

Among the crowd, the vast majority were merchants and attendants dressed in ordinary clothing, while the remaining individuals were accompanying guard ninja.

Next to the bonfire, a tent covering several hundred square meters had already been erected.

From the largest and most spacious carriage at the head of the caravan, a group of gorgeously dressed women were escorting a stout, middle-aged man in opulent robes down the steps.

The man in the luxurious robes was named Yoshida Jin, a renowned wealthy man from the Land of Rice Fields.

In the ninja world, the smaller the country and the weaker its control, the easier it was for oligarchs like Yoshida Jin to emerge.

Yoshida Jin's main business was human trafficking and the "entertainment" industry that catered to men's desires. The ten-plus women around him were geisha he had purchased this time within the Land of Fire.

The prolonged Third Shinobi World War, which had lasted for several years, had devastated numerous villages within the Land of Fire. Many women who had lost their homes and families were forced to walk this irreversible path.

Surrounded by this group of geisha, Yoshida Jin's obese figure disappeared into the newly erected tent.

Around the tent, more than ten rogue ninja, hired by Yoshida Jin at a high price, stood guard.

Within the camp, more than ten accompanying attendants were busy preparing dinner.

At the edge of the caravan, a group of three stood out, seeming somewhat out of place.

None of the three were particularly tall. One was quite stout, while the other two appeared rather thin, with one looking to be only a few years old.

These three were Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Tatsuya.

Casually leaning against a large rock, the three had taken out their dry rations and were eating them with cold water.

Watching the busy attendants near the bonfire and the sounds of playful revelry faintly emanating from the tent, Tatsuya's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Heh, a true epitome of 'wealth without virtue,' isn't he?"

Hearing this, Shisui and Itachi beside him both looked up towards the tent. Itachi's eyes flickered with thoughtful reflection, while Shisui's expression darkened slightly.

In the chaotic ninja world, human life was as cheap as grass.

Not far away, the hot food was ready. One of the caravan's attendants carried a bowl of hot food, intending to bring it to Tatsuya and the others.

"What are you doing?" Another attendant stopped him.

"Bringing them food," the attendant holding the food replied, looking puzzled.

"Why bother? Haven't you seen how the master hasn't given them a good look these past two days?" He snatched the bowl of hot food from the other attendant's hands and turned to walk away.

"But, they're Konoha ninja!" The first attendant hesitated.

"They're just three little brats! This time, the master commissioned an A-rank mission, and the Hidden Leaf Village sent only these three. It seems Konoha is running out of people."

The two men's figures blended into the crowd, but their voices reached Tatsuya, Shisui, and Itachi's ears without missing a single word.

Hearing the conversation from nearby, the mocking expression on Tatsuya's face deepened.

Further away, several dozen meters into the dense forest, two dark figures were lurking on a large tree, observing everything in the camp.

"Go quickly and inform the leader. The fat sheep have arrived. The brothers can set out!"

An hour later, one of the two figures, the one on the right, whispered to his companion.

"Yes," the figure on the left nodded and quickly moved through the trees, disappearing into the darkness.

Unaware of all this, the caravan members, having set up camp, began to light fires and cook. The group of over a hundred people had finished dinner in less than an hour, and then they began to retire to their tents for the night. The dozens of rogue ninja began to split into several teams, dispersing around the perimeter of the camp.

In the center of the camp, Yoshida Jin, after indulging in some physical and verbal pleasures with his group of geisha, finally drifted off to sleep.

As night deepened, the forest grew quiet, the only sound being the crackling of the burning wood in the bonfire.

Swoosh~

Swoosh~

Suddenly, the sounds of ninja leaping through the air broke the silence. Dozens of dark figures moved rapidly through the trees several hundred meters from the caravan's camp.

"It's bad! Something's happening!"

Inside the caravan's camp, a guard ninja, hearing the sounds, immediately woke up.

Thwack!

However, before the awakened guard ninja could raise the alarm, another companion guarding the southern side of the camp with him suddenly attacked. A sharp kunai pierced him from behind, directly striking a vital point.

"You… you…"

The guard ninja clutched his chest, turning around to look at his long-time companion, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Heh! You foolish idiot. I'm not your companion."

The attacking ninja's expression was cold as he looked at the fallen guard, a cruel smile on his lips.

As he spoke, his facial features underwent a transformation, quickly changing into a completely different, unfamiliar face.

Transformation Technique!

The severely injured ninja took his last breath, filled with unwillingness.

A series of black figures swiftly swept through the air. More than twenty figures quickly arrived at the scene.

These twenty-plus individuals were all dressed as ninja, but they wore no village affiliation symbols. They were another group of rogue ninja.

At the forefront of this group of rogue ninja stood a middle-aged ninja with a scar on his face.

"Ueda, well done!"

The scarred middle-aged ninja, the leader, glanced at the fallen guard and praised the ninja who had just used the Transformation Technique.

"Quick! Take them out!"

Then, the scarred middle-aged ninja waved his right hand, giving the order.

At his command, the twenty-plus ninja behind him immediately split into several teams and dispersed around the caravan's camp.

"Ah! Who are you?!"

"It's bad! Enemies!"

…

Within the camp, scattered sounds of fighting and screams arose, only to be quickly extinguished.

Clearly, under the night attack of these rogue ninja, the camp's guard ninja were unable to mount any effective resistance and were quickly eliminated.

Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on the scarred middle-aged ninja's face. He led the remaining few rogue ninja and quickly headed towards the center of the camp.

"Aaaah! Who are you people?!"

The tent flap was ripped open, and Yoshida Jin's pig-like, terrified scream rang out.

Behind Yoshida Jin, more than ten scantily clad geisha were huddled together in fear.

"Tch! This world is truly unfair. How can such a stupid, fat pig deserve to have these beauties?"

The scarred middle-aged ninja's ruthless gaze swept across the interior of the tent, and he let out a scoff of disdain.

"Kill him!"

He finished, a flicker of disgust and jealousy flashing across his face, and then waved his hand, giving the order.

Ah~

One of the rogue ninja behind the scarred middle-aged man drew a short sword and, amidst the screams of the geisha, swung it at Yoshida Jin.

Clang!

Yoshida Jin's terrified expression was particularly savage under the firelight. Just as the blade was about to reach his body, a kunai shot out from behind the tent, accurately striking the rogue ninja's sword and deflecting it.

Following this, two figures burst through the tent and appeared beside Yoshida Jin.

"You're Konoha ninja?"

Under the firelight inside the tent, the headbands on the two newcomers were clearly visible. Seeing the leaf symbol on them, the scarred middle-aged ninja's face showed a mixture of shock and anger.

Damn it!

Why were there Konoha ninja here? Ueda and the others didn't report this!