My Techniques are a bit off

The Next Day, the Venue for Gold Price Negotiations

Unlike their last mission in the Land of Rivers, where bodyguards had to wait outside, this time, all guards were assigned to different rooms within the venue.

"His actual body was the one on his back—I didn't realize until..."

Iris recounted his embarrassing defeat, his tone dejected.

The puppet user, clearly a Sunagakure shinobi, carried a puppet on his back. Naturally, Iris assumed that targeting the main body was the right approach. With his enhanced strength and speed after training, he confidently engaged, even using two illusionary clones as decoys to confuse the enemy.

The opponent appeared to move sluggishly, so Iris thought he had the advantage. But as he struck, the "main body" split open, revealing a puppet that grabbed and subdued him.

He was promptly knocked unconscious.

Iris's choice to attack wasn't wrong; targeting the puppet user's body was logical. However, his attack was overly direct, lacking variety, and he hadn't gathered enough information about his opponent.

[Still too rash, despite some improvement...]

Link silently analyzed Iris's flaws. In summary, Iris's impulsive nature persisted, and his approach in combat remained somewhat careless.

Frankly, if Link had been in Iris's place against Kankurō, the outcome might not have been much better. Iris lacked decisive techniques and was unremarkable across the board.

His taijutsu was average, with no standout skills. He relied on physical strength but lacked expertise in ninjutsu or genjutsu. In short, he was a blank slate—a "starter edition ninja."

[Kind of like... a younger Mizuki.]

Ami, by contrast, had one advantage: her ambition to become a medical ninja had honed her chakra control. This allowed her to react and execute techniques faster in close combat. Against Temari (who hadn't yet opened her fan), she managed to hold her ground briefly.

"I'm sorry, boss," Iris mumbled, clearly ashamed.

[As expected, a true background character with little potential.]

Link wasn't surprised. He accepted the reality calmly and replied, "It's fine."

"But—" Iris began, only to be interrupted.

"I said it's fine." Link locked eyes with him. "You didn't disappoint me."

Disappointment only arises from hope. Without hope, there's no room for disappointment.

That was why he always regarded Iris and Ami as expendable shields.

Iris fell silent, crestfallen. Ami, standing nearby, remained quiet. Both were too caught up in guilt to notice that Link's words carried no frustration or disappointment—only indifference.

Deep down, they wondered:

Had they lived up to the effort their leader invested in them? Could they keep pace with him? Or...

Would he leave them far behind?

"Good morning!"

Temari's sudden arrival broke the tense silence. "How are you three?"

Since Sunagakure and Konohagakure were both tasked with guarding the same merchant, they were stationed in the same spacious room, though they kept to opposite corners.

Link returned her greeting with a cold stare. In his eyes, Temari was an enemy now and would remain one during the upcoming Konoha Crush plan.

Enemies were best dealt with permanently.

"So handsome, yet always so aloof," Temari remarked with a sly smile. "Keep that up, and you'll scare off all the girls in the future."

As she spoke, Gaara stood in the distance, glaring murderously at Link, his face twisted in anger. Beside him, Kankurō nursed a bruised cheek—the aftermath of being kicked aside by Nara Ensui.

The room's atmosphere was tense, given the recent skirmish. No one was eager to escalate things further.

…

Later That Morning, After the Meeting

The two groups followed the merchant's entourage back to the Inn.

During the debrief, Nara Ensui addressed his team bluntly: "The merchant might indeed have ulterior motives."

"This morning, he was the first to suggest selling the gold mine to Sunagakure. He even offered a price lower than what he initially paid."

His expression was grim. Ninja rarely interfered with their employers' decisions. After all, wealthy merchants and nobles were vital sources of missions, often tied to intricate networks of relationships and influence. Offending one could jeopardize future work.

A merchant capable of commissioning an A-rank mission was already entrenched in the upper echelons of power. Such missions often involved matters affecting entire nations or villages.

Abandoning an A-rank mission wasn't an option. For ninja, tools of their clients, to reject an employer was inconceivable.

"Stay vigilant," Ensui cautioned, his tone heavy. Then, he returned to his duties.

…

Three Days Earlier, the Merchant's Inn in the Land of Fire

"Huh? Wasn't this Inn here yesterday?"

A drunken gambler staggered to the entrance. Noticing the emptiness inside, he boldly walked in.

"Anyone here?" he called out, his voice echoing in the eerie silence.

As he wandered deeper into the Inn, his unease grew. Still, fatigue and drunkenness dulled his senses. He only wanted to find someone, book a room, and sleep before returning to the casino that night.

"Anyone?" Reaching the second floor, he paused, suddenly alert to a strange smell.

"Blood...?"

His foggy mind cleared instantly. Bloodshed in the Land of Fire's territory was a dangerous provocation.

Following the scent with growing dread, he reached a half-open door. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open.

Inside, bodies lay sprawled across the floor—some dressed as samurai, others in plain clothes. At least a dozen corpses littered the room, the scene devoid of signs of struggle.

In the center sat the wealthy merchant, adorned in a lavish kimono. His head lolled to one side, lifeless.

The gambler swallowed hard.

"Gulp."

~~~

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