The tension in the air was finally broken when several villagers, emboldened by the safety of numbers, began speaking their minds.
"That's right! They deserved it! Why should his son be allowed to become a Ninja after everything they've done to us?" one man shouted.
"Exactly! Kick them out!" another villager chimed in, his voice rising above the murmurs.
"Kick them out!" The chant spread through the gathered crowd like wildfire.
The client, clearly feeling vindicated by the outcome, puffed out his chest and announced proudly, "See? Wasn't it the right decision to call for Konoha's Ninja? All those rogue Ninja who oppressed us are dead now."
A few villagers echoed his sentiment enthusiastically.
"Yes! Konoha's Ninja are amazing!"
"In the future, if trouble comes again, we'll call on Konoha's Ninja without hesitation!"
Hearing this, Sarutobi Muraki's grim, battle-hardened expression softened—just a little. The words didn't erase the hardships of the mission, but it was still gratifying to hear gratitude instead of the usual suspicion toward Ninja.
"That being said," Muraki spoke firmly, "there are many dangerous items in the Ninja's base. We need to inspect them for traps or harmful seals before anyone touches them."
The mood shifted immediately. The villagers exchanged glances, their earlier enthusiasm faltering. One man stepped forward, shaking his head. "We're happy for your help, and we appreciate it, but… we also paid you for this job. We only needed you to kill them. As for their possessions—those were stolen from our village. They belong to us. How could we allow you to take them?"
Muraki's face darkened. "That place is dangerous. You're not Ninja. Your lives could be in serious danger if you go rummaging around in there."
The Village Head gave a polite but dismissive smile. "Oh, then you don't need to trouble yourselves further." Without another word, he signaled to several strong men. "Let's go."
With that, he led a group toward the enemy base, their eyes gleaming with the thought of reclaiming valuables.
---
While the Konoha team rested in the open courtyard, Yamamoto Kawa happened to notice a few villagers lingering nearby, clearly keeping watch over them. His temper flared. "Teacher, they're going too far!" he growled, clenching his fists.
Muraki let out a low, humorless chuckle. "Watch me," he said simply.
With a subtle hand sign, he created a perfect Clone to remain with the group. Then, using stealth only a seasoned Ninja could manage, he slipped away unnoticed.
It wasn't long before a series of sharp explosions echoed from the direction of the rogue Ninja's base. Dust and smoke rose against the distant sky.
Moments later, a group of villagers hurried back, their expressions sheepish and apologetic. They bowed and gestured toward the base. "Please, you can go in now," one of them mumbled.
Yuhi covered her mouth with her hand to hide her grin. Her eyes flicked from the faint bloodstains on the ground to the villagers' embarrassed faces. The sight was almost too funny to bear.
They deserve it, she thought. Who gave them the courage to try stealing from Ninja? Is it just because they live so far from the main villages? If they were in an area where big battles happened regularly, they'd never dare pull something like that.
---
Once Muraki had led the team through the remaining traps—carefully dismantling seals, hidden wires, and trigger mechanisms—he issued a quick order.
"Use Shadow Clones to search the place. It's safer, and when the clones dispel, they won't be able to hide anything they've found."
"Shadow Clone Technique!" Yuhi called, forming seals. Her clone darted into a nearby hallway while the others split up to cover different rooms.
---
Yuhi slid open the door to a storage room. Inside, stacks of scrolls lined the shelves. She couldn't help but smile.
"Found it," she murmured to herself.
Picking up one of the scrolls, she infused it with Divine Ink Chakra, letting the special technique rapidly scan its contents. The knowledge poured into her mind like ink spreading across a page.
"Oh, there are some good things here," she said with a pleased grin. "Ninjutsu I've never even seen before. These rogues still had some family fortune left after all."
She picked up another bundle and flipped through it. "Hmm? Methods for using weapons—paired with Chakra compatibility training? That's useful." Her eyes moved to the racks along the wall. "And quite a few unusual weapons, even some oddly shaped ones. I'll jot these down for later research."
Her enthusiasm waned slightly as she assessed the rest of the stash. "Sigh… rogue Ninja are still rogue Ninja. Pitifully poor. Not much loot left overall."
---
As she reached for another scroll, her eyes caught something odd.
"Huh? What's this?"
The final few books in the pile looked like simple manuals—novel-like introductions to different Ninjutsu styles. But when Yuhi infused one with Divine Ink Chakra, she froze.
"Oh…?" A slow smile crept onto her lips.
She turned the scroll over in her hands, caressing the surface thoughtfully. As she unrolled it, her finger stopped midway. Her snow-pale fingertip pressed against the parchment, and with a light swipe, she sliced through the top layer without damaging the back.
Beneath the thin outer sheet was another layer of paper.
Yuhi carefully teased it out and examined it. "Ah… if it weren't for Divine Ink's sensitivity, I would've missed this completely. Looks like there are other hidden layers here."
She quickly drew a small Sealing Technique circle on the floor with her Chakra, then placed both the scroll and the hidden paper inside. The barrier shimmered faintly before the items vanished into storage. With a wave of her hand, she altered the seal's color to blend with the surroundings, then gathered the remaining scrolls and left the room.
---
Meanwhile, Muraki had found something himself—clues that might be linked to Orochimaru. His expression grew grim as he began drafting a coded message for Konoha.
Yamamoto Kawa and Akido Jiro noticed the scrolls Yuhi carried and looked at her with wide, eager eyes before glancing toward their teacher.
Muraki gave a small smile. "These are our spoils of war. You may look at them, but make sure to return them afterward. I'll need to deliver them to the village."
"Yay!" the three younger Ninja cheered in unison.
They immediately sat down to read. Yuhi pretended to skim through hers while the boys became absorbed in the text—especially Yamamoto Kawa. For someone from a civilian background, finding new Ninjutsu was a rare and precious opportunity, and he devoured every detail.
After checking each room one last time, Muraki confirmed that nothing had been overlooked. He even took a moment to study a scroll himself before distributing extra Ninja tools among the group.
Yamamoto Kawa accepted his share with visible delight. As a commoner, he had always been strapped for cash—his kunai had been repaired so many times he could barely justify replacing them. Now, for once, he could afford to be extravagant.
---
"Yuhi, your contribution was significant," Muraki said at last. "You choose first."
Yuhi blinked in mock surprise. "Eh? Really?"
"Yes," Muraki confirmed with a nod. Akido Jiro and Yamamoto Kawa reluctantly nodded as well—though Kawa's agreement was clearly through gritted teeth.
Yuhi selected a few swords and some of the more unusual weapons, leaving the rest for the others to divide.
For supplies like herbs, medical kits, and preserved food, Muraki left a portion for the villagers but kept the rare or valuable items for the team. Several scrolls and extra rations were hidden in the basement for future use.
With their haul secured, the group departed from the ruined base under the setting sun.
---
That night, long after the team had left, a small serpent slithered into the looted room. Its tongue flickered as it sniffed the air, moving unerringly toward Yuhi's hidden seal. In seconds, the snake broke the seal, swallowed the concealed scroll and paper, and vanished into the darkness.
---
Elsewhere, Yuhi sat in her quarters, checking for prying eyes. When she was certain she was alone, she bit her thumb and pressed it to the floor.
"Summoning Technique."
A puff of smoke cleared to reveal the same small snake. It unhinged its jaw and spat out the stolen scroll.
"Thanks," Yuhi said casually. "Goodbye."
The snake disappeared in another puff of smoke.
---
Yuhi unrolled the scroll and retrieved four slim sheets of paper. Each bore a finely crafted Sealing Technique, the designs so intricate they shimmered faintly with Chakra. Something was hidden inside—something the seal kept bound.
"Let's see…" Yuhi murmured. To avoid nasty surprises, she let her Divine Ink Chakra seep into the seals, probing their contents without breaking them.
Her brow furrowed. "Huh? Scrolls… sealed inside the talismans? And inside those scrolls…"
Her eyes widened. She nearly dropped the paper. "Money. This much money?!" Her breath came quick. "Oh my—this is the first time in my life I've seen this amount! Hundreds of millions… maybe more?"
Her hands trembled as she scanned the next one. Inside, she sensed a staggering number of weapons and rare equipment. Her cheeks flushed with excitement.
The third paper revealed stores of medicinal herbs—and barrels of fine alcohol.
The fourth? A treasure trove of Ninjutsu scrolls.
"This is… this is amazing!" Yuhi whispered. She hurriedly packed the items away, forcing herself to calm down. Lying back on her bed, she stared at the ceiling.
Sleep, however, was impossible. Her mind raced with possibilities, her heart pounding with excitement.
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