Chapter 14: Rogue Ninjas
Next, Aosui examined Ide Hiroya's injuries and found that they weren't serious, only requiring a slow recovery.
After all, he had already been treated before, so there was no need to spend more time on it.
It was just that Ide Juhachiro loved his son very much, so he requested to bring a medical ninja along in case of any accidents.
Soon, everything was ready, and the caravan officially departed from Konoha, heading towards the Land of Rain.
Two days later, the caravan entered the territory of the Land of Rain.
The weather also underwent a significant change.
The previously clear sky was covered by dense dark clouds, and heavy rain fell as if it would never stop.
This kind of weather made Sasaki Ayame, who was visiting the Land of Rain for the first time, feel very confused.
Having grown up in Konoha, she found it hard to understand the environment and weather of the Land of Rain.
"Does it rain non-stop in the Land of Rain?"
"It doesn't rain non-stop, but it rarely stops. Even when the rain stops, it's mostly cloudy, and you rarely see the sun."
Facing her question, Ide Juhachiro, a native of the Land of Rain, provided the answer.
In fact, Aosui also found this difficult to comprehend.
Such strange weather truly exceeded his understanding; it wasn't scientific at all.
Ultimately, he could only attribute it to the peculiarities of the ninja world.
"Something's wrong, there are a large number of ninjas ahead!"
As Mikoto, the captain, finished speaking, the caravan immediately stopped, and Aosui and the others all stood ready for battle.
"Uncle Ide, quickly get into the carriage. Don't come out later, no matter what."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
Ide Juhachiro also knew that staying outside would cause trouble, so he quickly hid in the carriage.
Soon, the group of ninjas surrounded the caravan. Aosui scanned them and found that there were twenty individuals.
Their own side only had five people, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
If a battle broke out, they would need to fight four against one.
Unless there was an overwhelming difference in strength, it was difficult for ninjas to ignore numerical disparities in combat.
"We are Konoha ninjas, here to carry out a mission in the Land of Rain. Who are you?"
Without acting rashly, Mikoto first declared their identity.
Konoha, after all, was the head of the Five Great Ninja Villages, possessing immense prestige in the ninja world. Few ninjas would dare to disrespect a Konoha ninja.
Sure enough, upon hearing Mikoto's words, a noticeable ripple of panic spread through the opposing group.
Among the three leaders, the female ninja looked at the person in the middle.
"Seiji, they are Konoha ninjas. Maybe we should retreat."
"But we don't have enough food. If we miss this opportunity, everyone will go hungry for the next few days."
The male ninja on the other side retorted.
Of course, despite his words, a hint of hesitation was also visible on his face.
Even though they were numerous, they were actually just a group of rogue ninjas huddling together for warmth.
They had come here because the Land of Rain had been in a state of chaos ever since the end of the Second Great Ninja War.
However, they hadn't expected the environment here to be so harsh, making it difficult to acquire food normally, forcing them to resort to stealing.
Moreover, with their large numbers, their demand for food was naturally high.
Only by robbing caravans like this could they sustain themselves.
This time, they were truly unlucky; their chosen target was being escorted by Konoha ninjas.
After the two finished speaking, everyone looked at Seiji.
He was the strongest among them, and naturally, he was also the leader.
Under everyone's gaze, Seiji stepped forward, looked at Mikoto, and slowly said,
"We have no intention of becoming enemies with Konoha ninjas. As long as you are willing to step aside, you can leave here safely."
As the leader, he had to be responsible for his companions and subordinates who followed him.
And as a rogue ninja, it was best not to provoke Konoha.
Of course, if a battle was truly unavoidable, he would not be afraid.
He didn't believe that his group wouldn't be a match for the five opposing ninjas.
Even if they were Konoha ninjas.
After all, he used to be a ninja from Kirigakure, and also a Jonin.
The two who spoke earlier were rogue ninjas from Kirigakure, just like him. Although slightly weaker than him, they were also Jonin.
The remaining people were all from smaller ninja villages, and most of them possessed strength comparable to Chunin.
Such a rogue ninja team was a force to be reckoned with, no matter where they were.
Naturally, Mikoto could not agree to his demand.
Although the mission they accepted was only a C-rank mission, encountering ninjas usually meant at least a B-rank mission.
However, this was not because the employer had hidden anything; it was purely an accidental encounter.
There was no way they could just abandon the mission.
Ninjas didn't engage in production; they earned money by completing missions. If they abandoned their employer every time they encountered danger, who would dare to entrust missions to Konoha in the future?
"You're delusional!"
Before her words even finished, Mikoto had already activated her Sharingan.
Looking at her eyes, Seiji's expression changed drastically, and he quickly averted his gaze.
"Sharingan! You're an Uchiha! Everyone, don't look into her eyes, you'll fall under genjutsu!"
As a ninja from Kirigakure, he naturally knew about the Sharingan.
Hearing his words, everyone quickly avoided her gaze.
While shouting, Seiji was the first to activate a ninjutsu.
The continuously rainy environment instantly filled with dense fog, obscuring everyone's vision.
Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!
Although it was only a D-rank ninjutsu, it was a technique used by Kirigakure to counter the Sharingan.
As long as vision was obstructed, the effectiveness of the Sharingan would be greatly reduced.
As for the mist ninjas themselves, they had been trained in how to fight in such an environment and would not be affected.
Of course, Seiji had also given similar training to his companions from the smaller ninja villages.
Therefore, they could also fight in such an environment.
"How come I suddenly can't see anything?"
Mukai Yuuki's voice was panicked; he didn't know what to do.
But Mikoto's voice sounded in time, calming him down.
"This is an enemy ninjutsu. Form a swastika-shaped formation and don't make any rash moves."
While giving instructions, Mikoto quickly formed hand signs and used the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Bang!
Immediately, three more Mikotos appeared, guarding against enemy attacks from four directions.
Minato and the other two immediately acted according to Mikoto's instructions.
Aosui, on the other hand, immediately formed hand signs and used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
This was a C-rank ninjutsu he had obtained from the golden orb, allowing him to exhale a powerful gust of wind, its strength depending on the amount of chakra used.
To ensure that the dense fog could be dispersed, Aosui did not hold back on his chakra.
Bang!
In an instant, a fierce wind howled, directly dispersing the dense fog that Mikoto found troublesome, and vision was restored.
"How is this possible!"
Seiji, who had already rushed near Mikoto's main body, his face changed drastically.
His ninjutsu was actually broken so quickly!
And seeing Mikoto's surprised expression, he knew that it wasn't her doing.
This gave Seiji a bad premonition.
He had originally thought that besides Mikoto, the Jonin leading the team, the remaining Konoha ninjas should all be Genin, nothing to worry about.
Now it seemed his judgment was clearly wrong.
After all, a Genin would not have the ability to disperse the Hiding in Mist Technique cast by a Jonin like him.
However, with the arrow already nocked, he had no choice but to fire. As long as he could quickly take care of this Uchiha woman in front of him, the others shouldn't be able to cause any trouble.