Chapter 47: Aaaah, Let's Clash Swords
Uzui Tengen is waiting for me?
Ryuji shook his head; well, it seemed the Master had told Uzui Tengen about this matter.
Otherwise, Uzui Tengen wouldn't have sent this woman to welcome him.
Purple eyes, a beauty mark under the left eye—with such distinct features, this was one of Uzui Tengen's three wives.
Hinatsuru.
Born of nobility, she was rational, skilled in espionage, and proficient in combat; she was a rare female ninja.
"Pillar of the Fist, you've arrived quite early. Lord Tengen is already prepared; the meeting place is at a ramen stall..."
Hinatsuru smiled and added, "We won't let you go hungry."
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. He was so well-prepared; no wonder Uzui Tengen was so popular.
Well, Uzui Tengen naturally knew what he wanted to ask, so he would just go through the motions.
Thinking this, Ryuji walked up to Hinatsuru and said softly, "In that case, let's go. After eating, I have many things to ask."
"This way, please."
Hinatsuru narrowed her eyes slightly, nodded gently, and led the way.
Ryuji followed closely behind Hinatsuru, the two of them walking one after the other through the bustling streets.
Before long, they arrived at a ramen stall surrounded by diners who were slurping their noodles incessantly.
Nearby, two beautiful women were helping to collect money and serve noodles.
"This ramen is just too delicious!"
"Yeah, yeah, the ingredients are plentiful and it tastes great..."
"Most importantly, the ramen chef is super handsome! To make ramen so flamboyantly, he's simply the perfect romantic interest!"
Hearing the praise from the surrounding diners, Ryuji's mouth twitched.
He had a bold thought: could this stall actually be run by Uzui Tengen?
Peering through the crowd, he saw a handsome white-haired man wearing a flamboyantly embroidered apron, standing before two very exquisite soup pots.
He used a bamboo strainer to cook the ramen and dish it out, then placed it in ice water.
At the same time, his right hand brandished a huge kitchen knife, slicing crystal-clear sashimi with lightning speed.
The entire cooking process was like a variety show performance.
It caused the watching customers to cry out in surprise, shouting about how flamboyant and wonderful it was.
"He really is versatile..."
Ryuji shook his head; he hadn't expected Uzui Tengen to be able to cook.
"As a ninja, one must know a bit of everything, since sometimes we need to disguise our identities..."
Hinatsuru whispered into Ryuji's ear.
"Right, right. Then I must taste Brother Uzui's handiwork..."
Ryuji said to Hinatsuru, using Paper Arts to deftly squeeze through the crowd and sit down at the counter.
"Boss, the usual."
He tapped the counter, his voice calm.
Uzui Tengen looked up, his rose-red pupils shining intensely amidst the steam and smoke.
He grinned, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Alone?"
"Alone."
Ryuji nodded.
The meaning of these words was: a private meeting, unrelated to official business.
"What do you want to eat, friend?"
"Your specialty ramen, the usual will do."
After Ryuji finished speaking, he waited quietly. Soon, a large bowl of ramen was placed before him.
The broth was clear, and the chashu was thick.
While adding seasonings, Ryuji spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Since the Master told you, I won't beat around the bush..."
"Wait!"
Uzui Tengen's hand making the ramen paused slightly. He frowned and asked, "The Master? What did the Master tell me? You came here without receiving my letter?"
Hearing this, Ryuji was stunned. A letter?
What letter?
He hadn't received Uzui Tengen's letter... His expression tightened. Messages for the Demon Slayer Corps were all delivered by crowss!
That meant someone had intercepted a crows?!
Something was wrong, and it was a big problem!
The interception of a crows meant the Demon Slayer Corps' method of communication had been discovered!
Could someone follow the trail, track the crows, and find the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters?
Or ambush the Hashira?
Thinking of this, Ryuji felt a chill run down his spine.
From receiving the mission, to being attacked, to sending a message to the Master, to being ordered here... in the middle of all this, a communication that should have existed had vanished without a sound.
He took two slurps of noodles and asked in a low, frowning voice, "You... sent a letter? What were the contents? I didn't receive it!"
"You didn't receive the letter?"
Uzui Tengen's voice sank, and his movements stopped. "I encountered an attack on my end. I originally wrote the letter to tell you so you'd be on your guard..."
"Was it a demon?"
Ryuji asked, a startling thought suddenly popping into his mind. Could it be... He saw Uzui Tengen shake his head, his expression looking somewhat dejected. "No, it was a human!"
He paused, then whispered, "And it was the person I least wanted to see again!"
Ryuji put down his chopsticks, understanding dawning on him.
As expected, it was a ninja!
"So, if you didn't receive my letter, why did you come here?"
Uzui Tengen asked. He had shared his own intelligence first to show his sincerity.
"What a coincidence. After I finished off the demons over there, I was attacked..."
Ryuji paused, his eyes cold. "They used techniques from the same source as yours—chains, bombs... all that was missing was poison."
The flamboyant smile on Uzui Tengen's face completely vanished for the first time. After a moment of silence, he squeezed out a sentence through his teeth:
"It's the ninjas..."
Ryuji nodded and quickly finished the ramen. "So after I recognized them, I reported to the Master and suggested coming to see you first."
Uzui Tengen silently cooked the ramen. A moment later, he looked at Ryuji:
"Ryuji, I hope you'll let me handle this problem myself. Please!"
His tone was extremely serious, completely different from his usual flamboyant and frivolous vibe.
It was a silent, venomous feeling.
The flamboyant Sound Hashira temporarily exited the stage, and the dark ninja returned!
Ryuji remained silent.
Reasonably speaking, this matter should be left to Uzui Tengen to handle himself, since he came from the same school as those ninjas.
Furthermore, it was possible that the leader of those ninjas was Uzui Tengen's father.
However... Uzui Tengen hadn't used ninja techniques for a long time and was more accustomed to frontal combat... those sewer rats wouldn't just clash swords with you, aaaah.
They would only use poison, bombs, and hidden weapons to ambush from the shadows!
"Please, Ryuji. Although my request is unreasonable, please help me out and let me handle this alone..."
There was a plea in Uzui Tengen's eyes, yet they were extremely firm.
Ryuji silently ate a few more mouthfuls of noodles.
In the swirling steam, he could see the unshakable determination in the other man's eyes, as well as a deeply hidden heaviness beneath that determination.
After all, it was Uzui Tengen's father and brother.
"At most, I'll just watch, but I must be present."
Ryuji finally spoke, his tone equally beyond question. "You know better than I do what they are good at."
"Poison, traps, ambushes, assassinations... I don't think 'flamboyant solo combat' is suitable for this kind of occasion."
He paused, looking up at Tengen with sharp eyes. "Besides, that guy blasted a face full of dust onto me. I have to see this grudge settled personally."
Uzui Tengen was stunned for a moment, and then that familiar, slightly wild smile returned to his face.
He understood that Ryuji was worried about him.
After all, he hadn't used ninja skills for a long time; things like poison and assassination were indeed a bit rusty.
What's more, back then only his father and younger brother were still alive in their family, yet now they actually had the capability to attack people in two different locations... it was clear their scale was massive!
He might not be able to handle it all alone... and he still had to slay demons; he couldn't delay for too long.
"Fine. You can take action against other ninjas, but if you encounter ninjas from the Uzui family..."
"I understand."
Ryuji answered softly, then took another slurp of noodles. "By the way, your cooking isn't bad..."
"Naturally, these are the ramen skills I learned flamboyantly!"
BOOk RECOMMENDATIONs:
Naruto: One Click Max Level Ninjitsu, Tsunade Is Broken
Douluo: I'm From Demon Slayer
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