"Who's the target this time?"
After finishing off their latest mission and looting the bodies, the two felt their spirits lifted.
Itachi, unusually curious, asked about the mission target.
"Someone named Kamiryo Ibeshige, an unknown swordsman. He crossed a powerful tycoon, so there's quite a hefty bounty on his head."
Shocked that Itachi showed interest, Jūzō briefly shared the intel.
"How much is the bounty? And how long has it been since it was posted?"
After listening, Itachi asked another question.
"Fifteen million yen. It's been up for a month already," Jūzō replied.
Itachi fell silent.
"Half of Asuma…" he muttered softly after a while.
"What?"
Jūzō, who had been walking ahead, didn't catch Itachi's mumbling. He stopped, turning back with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing. Typically, bounty targets either hide in remote areas or keep their movements discreet. If this guy is still out in the open, he's either foolish or quite capable," Itachi remarked casually.
"Well, he must have some skills. Otherwise, he wouldn't be worth this much. But his luck ran out—our intelligence team tracked him down. His movements were hidden well; the average person wouldn't have spotted him," Jūzō chuckled, explaining as they walked.
---
After several days of travel, they arrived near their destination.
"According to the intel, Kamiryo Ibeshige was spotted in this small village. Should we wait here for him to show up, or gather more information?" Jūzō asked.
"Let's wait," Itachi replied absentmindedly.
The desolation of the village unsettled him. The fact that even a place like this was under Akatsuki's surveillance gave him a clearer understanding of their intelligence network's reach.
They found a courtyard and negotiated to stay there for a few days.
Out of all the houses, this one seemed slightly larger…
The homeowner, a local man, hesitated when he saw they weren't from the area. However, the moment Jūzō handed him a pile of silver coins, the man's expression changed to a beaming smile as he hurriedly prepared rooms for them.
Jūzō had paid too generously to refuse.
---
"This place doesn't even have an inn—it's a complete dump. How long are we supposed to wait here?" Jūzō grumbled as they sat in their room.
"You were the one who came up with the options," Itachi replied dryly, sounding slightly annoyed.
His response was a mere retort. After all, in a rundown village like this, new arrivals asking questions would immediately raise suspicion. If the target had eyes here, their presence would be exposed instantly.
"Well, I didn't expect this village to lack basic accommodations…" Jūzō muttered in frustration.
---
"We shouldn't consume anything here. Let's take turns using our sensory abilities. We might catch someone tailing us soon," Itachi said quietly, watching Jūzō pour himself tea from the table's teapot.
Jūzō paused mid-pour, thinking for a moment before setting the teacup down. Itachi's words had caught his attention.
"What do you mean?" Jūzō asked, puzzled.
"If the target has spies here, they would've noticed us the moment we entered the village. Next, the spy will likely report back. That's why we wait—they'll reveal themselves," Itachi explained calmly, using a kunai to clean under his nails as he spoke.
"That's… unlikely," Jūzō replied, scratching his head in confusion.
"Think about it. The target isn't especially strong, but the bounty is decent. Do you think they could've survived this long without some kind of backup?" Itachi continued, half guessing, half deducing.
"I feel like you're pulling this out of nowhere, but I can't prove it…" Jūzō muttered, unconvinced.
"A place like this barely sees any strangers in a year. Now two outsiders show up and plan to stay? What do you think that means?" Itachi shot back.
---
Jūzō nodded hesitantly. Itachi's reasoning made sense, but something still felt off to him.
"What if they're using carrier pigeons? We wouldn't be able to detect that," Jūzō said, trying to poke holes in Itachi's theory.
Jūzō softly spoke, timidly voicing his doubts.
"If you focus your perception a bit more, you can still sense it. After all, this is just a small village; it's rare for anyone to use something like that."
Itachi replied absentmindedly to Jūzō.
His perception had already spread across the not-so-large village.
At the same time, he was searching for the Akatsuki informant.
Compared to the current target, he was more intrigued by this informant.
Jūzō, utterly confused, felt Itachi's thinking was too meticulous. For the first time, he felt his brain wasn't keeping up...
...
"Let's go. The target has appeared."
In less than half an hour, a suspicious figure began moving toward the mountain.
Itachi softly called out to the still-dazed Jūzō.
"Huh? They've shown up?"
Snapped out of his reverie by Itachi's voice, Jūzō was momentarily stunned, his tone filled with disbelief.
"Yes, they've appeared. And soon enough, the mission target will surface as well," Itachi said softly.
Calmly, he made it sound like a certainty.
In truth, he was only about 60% sure, but rounding up gave him full confidence.
After all, 60% rounds up to 100%, right?
...
The two quietly opened the door and swiftly left their spot.
While Itachi and Jūzō were pursuing the suspicious villager, the burly man in the neighboring room glanced into the distance with a complicated expression.
This man was the same one who had earlier seemed greedy for money.
Now, his eyes gleamed sharply as he retrieved a long wooden box from beneath the bed and strapped it to his back.
He then picked up a travel bag from the table, shouldered it, and quietly opened the door, preparing to leave.
However, just as he opened the door, he froze momentarily.
Outside the small courtyard gate stood two figures.
Their silhouettes were bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, casting long, elongated shadows.
...
"Where are you planning to go, Jingbei Shangrō?"
Itachi's calm voice addressed the man before him.
The burly man froze briefly, then chuckled lightly.
"My dear guests, are you hungry? I was just about to dig up some local specialties to treat you."
Despite Itachi's words, the man remained calm, his tone unwavering, without the slightest hesitation.
"Digging up local specialties requires carrying a sword case?"
Itachi asked flatly, his face expressionless beneath the brim of his hat.
"This? Oh, it's just a toolbox," the man explained lightly, his tone steady and composed.
"I had intended to give you an honorable death, but as a swordsman, the fact that you lack even the courage to draw your blade is truly disappointing," Itachi remarked coldly, retrieving several shuriken from his ninja pouch.
"As a ninja, you shouldn't attack a civilian without reason. Otherwise, your village won't escape the consequences. Aren't you afraid of sparking conflict between nations?"
Seeing the shuriken in Itachi's hand, the man's voice grew louder, resonating like a bell.
"Ha! I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. You see, I'm a rogue ninja..."
Hearing Jingbei Shangrō's words, Itachi let out a soft chuckle. The shuriken sliced through the air.
Four shuriken flew toward Jingbei Shangrō's vital points.
"A rogue ninja... huh, just a stray dog abandoned by the village..."
At the edge of the well, Jingbei Shangrō swiftly removed the sword case from his back, easily deflecting four shuriken.
With a slap, the sword case opened.
A long sword was revealed under the gaze of three individuals.
The reflected light from the blade glinted in Itachi's eyes.
Without hesitation, Jingbei Shangrō slammed his hand onto the sword case, charging straight at Itachi.
The sword followed closely, flying into Jingbei Shangrō's hand...
---
Jūzō stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold as if it were a show.
Jingbei Shangrō, now gripping the sword, showed a drastic change in demeanor. His expression sharpened, his eyes gleamed intensely, and his killing intent surged, making him seem like a completely different person.
Itachi, observing the incoming strike of the long sword, remained utterly unfazed.
With a kunai in hand, he casually parried the attack.
The two figures brushed past each other.
"Not bad. Looks like you're not a stray dog after all—just someone's obedient lapdog," Jingbei Shangrō sneered, his tone laced with mockery.
---
"If your swordsmanship was as sharp as your tongue, you wouldn't have to keep running."
Itachi stared at him blankly, his tone calm and indifferent.
"How did you figure out my identity?"
Standing opposite Itachi, Jingbei Shangrō's face showed a trace of confusion.
His disguise was flawless—how could he have been discovered?
As long as his misdirection worked, he could easily shake off these outsiders.
This trick was precisely why he could live openly in this village without being caught.
While speaking, Jingbei Shangrō removed the human-skin mask from his face, revealing a youthful, clean-cut appearance.
He looked no older than twenty.
---
Itachi quietly observed Jingbei Shangrō's actions without speaking. Instead, he retrieved a sealing scroll and took out an ANBU-issued longsword from within.
He gave it a light swing.
"Your misdirection is trash—good enough to fool ordinary people, maybe, but don't embarrass yourself trying it on someone like me."
Itachi's words carried a hint of mockery.
"Impossible! That's absolutely impossible! Did that mongrel sell me out?!"
Hearing Itachi belittle his methods, Jingbei Shangrō became agitated, his composure cracking.
"It's a classic blind-spot trick, paired with some minor setups. It's already a small miracle you weren't caught immediately. Who else do you think you're fooling?"
Itachi, entertained by Jingbei Shangrō's loss of composure, showed a trace of interest.
Earlier, Jingbei Shangrō had been throwing insults, attempting to provoke Itachi into making a mistake, giving him an opening to strike.
Now that Jingbei Shangrō was losing his cool, Itachi found the situation amusing.
---
"I don't believe it! My setup is flawless!"
Jingbei Shangrō protested indignantly.
"Your imagination for opponents is too narrow. If you ran into someone ruthless, they'd just massacre the whole village, and your little tricks would vanish in an instant."
"Even without that, your methods aren't particularly clever."
"This courtyard you've arranged is pretty decent. If a stranger came to the village, you'd have your pre-planted villagers acting suspiciously as they left the village. By the time your enemy reacts, they're already in your trap, and you can decide whether they live or die at your whim. Too bad you're still far too naive."
Itachi nonchalantly summarized Jingbei Shangrō's carefully crafted setup, speaking as if he were the one who had devised it.
---
Hearing Itachi unravel his plan so thoroughly, Jingbei Shangrō's expression grew increasingly dark.
"How... How did you figure it out? I don't believe you saw through my setup so easily."
Jingbei Shangrō muttered in disbelief, his face a mix of shock and despair.
"Impossible..."
As Jingbei Shangrō, distracted and mentally shaken, began to falter, Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Jingbei Shangrō and effortlessly severed his bloodied head.
"Naive fool."
Itachi stared at the headless corpse, then wiped the blood from his sword onto its clothing. Afterward, he sheathed the blade and secured it at his waist.
Compared to the intricate and unpredictable tools of his past, he found the simplicity of a longsword much more satisfying.
---
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