Not to Be Provoked

"A spy from the Land of Fire?"

Rokuro Kaguya swore he had never seen anyone so directly confess their spy identity, especially not a spy from the Land of Fire. Were all the people of the Land of Fire such straightforward idiots?

Moreover, the name "Uzumaki Katsuki" sounded familiar, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't remember where he had heard it before.

But none of that matters. What matters most is that this guy isn't a spy for the Mist Ninja. That's the most important thing.

"That's right, a spy from the Land of Fire, preparing to go to Kirigakure official business." Katsuki slowly sipped the last cup of sake.

"Puff!"

A young woman outside the door couldn't help but laugh out loud, amused by Katsuki's amusing remark.

Rokuro Kaguya chuckled as well. What the hell was this guy doing on official business in Kirigakure? He'd been on patrol for two months, catching three Kirigakure Mist Ninja who tried to infiltrate, but none of them were as interesting as this guy in front of him.

"You're quite interesting, but I'm not sure if what you're saying is true or false. Come with me; someone will come to verify if you're lying." Rokuro Kaguya stood up.

"Okay, but wait until I... finish eating."

Katsuki finished off the last two skewers of chicken liver in a few bites, took a tissue to wipe her mouth clean, and then took a banknote from her pocket and placed it on the table.

... The currency in the Shinobi World is universal, a currency jointly established by the Five Great Nations. It's quite bizarre, to say the least. Katsuki has never understood what this joint currency system is all about. Five Great Nations have the authority to print money, yet the Shinobi World's economy hasn't collapsed... It's truly a miracle!

Rokuro Kaguya wasn't in a hurry. After watching Katsuki get ready, he and his teammates surrounded Katsuki, left the tavern, and headed deeper into the town.

Aren't you afraid?

The girl looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a loose white robe. It's worth noting that all the members of the Kaguya Clan wore the same clothes. If it weren't for the girl's clear voice and flat throat, it would be difficult to tell whether she was male or female. After all, these were all young children, and their physical development hadn't yet shown any significant differences.

"Why should we be afraid?" Katsuki asked with a smile.

"You're a spy from the Land of Fire. Shouldn't you be afraid of falling into our hands? You know, when we capture spies, we usually nail them directly to wooden stakes. Someone like you, one hit, just one hit, and we can nail you to the wall and make you into a specimen." The girl was quite pretty, with a sweet smile, but the content of her words was anything but pleasant, filled with murderous intent. It was no wonder she was a ninja.

This is a crazy world where even a ten-year-old child can skillfully sever heads.

"Young lady, please don't say such scary things. It will make a lot of middle-aged men lose their dreams."

Katsuki shook her head, sighing inwardly. What was going on? Such a cute little girl actually liked to stab people...

"Giggle!" The girl's laughter was as cheerful as silver bells. "I love destroying other people's dreams, especially those lewd and lewd old men."

······

Katsuki was speechless; this little girl was truly extraordinary.

"Okay, Kotomi, stop making noise, we'll be home soon."

In the end, it was Rokuro Kaguya who subdued the little girl named Hitomi Kaguya, and they arrived at the westernmost part of Hachinohe Town, which is the ancestral home of the Kaguya Clan. In other words, this is the Kaguya Clan's stronghold and lair.

The castle-like mansion built on the hill and the Hachinohe Town below are divided into two worlds by the forest.

The Kaguya Clan, who ruled from the hilltop, lived as rulers, while ordinary residents lived below.

As they entered the magnificent mansion, they encountered members of the Kaguya Clan dressed in flowing white robes. Each of them Katsuki with the same look one might give a monkey, watching as they entered a courtyard.

"Guests from the Land of Fire, please have a seat."

The door opened, and an old man knelt on the tatami mat in the room, holding a teacup and gesturing for Katsuki to sit down.

Taking off her shoes, Katsuki stepped across the dark corridor and sat down opposite the old man, while Rokuro Kaguya and the others stood respectfully on either side of the door.

Hello, sir!

Katsuki greeted him with a smile.

"Hehe--! It's not good for an old man with half his body buried in the ground!" the old man laughed.

"·····"

Katsuki choked and rolled her eyes. This old man was too impolite!

"Just kidding, just kidding. This old man hasn't seen guests from the Land of Fire in a long time, especially not the infamous Calamity... It gave me quite a fright!" The old man smiled as he looked at Katsuki.

"Ah!!!"

A gasp of realization echoed down the corridor. Rokuro Kaguya finally remembered where he had heard the name Uzumaki Katsuki before. It was either six or five years ago when he heard it from an elder in his clan. Apparently, it was a newly emerging top powerhouse in Konoha. However, at the time, he didn't think he would have any dealings with such a person, so he didn't think much of it.

"No wonder the clan chief personally received this guy!"

Rokuro Kaguya was amazed, knowing that his exclamation was embarrassing, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity and turned his head to glance at Katsuki kneeling on the tatami out of the corner of his eye.

"Hehe."

Katsuki chuckled dryly; this old man was really difficult to deal with.

"..." The old man looked at Katsuki, his expression suddenly becoming solemn. "What brings you to our Kaguya Clan?"

Now, let's get down to business.

He deliberately revealed his whereabouts, not to chat with an old man about life. The samurai's boasting and banter in the tavern made him realize that the situation in the Land of Water was more complicated than he had imagined. Rather than trying to sneak into Kirigakure on his own, he might be able to get there faster by relying on local forces.

"I'd like to ask you some information."

"Intelligence? Is it about Mist Ninja? Do you really think we would betray Kirigakure? We are all from the Land of Water." The old man sneered.

If this young man hadn't supposedly single-handedly destroyed half of Sunagakure, why would he have personally met with him? It was simply to avoid unnecessary conflict. Right now, the Kaguya Clan Yuki Clan, was locked in a fierce battle with the Mist Ninja. They didn't want to provoke any additional enemies, let alone a monstrous figure like Katsuki.

Even the most isolated Land of Water cannot truly remain oblivious to outside news. They gather intelligence about the continent through spies and a small number of merchants. At most, there might be some delay in receiving the information, but this does not prevent them from understanding the changes on the continent. For example, Konoha's dominant position in the Shinobi World remains unshakable, and the constant emergence of powerful figures forces other countries to submit.

Konoha these days is not to be trifled with!