This Village Has Quite a Few Traitors

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Tenten said hesitantly.

"What's wrong with that!" Naruto immediately retorted. "Obviously, completing the mission safely is the most important thing. Even though we are ninjas, we can't let the client do whatever they want."

"Money can be earned again, but life is only once. It's clearly not worth risking your companion's life to gamble with this ambiguous brother-obsessed person!"

Neji fell silent, staring out the window for a long time.

Tenten fell silent, counting on her fingers for a long time, struggling with her decision.

"Tie him up!" Neji gritted teeth!

"Yes! We have to tie them up!" Tenten said resolutely. "Our opponent this time might be one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. We can't take the risk."

"I'll tie up that Rokosuke. Anyway, I'm not from Team 3. You guys can't bring yourselves to do things, but I can," Naruto said with a smile.

"I will offer him a condition that he cannot refuse, and there will be no complaints."

Almost instinctively, Tenten shuddered, sensing that this mission wouldn't go smoothly. Especially with Naruto's arrival, it seemed even more dangerous.

An hour and a half later.

The entire Team 3, along with three villagers and a blond-haired temporary worker, embarked on a journey to the Land of Rivers. The mission came so suddenly that there was no time to do anything.

Nine-Tails was left at home to guard the house, and there was enough food in the refrigerator, so he wasn't worried that Nine-Tails would be stupid enough to starve to death. Even if Kurama went out to forage for food, it could still get a full meal.

The Land of Land of Rivers is rainy, but due to its altitude and terrain, the Land of Rivers are mainly concentrated in the summer and early autumn, which is different from the Land of Fire rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.

As autumn rains bring chills, the group encountered a downpour while crossing the border of the Land of Fire, forcing them to take shelter in an abandoned cave.

The three villagers who were leading the way felt uneasy, but every time they looked up, nothing happened.

The closer they got to the Land of Rivers, the more pronounced this feeling of unease became.

Tenten was a little nervous; it was the first time in her life she would be taking action against a client, although her purpose was for the sake of the mission. Their successful completion of the mission was also a good thing for the three villagers.

But...

In contrast, Naruto was much calmer.

He observed that Rokosuke had been unusually silent throughout the journey, barely speaking, with a serious expression on his face, and he had no idea what he was thinking.

Generally speaking, the ones who cause trouble are often those who have little ability but a lot of ideas.

Five days later.

"We're almost there!" said the burly villager with a thick beard, pointing to the towering mountains hidden in the forest. "That's it! That's the Clover Gold Mine Mountain!"

The barren mountains tower into the clouds, resembling a huge, irregular stone tablet, but inside lies a glittering gold mine.

As the three villagers all looked up at their hometown's mine in one direction, Naruto was so jealous he gritted his teeth. He suddenly understood why Raiga Kurosuki had enslaved the village.

"I remember now!" Rock Lee suddenly perked up and pointed in another direction, saying, "Granny Sansho's curry shop is just ahead!"

Curry, huh? Now that you mention it, Naruto's getting hungry.

He turned around and saw that everyone except Rokosuke was looking at Rock Lee. Even the two villagers, no longer feeling intimidated by their new surroundings, started to rumble in their stomachs.

Their eyes spoke volumes: things have come to this, let's eat first!

Rokosuke took in the expressions of the two villagers, his face darkening further. Without a word, he walked to the roadside and squatted down to rest.

Naruto's eyes had never left Rokosuke. When he heard Rock Lee mention a familiar curry shop ahead, he instinctively sensed that his chance to make a move had arrived.

He turned to look at Tenten and Neji, and the three of them exchanged glances in tacit understanding, instantly reaching a consensus.

If we don't control these traitors who are causing trouble, what's the point of the mission? They might as well just wash their necks and die. Nip the threat in the bud; that's what a normal person would do.

Granny Sansho's curry shop is a bit old, a two-story brick house with a simple style. There is no sign hanging at the entrance, and an old woman is sweeping and cleaning in front of the shop with a broom and a basin of water.

"Granny Sansho!" Rock Lee, unaware of the three's plan, excitedly ran towards the old woman, lifted her up, and spun her around several times.

"Here! Here! This is Granny Sansho!" Rock Lee enthusiastically introduced Granny Sansho to his companions and strongly recommended the shop's signature spicy curry.

"Neji! Tenten, Naruto! It's delicious!"

"Try it if you don't believe me!"

"Granny Sansho's curry is the best curry in the world!"

The three sat in the lobby. Neji, unable to resist Rock Lee's enthusiasm, ordered a signature curry. Tenten was still hesitating when Naruto suddenly raised his hand and spoke up.

"Please give me a regular curry!"

Rock Lee burst into tears instantly. "Naruto, you don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe it, it's just that I don't really like strong flavors." Naruto stroked his chin and pointed to three villagers at another table. "Let's give each of them a signature dish; I think they might need it more."

A dozen minutes later, apart from Tenten, Naruto, and Rock Lee, everyone else unsurprisingly felt their throats burning from the spiciness.

Rock Lee, the "Ant Iron Man," didn't care at all whether it was spicy or not, and took a big, enjoyable bite.

Halfway through the meal, Rokosuke suddenly suggested that he needed to go out for some fresh air.

Rock Lee was still eating heartily, completely unaware that Naruto, Tenten, Neji had all stopped eating at the same time.

Without the slightest hesitation, the three worked together flawlessly. In less than half a minute, the three villagers were tied up like dumplings and thrown on the ground, while Naruto, having somehow obtained a tattered rag, gagged Rokosuke as well.

"Waaaaah!!!" Rokosuke reacted violently, struggling incessantly.

In contrast, his two fellow villagers were completely bewildered, constantly asking what had happened.

"It's alright, we just need your cooperation to stay here for a day so as not to hinder our mission." Neji had fully accepted Naruto's theory and quickly put it into practice.

"We want to complete our mission, and you want to save the village. Our goals are the same," Neji said, pausing before glancing at the two who weren't gagged.

"Please tell us everything you know about the village. Once you drive the Kurotsuchi Family out of your village, I will keep this a secret."

The two villagers were tied up like pretzels, looking at each other in bewilderment, seemingly with no better option.

Rokosuke was still sobbing beside him, seemingly wanting to say something.

Naruto kicked him without hesitation and said with disgust.

"What are you whining about, Thomas the Tank Engine?"

"You didn't say a word when I asked you to, but now you're finally talking?"

"Naruto, let him speak."

Upon hearing this, Naruto nodded and reluctantly removed the rag from Rokosuke's mouth.

"Cough cough cough!!" Rokosuke coughed a few times and said, "The thugs of the Kurotsuchi Family are all from the village. They are holding a funeral right now. I heard the death knell tolling!"

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Your village has quite a few traitors!"