Relax

Having successfully completed the mission, all of them were a little excited—especially Yagura and Seiji. Their first mission after becoming Anbu members had been an S-rank mission of such high difficulty. It was a brilliant entry on their records.

What was more, after Feng identified them, they had taken out five wandering ninjas with bounties during the mission. They could be said to have made a small fortune.

Of course, that excluded Seiji, who had unknowingly become one of the Ninja World's wealthy elite.

Although the other three now knew that Seiji had a tiny bit of money, they had no idea that he was also one of the mysterious high-ranking figures behind the Underground Exchange.

Once their excitement faded, they returned to their respective rooms to rest. After visiting the exchange tomorrow and relaxing in the capital of the Land of Water, they would return to the village.

Early the next morning, the group, having completed their mission, got up bright and early. After breakfast, the four split up.

As the captain, Feng went to the Underground Exchange to collect the bounties. The other three were given half a day off and could enjoy themselves in the capital.

For some time now, they had remained tense while carrying out their mission. Every time they went out, they had done so with a purpose, mainly to gather intelligence. At last, they had some free time to properly explore this historic city.

Once they reached the streets and quietly took in the bustling atmosphere, the boys and girl felt a long-lost sense of relaxation.

"Did you hear? That damned vampire was found dead in his own home this morning. Apparently, someone came to settle a score and took him out!" The commoners on the streets discussed it animatedly. It seemed that what they had done last night had already spread, and news of the general's death had swept through the capital.

"That inhuman bastard really did die, but it was his own Subordinates who killed him! They took his money and ran! Believe me, my older brother's neighbor's third aunt's son's friend's father's younger brother's neighbor works as a servant at the General's Residence. The news is absolutely accurate!" someone spread the word.

"What a delight! After all the things he did, if he hadn't controlled the army, he would've died who knows how many times already!" another person chimed in.

"Well done! Whoever did it, I'd say they must be truly good people!"

The three of them, who had somehow been branded as good people, turned to look at one another and smiled.

It turned out that when the general had been taken out in the latter half of the night, no one had been alerted. Everyone stationed in the front and rear courtyards believed everything was normal. It was not until the next morning, when the servants prepared breakfast and waited for the general to rise and eat, that they began to find it strange after waiting in vain for so long. The general's son then prepared to go to his father's quarters and wake him.

But upon entering the courtyard, he did not see the five wandering ninja brothers who had been guarding the general day and night in recent days. A sense of dread immediately arose within him. He rushed into the room and saw the general lying stiffly on the floor, long devoid of any signs of life. He froze, letting out a shrill scream and a furious curse. He could not believe that his father, who wielded immense power and stood practically at the peak of the Land of Water, had died such a miserable death.

The general's son felt dizzy, as though the world were spinning around him. Although he ordered the news sealed after recovering his senses, the servants and guards who had already been drawn over by his screams and curses had discovered the fact that the general was dead. Quite a few spies secretly placed by other nobles and even the daimyo were hidden among them. With interested parties fanning the flames, the news swiftly spread throughout the capital.

Meanwhile, the daimyo had become somewhat more satisfied with Third Mizukage Hyou. To carry out a successful assassination under such tight security without leaving any trace showed that Kirigakure did have some merits. Having removed a major thorn from his heart, Lord Water generously decided to allocate more military funding to Kirigakure this year—at least an extra ten to twenty percent.

On the bustling streets, the cries of countless vendors rang constantly in their ears. Yagura, who had never been to the capital before, and Seiji, who had only passed through it once in haste, were dazzled by all kinds of goods and food. They wanted to buy every novel item they saw and eat everything that smelled delicious.

Chino watched the two younger boys showing their youthful sides with an amused smile. Infected by their liveliness, a faint smile also appeared on her face.

"Sister Chino, come quick!" The three, whose relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds in recent days, had begun addressing one another as siblings. Hozuki Chino was a full four years older than the two of them, so she was naturally the elder sister. Seiji had been born in February, nearly two months before Yagura's April 3 birthday. Coupled with Yagura's clearly underdeveloped, short stature, Yagura could only helplessly accept the title of the team's youngest brother.

"Seiji, I want to eat that. It looks so good!" Yagura pointed at a small roadside shop selling takoyaki. The poor kid had simply assumed they were going out on a mission, so he had brought everything except money.

"Hehe, call me Brother! Then I'll treat you!" Seiji teased.

Although Yagura had accepted that he was the youngest of the three and often called Chino his sister, his tsundere self still refused to call Seiji Brother.

"Sister Chino, look at Seiji. He's bullying me again!" With no money in his pocket and no confidence to speak of, Yagura could only complain to Chino.