Extermination and Interrogation

"Damn it, these people are so arrogant, they didn't even bother to cover up the crime scene." Kyoka was secretly glad that she had asked Danza for help and managed to get a top expert from Konoha. Otherwise, if the pirates had blocked their doorstep, the caravan would have had nowhere else to go but to charge straight through.

However, this would essentially turn a guard mission into a war mission, which the hired ninjas would certainly not be happy about. They would either abandon ship and run away or increase their own pay; in short, nothing would go well.

"Senior Brother, leave it to me!" Anko said excitedly.

After a month of grueling training, although she didn't learn many new Ninjutsu, her basic skills became much more solid. The last enemy she encountered wasn't a ninja, so the fight was inevitably less than satisfying.

Shuichi narrowed his eyes. Under his full sensory perception, the attackers' background became increasingly clear. "Let it go this time. There might be Jonin among them."

"Furthermore, you simply lack the capability for naval warfare. Allowing the enemy to get too close could damage your ships, so I will handle this personally."

"Tch!" Anko pouted somewhat unwillingly, but her face quickly filled with anticipation. In this environment, she would finally be able to witness Shuichi's magnificent Ninjutsu performance.

Might Guy also appeared silently from the side. Having known him for so long, this was the first time he had experienced the true power of the Purple Aurora up close. When Shuichi led the team before, he was holding back to train his teammates, which was basically like playing around.

In the distance, several small boats were filled with people. At the very front of the middle boat stood a man whose long black hair was blown by the sea breeze, yet he remained completely still.

"Lord Ishiizumi, we are close to our target. It would be best to destroy their mast now to prevent them from escaping," a thin young man with a somewhat sleazy appearance said, bowing.

Ishiizumi's eyes were bright and piercing, and his features were very handsome, but several terrifying scars and an unsightly mustache marred his appearance, making him look somewhat incongruous. "Then let's proceed according to plan. Remember, try not to harm the people on the ship. We'll leave once we've seized the supplies."

"Yes, as you command!" The sleazy young man, Kurozumi, smiled on the surface, but inwardly cursed Ishiizumi as an idiot.

But that's fine too; after we take care of everyone, we can pin the blame on him...

"Let's get started!"

As soon as their leader gave the order, several Rogue Ninjas immediately began forming hand seals, chanting, "Earth Release: Falling Rocks!"

Each person spat out several head-sized stones from their mouths, deliberately at a 45-degree angle upwards. The rain of stones arced through the air and crashed down on the caravan ships. Judging from the area covered, their calculation abilities were clearly quite good.

Shuichi found it both funny and absurd; how could this have the same effect as a catapult?

However, it's not easy for Rogue Ninja to learn some Ninjutsu; it's quite effective against ordinary people, but they'll be helpless against truly skilled opponents...

"Brush!"

With Shuichi stepped onto the mast, then leaped into the air and flew towards the rubble, his legs moving wildly as if he were kicking a soccer ball, sending all the rocks flying one after another.

"Crackling sound..."

"Tick-tock!"

After clearing away all the rocks, he gently landed on the water's surface, a slight smile playing on his lips. His hands moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals, "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

As chakra surged into the sea beneath their feet, the calm surface instantly became turbulent, and a wave tens of meters high surged up, transforming into a dark shadow that blotted out the sky and pressed down on the several small boats.

"Oh no, this is..." Ishiizumi's face turned to utter terror. This cataclysmic Water Release and that unforgettable, familiar chakra were none other than the Purple Aurora that haunted the Mist Ninjas. "Everyone, join forces! Quickly!"

The group, each with their own ulterior motives, felt a chill run down their spines. Why did they happen to encounter an extremely powerful expert just by randomly intercepting a merchant ship? But in this critical moment, there was no time to think about it. Everyone immediately used all their strength to deal with the huge waves in front of them.

"Water Release · Water Wall!"

Water Release: Water Waves!

"..."

With a deafening roar, a small rainstorm began to fall on the sea. Several wooden boats were smashed to pieces by the immense water pressure. Only a small boat with a group of skilled crew members managed to escape, barely avoiding being instantly destroyed by the help of the Seawater.

However, their location became increasingly turbulent, and the few survivors were already considering fleeing, waiting for the sea to calm down before scattering in all directions.

But their opponent had no intention of letting them leave. The overwhelming Water Release had barely dissipated when a dark figure appeared behind them like a ghost. "Where are you looking?"

Ishiizumi turned around in alarm, only to see that Shuichi simply raised his hand and waved it, instantly sending the heads of all the ninjas on the small boat flying off, spraying a large amount of blood all over his face. The scene was truly terrifying.

"Purple... Lord Purple Aurora, please spare my life! I only wanted to steal some goods; I had no intention of killing anyone."

"Oh? You actually know me?" Shuichi somewhat surprised that he had been recognized so quickly. "Tell me everything you know."

"Yes... I was once a ninja of the Yuki Clan. I witnessed your strength in the war two years ago, and not long ago my clan was forced to leave Kirigakure..." Ishiizumi continued to reveal various pieces of information.

Shuichi. This person's real name was Izushi. Back then, he followed Ao's team to besiege the Hyuga Clan on the coast of the Land of Fire. Later, he was scared away by Shuichi's terrifying Water Release skills.

The Yuki Clan has been in dire straits recently. Despite lacking powerful ninjas, they have occupied a large number of Jonin positions in Kirigakure, which has long aroused dissatisfaction among other clans and Civilian Ninjas. In the political struggles following their defeat in the Third Shinobi War World War, they have been driven to the brink of despair.

As the situation grew increasingly dangerous, the clan's higher-ups ordered the clansmen to leave Kirigakure. Of course, this action was initially carried out in secret, but it was soon discovered by Kirigakure.

Such behavior naturally warranted a bloody crackdown. All the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people remaining in the village were killed. Although many young people had fled, they would never return in their lifetime. The Yuki Clan was the first Kekkei Genkai family to disappear from Kirigakure in many years.

"Everything I said is true!" Izushi removed his disguise, revealing a handsome young man without the scars and ugly mustache. "For the past six months, I've been on the run, barely making ends meet. This is my first time raiding. I finally managed to gather a team, but I never expected..."

"I see..." Shuichi knew he was telling the truth. This guy was actually quite simple-minded. No wonder the Yuki Clan couldn't stay in Kirigakure anymore; it was a place where people ate each other. "Since you come from Kekkei Genkai family, are you proficient in Ice Release?"

Izushi gave a wry smile, "I haven't awakened Ice Release. I just have decent chakra reserves and sensory abilities. Since becoming Jonin, I've hardly led any teams."

Shuichi was a little disappointed. Ice Release was the Kekkei Genkai he had his eye on. Although he wasn't in a rush, he just happened to run into the Yuki Clan and didn't have it. His luck was really bad.

The conversation between the two continued, which puzzled Izushi. Why did Purple Aurora kill everyone in an instant, yet leave him alone to chat?

While still wondering, the scene before him suddenly blurred, Izushi was surprised to find that everyone on the small boat was still alive, just standing in place like zombies. "This is... Genjutsu? When did this happen?"

Shuichi's two Shadow Clones gripped the enemy's brain, while his main body maintained its hand seals. He said somewhat speechlessly, "I didn't expect you to be completely unaware when you heard my voice. That's quite unexpected."

The reason why Izushi's personality and words could be determined was because he had just been subjected to a high-level torture Genjutsu, making it impossible for him to hide anything from Shuichi.

The opponent was genuinely terrified by Shuichi and cooperated perfectly, thus falling into the Genjutsu without realizing it.

"Well... Lord Shuichi, your reputation is too great. After witnessing your strength, I couldn't muster any will to resist!" Izushi's face revealed a fawning smile; he truly was an eccentric ninja. "Speaking of which, my companions..."

Shuichi handed over a Kunai and single-handedly pointed at three people, including the sleazy young man, Kurozumi. "Kill these guys, and I'll take you on as my underling and give you a way out."

"This..." Izushi looked troubled.

"Your ninja skills are absolutely terrible!" Shuichi look of disgust. "They are Chunin Kirigakure, tasked with hunting down the Yuki Clan. They've been watching you for a while now."

"And after ambushing and killing you, they will wipe out the entire caravan, pocket the spoils, and pin the blame on you, the rogue ninja."

"What?" Izushi's face turned completely red.

So many people had already seen through his identity, but they kept him around to use him as a tool, which is why they didn't assassinate him immediately. He was truly teetering on the brink of death.