Wasabi Clan

Wasabi Clan

The caravan finally stopped in front of the designated dockside warehouse. The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy tang as it rushed over them. The port's characteristic clamor—sailors' chants, cargo ship whistles, the metallic screech of loading equipment—blended into a noisy backdrop. The workers began unloading, while Hongshan Cheng busied himself with the handover, his face covered in the relieved smile of a survivor.

Shuji found a relatively quiet set of stone steps near the warehouse, where he could watch both the docks and the main street, and sat down. Anko stood with her arms folded, the hood of her dark purple coat draped casually behind her as her sharp eyes swept over the passersby. Itachi sat quietly on Shuji's other side.

"The Land of Tea's control over its two mainland territories is actually very lax. As long as taxes are paid and no trouble is caused, they do not care who governs them." Shuji continued explaining the situation to the two of them. "So those bandits probably obtained administrative authority from the Feudal Lord of the Land of Tea and became officials there."

But mere highway bandits could not simply become legitimate, even if they had two or three hundred men. There had to be another reason. In another world, perhaps they could be considered numerous enough and strong enough to be recruited. But in the ninja world, soldiers could not even form ranks against ninja techniques, much less a pack of mountain bandits. Given a little time, even an ordinary genin could use the Transformation Technique to destroy the Tea Mountain Gang's structure and make them collapse from within.

Considering the mismatch between Konoha's understanding and Hongshan Cheng's, Shuji was already beginning to form some ideas.

Hongshan Cheng finally seemed to have settled the preliminary arrangements. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and jogged over, his face carrying almost fawning gratitude along with poorly concealed anxiety. "Captain Shuji! My lords! You've worked hard, truly worked hard! The Sea Breeze Pavilion by the docks is fairly clean, and I've already reserved rooms! Please do us the honor of staying there. Let this humble one host you properly for a few days as a token of my gratitude! All expenses will be on me!"

That was the official explanation. In truth, the cargo handover would take several more days, but now that they had entered Chujie Port, Team Five could have considered the mission complete. Especially since they had just helped resolve the issue of the entry tax. But Hongshan Cheng was terrified that the guards would start causing trouble once they realized Shuji and the others had left, so he could only cling to them and ask them to remain.

Who could have imagined, when he posted the mission, that there might still be a risk of losing the goods after entering the city?

"Fine." Shuji agreed after a brief moment of consideration.

Hongshan Cheng thanked him repeatedly and personally led the three of them to the inn.

The Sea Breeze Pavilion stood on a somewhat quieter street at the edge of the dock district. It was a three-story wooden building, plain in appearance but kept reasonably clean. The owner was a taciturn middle-aged man. When he saw Hongshan Cheng enter with three forehead-protector-wearing ninja, his eyes gained a measure of respect, and he swiftly arranged three guest rooms with the best view on the top floor.

Shuji's room was at the far end. When he opened the window, more than half the dock district and the distant blue sea came into view. Anko and Itachi returned to their rooms for a brief rest. Shuji, meanwhile, stood by the window, his calm gaze sweeping over the bustling harbor below and the somewhat chaotic streets. The Tea Mountain Gang lackeys, now clad in guard leather armor, still lingered nearby in groups of three or five. They cast hostile glances toward the Sea Breeze Pavilion, but none dared approach.

Before long, Anko came over wearing a convenient dark outfit, her hair casually tied back and impatience on her face. "Captain, there are a few sneaky-looking guys watching downstairs. Want me to clean them up?"

Now that she knew what kind of people they were, Anko had no more reservations.

Itachi had finished putting his things away and entered Shuji's room as well.

Just then, a faint commotion arose downstairs in the inn, followed by the owner's slightly nervous voice. "Lord Wasabi? Why have you personally...?"

A gentle but unquestionable voice sounded. "No matter. I heard that distinguished guests from Konoha are staying here, so Jirocho came to pay a visit. Please announce me."

Wasabi... If I remembered correctly, Chujie Port had two major local clans: the Wasabi Clan and the Wasuke Clan. For a long time, one of those two clans had been responsible for local administration. The Tea Mountain Gang's involvement had surely displaced one of them, or perhaps affected both.

"Anko, let Mr. Wasabi come up."

"Yes, yes, Captain."

A moment later, steady footsteps sounded on the wooden stairs. A middle-aged man in a dark gray silk kimono followed Anko into the room. He appeared to be around forty, with steady steps and an upright posture that clearly revealed a solid foundation in taijutsu. His hair was impeccably combed, his face lean, and his gentle eyes held the shrewdness of a man long accustomed to worldly affairs. He was none other than the head of the Wasabi Clan, Wasabi Jirocho.

His gaze quickly passed over the three people in the room. It lingered briefly on Anko's impatient expression and Itachi's composed young face before settling firmly on Shuji by the window. Though they appeared to be around the same age, Shuji possessed a temperament completely different from Anko's. He had used such forceful methods at the city gate, yet in person he was so reserved. Jirocho swiftly reached a conclusion—those actions had definitely not been impulsive.

"Please forgive my abrupt visit." A perfectly measured humble smile appeared on Jirocho's face as he gave a slight bow. "I am Wasabi Jirocho. May I ask how I should address you, esteemed guest?"

"Shuji." Shuji's voice was steady and without ripples as he pulled out a chair. "You are too polite, head of the Wasabi Clan. Please, sit."

Jirocho thanked him and took a seat before saying, "Shuji-kun's actions at the city gate were rather rash."

"Tch." Anko leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed and gave an undisguised scoff.

Shuji's expression did not change. His finger lightly tapped the wooden table, producing a faint knock. "Oh? I would like to hear the details." His tone was calm, as though they were merely discussing the weather.

"Originally, the Hokage of your village had another message he wanted me to convey after Shuji-kun entered the city."

Those words made Itachi, who had been quietly observing, turn toward Jirocho. A trace of barely perceptible contemplation crossed his young face.

Shuji remained seated, showing no surprise, as though he had expected this all along. "I would like to hear the details," he repeated, his gaze as calm as still water.

Jirocho said, "The Wasabi Clan and the Wasuke Clan have always competed for control of Chujie Port. Neither side held a clear advantage, until half a month ago, when the Wasuke Clan suddenly absorbed that group of bandits outside the city. The Wasabi Clan then lost control of the town."

"If that were all, then for the stability of the port, we could endure it for the time being. But in order to win over those wolves, the Wasuke Clan has indulged them without restraint! They invent pretexts, impose additional heavy taxes, and exploit passing merchants and travelers! If this continues, the town will fall into decline!"

"Therefore, I requested the Hokage's assistance."