Tea Mountain Gang

Tea Mountain Gang

"Lady Tsunade, you were far too rude!" After Shuji left, Shizune finally could not hold back her complaint. "You said something like that the moment you met him, and you even attacked him."

"Hey! That brat wasn't exactly polite either, was he?" The Senju princess waved a hand. "Besides, the brat himself doesn't care, so stop complaining."

Return to the village... and then what? Tsunade's gaze fell upon the few stalks of emerald bamboo swaying in the courtyard. She would only have to face those heavy gazes again—the silent, searing expectations. Someone who could not even bear the sight of blood... what could she still do? She could shoulder nothing, endure nothing.

That was why she had wanted to meet Shuji, to confirm whether this child truly possessed that power.

The brief clash in the small courtyard caused no stir outside. When Shuji emerged, Wasabi Jirocho was still standing respectfully beneath the corridor, wearing just the right degree of humility, as though the muffled sound of shattered stone slabs had merely been roof tiles blown down by the wind. He led Shuji through the winding corridors to an elegantly furnished reception room in the front residence.

"Does Mr. Wasabi have more detailed intelligence regarding the Tea Mountain Gang?" Once seated, Shuji got straight to the point. He did not mention Tsunade and brought the conversation back to the mission.

Jirocho sat upright, his expression grave. "Wild Tea Slope has complicated terrain and has always been a hiding place for ronin and fugitives. In the past, its scale was small. My family and the Wasuke Clan would regularly send people to clear them out, barely maintaining peace along the trade routes." He paused, his brows tightly furrowed. "Until four months ago, when the situation suddenly changed. A wandering warrior appeared and used forceful methods to unite every faction entrenched on Wild Tea Slope. They rapidly grew stronger and even openly built a stronghold on the hillside."

"At the time, both our families realized the situation was serious, and that we could no longer resolve it through our own strength alone. Yet the extermination request we sent to Konoha received no response for a long time." Jirocho's tone carried a trace of helplessness. "With no other choice, we could only increase our manpower as much as possible and strengthen patrols on the main trade routes, barely holding things together."

"The turning point came half a month ago," he said, his voice lowering. "The Wasuke Clan suddenly announced that they had successfully wiped out the bandits of Wild Tea Slope! At the same time, they claimed to have recruited a group of elite guards who would fully ensure the safety of Chujie Port. Almost simultaneously, Daimyo Palace sent an envoy, harshly rebuking my family for 'failing to govern properly and allowing bandits to grow powerful,' while lavishly praising the Wasuke Clan for 'eliminating evil and protecting the people, rendering great service to the region.' They then handed over full control of the port's management rights for the next four years to the Wasuke Clan."

"After receiving the Feudal Lord's recognition, the Wasuke Clan appointed a man named Beast Soldier Guard as the city's defense commander."

"I believe Shuji understands what happened afterward. Those newly recruited guards were actually former members of the Tea Mountain Gang, while Beast Soldier Guard was the wandering warrior who had united them."

Shuji listened quietly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the smooth edge of the low table. The situation was more complicated than he had expected.

"How strong is this Beast Soldier Guard?"

Jirocho looked solemn as he carefully chose his words. "This man is extremely dangerous and ruthless in battle. As for his precise strength... I am sorry. We did everything we could to investigate, but only obtained vague rumors. It is said that during the bandit suppression, he displayed strength and speed far beyond ordinary people. Some even mentioned that he might possess abilities similar to 'techniques.' But we were unable to obtain conclusive evidence." He dipped his head slightly in apology.

"Hm..." Shuji pondered for a moment before shifting to another key point. "Then what about the Black Erosion Corps? Has Mr. Wasabi heard that name before?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Jirocho's face, so faint it was almost imperceptible, as if he were weighing something. Only after several seconds did he slowly speak. "I have indeed heard of them. It was about two months ago. At that time, the sea route from Chujie Port to Naqi Island was repeatedly harassed by a group of fierce pirates, causing severe losses. Daimyo Palace was greatly enraged by this. Not long afterward, word came that a wandering ninja group known as the Black Erosion Corps had accepted the Feudal Lord's commission and successfully dealt with those pirates."

He paused, studying Shuji's reaction before continuing. "After that incident, the Black Erosion Corps seemed to vanish without a trace. We have heard nothing more of them operating in Chujie Port or the nearby waters. Perhaps they left after collecting their reward."

The Feudal Lord again.

"I understand." Shuji nodded. "Thank you for the information, Mr. Wasabi. It is very valuable."

"I am glad I could help." Jirocho inclined his head, then asked tentatively, "May I ask what Shuji plans to do next? If there is anything the Wasabi Family can assist with, please do not hesitate to instruct us."

"If possible, please continue gathering information on the Tea Mountain Gang." Shuji rose to his feet. "I need to return to the inn first and make some arrangements."

He had originally come because he was worried about Jirocho's safety. But with Tsunade, one of the Sannin, here—even if Tsunade was not in a position to fight—there was still Shizune, who possessed jōnin-level strength. That level of force was enough to deal with an assassination attempt targeting Jirocho.

"If anything urgent happens, send someone to inform us at the Sea Breeze Pavilion at any time."

"Yes, understood." Jirocho agreed and personally escorted Shuji out of the reception room.

At the docks, Anko Mitarashi leaned against the base of a wall. The hem of her brand-new dark purple trench coat fluttered up at one corner in the wind. A casually plucked blade of grass hung from her mouth as her seemingly idle gaze swept over the surroundings: laborers shouted as they loaded and unloaded goods, while a handful of men in guard leather armor patrolled lazily, their eyes constantly lingering over the more valuable piles of cargo.

Several fully loaded carriages rumbled toward the docks, accompanied by several guards. The owner of the goods was speaking quietly with a dock official, who soon waved over some laborers and had them process this shipment first.

Hongshan Cheng wore an indignant expression and muttered under his breath.

Anko perked up her ears and caught a few words.

"Damn it, they can arrange to ship out as soon as they arrive..."

"My goods..."

"If I'd known, I would've stocked up on weapons too..."

At the mention of weapons, Anko immediately became alert. She walked over to Hongshan Cheng.

"Mr. Hongshan, who are those people?"

"They are arms dealers. I don't know why, but it seems someone is buying up weapons. Their goods can leave the port first, while mine still have to wait several days. Miss Anko, please..." Hongshan Cheng went on to say something about asking for her help and care.

Now that Shuji had left, the safety of the goods depended entirely on Anko and Itachi. Itachi ultimately looked far too young, so the cloth merchant could only trouble Anko.

Anko responded distractedly, then quietly turned over the hand behind her back. Beneath the broad cuff of her trench coat, a gray shadow as slender as a finger silently slipped down. Hugging the ground, it darted into the gaps between the shadows of the cargo crates and vehicles, vanishing without a trace.

(End of chapter)