The Kaguya Clan's Madness

On the southern shore of the Land of Fire, at the port.

Transport carts lined up at the dock, waiting for the sailboat to pull in so the cargo in the cages could be loaded onto the deck.

This haul wasn't bad—the girls were all decent-looking, sure to fetch a good price.

"Why aren't they here yet? Always dragging their feet." Someone couldn't help complaining.

"Shh, you want to die?" His companion immediately grabbed him, lowering his voice to warn, "Remember last time someone ran their mouth during loading? Ended up with their head twisted clean off."

"Uh, don't scare me like that."

"Watch yourself. Those guys are a bunch of lunatics."

About three kilometers behind the port.

"They're here." The middle-aged man with a full head of red hair snapped his eyes open and slowly rose from the ground.

The Princess had returned from the Land of Fire, dead set on dismantling the Fūma Clan's human trafficking business.

Lord Ashina hadn't refused—he loathed those scum who preyed on their own kind just as much.

Not launching aggressive campaigns abroad was the Land of Whirlpools' usual way of doing things, but when it came time to strike, the Uzumaki Clan never hesitated.

"Finally here." Uzumaki Mito clenched her fists, the pitiful faces of those women flashing before her eyes.

She'd chosen to act, largely influenced by Sosuke—otherwise, as the Princess of the Land of Whirlpools, she'd never have been tangled up in something so sordid in her life.

Now that she knew, she had to find a way to cut off the enemy's transport routes.

Mito naively believed that without buyers in the Land of Water, the Fūma Clan would stop their human trafficking business.

Pulling a kunai from her ninja tool pouch, Ponytail's expression turned serious, ready for a big fight.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man beside her offered a calm reminder: "Be careful. I sense an extremely powerful chakra fluctuation on that ship."

"How strong?" Mito asked, curious.

"About on par with me." The man's words made everyone around him suck in a sharp breath.

Who was he?

Uzumaki Cage General, one of the top fighters of the Uzumaki Clan, the right hand of Clan Head Uzumaki Ashina.

The Land of Whirlpools had successfully opened its borders thanks in no small part to this man's presence. If not for Mito's sake, someone of his caliber would never be doing something like this.

That showed just how shocking it was when he said someone on the ship matched his strength.

"Since when did slave traders get this terrifying?" someone muttered nearby.

Normally, slave traders couldn't possibly have such power, so there was only one reason.

"The enemy came for us." Uzumaki Mito stated firmly. "Looks like our actions have been causing them real trouble."

"A trap?"

"Exactly. If nothing unexpected happens, this is a trap."

No large-scale ambush—the enemy was relying on that one strong fighter.

Too bad they didn't know the man called the Pillar of the Land of Whirlpools was here too.

With Uzumaki Cage General around, they feared no enemy.

Gripping her kunai tightly, Mito turned to look at the man who'd taught her for years.

"Fine." Uzumaki Cage General nodded, his expression as calm as ever.

"Good. We move as soon as their sailboat docks."

Mito was brimming with confidence, unafraid of any so-called trap.

So what if their chakra was strong?

Any random ninja from the Uzumaki Clan had astonishing chakra reserves.

As for real combat ability, it depended on a ninja's overall qualities. Mito didn't believe just anyone could match Uzumaki Cage General.

"Just wait—your schemes are doomed to fail."

On the other side, the sailboat slowly pulled into the port.

"Finally here." The man sitting cross-legged on the bed opened his eyes and calmly poured himself a cup of strong liquor.

White hair paired with green eyes gave him a quiet, gentle look.

But that was just a facade he struggled to maintain.

Tilting his head back, he downed the liquor in one gulp. When the cup hit the table again, a violent, savage aura had already enveloped him.

"Hehehe." A low laugh spread far and wide. The sailors on the ship tensed up, suddenly feeling like they'd been marked by a powerful predator.

That instinctive fear from their bodies sent the sailors into a panic, but the group of ninjas waiting on deck all lit up with excitement.

"Heh, the Clan Head's killing intent is about to break loose."

"Hope those guys have some skill, or the dockworkers are in for it."

"Last time he fully unleashed his killing intent, how many did the Clan Head kill?"

"Probably around two hundred or so, I can't recall exactly. Anyway, that little village didn't have many people to begin with."

Hearing this group's discussion, the faces of the surrounding sailors turned incredibly sour.

Not enough enemies to kill, and they had to make up the numbers with their own people—what kind of behavior was that?

"Truly, truly a bunch of madmen." The sailors exchanged glances, not doubting the truth of these words for a moment.

Simply because they were ninja of the "Kaguya Clan." This group's most famous trait was the madness deep in their bones that outsiders couldn't understand.

Turning their blades on their own people—it didn't seem strange at all when it happened to them.

If the pay hadn't been generous enough, the sailors wouldn't have dared to take work from the Kaguya Clan.

Too late for regrets now.

Along the southern coast of the Land of Fire, a figure was walking atop the waves.

"I should make it in time." Sosuke silently estimated the distance, feeling he could arrive just as the battle began.

The fierce fighting during this period had been very effective in terms of merit, but the points gained were somewhat disappointing.

No helping it—when operating as a group, he had to consider others' feelings.

Kills represented merit; even a Corps Commander couldn't hog them all.

Snatching subordinates' achievements would surely scatter the team's morale, and Sosuke wasn't about to do something as foolish as killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Points: 6840

Close to seven thousand points, not far from the requirement to exchange for Flying Thunder God.

Flying Thunder God Technique (Stage One), Item Grade A, Exchange Cost: 8500 Points.

When the right opportunity came, killing one Jonin would be just about enough.

If that didn't work, killing six or seven Chunin would do. Either way, Sosuke wasn't leaving until he'd earned enough points.

Once he had Flying Thunder God Technique at his side, his movements would undoubtedly become freer. He could set coordinates across the Land of Fire, and going anywhere would be as simple as a single thought.

At the very least, it would save a lot of travel time.

"Once I learn Flying Thunder God, I can trade blows with Elite Jonin-level fighters."

For now, he just hoped the enemy's dispatched forces weren't too low-tier.