Southern coast of the Land of Fire, harbor.
One transport wagon after another stood at the docks, waiting for the sailboat to arrive so they could move the cargo in the cages onto its deck.
The haul this time was pretty good. The girls were all quite pretty, and he was sure they'd fetch a decent price.
"Why hasn't it arrived yet? They drag their feet every time," someone complained.
"Shh, do you want to get yourself killed?" His companion immediately grabbed him and whispered a warning. "Last time we were loading cargo, someone ran his mouth a little too much. Remember what happened? They twisted his head right off."
"Uh, don't scare me like that."
"Watch yourself. Those guys are a bunch of lunatics."
About three kilometers behind the docks.
"They're here." The red-haired, middle-aged man slowly rose from the ground as his tightly shut eyes snapped open.
The Princess had returned from the Land of Fire, determined to put an end to the Fūma Clan's human-trafficking business.
Lord Ashina hadn't refused. He hated those scum who preyed on their own people just as much as she did.
Avoiding wars of aggression was simply the Land of Whirlpools' customary way of doing things. But when they had to fight, the Uzumaki Clan never hesitated.
"They're finally here." Uzumaki Mito clenched her fists, the miserable faces of those women seeming to rise before her eyes.
Her decision to act had indeed been influenced to a great extent by Sosuke. Otherwise, the Princess of the Land of Whirlpools would never have had anything to do with such sordid affairs in her life.
Now that she knew about it, she had to find a way to eliminate the enemy's transport route.
Mito naively believed that without buyers from the Land of Water, the Fūma Clan would stop trafficking people.
The Ponytail pulled a kunai from her ninja tool pouch, her expression grave as she prepared for a fierce battle.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man beside her offered a calm reminder. "Be careful. I sense an extremely powerful chakra signature aboard the ship."
"How strong?" Mito asked curiously.
"About as strong as I am." His words drew sharp breaths from everyone around them.
Who was he?
Uzumaki Cage General, one of the Uzumaki Clan's strongest fighters and the clan head Uzumaki Ashina's right-hand man.
The man had been instrumental in establishing the Land of Whirlpools. Someone of his stature wouldn't have come along for this sort of operation if not for Mito.
That was why the thought that someone aboard the ship might be his equal was so shocking.
"Since when did slave traders get this powerful?" someone murmured.
Normally, slave traders couldn't possibly be this strong. That left only one explanation.
"The enemy is after us," Uzumaki Mito said firmly. "It seems our actions have caused them a great deal of trouble."
"A trap?!"
"Exactly. If nothing unexpected happens, this must be a trap."
There were no large numbers of hidden troops. The enemy was probably relying on that one powerful fighter.
Unfortunately for them, they had no idea that the man known as the Pillar of the Land of Whirlpools was here too.
With Uzumaki Cage General on their side, they had no reason to fear any enemy.
Clenching the kunai in her hand, Mito turned to the man who had taught her for many years.
"Very well." Uzumaki Cage General nodded, his expression as calm as ever.
"Then it's settled. We'll strike as soon as the enemy's sailboat docks."
Mito was full of confidence, completely unafraid of this so-called trap.
So what if their chakra reserves were immense?
Any ninja from the Uzumaki Clan had astonishing chakra reserves.
As for their actual combat strength, that depended on their overall abilities. Mito didn't believe just anyone could measure up to Uzumaki Cage General.
"Just you wait. Your plan is doomed to fail."
Meanwhile, the sailboat slowly entered the harbor.
"We're finally here." The man sitting cross-legged on the bed opened his eyes and calmly poured himself a cup of liquor.
With long white hair and green eyes, he looked serene and gentle.
But that was only a façade, one he was struggling to maintain.
He tipped back the cup and drained it. By the time he set it down, a violent aura had already begun to emanate from him.
"Heh heh heh." His low laughter carried far. The sailors aboard tensed, suddenly feeling as though a powerful predator had set its sights on them.
The instinctive fear coursing through their bodies left the sailors aghast. Only the ninjas waiting on deck looked delighted.
"Hey, the clan head's about to lose control of his bloodlust."
"Let's hope those people have some strength. Otherwise, the sailors at the docks are going to suffer."
"How many people did the clan head kill the last time he let his bloodlust run wild?"
"About two hundred, I think. I can't remember. That little village didn't have many people to begin with."
The sailors nearby looked utterly miserable as they listened to the group's conversation.
If there weren't enough enemies to kill, they'd make up the numbers with their own people. What kind of behavior was that?
"Th-they really are a bunch of lunatics." The sailors exchanged glances, not doubting for a moment that the men meant what they said.
They were ninjas of the Kaguya Clan, after all, and the clan was notorious for a madness outsiders could never understand.
They'd even turn their blades on their own people. It hardly seemed strange for them.
If the pay hadn't been so good, the sailors would never have taken a job with the Kaguya Clan.
It was too late for regrets now.
Along the southern coast of the Land of Fire, a figure skimmed over the waves.
"I should make it in time." Sosuke silently estimated the distance and figured he could reach them just as the two sides started fighting.
His recent battles had yielded excellent results in terms of merit, but his Points gains had been mediocre.
There was no helping it. When operating as a group, he had to consider the others.
Kills counted toward merit, and even the Corps Commander couldn't claim them all for himself.
If he stole his subordinates' credit, the team's morale would collapse. Sosuke wasn't foolish enough to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.
[Points: 6840]
Nearly seven thousand Points. He wasn't far from having enough to exchange for the Flying Thunder God Technique.
[Flying Thunder God Technique (Stage One), Item Rank: A, Exchange Cost: 8500 Points.]
Given the right opportunity, he just needed to find a way to kill one Jonin.
If that didn't work, killing six or seven Chunin would do. Either way, Sosuke wouldn't leave until he'd earned enough Points.
Once he had the Flying Thunder God Technique, he'd be much freer to move around. He could place coordinates all over the Land of Fire and go anywhere with a single thought.
At the very least, it would save him a lot of travel time.
"Once I learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, I'll be able to take on Elite Jonin-level opponents."
For now, he just hoped the enemy wouldn't send anyone too weak.
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