Is There Any Commission?

Although Shiba Seika slapped Ando into a spinning top without mercy, he was actually quite grateful to this fool.

He was thankful for the guy's unreserved self-destruction, which had stomped the ideal Konan had once firmly believed in deep into the mud.

If mutual understanding between people only served to protect scumbags like this, was that ideal really worth holding onto?

Upholding an ideal requires years of unwavering perseverance, but its collapse often only takes a single moment of despair.

From this perspective, Ando had rendered an invaluable service today!

But now wasn't the time to deal with him.

One enemy remained: the Iwagakure squad leader.

Shiba Seika first calmed and reminded Konan.

"Sister Konan, the enemy is a Special Jonin specializing in Taijutsu. Keep your distance as much as possible—don't let him get close!"

Special Jonin aren't true Jonin; they merely possess abilities comparable to Jonin in certain specialized fields, while their overall combat capability still falls between Chunin and Jonin.

Think of them as half-step Jonin with a skewed skill set.

For example, Konoha's Hayate Gekko from the original story was a Special Jonin specializing in swordsmanship and stealth.

Shiba Seika had actually known all along that this Iwagakure squad leader was a Special Jonin.

He was always cautious by nature. If he hadn't confirmed that the enemy's threat was still within manageable limits, he would have gone back to call for reinforcements the moment Ando first showed ill intent.

His ninja creed was: better to offend heaven and earth than to endanger Seika.

If Iwagakure had actually sent a full-fledged Jonin this time, he would have already let Nagato loose!

The only thing he didn't know was that this Iwagakure squad had two Special Jonin.

Even now, he still thought the older one he'd just killed was only a Chunin.

So at this moment, he carefully laid out his strategy, step by step, with Sister Konan in the air and himself on the ground, steadily tightening the encirclement around the enemy.

Little did he know that the trapped Iwagakure squad leader had long lost his will to fight and was terrified, thinking only of escape!

This Iwagakure squad leader hadn't seen the fight inside the warehouse. He simply couldn't imagine how his old partner, along with three Chunin subordinates, had been wiped out in such a short time by a boy from a minor ninja village who looked at most fourteen or fifteen!

Just who was this kid? Was he already a Jonin at this age? Was he some secret weapon of the Rain Ninja?! Was the Land of Rain planning to go to full-scale war with Iwagakure?!

Shiba Seika had no idea that his casual performance had sent the enemy's thoughts spiraling so far.

But as he joined the fight, the enemy's attempts to break out became increasingly obvious.

Shiba Seika noticed immediately.

"Sister Konan, this guy's trying to run!"

Hearing this, Konan quickly split off more paper butterflies, connecting them in midair into a pair of enormous white paper wings that spread wide to block the enemy's escape route!

Konan was no mere gentle flower vase!

Even in the original Shippuden, amidst the powerhouse-packed Akatsuki organization, she held her own place!

At fourteen, Konan might not be able to take on a full-fledged Jonin from a major ninja village, but stopping a Special Jonin who had completely lost his fighting spirit was well within her ability!

"Damn it! Get out of my way!!"

Faced with the paper wings blocking his path, the Iwagakure squad leader's emotions spiraled out of control, and he let out a beast-like roar of desperation.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Pull!"

At that moment, Shiba Seika came slashing in, dragging the Lightning Blade behind him.

"You brat from the Land of Rain, don't underestimate a ninja from the Five Great Shinobi Countries!"

Perhaps realizing there was no way out, the Iwagakure squad leader finally ignited his last spark of fighting spirit.

But Shiba Seika, facing him, remained utterly calm, and a faint hint of disappointment even crept onto his face.

The Five Great Shinobi Countries... is this all they've got?

This wordless mockery only drove his opponent further into a frenzy.

But Shiba Seika was waiting for that exact moment—when the enemy lost control and left an opening!

He tossed his straight sword into the air and formed hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Whip!"

Just like before, he used an ordinary, low-rank jutsu.

No majestic dragon head like the Water Dragon Bullet, no terrifying volume like the Great Waterfall Technique.

A single stream of water coiled around the enemy once, then locked him in place.

The Iwagakure squad leader boasted confidently, "Kid, you think a pathetic jutsu like this can hold anyone?!"

But he overlooked one thing: as the water stream circled around him and tightened, it had also stuck many of the nearby paper butterflies onto his body.

The next moment, Shiba Seika caught his thrown straight sword, ran his left hand along the blade, and used his Chakra to generate sparks.

Then, without hesitation, he hurled the sword at the enemy!

"Crackle—BOOM!!"

The flickering arcs of electricity ignited the Exploding Tags disguised as Paper Butterflies!

Bound by the water whip, the Iwagakure captain couldn't form hand seals and had no way to dodge!

After the explosion, the gravely wounded Iwagakure captain lay crumpled on the ground in a miserable state, his face still frozen with lingering shock and terror.

He couldn't understand.

"Why did the wet Exploding Tags still detonate?"

Shiba Seika first steadily stepped forward to confirm the enemy's condition.

Only after determining that the man was beyond saving did he kindly offer an explanation.

"Because I suggested Sister Konan coat the paper in oil."

This suggestion was merely a borrowed gift.

After all, in the original story, Konan would do the same in the future—she would later fill an entire trench with Exploding Tags, nearly setting the sea ablaze and sending Obito Uchiha straight to the afterlife.

The Iwagakure captain let out a look of dawning realization and despair.

He still managed a final threat, "Rain Ninja, are you trying to provoke a war between the Land of Rain and Iwagakure? You'll regret this!"

Shiba Seika gave a mocking smile.

"Invading another country without permission, attempting to wipe out the local official organization by force, and you have the audacity to threaten war?"

"We... were just... accepting a mission... that's a... ninja's... duty."

The man was growing weaker, his speech faltering.

But Shiba Seika had no interest in listening further.

He casually tossed a Kunai behind him, both to shatter the Iwagakure captain's excuses and to test Konan's current resolve.

The Kunai he threw flew straight toward Ando, who lay collapsed not far away.

He didn't throw it fast; he deliberately slowed the motion, the Kunai hanging in the air for at least half a second.

Numerous Paper Butterflies still fluttered around the nearby battlefield. If Sister Konan wanted to intercept, she had plenty of time.

Yet the Kunai faced no interference at all, smoothly striking Ando square in the forehead, dead center between the brows!

At that moment, Shiba Seika smiled with relief.

"What mission? All I see is you colluding with a traitor to overthrow the Land of Rain."

The Iwagakure captain's eyes bulged with shock, and like his partner in the warehouse, he died with his eyes wide open, unfulfilled.