Which Commission?

Though Shiba Seika had slapped Ando so hard he spun like a top, he was actually quite grateful to the idiot.

He was grateful that Ando had so recklessly trampled all over the ideals Konan had once believed in without question.

If people only sought to understand one another so they could protect scum like this, was there any point in holding on to that ideal?

Holding on to an ideal took years of unwavering resolve, but its collapse often took only a moment of despair.

From that perspective, Ando had done a tremendous service today!

But it wasn't time to deal with him yet.

One enemy remained: the Iwagakure squad leader.

Shiba Seika first reassured Konan and warned her.

"Konan, he's a Special Jonin who specializes in Taijutsu. Keep your distance as much as possible. Don't let him get close!"

Special Jonin weren't really Jonin. They had abilities in certain specialties that could match a Jonin's, but their overall strength still fell somewhere between Chunin and Jonin.

You could think of them as halfway to being Jonin, but with uneven skills.

Like Gekko Hayate from Konoha in the original story, a Special Jonin who excelled at swordsmanship and stealth.

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

He was always cautious. If he hadn't confirmed that the enemy's threat was within manageable limits, he would've gone back for reinforcements the moment Ando showed signs of turning on them.

His ninja code was: better to hurt the heavens than to harm Seika.

If Iwagakure had sent a full-fledged Jonin this time, he would've shut the door and let Nagato loose ages ago!

The only thing he hadn't known was that there were two Special Jonin in Iwagakure's squad.

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

So he carefully arranged his position, proceeding one step at a time. He and Konan kept closing in on the enemy, one in the air and one on the ground.

Little did he know, the trapped Iwagakure squad leader had lost his will to fight long ago. He was terrified and only wanted to escape!

The Iwagakure squad leader hadn't seen the fight in the warehouse. He couldn't imagine how his old partner and three Genin teammates had been wiped out in so little time by a young shinobi from a small village who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen!

Who exactly was this boy? He was so young, yet already a Jonin? Was he Amegakure's secret weapon?! Was the Land of Rain planning to start an all-out war with Iwagakure?!

Shiba Seika hadn't expected his chance performance to send the enemy's thoughts spiraling so wildly.

But with him joining the fight, the enemy's attempt to break through became increasingly obvious.

Shiba Seika immediately noticed.

"Konan, he's trying to escape!"

At once, Konan created more Paper Butterflies. They linked together in the air to form a pair of enormous white paper wings, which spread out to block the enemy's path!

Konan wasn't some delicate flower who was all gentleness and nothing else!

Even among the powerful members of the Akatsuki Organization in the original Shippuden, she had a place of her own!

Fourteen-year-old Konan might not have been able to take on a full-fledged Jonin from a major village, but stopping a Special Jonin who'd lost all will to fight was no problem!

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

Faced with the paper wings blocking his path, the Iwagakure squad leader gradually lost control of his emotions and let out a roar like a cornered beast.

"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 the shinobi of the Five Great Shinobi Countries!"

Perhaps realizing there was no hope of escape, the Iwagakure squad leader finally summoned up the last of his fighting spirit.

But Shiba Seika, his opponent, remained calm. A trace of disappointment slowly appeared on his face.

So this was all the Five Great Shinobi Countries had to offer?

That unspoken mockery only drove his opponent further into a frenzy.

But Shiba Seika was waiting for the moment his opponent lost control and left himself open!

He tossed his Straight Sword into the air and formed Hand Seals.

"Water Release: Water Whip!"

As before, he used an ordinary, low-level ninjutsu.

It had neither the flashy dragon head of a Water Dragon Bullet nor the terrifying volume of water produced by the Great Waterfall Technique.

The stream of water he summoned merely wrapped around the enemy once, then bound him in place.

The Iwagakure squad leader shouted confidently, "Brat, you think a weak ninjutsu like that can hold anyone?!"

But he overlooked the fact that as the water curled around him and tightened, it had also stuck many nearby Paper Butterflies to his body.

The next moment, Shiba Seika caught the Straight Sword he'd tossed up, ran his left hand along the blade, and rubbed Chakra against it until arcs of electricity sparked.

Then he threw the Straight Sword at the enemy without hesitation!

"Crackle! Boom!!"

The dancing sparks ignited the Exploding Tags disguised as Paper Butterflies!

Bound by the Water Whip, the Iwagakure squad leader couldn't form Hand Seals, and had nowhere to dodge!

When the explosion ended, the gravely wounded Iwagakure squad leader lay sprawled on the ground, looking wretched. Shock and terror still lingered on his face.

He couldn't understand.

"Why did the Exploding Tags still go off when they got wet?"

Shiba Seika first cautiously went forward to check the enemy's condition.

Only after confirming that the man was certain to die did he kindly explain.

"Because I suggested that Konan coat the paper with grease."

He'd borrowed the idea from the original story.

Konan would do this in the future. She would even fill an entire trench with Exploding Tags, nearly setting the sea ablaze and almost killing Obito Uchiha in one fell swoop.

The Iwagakure squad leader smiled in despair as understanding dawned on him.

He didn't forget to threaten them one last time. "Amegakure, are you trying to start a war between the Land of Rain and Iwagakure? You'll regret this!"

Shiba Seika gave him a mocking smile.

"You crossed into another country without permission and tried to use force to destroy its local official organization. And you have the nerve to threaten us with war?"

"We... only came... to take a commission. It's... a ninja's... duty."

The man was growing weaker by the moment, and his words began to trail off.

But Shiba Seika had lost interest in listening.

He casually tossed a Kunai behind him, both to shatter the Iwagakure squad leader's excuses and to test how Konan felt about things now.

The Kunai flew straight toward Ando, who was sprawled on the ground not far away.

He hadn't thrown it particularly fast. In fact, he deliberately slowed his motion, and the Kunai spent at least half a second in the air.

Paper Butterflies still fluttered all around the nearby battlefield. If Konan wanted to stop it, she had plenty of time.

But the Kunai wasn't intercepted. It flew smoothly into Ando's forehead, striking him squarely between the brows!

At that moment, Shiba Seika smiled with satisfaction.

"What commission? All I see is you colluding with a spy and trying to overthrow the Land of Rain."

The Iwagakure squad leader's eyes widened with shock. In the end, just like his partner in the warehouse, he died with his eyes open.