Qingshui checked Ide Hiroya's injuries. They weren't serious, and he just needed time to recover.
After all, he had already been treated, so there was no need to spend more time on it.
Ide Juuhachirou simply loved his son dearly, which was why he had insisted on bringing a Medical Ninja in case anything went wrong.
Once everything was ready, the caravan officially left Konoha and set off for the Land of Rain.
Two days later, the caravan entered the Land of Rain.
The weather had changed dramatically.
The once-clear sky was hidden behind thick clouds, and the rain fell as if it would never stop.
This weather left Sasaki Ayami, who had come to the Land of Rain for the first time, completely perplexed.
Having grown up in Konoha, she found it hard to understand the Land of Rain's climate and weather.
"Does it rain nonstop in the Land of Rain?"
"Not nonstop, but it rarely lets up. Even when the rain stops, it's usually still overcast, and the sun rarely comes out."
Ide Juuhachirou, a native of the Land of Rain, answered her question.
Qingshui also found it hard to understand.
Such strange weather was beyond anything he knew. It wasn't scientific at all.
In the end, he could only chalk it up to the strange nature of the Ninja World.
"Something's wrong. There are a lot of Ninja up ahead!"
As Captain Mikoto spoke, the caravan immediately stopped. Qingshui and the others all prepared for a fight.
"Uncle Ide, get inside the carriage. Whatever happens, don't come out."
"Understood. I'll leave it to you."
Ide Juuhachirou knew that staying outside would only cause trouble, so he hurried into the carriage.
The group of Ninja quickly surrounded the caravan. Qingshui looked around and saw that there were twenty of them.
Their own group had only five people, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
If a fight broke out, each of them would have to take on four opponents.
Unless they were overwhelmingly stronger, Ninja couldn't simply ignore a numbers disadvantage in battle.
"We're Konoha Ninja, here on a mission in the Land of Rain. Who are you?"
Mikoto didn't act rashly. She identified herself first.
Konoha was, after all, the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages and had a formidable reputation in the Ninja World. Few Ninja would refuse to show Konoha Ninja some respect.
Sure enough, when Mikoto spoke, the opposing group grew noticeably uneasy.
Of the three standing at the front, the female Ninja looked at the man in the middle.
"Seiji, they're Konoha Ninja. Should we just leave?"
"But we're already running low on food. If we miss this chance, everyone will go hungry for the next few days."
The male Ninja beside her objected.
Of course, despite what he said, he too looked hesitant.
Despite their numbers, they were nothing more than a group of Missing-nin who had banded together for warmth and safety.
They had come here because the Land of Rain had remained in chaos ever since the Second Shinobi World War ended.
But they hadn't expected the conditions to be so harsh. Even food was difficult to come by, leaving them with no choice but to steal it.
And with so many of them, they naturally needed a lot of food.
Only by robbing caravans like this could they get by.
This time, they'd had terrible luck. The caravan they'd chosen was being escorted by Konoha Ninja.
When the two finished speaking, everyone turned to look at Seiji.
He was the strongest among them, and naturally their leader.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Seiji stepped forward and slowly addressed Mikoto.
"We have no intention of making enemies of Konoha. If you're willing to stand aside, you can leave here safely."
As their leader, he had to take responsibility for the companions and subordinates who followed him.
And as a Missing-nin, he knew it was best not to provoke Konoha.
Of course, if a fight proved unavoidable, he wouldn't be afraid of one.
He didn't believe his group would lose to the five Ninja standing before them.
Even if they were Konoha Ninja.
After all, he had once been a Ninja of Kirigakure, and he was a Jonin.
The two who had spoken earlier were also Missing-nin from Kirigakure. They were a little weaker than him, but they were Jonin too.
The rest came from Small Ninja Villages, and most had strength comparable to Chunin.
A Rogue Ninja Team like theirs was a force to be reckoned with wherever they went.
Mikoto naturally couldn't agree to his demand.
Although the mission they had taken was only C-Rank, encountering Ninja meant the situation was at least a B-rank mission.
But this wasn't because the client had concealed anything. It was simply an unexpected encounter.
There was no way they could just abandon the mission.
Ninja didn't produce anything themselves; they made their money by taking missions. If they abandoned their clients whenever danger appeared, who would dare hire Konoha in the future?
"You're dreaming!"
Before the words had even left her mouth, Mikoto activated her Sharingan.
At the sight of her eyes, Seiji's expression changed. He quickly looked away.
"The Sharingan! She's an Uchiha! Don't look into her eyes, or you'll fall under Genjutsu!"
As a Ninja from Kirigakure, he knew all about the Sharingan.
At his warning, everyone hurriedly averted their eyes.
As he shouted, Seiji was the first to perform a Jutsu.
The downpouring surroundings instantly filled with thick mist, blocking everyone's view.
Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!
Though it was only a D-Rank Jutsu, Kirigakure used it to neutralize the Sharingan.
As long as they couldn't see, the Sharingan would be far less effective.
The Mist Ninja themselves, however, had trained to fight in such conditions, so they wouldn't be affected.
Of course, Seiji had also trained his companions from the Small Ninja Villages to do the same.
They too could fight in these conditions.
"Why can't I see anything all of a sudden?"
Mukai Yuki sounded panicked, unsure what to do.
But Mikoto's voice rang out in time, calming him down.
"It's an enemy Jutsu. Take up the cross formation and don't make any rash moves."
As she gave the order, Mikoto quickly formed Hand Seals and used the Shadow Clone Technique.
Poof!
Three more Mikotos appeared, taking up positions in four directions to guard against enemy attacks.
The Minato Trio immediately followed Mikoto's instructions.
Qingshui formed Hand Seals and used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough at once.
It was a C-Rank Jutsu he had obtained from the Golden Orb. It let him blow a powerful gust of wind from his mouth, with its strength depending on how much Chakra he used.
To make sure he could disperse the thick mist, Qingshui didn't hold back on Chakra.
Poof!
In an instant, a fierce wind roared through the area, scattering the mist that had given Mikoto so much trouble and restoring their vision.
"How is this possible?!"
Seiji's expression changed as he neared Mikoto's real body.
His Jutsu had been dispelled so quickly!
And one look at Mikoto's astonished expression told him she hadn't done it.
A sense of foreboding crept over Seiji.
He had assumed that, apart from Mikoto, the Jonin leading the team, the rest of the Konoha Ninja were Genin and not worth worrying about.
Now it seemed he had been wrong.
After all, a Genin couldn't have dispersed the Hidden Mist Technique cast by a Jonin like him.
But there was no turning back now. If he could take out the Uchiha woman in front of him first, the others probably wouldn't pose much of a threat.
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