Miyamoto Musashi

"Is that Searing Migraine? Kakuzu used that technique often too, but its power was nowhere near this." Ruri muttered, focusing slightly.

"There is no superiority or inferiority between ninjas and samurai! Since ninjas can use Kenjutsu, samurai can naturally use chakra as well. There is no conflict between the two; only their beliefs differ!" Ruri had once looked down on samurai somewhat, but according to the system's introduction, the slash that had drawn upon natural energy to freeze the waterfall required an enormous amount of chakra. Yet ordinary samurai could perform that slash without chakra, relying solely on their belief in Bushido. This greatly changed his opinion of samurai. He even considered popularizing Kenjutsu in Takigakure. Samurai had not been eliminated; it was simply that the samurai who truly embodied the spirit of Bushido had not yet been born. Perhaps when that time came, samurai would regain their former glory.

Iaijutsu! Ruri drew his blade with his left hand once more. This time, the Iaijutsu emphasized speed—so fast that to outsiders, it seemed as though he had not moved at all.

"So fast!" Mitsunosuke barely managed to follow the Iaijutsu, yet he only realized what had happened after a long moment. As for the others, Fujiwara Masatsune even thought Ruri had been frightened into stillness.

"Ha! So what if he's a high-ranking samurai? Before ninjutsu, he's too scared to even move!" The faint respect Fujiwara Masanori had held for Ruri vanished without a trace. Though he was only an Elite Chunin now, he felt that with his powerful ninjutsu, he might even be able to defeat a high-ranking samurai!

"Something's wrong..." As the caster, Fujiwara Masatsune was the first to sense that something was off. According to his plan, the flames of Searing Migraine should have burned away Ruri's robe and revealed his true face. Yet the flames had stopped before him, completely motionless!

Perhaps sensing Fujiwara Masatsune's confusion, the flames gave him an answer the next moment. The flames that had spread for several meters abruptly went out, replaced by a surging wave of sword aura.

"Well, Lord Masatsune? How did that high-ranking samurai feel?" Ruri asked flatly. That slash had consumed only one-tenth of his chakra. Those self-proclaimed generals of the Land of Iron could probably do the same.

"Th-this... May I ask how I should address you?" Even if Fujiwara Masatsune looked down on samurai, he had to show sufficient respect to someone who could extinguish Fire Style with Kenjutsu.

"Huh?" Ruri paused, only then realizing he had not even given his name. That seemed rather contrary to the spirit of Bushido, so he casually made one up. "Miyamoto Musashi."

"Senior Musashi, we shall depart at once. Do you require a carriage?" Masatsune asked respectfully. As for names, someone like him who had long abandoned Bushido did not care in the slightest. He assumed Ruri simply did not wish to expose his identity too much because he had accepted the job through the Black Market Exchange.

"He..." Shizuka wanted to say something, but Mitsunosuke blocked her behind him.

As a high-ranking samurai, Mitsunosuke understood even better how terrifying that slash had been. Setting aside sheer strength, one had to cultivate one's sword intent to a certain level to deliver such a strike. This person might disrupt their plans, but so long as he did not become an enemy, they should avoid provoking him whenever possible.

"What's this, little brother? This is Niten Ichi-ryu. Want to learn about it?" Having heard Shizuka's voice, Ruri turned and spoke softly, placing particular emphasis on the words "little brother."

"I do..." For some reason, Shizuka answered as if possessed. In her heart, only such Kenjutsu could serve as the foundation for revenge.

"If you want to learn, you'll have to pay for it with a lifetime's worth of devotion~" After leaving those words behind, Ruri followed Fujiwara Masatsune into the forest. He did not know the two people's exact plan, but Seimei was certainly not someone they could defeat with the strength of just the two of them.

"A high-ranking samurai? Masatsune must have challenged you, then. My apologies, he has always been that sort..." An elderly white-haired man leaned on a cane as he spoke with Ruri in the woods. He was the true decision-maker—the head of the Fujiwara Clan, Fujiwara Shizume.

"Then I shall leave it to Lord Musashi, along with Mitsunosuke and Shizuka. In addition to the Black Market Exchange's mission reward, I will personally provide three hundred thousand ryo. I hope all of you will give your utmost in the coming operation, as a small token of my sincerity." A smile appeared on Fujiwara Shizume's gaunt face as he took out a cloth bundle and handed it to the three of them.

Ruri frowned, but did not reveal any flaw. Three hundred thousand ryo was no small sum. The total reward for this mission was only three million; split among three people, that came to merely one million each. He accepted the cloth bundle. It seemed this caravan was far from simple.

He had founded the Black Market Exchange. Though his control over it had steadily weakened over the years, its original rules had never changed. Apart from mission rewards, the Black Market Exchange absolutely prohibited private dealings between clients and operatives. Once discovered, such conduct would result in permanent pursuit by the Black Market Exchange.

Unless these people were confident they could silence everyone after the mission was completed. But after Ruri had revealed a fraction of his strength, that seemed unlikely. The only remaining explanation was that this mission was extremely dangerous, with almost no chance of survival. They did not believe Ruri and the others would return alive, and the money was merely meant to make them give it everything they had.

After a brief conversation and introduction, the caravan set out. According to them, it was transporting extremely valuable cargo, and some information might have leaked out, drawing powerful ninjas who would attempt to rob it.

Naturally, those words could not be trusted. Ruri did not believe there was anything that required a mission posted through the Black Market Exchange. The Black Market Exchange dealt in shady business, and almost no caravan sought guards there. Most people who accepted its missions were vicious criminals. What if rogue ninjas or bandits suddenly became greedy, seized the goods, and fled? They did not care about reputation, and even the Black Market Exchange would be unable to control them.

"But they really are transporting something. What could require such secrecy?" Ruri murmured to himself. The Fujiwara Clan also seemed to be an obscure reclusive family, leaving him completely unable to make sense of it.

"That's it!" At that moment, Ruri heard Shizuka and Mitsunosuke whispering to each other.

"Young Mistress, are you certain?" Mitsunosuke looked in the direction of Shizuka's gaze. It was merely a wooden box sitting on a carriage. If it truly was that thing, why would they place it out in the open so plainly?

"That's right, it's that item! The Fujiwara Clan expects someone to try to steal it along the way, so they put it outside to make others overlook it. But I'm different. My family's secret records mentioned this wooden box. I've seen it before!" Shizuka said with certainty, her eyes fixed firmly on the box.

"Say, what exactly is that thing? If you keep staring at it like that, you'll be noticed very easily, you know?!" Ruri appeared in front of Shizuka at some point and said sinisterly.

"Ah! You!" Shizuka seemed thoroughly frightened. Mitsunosuke gripped his sword hilt. If Ruri showed any intention of exposing what they had just discussed, he would act even at the cost of his life. The information absolutely could not leak!