You Heard Wrong

The roads on the border of the Land of Earth appeared exceptionally desolate in the morning mist.

This was a trade route connecting Iwagakure to the border towns; the surface was a packed dirt path, flanked by heavily weathered rocky mountains and sporadic thickets of thorns.

Occasionally, one could see a few tenacious rock-dwelling trees, their trunks twisted and branches sparse, swaying gently in the dry wind.

A caravan consisting of five horse-drawn carriages was moving forward slowly.

The carriages were loaded with mineral ores, pottery, and medicinal herbs native to Iwagakure, with their destination being Shikou Town, a border town three days' journey away.

The owner of the caravan was a chubby middle-aged merchant named Ishida, who was currently sitting in the driver's seat of the first carriage, wiping sweat from his forehead from time to time—not because of the heat, but because of his nervousness.

This was not his first time hiring ninjas for an escort.

But this time, it was a... peculiar squad.

Ishida stole a glance at the four people following the caravan.

A black-haired boy, who looked only eleven or twelve years old, rarely spoke and spent most of his time observing quietly.

Behind the boy was a black-haired girl of similar age; her expression was quite relaxed, but her eyes scanned the rocky mountains on both sides from time to time, clearly on guard.

Then there was a blonde boy, the tallest child of the group, but still just a child!

The most absurd one was the little red-haired girl, who followed closely behind the black-haired boy like a little tail.

Her eyes held curiosity and a hint of nervousness, and she looked around from time to time as if she were on a spring outing.

They looked professional, but given their ages, Ishida subconsciously doubted whether they were truly reliable.

Jingxin walked at the very front, suddenly sensing an unusual aura.

The road section ahead was far too suitable for an ambush.

Jingxin activated his Sharingan to observe, and sure enough, he discovered an anomaly.

Three people were hiding behind a rocky mountain three hundred meters away, their chakra fluctuations faint but filled with malice.

Wandering ninjas, or mountain bandits?

Jingxin did not call out a warning.

This was the squad's first mission, and he needed to see the performance of Kurotsuchi, Deidara, and Karin.

Sure enough, ten seconds later, Karin's small hand tugged gently on the corner of Jingxin's clothes.

She stood on her tiptoes and leaned into Jingxin's ear, whispering, "Big Brother Jingxin, there are three people behind the rocky mountain on the right, their chakra is very fierce..."

Jingxin nodded and responded in a similarly low voice, "Tell Kurotsuchi."

Karin immediately ran to Kurotsuchi's side and whispered a few words.

Kurotsuchi's expression did not change, but she adjusted her pace slightly, shifting her center of gravity toward the right.

She gave Deidara a look, and Deidara nodded slightly, his right hand quietly reaching into the clay pouch at his waist.

The entire process was natural and fluid, without attracting the attention of the caravan.

Jingxin nodded inwardly.

Karin's perception was sharp, Kurotsuchi's command was decisive, and Deidara's reaction was timely.

For their first time working together, it was not bad at all.

The caravan continued to move forward.

The road turned into a narrow valley.

The rock walls on both sides towered high, and the width of the path could only accommodate two carriages side-by-side—a classic ambush spot.

Kurotsuchi stopped in her tracks and raised her right hand.

The caravan immediately ceased its advance.

"What's wrong?" Ishida asked nervously.

Kurotsuchi stared ahead: "Come out."

The shadows cast by the rock walls made the light dim, and the air was filled with the scent of stone dust.

Five figures leaped out from the gaps in the left rock wall.

They wore tattered leather armor and held various weapons: machetes, spears, and even a rusted crossbow.

Standard wandering ninja attire; their strength was at most that of a genin.

"Enemy attack!" Ishida shouted in panic.

Kurotsuchi charged directly toward the lead wandering ninja, her forearm and fist encased in rock.

The man clearly underestimated her, as his opponent was, after all, just a little girl.

And then.

The muffled thud of a rock-encased fist striking flesh echoed through the valley.

The wandering ninja spat out a mouthful of bile, his entire body flying backward to slam against the rock wall before sliding down, knocked unconscious instantly.

The other four rogue ninjas were stunned for a moment, then roared as they charged forward.

Ishida turned his head nervously to look at the indifferent Jingxin and couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you going to help?"

Jingxin glanced at him with dead fish eyes: "Others need to be given opportunities for experience."

His leisurely demeanor made Ishida feel strange, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

The battlefield.

Deidara's excited voice rang out: "Art is an explosion, hm!"

Five white clay spiders fell from above the rock wall, landing precisely in the middle of the four rogue ninjas.

Boom! Boom-boom!

The four rogue ninjas fell one after another, all losing consciousness.

From start to finish, the battle lasted less than ten seconds.

The caravan members were dumbfounded.

Ishida stood with his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.

Kurotsuchi clapped the dust off her hands, walked over to the unconscious rogue ninjas, and checked their injuries. After confirming their lives were not in danger, she turned to Deidara and said, "Take care of them. Tie them up and throw them by the side of the road; we'll hand them over to the border guards when we return."

"Understood, hm." Deidara jumped down from the rock wall and began binding the rogue ninjas with rope.

Jingxin suddenly spoke up: "There is no need for such trouble."

Several people cast their gazes toward Jingxin, who explained: "Escape techniques are not hard to learn and are widely spread."

"If they get free again, they will continue to harm others."

"We don't have the time to send them off for rehabilitation, so it is best to choose a simpler method of disposal."

Kurotsuchi realized what he meant, and her heart grew tense.

She had graduated early and had performed missions.

But they were mostly catching cats or chasing dogs; although she had experienced combat, she had never shed blood.

Before Kurotsuchi could make a move, an explosion sounded not far away.

"Katsu!! This is my art! Hahaha! Hm!"

Boom!!

The bodies of the several rogue ninjas were reduced to fragments.

Kurotsuchi's expression was not very good, but she was holding up overall.

Karin's performance, however, was surprisingly good; she was very calm, as if she were accustomed to such sights.

Having wandered the Ninja World with her mother since she was young, Karin had seen far too many cruel scenes.

"Deidara and Karin performed well," Jingxin evaluated. "Kurotsuchi, do not be discouraged."

"One of your teammates has experienced this since childhood."

"The other is a madman."

"In this regard, you are indeed a novice."

Kurotsuchi let out a long breath and nodded: "I'm fine. I will adapt."

Deidara clenched his fists and shouted angrily at Jingxin: "Hey! Are you calling me a madman? Hm!"

The caravan began to move forward.

Jingxin yawned and said to Deidara: "You heard wrong."

Deidara frowned.

"Hm?! How could I have heard wrong?! Hm! You said it, didn't you?!"

"No."

"But I clearly heard it! Hm!"

"I told you, you heard wrong."

"Hm?! Hm!"

Kurotsuchi and Karin: "..."

The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful.

The following afternoon, the caravan arrived at Shikou Town.

This was a small town built against a mountain; most of the houses were made of stone, and the streets were narrow but tidy.

Seeing the caravan arrive, the townspeople gathered around to trade, and the scene immediately became lively.

Ishida was busy unloading cargo and trading, while Jingxin and the other three rested at the town's only inn.