Betrayal

Ya Midie watched the child before him in silence, yet he could no longer bring himself to view him as merely a child.

It was this very boy, who appeared harmless and wore a smile so innocent it bordered on cute, who had swept through a group of cold-blooded bandits the day before. The blood of those brigands had sprayed onto his body and face, yet he had remained completely indifferent, continuing his slaughter without a flicker of emotion.

That day, because Ya Midie had a decent impression of Xian Yu and feared for the safety of the two children, he had hurriedly informed his companions before following the young boy and girl from the rear of the caravan to the village entrance.

He had witnessed everything with his own eyes, especially the moment this child named Xiao Yu used a kunai to slice a blocking bandit clean in half... the scene had been utterly soul-shaking!

As a samurai who had traveled far and wide with merchant caravans, Ya Midie was no stranger to blood, nor was he a stranger to killing. But to see someone so cruelly sliced in two while still alive... it had shaken him to his core.

Later, the boy had even killed the powerful ninja Black Wind, the leader of the Black Wind Stronghold, a man who even Chairman Hua Qi feared.

The terrifying circular crater and the deep, crisscrossing trenches in the ground were all the result of the ninjutsu unleashed by this child and the other girl.

In truth, it was no wonder Ya Midie was so shocked; even in the original records, those capable of using Wind Style were exceedingly rare.

Furthermore, the Wind Style of the Shimura Clan, having been refined by Danzo, possessed even more formidable power.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere and Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves were only B-rank ninjutsu; the classification of ninjutsu merely denoted the difficulty of cultivation.

While it was true to a certain extent that S-rank ninjutsu were generally stronger than A or B-rank, it was not an absolute rule.

Much like certain forbidden techniques, which were labeled as such only because they caused too much damage to the body or required too high a price, their actual destructive power varied greatly.

Seeing that Ya Midie had finished relaying the information he knew, Xian Yu looked at him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, a gaze that made Ya Midie feel a chill run down his spine.

"Uncle Ya, I still can't figure out why you would come to tell me all this." Xian Yu crossed his arms, smiling as he scrutinized Ya Midie.

Ya Midie paused, then finally said with a bitter laugh, "You really aren't like a child."

After a brief hesitation, Ya Midie took a deep breath and dropped a bombshell: "The Chairman sent me to kill you."

"Oh? And how do you intend to kill me?" Xian Yu asked, not the least bit concerned, but rather quite curious.

"This is colorless and odorless, and it can make one's muscles and bones go weak. Because it contains no toxins and isn't fatal, it's much harder to detect." Ya Midie pulled a small bottle from his pocket and continued, "Because I've been close to you, it would seem natural for me to come and visit. Then, I would find an opportunity to put this into your food or water. If anyone else from the merchant guild tried this, it would inevitably alert Xiaomei. The Chairman originally wanted to deal with you both directly, but the hired ninja didn't have the confidence to handle Xiaomei."

At this point, Ya Midie wore a bitter expression: "Of course, that was the Chairman's assessment. Looking at the facts now, if I had actually gone through with it, I would likely be dead by now..."

"Hmm... it certainly wouldn't have succeeded. So, Uncle Ya, why tell me? Betraying one's employer should be the greatest taboo for a samurai, shouldn't it?"

Holy crap... he was actually going to poison me... While Xian Yu maintained a calm facade, his heart was anything but peaceful. Σ(?д?lll)

Hearing the mention of a samurai's taboo, Ya Midie's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with fierce resentment as he spat, "Because that bastard never intended for me to survive!"

"Hmm? That seems extreme, doesn't it? If you succeeded, wouldn't you be a hero? As for silencing you, there are so many people in the caravan, could he really kill them all? Besides, by your own account, you weren't discovered by Hua Qi when you were eavesdropping, were you?" The more Xian Yu heard, the more confused he became.

"We all heard Xiaomei's shout that day. She called you 'Young Master'." Ya Midie adjusted his emotions slightly, his face regaining some composure as he continued, "I was following behind you two that day, but I arrived a step late. Just as I caught up, I heard Chairman Hua Qi scolding you, then Xiaomei killed those bandits, and you both charged into the fray. Fearing that Chairman Hua Qi would misunderstand and think I had led you to the front, I hid behind a carriage to watch... and that's when I heard Xiaomei call you 'Young Master' in her anxiety. At the time, the Rain Ninja beside Chairman Hua Qi said that Xiaomei was at least a Chunin and that he wasn't confident in dealing with her. And to have a Chunin willingly follow someone and call them 'Young Master'..."

Hearing this, Xian Yu finally understood the gist of it.

It turned out the man was afraid of Xian Yu's powerful backing, so he planned to have Ya Midie poison him first, then silence Ya Midie afterward. Otherwise...

Since she called him "Young Master," did that imply there was a "Master" somewhere? (/ω＼)

If the Young Master was already this formidable, what about the Master?

Clearly, Ya Midie had reached the same conclusion, and thus, he naturally realized that Hua Qi had no intention of letting him live.

"Then, Uncle Ya, happy to be working with you." Once Xian Yu understood the cause and effect, a smile appeared on his face as he extended his hand.

As long as you swing the hoe well, there's no wall you can't tear down. Since ancient times, deep affection cannot keep a heart, but schemes always win them over. If love has a color, it must be the color of forgiveness. Society is too restless; one slip and things get messy. Brother Hua Qi... you'll forgive me, right? Did crocodile tears fall from the corner of Xian Yu's eyes? _?

Just like that, without Hua Qi ever knowing, his subordinate had been poached.

Ya Midie hurriedly shook Xian Yu's hand, looking flattered: "What do you need me to do? Should I put this stuff into Hua Qi and his men's food?" ∑(?Д?)

Xian Yu was momentarily choked by the suggestion... although this Uncle Ya was just an ordinary guard, he was truly a man of action—clear-headed, bold, and meticulous. Most importantly, he was ruthless; once he decided to defect, he did so thoroughly...

This made Xian Yu hold the man in higher regard.

"That won't be necessary. Uncle Ya, do you have family that needs settling?" Xian Yu pondered for a moment, a plan already forming in his mind.

Ya Midie nodded: "My wife and son are in the Land of Rain."

"How about this: here is 2,000 ryo in banknotes. Take it, go back, pack up, and take your family to Konoha. Tell them you are a new guard recruited by me, Shimura Xian Yu. Someone will provide you with food and lodging there. I'll have other arrangements for you once I return to the village." Xian Yu had his own reasons for this; he needed staff under his command, and this was related to a grand plan of his.

Upon hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Ya Midie's face. Konoha was a wonderful place; there were far too many people who dreamed of moving there, and he had actually been given this opportunity! Just who was this Shimura Xian Yu to have such influence? However, since Xian Yu hadn't volunteered the information, the perceptive Uncle Ya naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to ask, and he ecstatically agreed.

Xian Yu nodded at this. In truth, whether his identity was revealed or not didn't matter much. It was just that the devil was always in the details.

"Oh, right, Uncle Ya." Just as Ya Midie was walking out of the courtyard gate, Xian Yu suddenly called out.

"Hmm? Young Master, is there something else?" Ya Midie asked, puzzled.

Xian Yu smiled: "Oh... nothing much. Just remember to lead with your left leg when you step out." (/ω＼)