The Enemy's Suffering Was Nothing Compared to Taiichi's

The New Year holiday passed by in a flurry of activity. On the first day after the holiday, Team 8 reunited in the Mission Hall.

Yohei, who couldn't wait any longer, grabbed Captain Yamaguchi and dragged him into the hall, as if if they were a step too late, all the good missions would be snatched away by others.

In reality, ninjas are also human beings, and it's a job for them; not everyone wants to come out and work at this time.

The Mission Hall was deserted, with only a few ninjas coming to accept missions.

Captain Yamaguchi took the mission list, glanced at it briefly, and handed it to Taiichi. Clearly, this mission was entirely as compensation for Taiichi others, so the choice was left to the Taiichi them.

Yohei and Saori understood what the Captain meant, and they both gathered around to look at the list together.

After some searching, the three of them first eliminated the D-level and C-level missions. They had been doing these missions Tenten for the past few months and were almost sick of them. Now that their Captain had returned, they were eager to do some higher-level missions.

Soon, a Rank B protection mission came into their view: to protect the safe production of Mining Area in the Land of Rivers before February 15th, 45th year of Konoha.

On the first day after the New Year, there were already few high-level missions, and even fewer suitable for Team 8. This guardian mission was exactly the most suitable one.

Leaving the Mission Hall, Yohei eagerly waved the Mission Scroll, grinning, "Finally, I can carry out a high-level mission! During the vacation, I honed my Sharingan to a new level, and I'm sure I can Kamui in this mission!"

As he spoke, he imitated Taiichi's sword-wielding motion, nearly bumping into a roadside stall. Taiichi sighed in exasperation, while Saori silently took two steps to the side.

"If you don't watch where you're going and crash into the stall, your Uchiha Police Force will probably be coming to invite you for tea. Then, forget about showing off your Kamui; you'll even have trouble going on missions!"

Captain Yamaguchi timely poured cold water on Yohei, and Yohei, who obviously knew the Police Force's style, immediately became obedient.

None of them noticed that their actions had been observed by a customer in a brown haori at the corner teahouse. He subtly curled his lip and muttered under his breath, "Are all Konoha ninjas this impulsive now?"

Especially that older, dark-haired kid, so loud and boisterous, he had none of the composure of a ninja.

At this moment, Captain Yamaguchi stopped in front of the teahouse, looking around as if searching for something. When he spotted the distinctive brown haori in the corner, he beckoned Taiichi other two to come forward.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Tokugawa?" Captain Yamaguchi stopped beside the man, staring at him to make a final confirmation.

The guest who was drinking tea with his head down looked up when he heard the voice and saw that the speaker was the group of Konoha Ninja he had just looked down on. A bad feeling rose in his heart.

"I am Tokugawa Shuo." He made no attempt to hide his distrust, glancing at Yohei's Headband. "Konoha wouldn't just send you to complete this mission, would they? Given the bond between the Tokugawa Clan and Konoha, isn't this a bit too dismissive?"

"Hey! I am—" Yohei was clearly angered by Tokugawa Shuo's contemptuous look and was about to argue when Taiichi grabbed his sleeve.

Captain Yamaguchi calmly handed over his Ninja ID, which clearly recorded his completed missions, including seven S-rank Mission, directly demonstrating his and his team's strength.

Tokugawa Shuo's expression softened slightly, but he still stared at Yohei: "And this kid, I think he's the most unreliable. He was just jumping around like that."

"Yohei Uchiha, you should know the Uchiha surname, right?" Captain Yamaguchi emphasized. "Don't let his young age fool you; he's already had experience fighting Jonin. Besides, my team is an elite team that has completed A-rank Mission multiple times."

Tokugawa Shuo's teacup visibly trembled, clearly indicating that as someone who frequently dealt with Konoha, he was aware of the Uchiha's formidable reputation.

The saying that one-on-one combat is a sure way to escape is not only circulating in the Ninja World, but also among the employers who frequently hire ninjas.

"In that case—" Tokugawa Shuo became serious, reluctantly accepting their explanation, "Then, gentlemen, let's hurry and set off. My latest news is that the Kawata Clan has also hired ninjas, and I've heard that some of them are from Sunagakure."

The midday sun couldn't ward off the February chill. Tokugawa Shuo member of the Team 8 Guardian Team, was walking along the road leading to the Land of Rivers, explaining the details of the mission to everyone as he went.

"Matsudaira City has a high-quality Mining Area, which has traditionally been mined by my Tokugawa Clan. A large portion of the mined iron ore is sold to your Konoha."

As he spoke, Tokugawa Shuo gave a meaningful look to Captain Yamaguchi, who was leading the group. The implication was clear: this mission was not only for the Tokugawa Clan, but also for Konoha.

"But this year is different. Our rival, the Kawata Clan, suddenly started doing iron ore business before the Lunar New Year. They also have their eyes on the iron ore in this Mining Area, so they bribed officials in the City Lord's Mansion to compete for this year's mining rights."

"Then let's fight for it! The Tokugawa Clan has been managing this Mining Area for so many years, surely they have some tricks up their sleeves?" Yohei said, quite puzzled. "Could it be that the Kawata Clan has used some underhanded methods?"

"Yes, in the early stages of previous mining rights disputes, the City Lord's Mansion would send people to inspect the Mining Area's production and safety to assess whether the Tokugawa Clan was capable of continuing the competition for mining rights. This allows for manipulation."

Tokugawa Shuo finally got to the crux of the mission: "If an accident occurs in the Mining Area during this period, or if we are unable to complete the City Lord's Mansion's task on time, coupled with the Kawata Clan's instigation from behind, the Tokugawa Clan will basically lose the competition for the mining rights."

"So, all we need to do is ensure that the Mining Area is not disturbed by the outside world and can continue operations during this period," Captain Yamaguchi concluded.

"That's right, the fate of the Tokugawa Clan is in your hands!"

As he spoke, Tokugawa Shuo, disregarding that they were on a journey, immediately bowed deeply to everyone at a 90-degree angle, leaving Taiichi others flustered.

Time is tight. According to the mission requirements, everyone must arrive at the Tokugawa Clan on February 1st. Including today, there are only 5 days left. If it were just ninjas traveling, that would be more than enough time. The key issue is that Tokugawa Shuo is just a Civilian with some martial arts skills.

In order to speed up their journey, the group of five could only make the most of every moment, and it took them two days to finally set foot in the land of Land of Rivers.

The night was as dark as ink. Team 8 and Tokugawa Shuo walked through the dense forest of the Land of Rivers. Since leaving the Land of Fire yesterday, the wide roads had gradually disappeared, and more and more forest paths had appeared on the road. This made the members of Team 8 more vigilant.

The bright Gekko was cut into scattered fragments by the dense canopy of trees, dappling the hurried footsteps of the group. Tokugawa Shuo, panting heavily, spoke intermittently.

"In one more day—we'll be able to reach the Tokugawa Clan —I haven't disappointed the patriarch's expectations—I've finally managed to bring you back in time."

"Mr. Tokugawa, you should talk less and save your energy!" Saori, walking beside him, couldn't help but speak up. "If it weren't for Taiichi using Medical Ninjutsu to help you recover these past few days, you would have died from exhaustion at this rate."

"Yes, I really have to thank you, young friend Taiichi!" As soon as he finished speaking, Tokugawa Shuo coughed violently, clearly having caught a stitch in his side again, and this wasn't the first time.

"Alright, let's rest here tonight. Even if we're in a hurry, a little more time won't make a difference." Captain Yamaguchi spoke up, genuinely worried that if they continued walking, his client would be exhausted first.

Taiichi and Saori set up their tent in an open space as planned, leaving only Captain Yamaguchi and Yohei to guard Tokugawa Shuo on either side.

A dark cloud drifted by, obscuring the bright moon, and the once-bright night sky suddenly darkened.

Just then, Six Paths dark figures suddenly swooped down from the treetops, the sound of Shuriken shattering the quiet night.

"Ding ding ding"

Captain Yamaguchi had already drawn his Kunai and parried the incoming Shuriken with a few swings, but at this moment, four of them...

The figure had already entangled with them, clearly indicating that the enemy knew there was only one person present.

On the other side, Yohei also effortlessly dodged the Shuriken attack, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan emitting a scarlet light in the darkness.

He abruptly pulled Tokugawa Shuo aside, a Kunai grazing his ear and shaving off a few strands of hair.

Fire Style: Great Fireball.

The blazing Fireball forced one of the attackers back, but as he retreated, he didn't forget to throw a few Kunai Yohei's direction.

The angle of the Kunai was very tricky. It seemed to be aimed at Yohei, but it was actually aimed at Tokugawa Shuo, who was protecting him behind him, forcing Yohei to take the Kunai.

However, at this moment, another attacker seized the opportunity to attack Tokugawa Shuo, who had stumbled and fallen, from the other side of Yohei.

They've said a lot, but it's actually only been less than 10 seconds since the attack started. Taiichi and Saori were still camping some distance away and were just hearing the commotion and are heading here.

Captain Yamaguchi was then entangled by four ninjas whose fighting style, which sought only to avoid mistakes and not to gain merit, made it impossible for the Captain to break free for the time being.

It was clear that Tokugawa Shuo was in imminent danger.

"Don't underestimate me!" Yohei roared, his Sharingan spinning rapidly, accurately predicting the trajectory of the Kunai's attack.

He sidestepped the first Kunai that blocked his movement, deflected the second Kunai aimed at Tokugawa Shuo with his Kunai, and then used his Headband to block the last Kunai aimed at him.

The movements were fluid and seamless, culminating in the Kunai of the kunai aimed at the ninja attacking Tokugawa Shuo.

Taking advantage of this delay, Yohei Body Flicker rushed forward and blocked Tokugawa Shuo's path. With the enhancement of his Sharingan, he quickly pinned the enemy to the tree trunk.

It was only then that Tokugawa Shuo realized that he had just been in mortal danger, but fortunately the young man in front of him intervened in time and pulled him back from the brink of Death God.

When he looked back at the battlefield, the ninja who had just been forced back by Yohei had fallen to Taiichi's blade, and the four ninjas who had previously besieged Captain Yamaguchi had fled in disarray after leaving behind two corpses.

"Should we give chase?" Taiichi, who had walked over with his sword, asked coldly, looking in the direction the two ninjas had fled.

"No need. They're just cannon fodder for testing the waters. They definitely have backup behind them, so killing them is pointless."

"Six Chunin used as cannon fodder; it seems the Kawata Clan is determined to take them all!" Taiichi sheathed his Short Sword and examined the corpses on the ground. "They're all Bounty Ninja; I didn't find Sunagakure."

At this moment, Yohei accompanied Tokugawa Shuo over, Taiichi immediately noticed Yohei's right arm, where there was a clear scratch.

Are you injured?

Yohei followed Taiichi's gaze to his right arm, where a wound about 10 centimeters long was visible. It wasn't deep and had already stopped bleeding, so he said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, it's just a small wound. If I had noticed it later, it might have been fine."

Seeing that he was still in the mood to joke, everyone relaxed. Taiichi, Taiyi's words immediately froze Yohei's smug smile on his face.

"Poisonous!"

"No... no way, Taiichi, I don't feel anything!" As he spoke, Yohei raised his arm again and examined it carefully.

Sure enough, the area around the wound had begun to turn black, accompanied by waves of numbness.

"Taiichi, is Yohei alright?" Tokugawa Shuo, who had previously looked down on Yohei, now took the initiative to inquire about his health. Clearly, Yohei's previous act of saving his life had deeply moved him.

Taiichi didn't answer. He searched around the place where Yohei had fought before and found the poisoned Kunai. He held it up to his face and sniffed it, and a fishy stench wafted over.

Nodding knowingly, Taiichi took out several bottles and jars from his Ninja Tool Pouch and began to tinker with them.

Tokugawa Shuo was completely bewildered.

Yohei's lips twitched as he watched.

Saori and the Captain turned around and chuckled.

As Taiichi's teammates, they knew Taiichi pharmaceutical style all too well: it was truly effective, but the taste was also utterly indescribable.

"Taiichi, won't the village's standard Antidote Pill work?" Yohei asked Taiichi, who was preparing the medicine, clinging to his last hope, his hands rubbing together as if he were quite embarrassed.

Taiichi, casual remark, he silenced Yohei.

"I have no objection, as long as you're not afraid of any aftereffects."

Five minutes later, a hastily made pill was handed to Yohei. "It was made quickly, so the taste might not be very good!"

After hearing this, Yohei's face turned even more bitter. If the specially made version tasted this bad, then this makeshift one would surely be even worse.

Looking at the pill in his hand, which he had to take sooner or later, Yohei closed his eyes, shoved it down his throat without even chewing, and swallowed it directly. The pill, the size of a longan, slid down his throat with difficulty, causing Yohei and roll his eyes back. He quickly grabbed the Kettle and poured water into his mouth.

After finally managing to swallow the medicine, Yohei immediately stuck out his tongue and breathed heavily, as if that would dispel the lingering bitterness in his mouth.

At this moment, Tokugawa Shuo realized that his strong reaction was simply due to fear of taking medicine, which made him have a new perspective on Yohei, who had just been so valiant.

Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Captain Yamaguchi patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "If you ever have the chance, you'll understand why Yohei has that expression."

1

After a bit of commotion, everyone cleaned up the scene, pitched the tents, arranged the night watch, and then went to rest.

The dark clouds drifted by silently, and the bright moon reappeared, its Gekko filtering through the leaves and illuminating the dim forest once more.