Damn it, you dare touch my people

The setting sun dipped low, and the autumn wind blew with a chill.

A tall, handsome youth in a black kimono and wooden clogs, his long red hair tied back simply and a long blade slung at his waist, walked through the forest near the Land of Artisans.

On his peerless, jade-like face, two ten-centimeter scars intersected into a cross, which, far from detracting from his looks, added a touch of heroic spirit.

Himura Kenshin—or rather, Rasa, using a Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of the Himura Kenshin he remembered.

The Land of Artisans was an island nation near the Land of Water, prone to frequent rain.

Even though the sun was shining brightly at this moment, the forest was filled with a hazy dampness that made Rasa feel quite uncomfortable.

The climate of the Land of Wind and the climate of the Land of Artisans could be called two extremes; having crossed half the Shinobi World in two days to get here, he hadn't yet managed to adapt.

You say, how did a ninja from the desert end up taking a mission in a coastal country?

Casually unfolding the Mission Manual, Rasa studied it for a moment, his mood not particularly pleasant.

There wasn't a single clue; how was he supposed to complete this mission? He couldn't just plunder the Land of Artisans and return to Sunagakure alone.

That doesn't seem entirely impossible, though. In the original story, the founder of the Land of Artisans had designs on Gaara, so this could be considered getting revenge for my son a dozen years early.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from ahead. Rasa tucked away the Mission Manual, rested one hand on the hilt of his sword, and squinted into the distance.

"Wind Blade!"

Baki sprinted desperately through the forest, his shoulders and chest wounded, his expression haggard, and his eyes bloodshot.

While fleeing, he didn't forget to gather chakra at his fingertips, forming a sharp whirlwind that he blew toward his pursuers.

Behind him, there were over a dozen pursuers, all wearing Kirigakure headbands, hunting their prey.

The pace was neither fast nor slow; anyone with eyes could see that Baki was at the end of his rope. They only needed to chase him for a while longer, and once his stamina was exhausted, they would win without a fight.

"Pick up the pace! We must force this Sunagakure ninja to his limit."

The team leader, a jonin named Kaguya Taiga, looked impatient and urged his subordinates on. If it weren't for this group of deadbeats dragging him down, would he have failed to catch a mere chunin for so long?

"Yes!"

Ringo Ameyuri, the red-haired girl closest to Kaguya Taiga, responded and accelerated her movement through the forest.

The others also increased their speed, closing the distance to the fleeing Baki.

Unexpectedly, just as Baki was about to enter their attack range, he seemed to have a sudden burst of strength and increased his speed again, pulling away from them.

After all, if they ran slowly, the worst that would happen was failing the mission and getting scolded. But if Baki slowed down, he would lose his life here.

"A bunch of trash! You lot are only good for doing insignificant chores!"

After sternly rebuking his subordinates, Kaguya Taiga gathered chakra at the soles of his feet, stepped onto a tree trunk, and launched himself forward.

Including Ringo Ameyuri, none of the Kirigakure ninjas felt any dissatisfaction at being scolded by Kaguya Taiga.

Even if they did, they wouldn't dare say it out loud.

Kaguya Taiga was a backbone of the Kaguya Clan, a powerful family in Kirigakure, and one of the few jonin in the clan to have awakened the Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku.

With glorious battle achievements and great contributions to the village, his strength was not inferior to the famous Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

For such a big shot to reprimand a few useless chunin, wasn't that just the way of the world?

It was only natural!

"Little mouse, you can't escape."

After closing in on the fugitive, Kaguya Taiga sneered. He extended one hand, and five finger bones flew from his hand in an instant, like arrows released from a bowstring.

It appeared—the legendary Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku!

Ringo Ameyuri and the other chunin all looked at the back of their team leader, Kaguya Taiga, with envious eyes.

There was an insurmountable chasm between Kekkei Genkai ninjas and ordinary ninjas, and the fame of Shikotsumyaku resonated throughout the Shinobi World. Who didn't know of Shikotsumyaku?

Relying on Shikotsumyaku, Kaguya Taiga was among the most elite jonin, capable of competing with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

A fighting spirit ignited in Ringo Ameyuri's eyes. For an ordinary ninja like her, there was only one way to possess power like Kaguya Taiga's: obtain one of the seven blades and become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Unfortunately, the spots were full.

The five finger bones pierced through Baki's chest, their momentum undiminished, and flew straight toward the passing Rasa.

In an instant, Rasa drew his blade. With incredible speed and angle, he unleashed a flurry of slashes, cutting the five finger bones into dust that scattered in the wind.

Then, the long blade returned to its sheath in an instant, displaying the demeanor of a master—he was showing off at every possible moment.

In reality, he was just gripping the sword with his hand and using Electromagnetic Force to manipulate it, allowing him to perfectly cosplay as a swordsman.

Baki collapsed in front of Rasa with a thud, disheveled and coughing up blood, on the verge of death.

Kaguya Taiga's eyes narrowed, his heart filled with extreme caution. He came to a sliding halt, not daring to approach Rasa rashly, even though his mission target was lying at Rasa's feet.

The person before him wore a kimono, and the long blade hanging at his waist was longer than the short swords popular among ninjas.

When he drew his sword just now, it looked effortless; there was no sign of force from his arm or wrist, and not a trace of chakra fluctuation, yet he had unleashed a dazzling, brilliant blade light.

A miraculous swordsmanship, a strike fast to the extreme! This must be the legendary supreme mystery of the Land of Iron samurai—Iaijutsu!

This person's swordsmanship was not inferior to any of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in the village. Combined with the characteristics of his sword style, his identity was self-evident.

He must be the master of a swordsmanship school from the Land of Iron!

Perhaps, he is even the legendary General of the Land of Iron.

The master of Iaijutsu, Mifune, who strikes so fast that ninjas don't even have the chance to weave hand signs!

In a split second, Kaguya Taiga had already filled in the blanks, leaving Mifune to take the blame for no reason.

Waving a hand to stop his subordinates behind him, Kaguya Taiga wore a grave expression and, trying his best to use a tone that wouldn't cause offense, said to Rasa: "Friend from the Land of Iron, this is an internal matter for our Kirigakure."

"He is a traitor to our village. If you are sensible, I hope you will leave here as soon as possible so we can remain at peace. There is no need for you to get caught up in this."

Kirigakure chasing fugitives all the way to the Land of Artisans?

Rasa lowered his head and glanced at the fugitive, his brows knitting together. This kid looked familiar—very, very familiar.

Memories surged from the depths of his mind; wasn't this Baki, his future right-hand man and the teacher of his three children?

If he remembered correctly, Baki was indeed the one sent to the Land of Artisans in disguise to procure ninja tools.

Baki lay on the ground, gasping his last breaths, his vision blurring. Was he really going to die here?

Rasa gripped his sword hilt with one hand, his heroic spirit soaring to the heavens. Possessed by the spirit of a righteous crusader and a bane to all evil, he declared indignantly: "Where the road is uneven, someone will level it; where there is injustice, someone will intervene."

"I, Saint Roronoa Himura Kenshin Dracule Mihawk Isshin Ashina Shanks Sakata Gintoki Reinhard van Astrea Zoro, cannot stand to see people violate the samurai spirit by ganging up on others."

"I am taking charge of this matter!"

Damn ruffians, daring to touch my people!