How Dare You Touch My People

The sun sank in the west, and the autumn wind rustled.

A handsome young man, tall and slender, wore a black kimono and wooden sandals. His long red hair was simply tied behind him, and a long sword hung at his waist as he walked through the woods near the Land of Artisans.

Two ten-centimeter scars crossed over each other like an X on his peerlessly handsome face. Far from detracting from his looks, they added a touch of ruggedness.

He was Himura Kenshin—or rather, Rasa had used the Transformation Technique to take on the appearance of Himura Kenshin as he remembered him.

The Land of Artisans was an island nation near the Land of Water, and it rained often.

Even with the sun shining brightly, a hazy dampness hung in the woods, making Rasa very uncomfortable.

The climate of the Land of Wind and that of the Land of Artisans were polar opposites. After crossing half the Shinobi World to get here in just two days, he still hadn't adjusted.

How had a shinobi from the desert like him ended up on a mission in a coastal country?

Rasa casually opened the Mission Manual and studied it for a moment, his mood less than sunny.

There wasn't a single clue. How was he supposed to complete the mission? It wasn't as if he could just seize the Land of Artisans and then return to Sunagakure alone.

Though, perhaps he could. In the story, the founder of the Land of Artisans had set his sights on Gaara. This would mean getting revenge for his son more than a decade early.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from up ahead. Rasa put away the Mission Manual, rested one hand on his sword hilt, and narrowed his eyes as he stared into the distance.

"Wind Blade!"

Baki sprinted frantically through the woods. He had injuries on his shoulder and chest, his face was haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Even as he fled, he gathered chakra at his fingertips, forming a sharp whirlwind that swept back toward his pursuers.

More than a dozen pursuers followed behind him. Every one of them wore a Kirigakure Forehead Protector as they hunted their quarry.

They were keeping a steady pace. Anyone could see that Baki was already at the end of his rope. They only needed to chase him a little longer, until he ran out of strength, and they could win without a fight.

"Pick up the pace. We have to push this Sunagakure shinobi to his limit."

Kaguya Taiga, the jōnin leading the team, looked impatient as he urged on his subordinates. If he weren't being held back by this bunch of useless deadweight, would it really have taken him this long to catch up to a Chunin?

"Yes, sir!"

Ringo Ameyuri, the red-haired girl closest to Kaguya Taiga, answered and sped up as she darted through the woods.

The others quickened their pace as well, closing in on the fleeing Baki.

Unexpectedly, just as Baki was about to enter their attack range, he seemed to get a second wind. His speed suddenly surged, and he left them behind.

After all, if they ran too slowly, the worst that could happen was that they'd fail their mission and get scolded. If Baki slowed down, he'd lose his life.

"You useless lot! The only thing you're good for is menial work!"

After sharply rebuking his subordinates, Kaguya Taiga gathered chakra in the soles of his feet, planted them against a tree trunk, and sprang forward.

None of the Kirigakure shinobi, including Ringo Ameyuri, showed any dissatisfaction at being scolded by Kaguya Taiga.

Even if they were unhappy, they wouldn't say so.

Kaguya Taiga was a mainstay of the Kaguya Clan, one of Kirigakure's powerful clans. He was also one of the few in the clan to have awakened the Kekkei Genkai Shikotsumyaku.

He had earned countless merits in battle and rendered great service to the village. His strength was on par with the famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

A big shot like him could scold a few inept Chunin all he wanted. What was there to complain about?

Exactly!

"Little rat, you can't escape."

Once he'd closed in on the fleeing man, Kaguya Taiga sneered and reached out with one hand. In an instant, five finger bones shot from his hand like arrows loosed from a bow.

It was the legendary Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku!

Ringo Ameyuri and the other Chunin looked at Kaguya Taiga's back with envy.

There was an insurmountable gulf between Kekkei Genkai users and ordinary shinobi. Shikotsumyaku's reputation resounded throughout the Shinobi World. Who hadn't heard of it?

With Shikotsumyaku, Kaguya Taiga was among the most elite jōnin, capable of competing with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Ringo Ameyuri's eyes filled with determination. For an ordinary shinobi like her to gain power like Kaguya Taiga's, there was only one path: obtain a Ninja Blade and become one of the Seven Swordsmen.

Unfortunately, all the spots were taken.

The five finger bones pierced through Baki's chest. Their momentum didn't falter, and they shot straight toward Rasa, who was passing by.

In an instant, Rasa drew his sword. With speed and precision beyond belief, he made a single sweeping cut, and the blade blossomed into a flower, slicing the five finger bones into fragments that scattered on the wind.

Then the sword instantly returned to its sheath, displaying the full bearing of a master. He never missed a chance to show off.

In reality, he'd simply gripped the sword and used the Electromagnetic Force to control it, perfectly cosplaying a swordsman.

Baki collapsed in front of Rasa with a thud. Disheveled and coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, he was on the verge of death.

Kaguya Taiga's eyes narrowed, and his heart filled with wariness. He skidded to a stop and didn't dare approach Rasa rashly, even though his mission target was lying right at Rasa's feet.

The man before him wore a kimono, and the long sword at his waist was somewhat longer than the short blades favored by shinobi.

When he'd drawn his sword, he'd seemed utterly casual. His arm and wrist showed no sign of exertion, and there'd been no trace of chakra, yet he'd unleashed a dazzling flash of steel.

Swordsmanship so wondrous, a slash so impossibly fast! This had to be the supreme technique passed down among the samurai of the Land of Iron—Iaijutsu!

This man's swordsmanship was no weaker than that of anyone in the village's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Combined with the distinctive qualities of his style, his identity was obvious.

He had to be the master of a sword school in the Land of Iron!

He might even be the legendary Admiral of the Land of Iron—

Mifune, the Iaijutsu master who gave shinobi no chance to form Hand Seals!

In the blink of an eye, Kaguya Taiga had imagined the whole thing, and Mifune had somehow ended up taking the blame.

Kaguya Taiga raised a hand to stop his subordinates. His expression grave, he addressed Rasa in a tone that would hopefully avoid giving offense. "Friend from the Land of Iron, this is an internal matter for Kirigakure.

"He's a traitor from our village. If you know what's good for you, I hope you'll leave at once so we can part in peace. Otherwise, you might get caught in the crossfire."

Kirigakure had chased a fugitive all the way to the Land of Artisans?

Rasa glanced down at the fleeing man and furrowed his brow. The kid looked familiar. Very familiar.

Memories surged up from deep within his mind. Wasn't this his future right-hand man, Baki? He was also the teacher of his three children.

If he remembered correctly, Baki had indeed been sent to the Land of Artisans in disguise to purchase ninja tools.

Baki lay on the ground, barely alive, his vision blurred. Was he really going to die here?

Rasa gripped his sword hilt, his spirit soaring like a chivalrous hero. Playing the part of a champion of justice and scourge of evil, he declared indignantly, "When the road is unjust, someone will set it right. When something is unfair, someone will step in.

"I, Saint Roronoa Himura Kenshin Dracule Mihawk Ashina Isshin Shanks Sakata Gintoki Reinhard van Astrea Zoro, can't stand to see someone violate the samurai code and gang up on the weak.

"I'm taking charge of this!"

Damn rabble! How dare you touch my people!

This was my first time writing a book, so please be gentle. Please vote, bookmark, and support me with an investment~ Love you all!