Black Eats Black

Filled with longing for the future, Ringo Ameyuri chose to retreat.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade fought together against the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, only to suffer a narrow defeat in the end.

Appreciating their talent, Hanzo spared their lives and allowed them to leave, bestowing upon them the title of Sannin; overnight, their names echoed throughout the shinobi world.

There are few in this world who can fight me to a draw.jpg

From then on, whenever the Sannin were mentioned, Hanzo was sure to be brought up, and whenever Hanzo was discussed, the Sannin were inevitably mentioned as well.

This was the exact effect Rasa wanted. Once a Kage-level "Sword God" suddenly appeared in the shinobi world, no matter how the major villages responded, it would inevitably influence the trajectory of the plot.

Killing was not the goal; points were. To earn more points, one had to make full use of the butterfly effect and the law of leverage.

If he hadn't intended to use himself as a lever to pry the entire shinobi world using the position of Kazekage, Rasa would have run away long ago. Who the hell would want to go head-to-head with a monster like the Third Raikage?

As Ringo Ameyuri's back disappeared from sight, Baki felt a deep sense of regret. His squad had been hunted like dogs for the past few days, and he was the only one left alive.

Just as he was about to kick the bucket, he had encountered this fierce man. It was a pity the man had a distinct personality and didn't wipe out the Kirigakure group entirely, but he couldn't ask for more.

Struggling to stand, he pressed a hand to his wound to stem the flow of blood. Baki was overwhelmed with gratitude and said respectfully, "Thank you for saving my life. I am merely a Chunin with a mission still in progress. Please forgive me for being unable to repay you, as I must relay the news of this ambush back to my village."

His words were well-chosen; he didn't mention which village he belonged to. Even at this point, he hadn't forgotten to keep his identity secret, which showed Baki's loyalty to Sunagakure.

"I am Rasa."

"Huh?"

Baki was slightly stunned before he reacted. His gaze swept over Rasa—the long red hair, the handsome face, the kimono, wooden sandals, and the sword at his waist. He was completely different from his own leader.

Aside from the similar hair color and the fact that both were handsome, it was impossible to associate the two.

Most importantly, his leader's ability was Magnet Release: Gold Dust, and the swordsmanship of the man before him was something his leader could never possess.

As Rasa's confidant, Baki knew his leader better than anyone; there was no possibility of him secretly practicing swordsmanship and shocking everyone.

Rasa took out his own mission manual and tossed it to Baki, briefly dispelling his Transformation Jutsu and casually creating a puddle of Gold Dust with his chakra.

Baki finally believed. His brain raced, and he tentatively asked, "My lord, your Kekkei Genkai...?"

"My Kekkei Genkai has evolved. I can now control the vast majority of metals," Rasa explained casually.

His "Sword God" persona was important, but it depended on the situation. He needed to carry out his mission, and having Baki around would undoubtedly make things much smoother.

Besides, once they returned to the village, as long as Baki wasn't a fool, he would certainly be able to deduce the truth from Chiyo and Baki.

Most importantly, it was just a persona; it wouldn't hurt if it were exposed. If he wanted to, Rasa could create many more.

"Soka!"

Baki slapped his thigh—he understood!

There had never been any swordsmanship; everything was done by directly manipulating the long blade. Because it didn't require force from the body's joints, he could naturally perform exquisite sword techniques without affecting his joints.

He was truly the man he had decided to follow for the rest of his life; to think he could come up with such a creative idea.

He spread his Electromagnetic Force, sensing everything in the vicinity. Aside from trees, insects, and small animals, there were no discordant factors.

No internal spies.

Rasa asked, "Tell me, what happened?"

Baki took some trauma medicine and bandages from his pocket. As he bandaged his wounds, he reported, "A few days ago, ten squads including mine entered the Land of Artisans in disguise to purchase ninja tools. Unfortunately, Kirigakure also sent a team led by two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and a ninja with the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai to buy tools.

Wealth moves the heart. After we obtained the tools, we were targeted by the Kirigakure team. After a fierce battle, we suffered heavy losses, and all the tools were seized. Perhaps they saw through our ruse, or perhaps they wanted to silence us, but we fell into a long game of cat and mouse. We ran, and they chased..."

The bandaging was finished, and his story was told. Because the movement had triggered his wounds and consumed more of his stamina, Baki leaned against a tree, sweat beading on his forehead, yet he refused to collapse.

Rasa lowered his head in thought. Baki's ten squads were led by Chunin, while the opposition had the Shikotsumyaku user, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and the rest were also Chunin.

It was like the national football team playing against France; losing was a certainty.

The current situation in the shinobi world was tense, and anyone with eyes could see that war was imminent; the only question was where it would start first. The five great villages were all, to varying degrees, stockpiling war supplies and engaging in an arms race.

As long as the baby-faced Yagura, the leader of Kirigakure, wasn't an idiot, he would certainly be doing the same.

Sending two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and a large group of Chunin just to buy ninja tools was like using an aircraft carrier to go fishing—it showed Yagura's hidden agenda.

The Land of Artisans was adjacent to the Land of Water; this could be considered Kirigakure's home turf. This was clearly a case of "black eating black"!

"What about those two swordsmen? Have they returned to Kirigakure?" Rasa asked. This point was also crucial.

Baki shook his head. "No, they split into three teams and have been hunting us down for the past few days to cut the weeds and pull the roots."

Silencing them was a given. As long as there were no survivors, it would be an unsolved mystery, and Kirigakure would not have to bear the infamy of their double-cross.

"Did they not split off anyone to return to Kirigakure?"

"At least in my memory, not a single one."

Rasa nodded. The situation was clear: Baki and his men's identities had not been exposed.

The news that Sunagakure was suddenly purchasing a large quantity of ninja tools was undoubtedly more important than silencing them. If the Kirigakure group had realized who Baki and his men were, they would have at least sent a few people back to relay the intelligence to their village.

"You have done very well; this intelligence is of great importance to me." Rasa patted Baki on the shoulder, offering words of encouragement.

"It was merely a trivial matter, yet I have troubled you to come and rescue us." Baki felt deeply ashamed.

His boss's precious time and energy had been wasted entirely because of him.

"For now, we shall find a safe place. You focus on recovering from your injuries, and leave the rest to me."

Baki nodded. Lord Rasa's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds; cutting down chunin was as easy as slaughtering pigs. He must have become a Kage-level powerhouse, so his own meager combat strength would not be missed.

If anything, following along rashly might only hinder Lord Rasa's performance.

After searching high and low, the two finally found a secluded cave after sunset. Baki hid inside and lit a campfire.

"My lord, I wish you every success." Baki looked up and said, his heart heavy with guilt. In the end, his boss was shouldering everything and cleaning up his mess.

"Wait for my triumphant return."

Having settled his trusted subordinate, Rasa drew his sword and walked into the night. With the night dark and the wind high, it was the perfect time for killing.

Damn it, to think someone would try to pull a double-cross on me. I won't stand for it; I must deal with these morally bankrupt bastards from Kirigakure.