A Night in Qiuyuan Town

Having gained a slight understanding of Sosuke's terrifying talent, Shimura Kazumi no longer went out of her way to target him.

As a genius of the Shimura Clan, Shimura Kazumi had been the center of attention since childhood.

She had attained the strength of a Jonin before even reaching the age of twenty!

One must realize that the total number of Jonin in the entire Konoha Village at this time was barely over a hundred!

Possessing such strength at an age under twenty was proof enough of how astonishing Shimura Kazumi's talent truly was.

Having grown up in the Shimura Clan, Shimura Kazumi could be considered a young lady of a prestigious family, which led her to hold her uncle, Shimura Danzo, in immense reverence!

In her eyes, her uncle had almost single-handedly upheld the glory of the Shimura Clan! He was a partner who had once fought side-by-side with the Third Hokage, and he had been only one step away from the position of Hokage himself!

How could Shimura Kazumi not worship such a Shimura Danzo?

Growing up in such a family and being slightly influenced by Shimura Danzo resulted in Shimura Kazumi possessing a proud and cold temperament.

Even the legendary Uchiha Clan were, in her eyes, nothing more than vulgar people relying on the power of their bloodline.

In Konoha Village, due to Danzo, the influence of the Shimura Clan was no weaker than those clans with bloodline limits.

The power dynamics within Konoha Village were extremely complex; in fact, this was true for every village—the internal factions of any village were incredibly intricate.

In Konoha Village, there were the bloodline clans led by the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan, the clans specializing in secret techniques such as the Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Yamanaka Clan, along with some mid-tier families, followed by the faction of the Konoha Hokage, and the faction of Root.

Although Shimura Kazumi was still young, having been exposed to these things early on, she knew that the various factions in the village were maintaining a balance. In this time of peace between wars, no faction wanted to break this fragile equilibrium.

However, the child her uncle had discovered might just rewrite this situation.

Thinking of the child's terrifying talent, Shimura Kazumi couldn't help but glance in the direction where Sosuke was.

Sensing the gaze, Sosuke turned his head slightly toward Shimura Kazumi, though the mask on his face concealed his expression.

Yet, Shimura Kazumi knew in her heart that the brat was definitely wearing a smile! That annoying brat! Could he not change his expression for once!

Seeing this, although Shimura Kazumi wore an indignant expression, she turned her head back in silence, though she couldn't help but ponder in her heart.

What sensitive insight he has. If that Flash Step is truly a taijutsu or even a nin-taijutsu developed by him as he claimed, his talent is truly incomparable!

Once she thought about how a child with such monstrous talent had been taken as a disciple by her uncle, Shimura Kazumi no longer felt any dissatisfaction.

After a brief acquaintance and understanding, she had also discovered what made Sosuke different.

Is he really just a nine-year-old child!? How could he have such strong psychological fortitude?!

This thought couldn't help but surface in Shimura Kazumi's mind. It was true; since meeting Sosuke, she had barely seen any emotional fluctuations from him; he had always maintained that easygoing and gentle demeanor.

Even after witnessing the existence of Root hidden within the village, his expression had seemingly not changed.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but take another deep look at Sosuke.

Hopefully, as the one chosen by her uncle to be his disciple, he would bring some spectacular performances to this village.

The two of them entered Qiuyuan Town in this manner.

Qiuyuan Town was a very stable town, primarily driving its economy through the trade of crops. The residents of the town lived quite peacefully, and even during the First Ninja World War, this place had been a safe area that remained untouched.

Konoha also had a stronghold here.

Because it was a relatively wealthy town with close ties to the outside world, it was an area that Konoha paid close attention to.

Arriving at a hidden stronghold, Shimura Kazumi was admitted after providing a code.

Sosuke followed closely behind her, observing everything through the eyeholes of his mask and memorizing it earnestly.

From the moment he left the Ninja Academy, he was already a ninja; he had to learn to be a qualified one to ensure he could survive on the battlefield in the future.

This was a remote and hidden tavern that doubled as an inn.

Few people usually came here, and today, Sosuke and Shimura Kazumi were arranged to rest here.

After all, they had been traveling for a day, and if they didn't adjust their condition, even with Shimura Kazumi's Jonin-level strength, she had to be careful when facing this group of unknown bandits mixed with ninjas from other countries.

After a simple wash, Sosuke and Shimura Kazumi went into separate rooms to rest.

Before entering his room.

Sosuke turned his head to look at Shimura Kazumi and said softly.

"Captain Hannya, judging by what you said earlier, there must have been other team members, right? Can you tell me what happened to them?"

Hearing Sosuke's words, Shimura Kazumi's body stiffened slightly.

She looked deeply at Sosuke, and through those pitch-black eyes, one could seemingly see the lingering traces of sorrow, making her gaze appear very lonely, like stars in the night.

"They have all died in battle."

The words fell softly, no longer as cold and arrogant as before.

But then, as if she had pulled herself together, she swept away all the sorrow in her eyes and returned to being the cold and aloof Shimura Kazumi.

"Swish!"

With a sharp, decisive movement, she pulled open the wooden door without a hint of hesitation!

She stepped inside!

"Bang!"

She then slammed the wooden door shut!

Stepping inside, Shimura Kazumi indignantly tore off her mask and tossed it onto the bed, fuming!

That brat is always asking such annoying questions! Why do I always lose my composure in front of him? He's nothing more than a kid with a bit of talent!

Why did I even answer him?! Argh!!

Burying her face deep into the bedding without a care for her crushed purple hair, Shimura Kazumi shook her head violently, as if she could shake away the memory of Sosuke's gentle voice.

Outside in the hallway.

Sosuke watched the scene unfold, his gentle expression shifting into one of helplessness as he thought to himself.

It seems I've managed to provoke Lady Hannya once again.

However, after the initial resignation, Sosuke's gaze turned calm as he pondered in the silence of his heart.

If casualties are expected during missions led by Hannya, then Danzo wasn't lying to me. Being assigned to her team is likely a test of my ability to survive on my own.

If his words implied that I must be capable of independent survival in the missions to come, then this current task is merely an appetizer for my career as a ninja.

At this thought, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Bandits, huh? ...A decent whetstone...

The night passed in quiet stillness.

Outside, the moonlight was bleak.

Inside their respective rooms, Shimura Kazumi and Sosuke were both lost in their own thoughts.

In the distance, within a makeshift encampment, a group of cruel, clamoring bandits had no idea that a lethal disaster was about to descend upon them.