"The one in the middle should be Luren Murata. But the people beside him... are a bunch of ordinary children?"
What was going on?
The scene revealed by the Byakugan left Genye's mind blank for a moment.
"Genye?... Genye!"
Only after Asuma nudged him did he snap out of it and tell his two companions what he'd seen.
"Children?"
Asuma furrowed his brows. "You mean this rogue ninja adopted a bunch of six- or seven-year-old kids while he was on the run?"
"It's a little hard to understand, but it seems that way." Genye nodded.
"Could he be planning to use the children as hostages, so we'll be afraid to act?" Kurenai guessed uncertainly.
"It's hard to say, but as a ninja, he shouldn't be that naive." Genye said.
The three of them looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.
"So what should we do now...? If we attack recklessly, we might hurt the children."
After a long pause, Yuhi Kurenai spoke hesitantly, looking to Genye for guidance.
"Hmm, I don't know either." Genye shook his head. He had no good ideas, either.
If this had been some other ninja, they would've charged straight in.
"What? You say you're hostages?
Bullshit. You're obviously reinforcements the enemy brought in. I'm not listening, I'm not listening. You're all dead!"
(Hostage: "Hey, kidnapper boss, give me a kunai. Let's fight our way out together!")
But Genye and the others were still wet behind the ears. They couldn't bring themselves to be that ruthless just yet.
"If you ask me, we should set some traps outside the village and call the rogue ninja out to face us!"
Asuma spoke slowly. "There are three of us, anyway. We don't have to worry about him running off when he hears us."
Genye and Kurenai exchanged a glance, then nodded in approval.
"Fine. Let's do that."
The three of them figured they had a few tricks up their sleeves, and with three against one, they should be able to keep the situation under control.
They crept toward the village without making a sound. After making sure there were no traps outside it, they set a few of their own.
Then the three split up and approached the village from another direction.
"Foolish choice."
Shimura Hofu, who had remained hidden and witnessed the whole thing, shook his head.
"Everyone inside, listen up! You're surrounded! Put down your weapons and surrender!"
The moment Genye opened his mouth, the line in his head came spilling out uncontrollably. Kurenai and Asuma stared at him strangely.
A moment later, a plain-looking young man in his twenties appeared before them.
It was Luren Murata!
Murata gave a bitter smile. "I never thought Konoha would find me so quickly."
"Luren Murata, you..."
Just as Genye and the others were about to say something, a group of children rushed out of the dilapidated house behind him.
"Don't you hurt Uncle Murata!"
The children stood in front of Murata, shouting and waving their arms at Genye and his companions.
Murata's expression changed. He pushed the children back. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside? Hurry back in. Be good!"
"We're not going back!" A little girl clutched Murata's clothes, her eyes brimming with tears.
"If it weren't for Uncle Murata, we would've died out there! He gave us food and water, and let us live like human beings! Anyone who wants to hurt Uncle Murata is a bad person. We'll help you chase them away!"
"That's right! We'll help Uncle Murata drive them off!"
"You..." Murata's hand froze in midair as he tried to shoo the children away. He let out a resigned sigh.
Genye furrowed his brows.
Could it be that the children really weren't hostages, but had been taken in out of Murata's kindness?
Or had Murata been using them without their knowledge?
"Genye, do you think he exposed himself at the nearby market because he was buying things for the children?" Kurenai whispered in his ear.
"That doesn't matter," Asuma said gravely. "What matters is, are we going to attack now?"
The two looked to Genye.
Genye said nothing. He looked past the indignant children and stared at Luren Murata for a long moment before speaking.
"Luren Murata, for the children's sake, we'll give you a chance. If you're willing to come back to Konoha with us, there may still be a way to resolve this."
Murata shook his head and refused without hesitation. "Sorry, but I won't go back to Konoha with you."
"In that case..."
Genye let out a heavy breath, his gaze turning cold. "We have no choice but to kill you."
"Genye, are we really going to attack?" Asuma and Kurenai both looked stricken.
"Whether he's genuinely kind or only pretending to be, two of our Konoha comrades died because of him. That's an indisputable fact, and he has to pay for it. Him being a good person doesn't change that."
Genye spoke calmly, as though trying to convince his companions—or perhaps himself.
"Besides, the information he has could put Konoha in danger if another country gets it. Since he won't come back with us, we have no choice but to kill him."
"He's right." Murata looked at the children crying beside him, a complicated expression passing through his eyes.
"Killing me is your best choice, and my best end. I'm tired of running."
Whenever he fell asleep, he dreamed of his dead teammates. He couldn't bear the disappointment and anger in their eyes.
Let this life end soon, no matter how...
Murata forced himself to turn away from the children. With a self-mocking smile, he said, "So, try to kill me. Of course, I won't just sit here and let you."
As he spoke, Murata gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, pushed off the ground, and sprang forward. He left the crying children behind and charged at Genye and the others.
"Asuma, Kurenai, get ready!"
Genye barked an order, pulled four shuriken from his ninja tool pouch, and hurled them at Murata with a sweeping motion.
Using a special throwing technique, the four shuriken split apart as they spun, fanning toward Murata from different angles like flowers scattered by a goddess.
"Sword Style: Water Surface Slash!"
Facing the incoming shuriken, Murata's long sword sprang from its sheath, tracing a chilling flash through the air.
Clang!
Amid the ringing clash of metal, the sword blocked all four shuriken, which fell to the ground after losing their momentum.
Having deflected the shuriken with ease, Murata kept up his speed. His figure blurred as he tried to break through the gap between the three of them.
"Not so fast! Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Asuma seized his chance and unleashed a stream of blazing fire toward Murata.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Murata formed a hand seal with one hand and exhaled a violent gust of wind that roared against the flames.
But the delay put an end to his escape attempt. Yuhi Kurenai and Genye had already closed in on him from both sides.
"Gentle Fist!"
Genye took a quick step, appeared at Murata's side, and struck at his lower back with a palm.
Whoosh!
Murata flicked his wrist and swiftly raised his sword in a tight arc, slashing viciously at Genye's arm.
The strike was too fast. A cold sweat broke out across Genye's back. He'd underestimated Murata!
With a slash as fast as thunder, there was no time to pull his arm back!
I might never be able to be a two-armed idiot again, Genye thought pessimistically.
But at that critical moment, Murata suddenly faltered. The sword in his hand slowed down.
It was because Genye, in Murata's eyes, had transformed into the little girl from before.
Genjutsu: Mirage!
The little girl's eyes were red. She gazed at Murata pitifully and asked through her tears:
"Waaah, Uncle Murata, why are you trying to cut Yinyin with your sword? Did Yinyin make you angry?"
"Yin... Yinyin?"
Though Murata knew the girl before him was an illusion, the sword in his hand still hesitated despite himself.
"Now!"
Genye had no idea what had happened, but instinctively seized the fleeting opportunity.
"Gentle Fist—Double!"
Before you continue