Dog Meat Reeks Behind Vermilion Gates

"That really was satisfying."

As they walked, Izumi and the others kept whispering about Itachi. As fellow clansmen, Izumi Uchiha was probably the only one who knew more about the handsome boy's past.

There were five people in the squad. Aside from Itachi and Hinata Bai, the remaining girl and boy were Izumi's classmates.

However, their Elite Jonin teacher had gone off to carry out another dangerous mission, so he wasn't here to lead their team.

"He's really handsome."

"If only I could be like Lord Itachi someday."

"I want to keep teaming up with Lord Itachi forever. I'm so excited."

"This time, I'll just help out. I won't be deadweight."

"You can't put it like that."

"Izumi, I heard you and Lord Itachi were in the same grade before, right? Can you tell us about what happened between you two?"

"Ah, I don't really know that much either."

"Come on, tell us. Anything about Lord Itachi, we want to hear it."

As those people whispered behind them, Hinata Bai's face filled with jealousy. He was clearly considered an outstanding graduate too, yet compared to Itachi, he was like the light of a firefly competing with the sun and moon.

Unfortunately, he was no match for this man at all.

Seeing Itachi lounging around so casually beside him, he silently clenched his fists.

"This is a bodyguard mission. Aside from the danger involved, our more important task is to bring the daimyo's wives and concubines back. Don't make a mistake because of the ladies' clothing and get us complained about. Do you understand the situation?"

Itachi reprimanded his subordinates in advance, looking every bit like the boss. This time, they were heading to the barren, sparsely populated Land of Wind, and there could be no deadweight behavior along the way.

After all, he didn't want to use pain to awaken his eyes again.

"Understood!"

Seeing how serious he was, the team members were eager to get moving.

This was an A-Rank Mission. In theory, the reward would be no less than one million, which meant their boss could distribute quite a lot of pay to them.

Money like that... in a sense, Genin were just workers. Getting around eight thousand from a single mission was already something to thank heaven for.

After all, the hierarchy between every rank in this world was incredibly strict. Challenging those above your rank or harvesting the capitalists' leeks?

That simply didn't exist.

Of course, Itachi wouldn't mistreat the little brothers following him. In the end, the ninja world respected strength, and becoming part of a team meant earning the corresponding respect.

"Then we'll need to prepare lots of weapons and things like Soldier Ration Pills."

One teammate spoke with some concern.

After Aburame Yamanaka's provocation, their teamwork had grown more seamless.

They were bodyguards, after all, not escorting criminals. It wasn't as though they could have the ladies sprinting along with them.

"That's true. However, we're allowed to use some weapons secretly hidden along the route. The scroll contains instructions for all of that."

Traveling day and night, Itachi and the others soon reached the border between the two countries.

White bones covered the ground, smoke rose everywhere, and wild dogs gnawed on the remains. Even the air carried a thick, foul stench.

"What's going on? Haven't the two countries already stopped fighting?"

Izumi couldn't bear the sight before her. As a girl, she couldn't bear to watch something so cruel.

"My vassal's vassal isn't my vassal. For the city lords beneath the daimyo, many of them can only find meaning in survival through war. Naturally, they won't lay down their arms so easily."

Itachi sighed softly. These small-scale conflicts between villages had persisted for ages.

For water, for wealth, for women.

Wars broke out over such things all the time.

"Hey, where did these little brats come from? Get out of my way. This is my territory."

Suddenly, several farmers carrying hoes ran out from beside Itachi's group. Their gaunt bodies were wrapped in coarse cloth, and they looked almost like evil ghosts crawling out of hell.

They hurried over to the fallen samurai, collecting as much ironware and valuables as they could to sell for a living. Those damned thieves requisitioned their grain under every possible pretext whenever war broke out.

Excessive taxation and ruthless exploitation!

Dog meat reeked behind vermilion gates indeed.

"Why are there children here? Hurry and leave. This isn't somewhere you can come. If others find you two-legged sheep, there's no telling if you'll be..."

An old man kindly warned them, but the next second, his shriveled stomach rumbled loudly.

"Old man, what are you wasting your breath for? If you let them go out of kindness, it'll only benefit someone else. We might as well let our own people benefit."

They vaguely heard the voices of the people talking.

Drool dripped from one man's mouth, and the way he looked at them made their skin crawl.

Even Hinata Bai could instantly sense the killing intent spilling from them.

Like cannibals.

"Damn it, they can't be thinking of..."

Miki Nagi was frightened as well. As one of the few female ninja in the team and its only sensory-type ninja, she naturally felt the approaching danger more deeply.

"They're just a group of pitiful people. There's no need for us to concern ourselves with them."

Itachi let out a breath, but seeing that it was getting late, they did need to find somewhere to make do for the night. He wondered whether there was an old temple or something nearby where they could rest.

Swish, swish!

But they had only taken two steps when they saw eyes all through the forest, green enough to seem slick with oil, staring at them like ghostly flames. Hundreds of pairs of eyes made even them feel uneasy.

After all, they didn't want to personally slaughter these innocent civilians.

"Meat!"

"These are children. I love it. Their meat is so white and plump."

"Hungry..."

"I haven't had rice in days, Mom..."

"Don't look. These aren't for you to look at."

"Be good. Go gather some firewood."

"Don't make a fuss. If the neighboring villages find out, it'll be troublesome."

"But they have ninja symbols on their heads."

"If they're ninja, we really can't afford to provoke them."

"But what if..."

"We can trick them first."

"That isn't a bad idea."

Their endless whispers entered their ears almost completely. That madness, like delirious murmuring, made them feel for a moment as though they were seeing a scarlet world.

Was this how intense things became once they left the Land of Fire? Were the missions Itachi and the others had always carried out really this cruel?

As ninja fresh out of the academy, Izumi and the others had ultimately imagined the ninja world too simply.

After all, the missions they had carried out were all D-Rank Missions like helping find lost items or running errands. How could they have experienced any great storms?

Grrr!