Land of Lightning Noble Escort Commission

Land of Lightning Noble Escort Commission

"Confirmed: the client is Lord Shinteng Zoi, a noble of the Land of Lightning. I am a ninja of the Uchiha Clan, responsible for this escort mission."

A great ninja clan like the Uchiha Clan had astonishing daily expenses, so it needed a large number of missions to sustain itself.

The mission Uchiha Jobu had accepted was an escort mission: safely escort Land of Lightning noble Shinteng Zoi from the Land of Fire back to the Land of Lightning.

"Oh my, so this is the famed Uchiha Clan. How impressive."

"You must protect me well. I hope the Uchiha Clan's ninja truly have a mission success rate of over ninety percent, just as the rumors say."

Nobles seemed to be cut from the same mold: round, fat bodies, luxurious brocade garments, and jewel-studded folding fans in their hands.

Uchiha Jobu said expressionlessly, "Since you came to the Uchiha Clan, you should know that among the Ninja World, only the Uchiha Clan is the strongest."

"I suppose that's true. The Uchiha name is certainly renowned. Let's not waste any more time. Prepare to depart."

"Ying, take the others and spread out to keep watch. Leave the center to me."

Uchiha Jobu had not brought any other Uchiha clansmen with him. He had brought only his maid Ying and four subordinates selected from among the refugees.

These four subordinates possessed considerable ninja talent among the refugees. In some of the smaller clans of the Ninja World, they would likely have become promising seedlings worthy of focused training.

"Lord Jobu, Ying understands."

With a wave of her hand, Ying had the four men spread out in four directions, moving with the noble's carriage at the center.

Escort missions generally did not present major problems, because their target was a noble of the Land of Lightning. Ninja who made their living by accepting missions would not attack a noble of such status.

At most, they might encounter a few bandits or highwaymen.

They were about to reach the Land of Lightning, and the mission was nearly complete. Yet the journey had gone unexpectedly smoothly. They had not encountered any danger, not even a single bandit blocking the road.

Ying said, "Lord Jobu, Lord Shinteng wishes to rest in the town ahead and finish the remaining journey tomorrow."

Shinteng Zoi was the one who had issued the mission, so he had the right to request a stop for rest.

Since they were nearly at the Land of Lightning, it was unlikely that any danger would arise. Besides, they had already passed the most dangerous stretches of the route. Even if something unexpected happened, it would not be much trouble.

"That's fine, but don't relax your vigilance. Have the four of them take turns. Don't let an accident happen when the mission is almost complete."

He felt that nothing should go wrong, but for some reason, his eyelid kept twitching. Remembering the old saying that a twitching left eye brought wealth while a twitching right eye brought misfortune, Uchiha Jobu feared that danger might truly be approaching.

Ying nodded and went to arrange the night watch.

This town was desolate and dilapidated, with few people left. There was not a single young person in sight, only a dozen or so elderly, weak, sick, and disabled residents living there.

Night fell.

The four men took turns keeping watch, gazing at the moon and lamenting that the Land of Lightning was not much better off than the Land of Fire.

Suddenly, an eerie crimson light flashed past, and several figures moving at extreme speed leaped out from the shadows.

"Genjutsu!"

In just an instant, two of Uchiha Jobu's subordinates were controlled by genjutsu.

Those strange crimson eyes looked very much like the Sharingan used by the Uchiha Clan, but unlike the Sharingan's overwhelming and domineering ocular power, the crimson gaze carried a trace of brutality.

"Dead Bone Pulse! Ten-Finger Bullet!"

Ying raised both hands, firing the bones of her ten fingers as attacks.

"Are they Kaguya Ninja?!"

"Didn't Shinteng Zoi hire Uchiha ninja? Why are there Kaguya Clan ninja here?!"

"Enough nonsense. Find that Kaguya Clan bastard and kill him!"

"That's right. Our mission is to kill Shinteng Zoi. We absolutely cannot let him return to the Land of Lightning!"

Under the night sky, the Chinoike Clan ninja instantly dealt with the subordinates Uchiha Jobu had brought, but Ying attacked them with the Dead Bone Pulse, making them believe Shinteng Zoi had hired Kaguya Clan ninja as escorts.