Wu

"Big Brother!! Look!!!" Second brother seemed to have spotted something and suddenly pointed ahead along the ancient road. Through the misty drizzle shrouding the road, a figure seemed to be standing there, though the rain made it impossible to see clearly.

"It really is One Person!!! Be careful!!" Eldest brother was instantly startled. Both men tensed sharply, going on full alert. The figure cloaked in the rain began to move, slowly walking toward the carriage.

"Tap! Tap!! Tap!! Tap!!!" The footsteps on the rain-slicked bluestone slabs, along with the splashes of water, resounded clearly by their ears. Though the sound seemed ordinary, like an ordinary person taking a stroll in the rain, even somewhat pleasant, to them it was like a heavy hammer ruthlessly striking their chests. An immense pressure descended upon the Two People.

"This... what is this?!" Second brother opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out. The figure gradually became clearer in their line of sight, passing through the thick curtain of rain and arriving not far in front of them.

The instant they saw the person clearly, both their expressions changed drastically, as though they had seen some primordial beast. "How is that possible!!! How could it be you!!!!!" Second brother pointed at the figure before him, his body trembling as he shouted in a shaking voice.

Big Brother also stared at the figure before him in terror, his legs trembling slightly. He had never imagined that this person would appear here!!

Because both of them had seen this person's portrait.

Standing not far before them was an eerie-looking figure. Neither tall nor short, he was somewhat thin. He wore a short black kimono over a white belt, with a mesh undershirt visible across his chest. A ninja tool bag hung at the small of his back, and he wore black ninja trousers. His face was covered by a white mask, a slanted purple mark crossing the eye area. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and the Corner of the Mouth curved like a crescent moon carved inward, as if he were smiling. He seemed incomparably strange and mysterious.

His face could not be seen behind the mask, but the bizarre mask alone was enough to tell them that he was no good.

The newcomer remained unmoved by their words and offered no explanation. Instead, he said calmly, "Hand over the Cherry Blossom Country Daimyo's daughter, and I can let you leave alive."

Their expressions changed at once. They were filled with rage. This man had killed their brother, yet he still ignored them so completely. Worse still, his tone made it sound as if he were doing them a favor.

Taking a deep breath, Big Brother was the first to calm down. With a Cold Smile, he said, "What an honor. I never expected to encounter the legendary Wu here. But the three of us brothers have no grudge against you, do we? Why did you block our path here and kill our brother?"

"Oh? Isn't that a strange question to ask? Then why did you kidnap the Cherry Blossom Country Daimyo's daughter?" the Mysterious Person called Wu replied calmly.

So that's it!! This guy was hired by someone. But who was it? Could it be the Cherry Blossom Country Daimyo himself!!!? Eldest brother secretly guessed.

"Sir, regardless of your purpose, directly killing our brother is going too far, isn't it?!" Second brother said coldly, a trace of sinister killing intent flashing through his eyes.

"Heh heh, do people who make a living this way need a reason to kill? Besides, isn't this something you do all the time?" Wu smiled faintly.

Damn it!!! This guy is clearly looking down on us!! Eldest brother gritted his teeth inwardly. He took several small steps back, shielding the carriage behind him. At the same time, the other man gritted his teeth and retreated slightly as well, placing himself before the carriage and forming a pincer formation with Eldest brother.

"I never thought people like you would have something called brotherly affection. How touching. But unfortunately, you made the wrong choice. I can only send you down to accompany your brother," Wu said calmly.

"Big Brother, what do we do!!! If our opponent is this guy, today will be dangerous!!" Lao Er asked Eldest brother beside him, his face grim.

"Rumor has it that this Wu is a Bounty Hunter Ninja who only rose to fame in the underworld over the past few years. Though he has only been active for a few years, he has already completed countless high-difficulty missions, with a one hundred percent completion rate. They say His Strength is terrifying. But rumors are only rumors. There is no doubt that he is strong, but he cannot possibly be absurdly strong. He is not a ninja from the Five Great Nations. Could he really be stronger than the Elite Jonin of those Five Great Nations? One on one, we are probably no match for him, but if the two of us join forces, we may not be unable to defeat him!!" Eldest brother said in a deep voice.

Indeed, under normal circumstances, among ninja of the same rank, ninja from the Five Great Nations were far stronger than Rogue Ninja. The difference in their foundations was simply too great. Ninja of the Five Great Nations began systematic training from childhood and learned ninja knowledge early on. More importantly, the Five Great Shinobi Villages possessed collections of all kinds of Ninjutsu, Secret Techniques, and even Forbidden Technique. Any ninja who rendered great service could systematically learn these powerful Ninjutsu, increasing both their own strength and the village's strength. Konoha's Book of Seals was one example. The Five Great Shinobi Villages also produced genius after genius for this reason. Rogue Ninja were naturally an exception.

Upon hearing Eldest brother's words, Second brother immediately nodded. Indeed, no matter how strong a Bounty Hunter Ninja who was not from the Five Great Nations might be, how strong could he really be? The person before them merely had a bigger reputation. Besides, they had not been frightened into this line of work.

"Attack!!!" A cold gleam flashed in Eldest brother's eyes. He drew the Tachi at his waist like lightning and charged at Wu. Second brother's eyes flashed with ferocity as several Shuriken shot violently from his hand.

The Shuriken were even faster, instantly overtaking Big Brother and shooting toward Wu's body. At some point, a Kunai had appeared in Wu's hand. "Clang!!!" Sparks flew as Wu knocked aside the Shuriken with his Kunai.

At that moment, a chilling blade-light thrust toward Wu's neck like lightning from an extremely tricky angle.

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