Konoha Bumpkins Too Poor to Have Even Seen Chakra Armor

Just a few hours later, the Breakwater of North Harbor in the Land of Snow had appeared at the end of the blizzard.

Worried that the Tailed Beasts might actually scare the port civilians to death, Kushina jumped from Kurama's head back onto the deck and called out to Rin.

"Return!"

The two Tailed Beasts let out dissatisfied growls, but still returned to the sealing space.

Carried by its immense momentum, the merchant ship glided through the final dozen or so miles, finally slowing down.

The iron-clad hull slammed heavily into the padded wooden piles at the dock, producing a dull, creaking scrape.

Ye was the first to step onto the gangplank and disembark, his gaze sweeping across the entire harbor.

Across the vast North Harbor docks, aside from the freezing wind howling through the warehouses and carrying shredded snow with it, there was not a single dockworker or guard there to receive them.

Cargo crates lay tipped over, crane arms hung motionless, and everything was coated in a thick layer of frost, as if it had been abandoned for a long time.

An unnatural killing intent hung in the air.

Kakashi followed close behind, one hand immediately settling on his sword hilt as his dead-fish eyes narrowed slightly.

"Something's wrong."

Matsumoto, however, failed to notice any of this. He scanned the Breakwater and, with his sharp eyes, recognized a man standing behind a wooden crate with his head lowered.

It was Yamada, a captain under the Third Commander of the Royal Guard, who had often escorted supplies for the merchant association.

"Captain Yamada! So it's you, kid!"

Matsumoto breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his frozen hands as he hurried down the gangplank with a broad smile.

He approached without the slightest guard.

Just as he was about to