Starting the Layout

When Fuma Ryoma woke up, he found Yue guarding by his side. Yue's clothes looked a bit damp, as if splashed with water.

"Hm?"

Ryoma twitched his nose, catching a faint scent of blood.

He immediately got up and glanced at a severed head at Yue's feet.

"The village's Anbu," Yue said.

What happened?

What went on?

Fuma Ryoma was stunned.

"It's over. I went to the meeting point, and just as I suspected... there was no one from the Hidden Waterfall Village there, only this guy."

"You... you killed him?"

Ryoma swallowed.

"Yes."

"..."

As a father, he understood his son well. After only half a year apart, Yue, who had just graduated, had managed to take down an expert sent by a village? Ryoma didn't recognize the deceased. This person was definitely not from an ordinary department. To be in the Anbu, one had to meet a strict requirement.

That was sufficient strength.

At the very least, within the Grass Village, he was an outstanding ninja.

And Yue was just a Genin.

Ryoma felt a sense of unfamiliarity with his son at this moment.

He figured something he didn't know must have happened to Yue.

However, after calming his shocked heart, the emotions that followed were surprise and relief.

The surprise was the joy that his son was a genuine 'genius.'

The relief stemmed from Yue now having the ability to protect himself. This way, if something happened to him, Ryoma wouldn't have to worry constantly like before, fearing Yue might die young.

"Anything you want to ask?"

Yue looked at his father's expression and smiled slightly.

At least, in this world, his parents were the only ones he could trust.

Whether it was his mother or his father, it was not difficult to see the effort they had put into 'protecting' and raising him.

"No."

Ryoma suddenly said with emotion, looking at Yue with complex eyes, "I'm just very happy that my son, Fuma Ryoma's son... is this outstanding."

Yue understood his feelings.

This feeling was probably similar to the village producing a famous university student.

"Really not asking? Aren't you curious?"

Yue raised an eyebrow.

"No."

Ryoma said, "Yue, the path you're taking is different from mine. Although I'm not very capable, I've been around for many years. I've seen or heard about some things and some people. My experience and judgment are no longer applicable to you. As a father, I can't treat you like a child. As for... your matters, if you want to talk about them one day, you naturally will. Your mother and I will always be by your side."

"Thank you."

Yue was silent for a moment before uttering two words.

"Are we going back to deliver the mission now?"

Fuma Ryoma proactively changed the subject, seemingly not bothered by his son knocking him out and venturing out alone.

Moreover, in his words... he switched roles incredibly quickly, as if Yue was in charge.

He didn't put on airs as a father.

Setting aside their father-son relationship, there was an undeniable unwritten rule in the ninja world: whoever was stronger was the 'leader.'

Fuma Ryoma naturally adapted to the current situation.

It had to be said that although his strength was lacking, his mindset and personality were something Yue admired.

"Since the people from Grass Seed wanted to harm us, there are ten thousand reasons for it. This is how the higher-ups control the lower ranks..." Fuma Ryoma glanced at the Anbu's head. "Should we take it?"

"Mhm... whether it's guilty or not, they're the ones who decide. Fortunately, Ryuga's father is on my side, so we still have some room to maneuver."

Yue's tone suddenly turned cold.

After a brief discussion with his father, they got up to leave.

After a while, they returned to the base camp.

Several people were resting there.

Including the captain.

When they saw the Fuma father and son return safely, everyone's expression clearly showed a hint of undisguised surprise.

They all knew that the two of them had left alone on a mission.

Coupled with the fact that Anbu members had come earlier to question Yue… they could all guess some of the hidden dealings involved.

They were all from the village, and no one was foolish enough to not understand what was going on.

"Ryoma… was the mission successful?"

The captain's expression was a bit unnatural. He coughed and asked.

He strode forward to meet them.

Fuma Ryoma, with a blank expression, directly threw something onto the ground.

The head of an Anbu member.

This scene startled everyone around them.

"This…"

The captain was speechless.

"We reached our destination and found no one, nor any members from the Hidden Waterfall Village. However, it seemed like a battle had taken place at the scene. I only found a head and don't know the identity of this person. Since this is within our Land of Grass, I suspect this person might be from the village, so I brought it back for you all to see and identify. Perhaps one of you might recognize him?" Fuma Ryoma said expressionlessly.

Yue stood behind his father, observing the subtle changes on the captain's face.

"You killed him?"

As expected, the captain blurted out.

"I said… I didn't kill him. I just happened to find a head."

Ryoma stared at the captain, repeating his words with a pointed meaning.

"Uh."

The captain realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly changed his tone, "Good, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright… It seems the mission parameters have changed. Perhaps something happened on the Hidden Waterfall side. I will contact the village."

After that, Ryoma and Yue walked straight back to the tent.

As they passed the captain, Yue glanced at his somewhat dazed expression and smirked.

Clearly, this captain knew some of the inside story.

They didn't kill the person… but as the village that orchestrated this play, they must have understood that the killer could only be them, the father and son!

However, such matters couldn't be brought out into the open. No matter how shameless they were, they couldn't publicly announce that they had attacked their own village's ninja.

Unless Fuma Ryoma and Yue had committed some heinous crime, but the truth was, they hadn't.

What the higher-ups wanted was a quiet, covert elimination.

Therefore, this counterattack was destined to leave those old dogs with a silent loss.

They probably couldn't fathom how Fuma Ryoma, a mere Genin, managed to kill a Special Jonin.

As for Yue… no one would ever suspect him.

People were pragmatic… After this little incident, in the following days, the people at the outpost became noticeably more polite to the father and son. Even the captain spoke to Ryoma with a hint of respect. This was treatment Fuma Ryoma had never received before.

One day, while resting, Yue sat on a tree, gazing at the distant camp.

He twirled a kunai in his hand, lost in thought.

For the Grass Village, a Special Jonin was a valuable asset. The sudden loss of one would undoubtedly cause distress. Moreover, it had disrupted the plans of those in power. The key was that such a matter couldn't be escalated. Would they really send several Jonin to deal with a mere Genin?

And then re-plan another scheme?

Besides, to earn money and maintain face for the village, some of the top combat forces had been dispatched on various missions.

The remaining usable personnel were already few.

"There's no one else coming… and it's gone quiet. It seems… Ryuga must have coordinated some matters," Yue murmured, casting his gaze towards a black dot in the camp, which was his father.

A plan began to form in his mind.

This was the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain.

He could leverage the current situation in the Land of Rain to do something.

He never expected that the Fire Cloud Robe Yahiko had given him before they parted ways… would actually come in handy.