Arrival

"You don't even understand something as simple as disposing of the bodies after a murder. Did you fucking buy your position as branch elder?!"

Looking at the cloaked man's nonchalant expression, Fujii Sakura could no longer contain his anger. Once again, he grabbed something beside him and hurled it at the man.

Seemingly truly stunned by Fujii Sakura's words, the cloaked man did not stop the object thrown at him this time.

The cloaked man fell silent for a moment, then asked quietly once Fujii Sakura had more or less finished venting.

"Then what do we do now?"

"Huh??"

Fujii Sakura laughed in anger at that. Why on earth had he joined an organization full of idiots?

"What do we do? Are you kidding me? What else can we do? Offer up the ones who attacked the Konoha ninjas. Ideally, put something on them so they drop dead right after showing their faces to the Konoha ninjas!

"And their bodies have to be destroyed, especially their brains. That way, they won't reveal anything. Not a scrap of information about this place can get out. And for the time being... we have to rein ourselves in completely.

"Fuck! My medicine!! You goddamn idiots!"

Fujii Sakura continued cursing. The thought of having to scrimp and save for another long stretch made him want to keep smashing things, but there was nothing left beside him to smash.

"..."

The cloaked man fell silent again at his words.

Looking at the silent man, Fujii Sakura could not help feeling a trace of unease.

"Don't tell me... you personally killed those three Konoha ninjas?"

Disbelief filled Fujii Sakura's eyes. He could not understand how someone could be this stupid as a villain.

"Heh, so what? If you ask me, we should just kill every Konoha ninja who comes here. Then we can act even more freely and find suitable children to receive God's blessing as soon as possible."

Under Fujii Sakura's gaze, the cloaked man looked away, gave a soft scoff, and spoke coldly.

"..."

Hearing that declaration, it was Fujii Sakura's turn to fall silent.

He felt that he had very likely been right earlier. This idiot before him had bought his way into his position.

Seemingly provoked by the way Fujii Sakura looked at him like an idiot, the cloaked man immediately continued.

"Fujii Sakura, don't forget that only we can cure your Bloodstain Disease. We might even be able to grant you eternal life.

"So we must find a child who can receive God's blessing. Only his power can completely cure your Bloodstain Disease."

This time, a hint of mockery entered the cloaked man's tone.

Curse all you want. Your life is in my hands anyway.

"I know, I know! I fucking know!!"

Fujii Sakura let out a low roar. Knowing that impotent rage would accomplish nothing and that he could not count on the man beside him, he began pacing anxiously around the bedroom.

He was thinking.

Thinking about how to resolve the situation.

The cloaked man had the sense not to interrupt him. Now, however, he was beginning to wonder whether he really was a little stupid.

Finally, when the darkness outside the window faded to reveal the faint light of dawn, Fujii Sakura stopped pacing.

"Have you thought of a solution?"

The cloaked man's face immediately lit up as he asked.

"I'm fucking tired of walking! What are you still doing here? Can you help me think of a solution? You can't! Since you can't, why are you still here? Go fucking work!!

"We can't capture human material in Chuntai City for now, but can't we capture human material from the small villages around it?! And remember! Keep a low profile. Don't fucking draw widespread attention again!

"No, we'd better not touch the nearby villages. That would be dangerous too... Right, the Land of Hot Water! Chuntai City is very close to the Land of Hot Water.

"Because of the Land of Hot Water's particular tourism situation, its central areas have all been taken over by nobles and turned into leisure havens, while its poor commoners are scattered along the outskirts, far from the center.

"And to avoid frequent visits from bandits, those lowly pieces of trash move as close to the Land of Fire's border as possible... Yes, make those lowly pieces of trash our targets for now. Their disappearance won't draw any attention. The Main Church has already tested that for us in the Land of Hot Water."

Only then did Fujii Sakura remember that there was someone else beside him. Looking at the cloaked man who had stayed in the bedroom with him all night, the anger that had faded while he spent the night thinking of a solution immediately surged back.

Unable to contain his anger, Fujii Sakura roared again. As he roared, he recalled the Land of Fire's neighboring country and spoke.

"I'll go right away!"

At his words, the cloaked man immediately turned into a streak of bloody shadow and vanished from the bedroom.

After the cloaked man left, Fujii Sakura began pacing again.

"Konoha... Those idiots really have landed us in enormous trouble. Couldn't they have provoked trash like Sunagakure instead?!"

Two days later.

Three days later, in the northeastern Land of Fire, near the edge of the dense forest east of Changqiu Commandery, which lay in the country's northeast.

Three figures hid among the dense bushes, quietly watching ahead.

In the distance, they could already see wisps of cooking smoke and the outlines of field ridges.

Clearly, the three had reached their destination.

"Chuntai City is just ahead."

Maruboshi Kosuke spoke first, a trace of anger in his voice. Clearly, he had yet to get over his anger at the Konoha ninjas' deaths.

"Senior, after we enter the city, should we meet the client first, or sneak in and speak with the Anbu ninjas inside about the information they've gathered?"

Among the three, Shibi Aburame, the jonin leading the team, quietly addressed Maruboshi Kosuke.

He acted as though Maruboshi Kosuke was the team's jonin leader rather than him.

"Let's sneak in. We don't need to meet up with the Anbu ninjas, either. They've... most likely already been exposed. Besides, with Gen here, we can get enough information ourselves.

"Gen, your genjutsu is up to the task, right? A Three-Tomoe Sharingan should be pretty good at genjutsu."

Maruboshi Kosuke shook his head slightly, rejecting both options Shibi Aburame had proposed, then turned toward Uchiha Gen with a questioning look in his eyes.