Haibi was horrified as well. He specialized in Earth Release, which was at a disadvantage against Lightning Release, so all he could do was curse, "Bastards, are you Amegakure ninja trying to assassinate the daimyo?"
By now, the daimyo had been alarmed and thought someone had come to assassinate him again.
Haibi had said that for the daimyo's benefit.
He knew the daimyo had long been dissatisfied with Hanzō. Otherwise, why would he have hired members of the Iron Fang Group as guards?
Shinonome had anticipated this and declared loudly, "Hmph, the Iron Fang Group has committed treason. By Lord Hanzō's orders, you are to be executed."
The other members of Haibi Squad panicked, looking at Haibi with uncertainty and suspicion.
"Bullshit! That's just an excuse to get rid of us," Haibi flatly denied.
"I'll give the evidence to His Excellency the Daimyo later, so you needn't concern yourself with it. Die!"
Blue lightning flared along the long sword. It sliced through Haibi's Kunai in a single stroke and continued on, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone.
This crafty old bastard. No wonder he was so eager.
Aoki Tsuki grumbled inwardly. As expected of someone Hanzō trusted enough to send to protect the daimyo, he was strong.
With Aoki Tsuki's current strength, Shinonome would probably kill him instantly.
The duel between Jonin moved incredibly fast. Even if they only used Taijutsu, they were far beyond ordinary Chunin and Genin.
All the onlookers saw was a flash of lightning flickering everywhere as it pursued its target. The target let out a scream from time to time, and before long, Haibi was defeated.
He was slower, and his abilities were at a disadvantage. Unable to escape, he was beheaded on the spot.
"S-so strong!"
The members of Aoki Tsuki Squad all stared with their mouths open.
So far, Jonin Shinonome was the strongest ninja they had encountered.
Haibi's death was a crushing blow to the rest of his squad. Ginjirō was killed, and the remaining three raised their hands in surrender.
The battle had erupted suddenly and ended just as quickly.
Jonin Shinonome paid the small fry no attention. He went alone into the daimyo's bedchamber to explain.
Shioame walked up to Aoki Tsuki and said with a laugh, "Haha... Captain Shinonome's strength scared you, didn't it?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect Captain Shinonome to be so strong, or to have a powerful nature like Lightning Release. I don't remember there being many Lightning Release ninja in the village," Aoki Tsuki said, puzzled.
Strong and exceptionally cautious-that was the kind of person he planned to become.
"That's right. The village's main Ninjutsu is Water Release, and Lightning Release Ninjutsu is very rare. I heard the captain only made such rapid progress after receiving guidance from Lord Hanzō."
"I see."
Although the exchange had been brief, Aoki Tsuki had seen that Shinonome had incorporated Lightning Release into his swordsmanship.
It was not a separate Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
Shioame reached out and patted Aoki Tsuki on the shoulder. "If you can earn Lord Shinonome's favor, even a few pointers from him would be enough to serve you well."
"You're right."
That was what he said, but he knew that even if he grovelled before Shinonome, the man would never give him pointers.
He could tell what sort of person Shinonome was from the time they had spent together.
Aoki Tsuki suddenly remarked, "We really have Lord Shinonome to thank this time. Otherwise, we would have had a hard fight on our hands. Iwagakure is even more despicable than Konoha.
"They actually infiltrated the daimyo's inner circle. If we hadn't discovered it early, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
Shioame nodded emphatically. "Tell me about it. But in the end, the captain found the crucial evidence and reported it to Lord Hanzō in time.
"I don't suppose it'll be long before we can return to the village."
"Yeah, that's a Jonin for you. I miss home too. I hope we can go back soon."
As the two spoke, Shinonome came out of the room and looked at everyone. "The daimyo is unharmed. Aoki Tsuki Squad will continue to stand guard tonight. Stay alert."
"Yes, sir!"
Aoki Tsuki bowed and accepted the order.
He was in no better a mood than the daimyo. He had long suspected that Shinonome would go back on his word, but he still despised him for it.
Clearly, Shinonome had not mentioned him at all when he sent the information to the village.
Shioame had only come to pass on the message at Shinonome's prompting. If Aoki Tsuki knew what was good for him, he would not bring it up again.
It still comes down to strength. I hope things go smoothly with Root.
He had never imagined he would one day be hoping for things to go well for Root. It was ironic.
Meanwhile, the members of Shinonome Squad tidied up the battlefield and returned to their rooms to rest. Shioame went into Shinonome's room alone to report.
"Captain, I spoke with Aoki Tsuki just now. He's a smart man. He won't talk out of turn."
"Mm."
Shinonome nodded almost imperceptibly. He did not want to discuss the subject further. It was hardly something to be proud of.
"The village should send someone to relieve us in a couple of days. When that happens, I'll give you all a long vacation."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll take my leave."
Shioame respectfully withdrew from the room, mourning for Aoki Tsuki in his heart. He knew all too well what sort of person his captain was.
Shinonome was cautious, never took risks, and was stingy. Apart from Lord Hanzō, he would not give anyone the time of day.
At noon the next day, the village sent a squad to relieve Shinonome Squad.
The captain was named Ran'on. He was undoubtedly a member of the guard unit as well, and he looked like a rigid man too.
Perhaps because they had been under Hanzō's influence for so long, Aoki Tsuki felt that the Jonin in the guard unit all had similar personalities. None of them smiled easily.
"Everything stays the same."
That was all Ran'on said before going on duty.
Aoki Tsuki had wanted to ask when someone would come to relieve them, but seeing this, he could only look for another opportunity.
Although the village had explained to the daimyo that the Iron Fang Group had colluded with Iwagakure, acting first and reporting afterward had still displeased him.
Ran'on Squad was not welcome. That much was evident from their increasingly irritated expressions.
Aside from work reports, Aoki Tsuki had almost no contact with them.
He had been burned by Shinonome and was wary now. At first, he had thought Shinonome valued him, only for the man to set a trap for him and toss him aside when he was done. It was a lesson worth remembering.
That evening, he finally received another message from Aburame Ryoma.
At the safe house.
"This is your payment. The last piece of intelligence was very valuable." Aburame Ryoma tossed a scroll into Aoki Tsuki's hands.
"You're too kind. I'm glad I could help," Aoki Tsuki said modestly.
Aburame Ryoma noticed the change in Aoki Tsuki's attitude. He was no longer as resistant to cooperating with Root as he had been last time; if anything, he had become somewhat eager.
Hmph, did one of his own people deal him a blow!?
Aburame Ryoma had expected this, and it was also what he wanted to see. He needed to plant a piece in Amegakure who could get close to Hanzō.
That was important to Root's upcoming plans in the Land of Rain.
After receiving the intelligence that the Iron Fang Group and Iwagakure were exchanging supplies at Izushi Mine, Root's people had acted immediately and successfully intercepted the shipment.
It was a tangible success, and Root's actions had received further approval from Konoha High Command.
Aburame Ryoma had naturally reported Aoki Tsuki's involvement to Danzo as well and received his support.
That was how Aoki Tsuki came to have the Ninjutsu scroll in his hands.
"Your strength does need to improve. We hope you can rise high enough that there will be more room for cooperation."
Aoki Tsuki nodded repeatedly. "I understand, I understand. Don't worry. Once this mission is over, I should be able to enter the guard unit. We can get in touch again then."
The two sides exchanged only a few words before going their separate ways.
After finding a deserted spot, Aoki Tsuki eagerly opened the scroll and began to read.
"What? It's the Water Dragon Bullet Technique! How generous! Danzo really is more sincere than Hanzō. That's the generosity of a great village for you."
Aoki Tsuki's opinion of Danzo rose considerably.
Not only that, the scroll also contained some knowledge about the nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra.
Clearly, they thought he was too weak and wanted to boost his attributes.
No wonder people said your enemy knew you best.
After quietly committing the contents to memory, he burned the scroll and strolled back. When he stood guard that night, even his teammates noticed.
"Captain, what good thing happened? Why are you so happy?" Mieko asked.
"Could it be that we can go back to the village?" Ryōta guessed.
Shinichi also looked at Aoki Tsuki expectantly, hoping that was the case. They had been away for months, working the night shift every day. No one could stand it.
"Don't rush. I'll ask Jonin Ran'on when I have time in a couple of days," Aoki Tsuki reassured them.
One day, while reporting on their work, Aoki Tsuki asked, "Captain Ran'on, how long do Guardian Ninja assignments like ours usually last?"
"Around a year. Under special circumstances, such as earning merit, the village will recall you early."
At that, Ran'on suddenly said, "That's why Shinonome Squad returned early. Didn't they tell you?"
"Uh... maybe they forgot. Actually, I don't know them that well... hehe..."
Aoki Tsuki awkwardly gave himself a way out.
"Is that so...?"
They had only known each other for a few days, but Ran'on had more or less figured out what Aoki Tsuki was like. How could he not be close to Shinonome Squad?
But he had an even better understanding of what sort of person Shinonome was.
"Yes."
Aoki Tsuki forced himself to say, "I won't keep you from your work."
Shinonome had claimed all the credit for himself and, afraid that Aoki Tsuki would talk out of turn if he returned to the village with him, had not mentioned what Aoki Tsuki's squad had done. That was why they could not return early.
Who knew how long it would be before their guard duty ended?
Even if he said something then, who would want to dredge up old history with him?
When Aoki Tsuki returned and saw his teammates' expectant expressions, he sighed. "I just asked. Guard duty lasts at least a year, so we've still got a long way to go."
"Ah... it really takes that long?" The three stared wide-eyed.
"That's right. But it's not really a bad thing. We're in a time of war, and being here lets us avoid all sorts of dangerous missions."
Aoki Tsuki trotted out the baseline logic.
"All right, then. Should we make any changes to our watch?" Mieko asked.
The night shift guarding the daimyo at close quarters, which had originally belonged to the Iron Fang Group's squad, had fallen to Aoki Tsuki Squad.
As long as Konoha's Root did not stir up trouble, the daimyo's residence was actually quite safe.
Thinking of this, Aoki Tsuki said, "The three of you don't all have to be here every night. You can take turns resting. That'll make things easier for everyone."
"Thank you, Captain," the three said delightedly.
"Haha... don't mention it."
Aoki Tsuki waved a hand. In truth, he spent most of his time on guard duty training.
He either meditated to refine his spiritual energy or sensed Natural Energy.
Not only did he feel no fatigue, he felt refreshed, and his strength had been steadily improving.