Chapter 20 (Patreon)

By the time noon arrived, the five of them were still travelling along a forest road.

No one had spoken for quite some time, leaving the atmosphere unusually tense.

Kurenai and Tazuna walked near the front, while Mihawk followed behind them with the red paper parasol resting against his shoulder.

Hinata and Shino moved on either side of the group, using their respective clan techniques to survey their surroundings.

The veins around Hinata’s temples bulged as she kept her Byakugan active, while Shino’s kikaichū remained scattered throughout the nearby forest.

Tazuna glanced between them before his gaze finally settled on the silver-haired boy who appeared to stand at the centre of the three genin.

For reasons he could not explain, their presence made him feel strangely reassured.

Kurenai noticed his repeated glances and smiled.

“They’re among the finest genin of this year’s graduating class. With these three here, even an enemy hiding beneath the ground wouldn’t escape their notice.”

Kurenai understood the capabilities of her team better than anyone.

Hinata possessed the Hyūga clan’s Gentle Fist.

Shino’s kikaichū could support the team in both combat and reconnaissance.

As for direct physical attacks, Mihawk’s terrifying swordsmanship was more than enough to fill that role.

Their sensory abilities were equally formidable.

Hinata’s Byakugan granted her nearly three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision and allowed her to observe targets from as far as a kilometre away.

Shino could spread his insects across the surrounding area, turning them into a vast network of living scouts.

Then there was Mihawk’s Observation Haki, which remained effective even when his eyes were closed.

Their abilities covered one another so naturally that Kurenai could barely find a weakness in their formation.

Tazuna fell silent after hearing her explanation.

Instead of feeling relieved, the unease in his heart only deepened.

The sharper their senses were, the sooner they would uncover his lie.

What would happen if Kurenai learned that he had deliberately concealed the true danger of the mission and decided to abandon it?

Just then, the expressions of all four members of Team 8 changed slightly.

Kurenai glanced at Tazuna from the corner of her eye, a trace of suspicion appearing in her red gaze.

Hinata quietly deactivated her Byakugan before leaning closer to Mihawk.

She whispered something into his ear.

Mihawk gave a slight nod.

None of the four said anything aloud. They simply continued walking as though nothing had happened.

Tazuna, however, noticed the subtle exchange.

His heart sank further, and sweat began gathering beneath his cloak.

A short while later, the group passed a large puddle in the middle of the road.

It had not rained for several days.

A puddle of that size appearing on a dry forest path was far too conspicuous to be natural.

Yet none of the members of Team 8 appeared to notice it.

At some point, Mihawk had quietly fallen to the rear of the formation, walking one step behind Hinata and Shino.

The five continued onward with their backs turned to the puddle.

A head suddenly emerged from beneath the water.

Splash!

“First target.”

A low voice filled with killing intent sounded from behind them.

The harsh rattle of metal chains tore through the silence of the forest.

Two figures burst from the puddle and appeared directly behind Mihawk.

The attackers swung a chain fitted with bladed gauntlets, intending to wrap it around his body and tear him apart.

Before the chain could close around him, a clear metallic ring echoed through the forest.

Shing!

A dazzling arc of sword light flashed across the road like a falling star.

Mihawk turned at the same instant he drew his blade.

The slash passed through both attackers before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

By the time Mihawk finished turning around, his sword had already returned to its sheath.

The two figures remained frozen in place.

Neither moved.

A few seconds later, Mihawk raised his red paper parasol in front of himself.

Splurt!

Blood erupted from the waists of both attackers, scattering through the air like crimson rain.

It struck the surface of the parasol, deepening its already vivid red colour.

A few droplets landed on the leg of Mihawk’s trousers.

The instant the blood touched the fabric, however, it disappeared as though it had been wiped away by an invisible hand.

When the rain of blood finally stopped, Mihawk lowered the parasol.

The bodies of the two attackers collapsed behind it.

Both had been severed cleanly at the waist.

Kurenai, Hinata, Shino, and Tazuna walked back toward him.

Kurenai did not immediately examine the two dead shinobi.

Instead, she looked directly at Mihawk.

“That was your first time killing someone. How do you feel?”

“I don’t feel anything.”

Mihawk shook his head slightly.

“I only regret forgetting to leave one of them alive.”

Most people would naturally feel disturbed after taking a life for the first time.

For Mihawk, however, this was not truly his first experience with killing.

Within the mental world created by the Template, Mihawk had not only fought powerful opponents.

He had also faced countless enemies who harboured malicious intentions toward him, including those who had fought him in battles where only one side could survive.

He had already overcome the discomfort of taking a life several years ago.

Seeing that his expression had not changed in the slightest, Kurenai was briefly amazed by his composure.

She soon returned her attention to the situation at hand.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as we determine who they were targeting, we can still understand what happened.”

As she finished speaking, Kurenai turned toward Tazuna.

The bridge builder immediately looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

Kurenai studied him for a moment before speaking.

“Mr. Tazuna, it seems there are quite a few things you haven’t told us about this mission.”

She glanced toward the two corpses.

“Judging from their equipment and appearance, these two were the Demon Brothers, missing-nin from Kirigakure. They were at least chūnin-level shinobi.”

Her voice became noticeably colder.

“Under the shinobi mission system, any assignment expected to involve combat against other ninja is classified as B-rank at the very least.”

Kurenai’s eyes narrowed.

“Why did you lie about the mission’s rank?”

“H-How do you know they were after me?”

Tazuna still attempted to deny it.

“The first person they attacked was that silver-haired boy.”

Kurenai sighed.

“If you refuse to tell us the truth, you’re placing all of us in a difficult position.”

Seeing that Tazuna appeared to have reasons he could not easily reveal, her tone softened slightly.

“We were attacked by chūnin-level shinobi before we even reached the Land of Waves. That means stronger enemies may already be waiting further ahead.”

“If you continue hiding information from us, we’ll escort you back to the Land of Waves as agreed, but we won’t involve ourselves in anything beyond the original terms of the mission.”

“T-Then do that.”

Tazuna gritted his teeth.

“Just take me back to the Land of Waves. The mission isn’t over yet, is it?”

Kurenai stared at the stubborn old man, visibly troubled by his refusal to cooperate.

Before she could respond, Mihawk spoke.

“Kurenai-sensei, we should continue the mission.”

Kurenai turned toward him.

The concern on her face briefly froze when their gazes met.

Within Mihawk’s red eyes, she could see something unmistakable.

Excitement.

Did he already understand what kind of enemy might be waiting for them?

That was certainly possible.

Mihawk had graduated at the top of his class. There was no reason he would be unfamiliar with Konoha’s mission-ranking system.

Kurenai recalled the single draw of his sword that had killed both chūnin instantly.

She also remembered the battle they had fought two months earlier.

The unease in her heart gradually settled.

Finally, she nodded.

“We’ll continue the mission.”

Kurenai then turned back toward Tazuna, her expression becoming stern once again.

“However, before we arrive in the Land of Waves, I expect you to tell us the truth about this mission.”

“If we encounter a situation beyond our ability to control, our first priority will be retreating and ensuring the survival of my team.”

Tazuna remained silent.

His expression shifted repeatedly beneath the shadow of his cloak, but no words left his mouth.