Chapter 58: The Fanatic (Patreon)

"Hey! Dead-fish eyes! I'm talking to you!"

The scar-faced ninja walked over and stopped beside the table where Kumokawa's group sat, looking down at them with a sneer. His sinister gaze swept over the four faces. "You four look unfamiliar. Your behavior is suspicious, too. I have reason to suspect you're spies. Come with me quietly."

Familiar, my foot. Spies, my ass. The capital wasn't Amegakure village; it wasn't cut off from the outside world. There were plenty of foreign merchants here. There was no way this guy knew them all. Furthermore, it wasn't just Kakashi's group who had heard that comment and glanced over—it was just that Kakashi's dead-fish eyes were particularly good at drawing hostility.

This was purely about making an example and warning others who had heard things they shouldn't to keep their mouths shut.

Unlucky.

Realizing this, Kakashi sighed inwardly. But he also knew that fleeing now was out of the question. That would only confirm that their identities were problematic. Even if they escaped, it would alert the enemy and increase the mission's difficulty.

So, after a moment of silence, while secretly gathering chakra, he looked up calmly at the scar-faced ninja. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Hearing this, the three other Amegakure ninja, who had been sitting back and not intending to get involved, instinctively exchanged glances, sensing trouble. They also stood up and walked over.

"Huh?" Seeing the four seemingly unperturbed individuals, the scar-faced ninja's heart skipped a beat. But he didn't back down verbally. "Oh ho! You four cripples can't even muster three pairs of eyes between you, and you dare question me?"

Hatake Kakashi only showed one eye. Hyūga Kumokawa had kept his eyes closed the whole time, pretending to be blind. So indeed, they couldn't "muster three pairs of eyes."

"Idiot!" Hatake Kakashi's tone instantly turned cold. "Just for that sentence you uttered earlier, we could execute you on the spot!"

The scar-faced ninja's forehead vein bulged as he stepped forward, about to explode, but the long-haired ninja behind him quickly reached out to stop him.

"You... are Anbu?" The long-haired ninja narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Kakashi's group of four. His gaze finally settled on the silent Yamato.

Yamato—the future Tenzo and the former Root ninja Kinoe—having recently joined the Anbu, still hadn't shed the aura of lifelessness and chill from his Root days. And the Anbu established by Hanzō wasn't like Konoha's Anbu; it was more akin to personal death squads truly loyal only to him.

"Now it's your turn to come with us." Hatake Kakashi neither confirmed nor denied, speaking with icy detachment.

Hearing this, the four Amegakure ninja couldn't help but change expressions, instantly confirming their suspicions. Lately, with the failure to capture the Akatsuki remnants, Hanzō had become increasingly paranoid, suspecting moles within Amegakure. He had ordered the Anbu to conduct thorough investigations, which had implicated many.

Currently, Amegakure was on edge, with everyone fearing for themselves. To the scar-faced ninja and his companions, the aura emanating from Yamato was identical to those Anbu hyenas. This filled them with simultaneous shock and fear. If what they had discussed reached Lord Hanzō's ears, even if they miraculously survived, they'd be skinned alive.

So, the scar-faced ninja and the long-haired ninja exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in the other's eyes.

"Haha, so it's our brothers from Amegakure! Forgive us, forgive us. We were out of line." The scar-faced ninja feigned sudden understanding, laughing heartily as he bent over, reaching into his robe—likely for money, hoping these four hyenas were the type to take bribes. They weren't bold enough to attack Anbu, but bribing them with cash was a different story.

However, just as his hand went into his robe, Hyūga Kumokawa, sitting beside Kakashi, suddenly looked up and shouted, "What are you trying to do?!"

The scar-faced ninja and the three behind him were momentarily stunned. Before they could react, the four, including Kakashi, moved instantly with a clear division of roles. Each one grabbed a bottle. Each one smashed it toward an Amegakure ninja.

Bang! Bang-bang!

Unopened bottles shattered. Red wine mixed with blood splattered, raining red inside the tavern. Clearly, the Amegakure ninja's limited combat training and reaction speed were no match for the Konoha four, who hailed from shinobi clans, Anbu, and Root.

The four Amegakure ninja were caught completely off guard. Three were knocked unconscious by blows to the head. Only the burliest, the scar-faced ninja, barely remained conscious, seeing stars.

"You... you are—"

His first instinct was to form hand seals, but his wrist was caught by five slender, strong fingers.

Crack!

"Ahh!!"

A crisp sound came from his wrist, turning his next words into a scream. He instinctively tried to wrench his agonizing right hand back. It felt like his hand was stuck in a mountain, utterly immovable. The youth opposing him was a mountain...

Crack! Splurch!

A terrifying force erupted from that grip. Bones made a sickening cracking sound. Bulging muscles were instantly crushed by that power. Scarlet blood spurted from between the five fingers. Amidst the grotesque sound of crushing flesh, the scar-faced ninja's wrist lost all shape. Under that instantaneous, extreme pain, his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.

Thud.

Hyūga Kumokawa expressionlessly released his grip. The scar-faced ninja, having passed out from the pain, collapsed. Witnessing this excessively brutal and bloody scene, the customers who were about to scream shut their mouths as if their necks had been wrung.

"Daring to insult Lord Hanzō! You reckless dogs!" Hyūga Kumokawa cursed loudly, then looked at the stunned crowd. His tone and expression were full of righteous anger. "Who gave us peaceful lives? Who made the Land of Rain strong?"

"It was Lord Hanzō! I hope everyone remembers: Lord Hanzō is the hero of the Land of Rain! Heroes are to be revered, not insulted! As long as Lord Hanzō remains in Amegakure for a single day, the great nations will not dare to invade!"

"Lord Hanzō is the sun of the Land of Rain! Anyone attempting to spread absurd, demoralizing, chilling rhetoric will be severely punished!" His voice was impassioned and fervent, filled with fanaticism for the so-called Lord Hanzō.

Hearing this, the panicked and fearful crowd was momentarily stunned. They looked at each other, their emotions strangely calming. A glint appeared in their eyes as they regarded Kumokawa and his companions.

[Ding! Your lie has been judged as [Turning Black into White]. Kojima Hiroshi, Berry, and others experience emotional fluctuation, reaching the level of [Wholehearted Belief]. Obtained 300 Realization Points.]

Beside Hyūga Kumokawa, Hatake Kakashi's mouth twitched. He was naturally aware of Hanzō's status in the hearts of the Land of Rain's populace. The reverence and admiration most citizens held for Hanzō were genuine. One could even say most had grown up hearing his legends. The reason the Land of Rain remained unscathed during the Third Great Shinobi War was largely due to Hanzō's formidable reputation deterring other great nations.

So, when they heard the scar-faced ninja complain about Lord Hanzō, these commoners, though they dared not retort, were inwardly displeased. But Kakashi hadn't expected Hyūga Kumokawa to seize on this point so swiftly. Kakashi's original plan was to subdue the four Amegakure ninja while impersonating Anbu, then use that authority to order everyone to keep quiet.

However, such a forceful approach was prone to breeding resentment and rebelliousness. It would likely only buy a little time before someone realized something was off and reported it. Therefore, while surprised by Hyūga Kumokawa's handling and quick reaction, Kakashi couldn't help but feel some appreciation. This method of turning black into white was clean and efficient, and his tone truly resembled that of a Hanzō-worshipping fanatic.

"So they are ninja-sama too!" The tavern owner, hiding behind the bar, finally snapped out of it and hurriedly stood up, bowing respectfully. "Thank you for your hard work in purging such scum from the Land of Rain and Amegakure!"

The crowd, now free of fear, nodded and praised in unison, looking at the fallen Amegakure ninja with disgust and hatred. Such ungrateful wretches deserved whatever they got!

"Thank you for your understanding." Since they could resolve this without raising alarms, that was best. Kakashi looked at the people in the tavern and reminded them, "Everything you heard and saw today must not be divulged to anyone. We hope for your cooperation."

"Of course, of course!"

"We understand!"

"We saw nothing!"

Everyone nodded vigorously to show they understood, then obediently sat back down. They watched as Kakashi's group of four shouldered the Amegakure ninja. The tavern owner even scurried over to personally see them to the door.

The four vanished from the tavern using the Body Flicker Technique, simultaneously leaving behind payment for the drinks and a cleanup fee, earning them looks of admiration from those watching.

Pure and unwavering conviction, taking not a needle or thread from the people—this was the true guardian deity of the Land of Rain!