"What the hell has he been doing all this time?" Yoshiro grumbled, irritated as he stood in front of the old inn. "Damn it! We should've left that bum behind… I really don't know why you want him tagging along with us so badly, Ayano."
"Calm down. You took your time inside too," the girl replied calmly, tying her hair into a ponytail. "…And besides, I'm just trying to increase our chances of survival. We don't know what we'll run into in that forest."
Yoshiro looked at her for a moment, clearly unconvinced by his partner's words. "…Increase our chances of survival… and what if that bastard is working with the Mizukage? What makes you think he won't betray us? He could be leading us straight into a trap."
"You might be right he could've been a mole from the start, setting a trap and leading us into it," Ayano replied, pausing to think. "But still… there's something strange. Why would he be in the same cell as us if he were working with the Mizukage? You can't really say he's changed… maybe he was always like this and we just didn't know him… And that attack by those men in black considering the carnage they caused, I don't think it could've been a bluff…"
Yoshiro fell silent, genuinely reflecting on Ayano's words. It had been a long time since she'd talked this much. And she wasn't wrong before their mission, Yoshiro didn't really know Takeshi. It was possible he'd simply chosen not to show all his cards. After all, being a mercenary came with risks too.
There were also those guys in black like evil spirits destroying everything in their path. Unless the Mizukage was completely insane, there was no way she'd go that far just to put on an act. And besides, for what purpose? She already knew the objective of their mission… Still, Yoshiro couldn't stand Takeshi. Seeing Ayano grow more and more interested in uncovering that guy's secrets only made things worse.
"I get what you're saying, but " Just as Yoshiro was about to finish his sentence, a silhouette emerged from the ruins.
"So, did I keep you waiting?" Takeshi asked casually as he walked toward them, a small bag hanging around his neck, holding a jar filled with sake.
"You!" Yoshiro shouted, veins bulging at his temple. "…You think this is vacation time, damn it?! We're waiting here and you decide to go shopping?!"
"Relax, man," Takeshi replied, tossing him the jar. "You like my new outfit? You didn't want me heading into the forest with my junk hanging out, did you?"
After nearly dropping the jar, Yoshiro opened it to see what was inside. "Alcohol! You made us wait here for a damn jar of booze "
As the smell of sake filled the air, Yoshiro snapped the lid shut and threw the jar back to Takeshi, who caught it effortlessly. "…This isn't just alcohol, you little shit… What was I even expecting from a retard like you?" Takeshi replied, disappointment showing on his face.
He then turned to Ayano. "Everything ready?"
"Everything's here. We can go," she answered, still wearing that impassive expression, as if she were above the world itself.
Ignoring Yoshiro, who was muttering to himself, Takeshi and Ayano began to walk away, heading toward the center of the city.
With their supplies stocked, all that remained was to find a way out of the village walls. The sooner they got out of there, the better.
After a few minutes of walking, the same desolate scenery stretched on. Every alley had its share of corpses and burning houses. They hadn't run into any rebels yet, which was a relief.
"What if we go over the wall?" Ayano suddenly suggested, surveying the city. "…I think the fighting is concentrated at the village gate. That means these walls probably aren't guarded."
Her reasoning made sense. They'd crossed a good portion of the village without encountering a single soul. If the battle was really raging at the front, rushing there would be pointless especially since the strongest fighters on both sides were likely present.
"Then let's do that," Takeshi replied, following her lead.
Yoshiro, for his part, didn't say a word. As long as it was Ayano making the suggestion, unless she told him to kill himself, he had no objections.
They quickly climbed onto the rooftops and began jumping from one roof to another until they reached the massive wall separating the village from the vegetation beyond.
But just as they were about to cross it, two silhouettes appeared on a nearby rooftop.
"Hey… what the hell do you think you're doing?" one of them growled as he drew his katana. "Don't tell me you're trying to run?"
"Pfff… these dogs just won't stop chasing us," Takeshi spat, annoyed. He'd barely managed to get some decent clothes. "You kill four, two more show up…"
"So it was you who killed our guys!" the man shouted in anger.
"Yo, I think we found your brother's killer!" the other one yelled.
"Who the hell is he talking to?" Yoshiro asked, tightening his grip on his katana.
Suddenly, five more silhouettes appeared. One of them stepped forward, blade in hand. "Who's the bastard who laid a hand on my bro?"
"Shit," Takeshi muttered. He clearly hadn't expected this many enemies. "Hey… on my signal, run!"
"What the hell are you talking about now…?" Yoshiro snapped.
[Yoton: Molten Rock]
"Eat this, you pack of mutts!" Takeshi shouted, laughing. "We're outta here!"
Takeshi turned and sprinted at full speed toward the wall, Ayano following almost immediately behind him. Yoshiro was the slowest of the three.
"Where are you"
"Shut up and run," Takeshi shot back.