The Third Shinobi World War began with Sunagakure's invasion of Konohagakure, but the war between the two sides was also the earliest to end.
At present, both sides are bogged down in the quagmires of their respective opponents and have no time to start another war. They have only left a small number of guard units along the border as a precaution.
As the buffer zone between the two countries as well as the main battlefield, the situation in the Land of Rivers did not improve with the signing of the peace treaty between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. Two years have passed, yet the internal situation of the country remains thoroughly rotten.
War destroys production; chaos breeds bandits.
Bandits, rogue ninja, masterless ninja, samurai, and various small ninja clans all gather in the small countries between the Five Great Nations, fighting one another over a bit of profit or meaningless beliefs.
A scene brimming with vitality, with all things competing to flourish.
Among the many small and medium-sized countries, the Land of Rivers does not have a small territorial area, yet it has no shinobi village of its own. The mission commissions within the country are basically meat from Konohagakure's pot, with Sunagakure also getting a small share.
The daimyō and nobles of the Land of Rivers, being served in turn by two great nations, are not worried about the security of their own positions. As a result, they do not care if the country falls apart.
As long as a few important, prosperous towns remain safe, that is enough. As for the vast rural areas, no one cares how many people die.
After all, those people have a chive-like attribute. As long as the lords close their eyes, then open them again a few years later, they will be pleasantly surprised to find that the population has refreshed again—how magical!
...
In the forest along the Fire–River border, the three members of Higashino Makoto's squad were uncharacteristically not leaping between trees, but instead running forward along the ground.
Suddenly, Uzuki Yūgao, who was in the lead, stopped, crouched down, and examined the ground, as if searching for something.
"This is the right direction!" she said.
Gekkō Hayate nodded. "Then let's continue the pursuit!"
Higashino Makoto followed at the rear. He did not speak, merely silently adjusting his direction of advance along with his two teammates.
Right now, among the three-person squad, Uzuki Yūgao is the weakest in strength, so everyone is deliberately training her abilities in all aspects.
Within the borders of the Land of Rivers, mountain bandits are everywhere. Among them, some of the more crafty ones near the edge of the Land of Fire often cross the border to come here and do business.
The villages and towns in the Land of Rivers that could be looted have all become impoverished. There is no fat to skim anymore. If they keep staying in their own country and engaging in internal competition, how could that be as enjoyable as robbing the wealthy people of the Land of Fire?
It is just that they have to take a bit of risk. But fortune is sought in danger—what if, by luck, they are not caught by ninja?
All one can say is that they are far too naive, having no concept at all of ninja tracking and mobility.
Very soon, the three-person squad entered the Land of Rivers. As the forest gradually thinned and the rolling hills rose into ridgelines, at the foot of a mountain where a river passed by, a stretch of houses built from logs came into view.
They looked new, with a rough and primitive style—presumably they had been built not long ago.
Uzuki Yūgao asked, "Makoto, are there any ninja inside?"
Ever since she adapted to life as a ninja, the little girl seemed to have suddenly grown up. When addressing Higashino Makoto and Gekkō Hayate, she no longer added "nii."
"No. They're all ordinary people."
"Alright, then. Like before, let's end it quickly."
After saying that, the three drew their weapons and charged straight into this crude camp. Strength was the guarantee of confidence—against this group of ordinary bandits, there was no need for stealth and assassination.
The people in the stronghold naturally noticed very quickly. Seeing the Konohagakure forehead protectors on the three of them, they immediately knew what kind of people had come.
But they did not run. Instead, they fiercely drew their weapons and rushed up while shouting. They had everything—sabers, spears, staves, axes—and their expressions were ferocious to the extreme.
"Bastards, it's Konohagakure ninja!"
"It's only three little brats!"
"Kill them! As long as we kill them, we'll be safe!"
So, they really are far too naive—having no concept of a ninja's strength, and completely not understanding how a great nation's hidden village operates either.
Higashino Makoto's trio were like tigers entering a flock of sheep. No matter how hard these people swung their weapons, they could not touch even a single hair on their heads.
On the chaotic battlefield, screams rose and fell one after another. Tall adults fell one by one. In the end, someone finally realized the gap in strength between the two sides and understood one thing: ninja—even if they looked like children only a few years old—were not opponents they could deal with.
The remaining bandits began to scatter and flee for their lives, but it was useless. Relying on speed, the three steadily reaped lives. In their eyes there was no disgust, no nausea, and certainly no excitement.
After the initial killings, nearly two months had already passed. Under Gekkō Kumomi's reminders, the three-person squad had long since reexamined their own hearts and had not turned into psychopaths who enjoyed killing.
Ninja need to kill, but they must not be controlled by killing.
This was just a job, and those being killed were a group of bandits with no moral bottom line.
If they were facing ordinary civilians of the ninja world, they would still be sunny, youthful, humble, and polite good youngsters.
The screams suddenly stopped. All the bandits had already become corpses, leaving only their leader alive.
He was a tall, middle-aged man with long hair draped over his shoulders, his face densely covered with scars, wearing a ferocious expression.
Propping himself up with a long blade, he knelt on one knee, his gaze toward the three youngsters filled with bone-deep hatred.
"I never thought that in a great nation's hidden village, even children are like monsters. Hear that? You're all monsters—why don't you just die?"
Higashino Makoto had long grown tired of such insulting words. "Yeah. But aren't you the same?"
"We're not monsters. We're resistors. It's you ninja from the great nations who turned my country into a battlefield and forced us into this."
"Sorry. Maybe you're right," Higashino Makoto said. "But a mission is a mission. You crossed the border and looted two villages and a small town in the Land of Fire, killing more than thirty people. You have to pay the price."
The scar-faced leader sneered. "Then when will you ninja pay the price for your killing?"
"There will be a day when the price is paid. It's just that you won't live to see it. Goodbye!"
That day really does exist—the Rabbit Goddess is still hanging in the sky, and ninja chakra is all her food.
After speaking, Higashino Makoto raised his right hand, extended his thumb and index finger, and made a shooting gesture toward the scar-faced leader.
A small chakra sphere condensed at the tip of his index finger. Sharp Wind Release chakra wrapped around the rear of the sphere, spinning frantically. Overall, it looked like a miniature shuttlecock.
Wind Release: Wind Finger Gun
Another unsealed ninjutsu developed by Higashino Makoto, a weakened variant of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, with its creative inspiration drawn from the Hōzuki Clan of Kirigakure and their Water Release: Water Bullet Technique.
Could the original Higashino Makoto use the full version? Of course he could. But did killing one person really require that much chakra? No. Chakra is life itself. He hated waste, so he refined it.
Under the scar-faced leader's terrified gaze, the spinning chakra projectile, carrying a faint whistling sound, shot instantly into his heart.
Extremely sharp Wind Release chakra erupted inside his body, completely shredding his vital core. The scar-faced leader felt only a slight pain in his chest before collapsing to the ground and losing his life.
Gekkō Hayate and Uzuki Yūgao had long since seen this technique. They envied it, wanted it, but could not achieve it. It required the ultimate combination of chakra shape transformation and nature transformation. To reach that level, they did not know how many more years of training it would take.
"All right, this C-rank mission is complete."
After Uzuki Yūgao made the announcement, the three of them entered the stronghold to search it, mainly for cash and valuables. If there was any special intelligence, that would count as an unexpected gain.
Since the last time they wiped out the Sea Shark Gang, nearly two months had already passed, and they had completed quite a few similar missions.
Sometimes they would encounter rogue ninja or masterless ninja, causing the mission rank to rise to B-rank, but most of them were C-rank missions that did not involve ninja.
There were no A-rank missions. A-rank missions already involved special jōnin or jōnin. Such people held fairly good status within the village. Even if they defected, they could live well anywhere, so there was no need for them to become bandits, an occupation with no financial future.
After each mission, the money they obtained was an unexpected bonus. After all, how much did a C-rank mission pay? Even for a B-rank mission, the maximum was only 200,000 ryō, and it still had to be split among four people.
Just like the previous D-rank beast-clearing missions—why did Higashino Makoto mark each kill on the map? It was because personnel from the breeding facility needed to come and retrieve them, then convert them into money to pay them.
The large ship obtained from wiping out the Sea Shark Gang was the same. Officials at Hema Port would convert it into cash. No one dared to embezzle the money of their own nation's hidden village ninja—unless they no longer wanted to live.
However, the money from selling that large ship was unanimously given by the four members of Team Three to the rescued victims.
Ninja are tools, but they cannot be completely heartless.
After everything was wrapped up, Higashino Makoto looked at the gains from this mission and said happily, "Let's go back and regroup with sensei. I heard the hot springs in town are pretty good—perfect for relaxing."
Doing missions is hard work. Can't they enjoy themselves a bit?
Besides, none of them were short on money now.
The village would not demand the proceeds obtained outside of mission rewards. After all, ninja live in the village, and their spending is not low. The meat will end up rotting in the pot sooner or later anyway. There is no need to reclaim it through orders—it would only chill the hearts of subordinates.
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