114 Your pain?
Currently, In the rain-soaked jungle of the Land of Rain, three teenage ninjas clad in raincoats navigate through the dense foliage. They chatted and laughed as they recalled their recent mission.
"That old lady was so annoying; she wouldn't stop complaining and nagging. My ears are still ringing!" Yahiko chuckled, relishing the shared camaraderie.
The girl walking beside him, Konan, teased him playfully, "Yahiko, you're such a chatterbox! We've been on the move for hours!"
Yahiko, scratching his head, defended himself with a mischievous smile. "Konan, I just wanted Nagato to talk more. He's been so quiet since we got back."
With a giggle, Konan responded, "Nagato isn't exactly a chatterbox, you know that. What do you expect him to say?"
Yahiko's sunny and lively personality added a spark to the group's mood.
In response to Konan's words, Nagato, who had been mostly silent, interjected with a smile, "Yeah, what do you want me to say?"
Caught off guard, Yahiko stammered, "Uh..." and, realizing the futility of the suggestion, dropped the subject.
"What's wrong?" he inquired.
As Yahiko was contemplating a change of topic, he felt Konan tug at his sleeve.
Konan remained silent but gestured for them to follow her lead. They stealthily moved behind a massive tree, concealing themselves while peering at the unfolding scene.
Before them, six ninjas encircled a solitary figure in the center. The trio exchanged puzzled glances, trying to make sense of the unexpected tableau.
"Hey, is that guy a samurai? Look at the way he carries his sword!"
Yahiko whispered with a frown. Observing the man's sword at his waist, unlike the ninjas who wore theirs on their backs, he wondered about the presence of a samurai in the Land of Rain.
Nagato, positioned next to him, shared the confusion: "Those ninjas... Aren't they Hanzo-sama's men?"
"Six ninjas against one samurai—that doesn't seem fair, right? Should we go and help?" Konan asked softly.
Yahiko pondered for a moment and replied in a hushed tone, "Don't rush. Let's watch for a while. We don't know what's going on. Besides, those are Hanzo-sama's men. We don't want to mess with them."
Despite his cheerful and bold demeanor, Yahiko displayed caution and decisiveness when necessary. His companions trusted his judgment implicitly.
They continued to observe the unfolding scene, hidden behind the foliage, awaiting clarity on the mysterious confrontation in the rain-soaked jungle.
Fugaku detected the presence of hidden onlookers, but their identity remained elusive as they concealed themselves behind trees. However, he did not want to spare time for the mysterious observers.
His attention was fixed on the six adversaries before him as he slowly unsheathed his katana, declaring, "If you want to die, then let's get this over with!"
A mocking laughter erupted from one of the rain ninjas, who pushed his hat back and sneered, "Hahaha, I thought you were a sword master. Is that your weapon?"
The derision was warranted, for Fugaku's katana appeared worn, with numerous nicks and stains, seemingly on the brink of breaking.
Aware that samurai prized their swords, maintaining them meticulously, the rain ninjas found amusement in Fugaku's seemingly inferior weapon.
Yet, without warning, Fugaku swiftly swung his sword, the blade flashing and slashing across his chest.
He refrained from delivering a fatal blow, seeking to avoid unnecessary conflict, not out of fear but as a pragmatic decision to save time.
Observing Fugaku's restraint, the rain ninja, now frowning, ordered a swift retreat: "Hey, he's not bad."
One of them, employing an umbrella, performed hand seals, and a barrage of needles shot forth like bullets.
Unperturbed, Fugaku sighed and swung his sword, creating a powerful hurricane that deflected the projectiles and sent the ninjas staggering.
"There is no cure for fools!" Fugaku remarked, his sword's speed and slash remaining unmatched despite the heavy rain.
The ninjas, deprived of the opportunity to use their ninjutsu, witnessed Fugaku sheathe his sword.
"Never mind, I don't have time to waste, so I'll spare your lives for the first and last time!" Fugaku declared as he walked away, leaving the confused and astonished ninjas behind.
When they attempted to rise and retaliate, they discovered they had all been slashed twice, with two unfortunate individuals losing their pants.
Shocked and terrorized, the ninjas watched Fugaku depart, forgetting their original purpose. Once they regained their senses, they fled in the opposite direction, propelled by the fear instilled by Fugaku's formidable wind-enhanced swordsmanship.
Unconcerned about the fleeing ninjas, Fugaku smirked, acknowledging that, despite his sword's visible crack, its power, coupled with the wind attribute, was still formidable. Aware that his sword wouldn't last long, he pressed on, utilizing speed.
The trio, concealed behind the tree, watched in awe as Fugaku effortlessly dispatched the group of ninjas. Their mouths hung open, and their expressions were a mix of disbelief and admiration.
"Is… Is he really a samurai?" Konan whispered.
"Wow, he's cool," Yahiko marveled.
The sight of a lone samurai defeating a group of ninjas with such ease left them bewildered, struggling to comprehend the spectacle before them.
As Fugaku approached, he addressed the hidden observers, "Hey, you three, have you had enough?"
He walked to the side of the road, confronting them directly. Though indifferent to their intentions, Fugaku expected at least a greeting after their prolonged observation.
Nervous, Yahiko quickly positioned himself in front of the others, stammering, "Uh? That… That… We were just passing by. Yeah, just passing by!"
"Yeah, we didn't see anything," Konan added, forcing a smile.
Fearful of potential harm from the samurai, they recognized their vulnerability and refrained from resisting. Unsure if the ninjas they witnessed were on a mission to suppress bandits, they considered the possibility that Fugaku might be mistaken for a bandit.
Identifying the voice as that of a young man, Fugaku took a closer look at the trio. Recognition dawned, and his expression changed.
Tentatively, he called out to the person at the end, "You are... Nagato?"
The three stood frozen, unsure whether to confirm or deny their identities. The atmosphere grew awkward as Fugaku continued, "And Yahiko, Konan, right?"
Caught off guard, they stammered, "What... You… How do you know us?"
In that moment, the three found themselves utterly flustered, their encounter with the mysterious samurai taking an unexpected turn.
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