Chapter 45: Interception

"Please have a seat, gentlemen. You see, these are all homemade pickles..."

"Just give me whatever," the man wearing a straw hat tossed a money pouch at him. The waiter caught it and immediately beamed with joy.

"Alright! Gentlemen, your food will be ready soon~"

Noticing that these men with straw hats didn't want to engage with him, the waiter wisely left, giving them enough space.

After the waiter left, the group began to chat sporadically.

"This place is quite like our village... it's always so foggy."

"The Land of Waves is an island nation, after all. It's very humid."

"Once we pass through the Land of Waves, we need to be careful. Although our secret base on the Fire Nation's shore is well-hidden, we must not underestimate those guys from Konoha... they have Byakugan and Sharingan."

Knock, knock.

The sudden knocking on the table halted their idle chat. The man sitting in the center took off his straw hat, revealing his face.

"As shinobi, we should act covertly. Although shinobi are rare in the Land of Waves, we still need to be cautious."

'You should put the hat back on...' the subordinates thought silently but did not dare to retort openly. They could only lower their heads and apologize.

"Sorry, Jinpachi-sama."

"Mm," Jinpachi nodded slightly, closing his eyes to rest.

He was of average height, wearing a white headscarf with his beard tied into small braids. His lips were thick, and his left eye was covered with a black cloth, making him look quite eccentric. However, in the world of shinobi, strange outfits were not uncommon, so he did not attract much attention.

More striking than his appearance and attire was the large sword on his back. Whether it could be called a "sword" was debatable; it had no sharp edge and was as wide as a door. The sword's back was cylindrical, and its blade was covered, hiding its contents.

Anyone from Kirigakure would recognize this door-like blade, adorned with explosive tags!

The man carrying this sword was also very famous.

Jinpachi Munashi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the wielder of the explosive blade, Shibuki!

Revealing his true identity was a helpless act for Jinpachi. The explosive blade, Shibuki, was highly recognizable. Any shinobi could identify him with a glance, so wearing a hat wouldn't conceal his identity.

As for sealing the explosive blade in a scroll... few among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, including Jinpachi, would do that.

They lived by their swords and earned their fame through them. If they couldn't grip their swords instantly, it would be an insult to the name "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

With Jinpachi's warning, his subordinates became much more restrained, communicating silently with their eyes as they waited for their food.

"Please, come in, sir! Have a seat inside!"

However, instead of their meal, another customer arrived.

Draped in a raincoat, with his head bowed, a lone figure entered from the door and went straight to the table beside the Kirigakure shinobi.

With his back to them, his face was obscured, but it was clear he was a long-haired man.

"These are all homemade pickles..."

The lone customer interrupted the waiter's spiel with a money pouch, speaking softly.

"Bring me a pot of good tea."

"Alright!"

The waiter ran out excitedly, thinking that today's guests were particularly generous.

While the waiter was thrilled, the Kirigakure shinobi were not as relaxed.

The shinobi accompanying Jinpachi were experienced Chunin from the turbulent Kirigakure. Their battle experience was richer than that of shinobi from other villages.

They immediately recognized the subtle danger in the lone customer's position.

The distance between the newcomer and Jinpachi was a delicate five meters—just out of reach of Jinpachi's explosive blade, Shibuki, with a single step and swing.

Distance is the most critical factor for close-combat shinobi.

'He's an expert...' The Kirigakure shinobi quietly grasped their kunai, looking towards Jinpachi.

The renowned Swordsman of the Mist did not panic, simply staring at the newcomer, articulating each word.

"Konoha?"

"Yes."

A straightforward question, a straightforward answer.

Not hiding one's identity might be fine in peaceful times, but in this chaotic era, such "honesty" implied irreconcilability!

"A fine sword... That's the explosive blade, Shibuki, right? So, you must be Jinpachi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"Indeed. And you are...?"

Jinpachi didn't finish his sentence as the newcomer turned around, revealing a handsome, gentle face and eyes as pure as white paper.

"Yuto, just a nobody."

'Tsunade's disciple, huh? This is troublesome...' Jinpachi sighed inwardly. It had been half a year since Yuto became Tsunade's disciple, something the Kirigakure intelligence network couldn't ignore.

"So, Jinpachi, why are you in the Land of Waves?" Yuto asked, his expression not unpleasant, he even seemed to have a sunny disposition.

"Traveling, training, sightseeing..." Jinpachi grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

"I can do whatever I want. But what does it have to do with you? This isn't the Land of Fire."

"Yes, this is the Land of Waves, I know." Yuto chuckled.

"Finding you was quite a task, even for someone with Byakugan like me."

"Oh? So?" Jinpachi gripped his sword hilt tightly. His honed swordsmanship gave him the confidence to close the distance and deliver a deadly blow in a fraction of a second.

Yuto seemed unperturbed, still smiling.

"To be honest, my mission is to stop you from entering the Land of Fire."

"I'm a very sociable person," Yuto pointed to his face.

"My persuasion skills are decent, and I'm quite perceptive. I'm thinking, if I could convince you to return to the Land of Water, that would be wonderful—no fighting involved."

"But you know, both Konoha and Kirigakure's top brass are cautious and intelligent. If I returned and said you were persuaded to leave, without evidence, the higher-ups wouldn't believe me."

"So, could you help me out by giving me your explosive blade, Shibuki? With that, the higher-ups would believe me."

"Of course, if you refuse, that's fine too. After all, it's a treasure of Kirigakure, and I don't like forcing people. But..." Yuto paused, his tone becoming gentle as if speaking to a lover.

"I'll bring back your heads and the sword."

In the tavern by the lake, an eerie silence prevailed.

After a long pause, Jinpachi suddenly burst into wild laughter, his voice growing louder and louder.

"You're arrogant... brat!"

A massive explosion erupted, shooting into the sky.

(End of chapter)