Chapter 47: The Best Hunters Often Disguise Themselves as Prey

"Hey, is that Murata Yuko? Her little brother's the cheeky one who tried to take you out a few days back and ended up in our clutches," Yusuke remarked, eyeing the perplexed Yuko seated on the ground. He turned to Nasu, who nodded in agreement and remarked

"Next time, handle it more cleanly. Now she's still alive but causing trouble for my business. What's the deal with that?"

"I get it. I'll handle her in a bit," Yusuke nodded before inquiring, "What about our uninvited guest?"

"Anyone stirring up trouble in my turf should pay up and get lost" Nasu shook his head and disappeared into a nearby room. Yusuke made his way toward Tatsuma and the others. Meanwhile, seizing the moment, Minato poured some alcohol on the madam's body and splashed a bit on himself.

Approaching without uttering a word, Yusuke was met by Minato, who, having shrugged off his earlier unease, gestured to the alcohol stains on his chest and queried, "You the one calling the shots around here?"

"I'm in charge to deal with both of you."

"Your authority is good enough then. What's the deal with this joint of yours? One spills drinks like it's a hobby, and the other acts more high-and-mighty than the customers?!"

Minato cut in, disrupting Yusuke. Yusuke glanced at the unconscious Madam, covered in various alcohol stains, deducing that she might have accidentally spilled drinks on a customer who then knocked her out in frustration.

However, instead of pacifying him, this revelation only fueled Yusuke's irritation. Placing his hand on the long sword at his waist, he declared, "Hand over the money you've got, vacate this place, and we might just let you off the hook for causing a ruckus in the joint."

"Money? Which eye of yours sees that we're carrying any cash?"

Tatsuma remarked with casual indifference. Yusuke was taken aback; it was the first time he had encountered someone more audacious than himself. He then demanded, frustration evident in his tone, "So you intentionally came here today to stir up trouble?"

"Ahahaha~"

Tatsuma wore a wicked smile, declaring, "Did you just figure that out? I hereby proclaim that Hakusen Village is now under the control of Sakata Gintoki and my brother Hattori Zenzou. Hurry up and fork over the money!"

Yusuke's expression darkened entirely as he reached out to seize Tatsuma's chest. However, Tatsuma's hand moved unusually swiftly. He snatched a bottle of alcohol from the table and ruthlessly smashed it against Yusuke's head.

"Bang~"

Shards of glass and alcohol droplets scattered in all directions. Yusuke staggered, caught off guard, and before he could regain his balance, Tatsuma delivered a swift kick, propelling Yusuke the now-unconscious right beside Yuko.

In the dim light, Yuko, perplexed about how things had escalated, glanced at Tatsuma. To her astonishment, Tatsuma winked at her.

Observing the unconscious Yusuke next to her, Yuko discreetly touched the short knife hidden in her bosom, grasping Tatsuma's intention.

In the midst of the chaos, the remaining patrons and waitresses hastily made their exit, leaving the ronin to encircle them. However, Tatsuma and Minato remained unperturbed, calmly surveying the individuals in their proximity.

Soon, the two exchanged glances and nodded. Tatsuma had already discerned Nasu's influence in Hakusen Village, realizing that these people had congregated quite coincidentally.

Tatsuma turned his gaze toward the direction of the room Nasu had entered and instructed Minato, "Zenzou, take it easy on them, don't give these folks a fright."

Upon hearing Tatsuma's directive, Minato nodded. They were feigning troublemakers, so revealing their full strength at this point was a no-go. They needed to create an illusion that these opponents stood a chance.

Unleashing too much strength right away could trigger Nasu's suspicion and make him bail. What they sought now was to ineffectively subdue these individuals, prompting Nasu to step in against them.

"Swoosh~"

In that moment, a blade sliced through the air past Minato. Swiftly dodging, he recognized that a direct hit could disrupt the effects of the Transformation Jutsu on his body.

Seizing the ronin's sword in response, Minato plunged it into his chest. Emulating Tatsuma's earlier attitude, Minato quipped, "If you're reaching for your sword, be prepared to meet your end."

Tatsuma was taken aback, surprised that Minato also possessed the talent for intimidating opponents. No, Minato did have the talent, but he didn't flaunt it as conspicuously as the later generation of leaders. Instead, he handled it with greater sophistication.

For example, before getting into a fight, he would change into the attire of the Hokage, saying, "I'll be right back," and "Bearing the name of the Hokage, I cannot lose." Moreover, he would casually mention, "I'm not good at Sage Jutsu," yet he could instantly activated it in the fight againt six paths Obito.

Tatsuma not only recognized Minato's talent for intimidation but was also taken aback by Minato's recent stoic act of thrusting the sword into his opponent. Indeed, their very own people perceived Minato as the "Little Sun," a title that resonated with his demeanor.

In the eyes of outsiders, however, Minato was renowned for swiftly dispatching Jonin ninja like a farmer plucking weed, navigating countless battlefields, earning the respect of Iwagakure village to the extent that they'd forgive any mission abandonment upon encountering the Yellow Flash, and being handpicked by Jiraiya as the most exceptional ninja.

Having just lost two comrades in quick succession, the ronin, who had initially shown little concern for loyalty, found themselves in a moment of hesitation. Despite still encircling the duo, none dared to initiate an attack.

Two of them abruptly turned and made a dash for the room where Nasu was. Observing this, Tatsuma seized another bottle and hurled it at the pair.

"Bang~"

It was done.

One person crumpled, while the other scrambled away. Satisfied, Tatsuma averted his gaze. He had no real intention of preventing the ronin from seeking reinforcements; it was all part of the act.

Before long, Nasu emerged from the room, witnessing over a dozen subordinates circling two figures, and despite their numerical advantage, refrained from attacking. He erupted, "What's this nonsense?! Waiting for them to starve to death?! Attack!"

Following Nasu's order, the ronin, though hesitant, cautiously closed in on the pair. The nearest two swung their blades directly at them.

Exercising restraint, Minato sidestepped the attacks, purposely refraining from using the Taijutsu learned in the Academy. He deftly dodged and then applied the specific Taijutsu moves Tatsuma had taught him, slamming his elbow against the assailant's jaw, rendering the ronin unconscious.

Tatsuma, on the contrary, exhibited a less polished approach. He directly seized the ronin's wrist, executed a shoulder throw, and concluded with a kick in the neck, incapacitating him with another forceful blow.

Observing the unfolding spectacle, Nasu's anger heightened. Simultaneously, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. He was irate because the two had assaulted his subordinates, yet relieved because there were no apparent signs of them being Ninja; they seemed like ordinary individuals with some fighting skills.

Stepping forward with indignation, he barked, "You two will regret this!"

As he spoke, Nasu swiftly formed hand seals and, in the blink of an eye, vanished from his original position. Witnessing their leader employ Ninja techniques, the ronin's faces lit up with a mix of amazement and joy.

In their perspective, regular folks stood no chance against a Ninja. These two troublemakers were, in their minds, bound to meet their demise at the hands of their leader.

Tatsuma and Minato, however, accurately wore expressions of terror, as if oblivious to Nasu's stealthy reappearance behind them.

As Nasu materialized, he brandished a Kunai in each hand and aimed them at the necks of the duo.

"Look out!"

In that moment, Yuko, who had gone unnoticed by the rest, hurriedly shouted.

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