Chapter 3 : Kurta Village

Currently on the Yorubian continent, in a remote area of the Lukso province, Kenji was heading towards the place he was directed to.

As he admired the view of the mountains and abundant greenery, he wondered if the location of the Kurta clan was correct. It seemed that these people were hiding very well.

On the one hand, he felt uncomfortable. His first target was a cartel, so killing him did not give him any remorse despite being affected by the experience of assassination. But what about this target? Was he obligated to kill him? What would happen if he relinquished that right?

He hoped not to encounter any problems.

After exploring the area, Kenji had finally managed to find the village of the Kurta. He had to admit that the village was very well camouflaged. The journey had been long and exhausting, but he had finally arrived at his destination. He had hoped that the meeting with the Kurta would go well, but he knew that they were known for not liking foreigners, according to Jiro.

Kenji had a plan of approach. If he presented himself as a tourist or just a guy who wants to visit the clan, there was a great chance that he would be killed. The opposite case was rarer. After all, if they let a foreigner who knows the location of the clan go, it was quite stupid.

He's a child, so maybe they won't hurt him.

He approached the village slowly and saw a Kurta looking at him with a suspicious look. An average-aged man with a scar on his face and wearing traditional clan clothing. Kenji took a deep breath and approached the man.

As he approached him, Kenji felt covered. The man in front of him could kill him without a problem; he was sure of it, considering the aura that exceeded him. Even if he couldn't see it, he could feel it.

Of course, he was in a state of Zetsu to avoid being targeted. Only an idiot would come with open arms without hiding his Nen in this situation.

Speaking up, Kenji began to formulate an explanation.

"Hello, my name is Kenji, and I'm from the city of Nancha. I'm sorry to disturb your village, but I came to find out more about an artifact that I received from my father since I heard that your clan was skilled at deciphering ancient objects," he said, trying to remain calm despite the threatening look of the man in front of him.

Kenji saw the man in front of him squint his eyes, carefully scrutinizing every word he uttered. He wondered if his story was convincing or not.

After a few moments of silence, the man replied in a dry tone: "We are not objects of curiosity for tourists. If you are looking for information about your artifact, you can get it elsewhere."

Kenji felt a little discouraged by the answer, but he knew it would not be easy. He knew he had to try to persuade the man to let him into the village.

"I understand, but I am not a simple tourist. I am still a Nen apprentice, and I was simply wandering through the forest looking for magical beasts, but I stopped at your village, which was on the way, to get water," he replied with conviction. Kenji had to do everything to get into this village. It was the most important moment of his mission.

The man's eyes seemed to show a slight surprise at the mention of Nen, knowing the stranger in front of him was just a child. Knowing Nen at such a young age is an achievement in itself. But that's not a valid reason. There is something strange.

Kenji was becoming inwardly nervous, his excuse was typical of big liars. He knew it wouldn't pass, but he had no real excuse, so that's all he had to say.

The man seemed to think for a moment, scrutinizing Kenji with profound intensity. He forced himself to remain still, avoiding any sudden movements that could be misinterpreted.

Another reason could be that he wanted to know more about his sword, maybe they could help. Despite everything, Kenji couldn't deny that he was also curious about his new weapon. He also noted that he needed to learn swordsmanship.

Seeing the undecided expression on the Kurta's face, Kenji quickly said, "If you're not sure, I can prove it to you. Just watch me." He moved away from the man at a certain distance before looking at a giant tree in front of him.

The Kurta was also curious about the child's power despite his impassive face; he was intensely staring at the young man's sword.

Kenji took a breath as he focused on the flow of his aura. After coming out of Zetsu state, he used Ten to circulate energy freely. Then, a fierce aura came out of his body from his point of view as he fiercely swung his sword horizontally against the bark of the exotic tree.

*SLASH*

Kenji was slightly panting while stabilizing his aura using Ten. His sword was proudly held in his hand without a scratch, as for the tree, there was a perfect cut.

The tree fell gently to the side, making a loud landing noise. Kenji hoped that would be enough to prove it. He was not afraid of being robbed of his weapon because the Kurta clan was proud and would not do such a shameless act.

The Kurta was analyzing what had just happened, lost in his thoughts.

"The boy's Nen isn't that impressive, but for his age, it's not bad." What surprised him more was this weapon.

It wouldn't be so incredible under normal circumstances, except that in this case, Nen was not used to coat the weapon, even if he used Ren to enhance his physical ability, that doesn't prevent the fact that he sliced a thick tree one meter in diameter without Nen on it.

The sharpness of this weapon was monstrous; he couldn't imagine it in the future. This made him question the boy's goals even more.

Finally, the man spoke in a deep and serious voice, "The power of the artifact is indeed remarkable, but it can only be revealed to those who have the ability to use it. You say you come from Nancha, and you are also capable of using Nen. What are you really looking for here, young boy?"

Kenji knew his lie could be uncovered at any moment, but he couldn't reveal his true purpose. He gathered his courage and replied firmly, "I understand that this may seem suspicious, but I assure you that I am just a curious boy. I heard about the Kurta and their fascinating history, and I decided to come and meet them. If you don't believe me, I can leave right now."

The Kurta man seemed to think again, then finally said, "All right. But know that if you cause any trouble, you will be eliminated without hesitation. Follow me, I'll show you our village and introduce you to our leader."

After all, the child did not pose a threat with this level of Nen. Most members of the clan have been using Nen skillfully for years, and this child has little chance of doing anything.

Kenji sighed with relief, knowing that the situation could have turned into a disaster.

He followed the Kurta man through the narrow streets of the village, trying to memorize the details of his surroundings in case of need.

He received hostile looks from various clan residents, but he didn't care. He could also feel powerful auras, far above his own.

Kenji remained tense nevertheless, knowing that one mistake could cost him his life. He had to find a valid excuse to stay in this clan and then earn their trust, especially that of his target.

He hoped that his visit would go smoothly and that he would be able to fulfill his mission without attracting too much attention.

Finally, after a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a house that seemed normal from Kenji's point of view. He had noticed that the village wasn't as modern as he thought, with habitats made of brick and wood with tiled roofs.

The Kurta knocked on the door, calling out to someone inside, "Elder, I have brought you a child from the outside world. May I come in?" He waited patiently as Kenji understood his situation better.

'The chief of this village... I must stay calm.' Kenji heard a rough voice from inside telling them they could enter.

From now on, Kenji's future was at stake. He couldn't fail his mission ; he felt a sense of unease deep down, as if he didn't have the right to make a mistake or something terrible would happen to him.