Chapter 13

"So, which one of you stole that satchel from right under my nose? Give it back, and I'll let you leave." Kuroda said with a grin.

He was the leader of the Kiri team that was after the same satchel that Kenji's team had managed to snatch. He was a promising Kiri shinobi with impeccable kenjutsu. A topper from the academy, he was extremely sought after by the jonin.

Some were even considering him to be next in line of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He was a perfectionist. From the day could speak, Kuroda had only one ambition and that was to become the Mizukage.

He had his entire life mapped out. After his flawless victory in the genin exams, he was going to apprentice under one of the seven swordsmen.

'I'll be a shinobi whom even Uchiha Madara wouldn't want to face.'

But, everything fell apart when the satchel he was supposed to retrive was stolen from him. Him and his team had raced to the designated island to intercept the despicable perpetrators who stole from him.

The team from Takigakure had already been killed in their pursuit of the item they were supposed to retrieve. What remained were the two teams from Kusa and one from Konoha.

As Kuroda, Shiyoki, and Tansui got closer to the island they began to feel the desperation. The coastline of the island measured upto 8 km. It wasn't going to be easy for the team to look for their targets.

They waited for hours when they found two teams at an impasse. They were from Kiri and Konoha.

"K-Kuroda?!" The other Kiri team was on the backfoot when Kuroda and his team snuck up on them. The Konoha team had been chasing them for a few minutes and had caught up.

"We don't have your item!"

Kuroda smiled like a shark. It was always wonderful to watch people shake in their boots when he was around. He looked that the Konoha team which did not look bothered by his sudden appearance.

"You, Konoha genin! Show me the item in your scroll! I may let you go with your lives if you co-operate. I'm a generous person."

None from the team gave a response. They didn't even twitch.

'Perhaps, they're too afraid now that two Kiri teams are after them.'

In that moment, he locked eyes with Kenji.

'This brat... He doesn't look afraid. He's not even bothered to be on guard against us! Is he that stupid?!'

"You! Kid with the sword on his back! Here's what we'll do. You and I will have a fight. Whoever wins, gets to leave with the item."

Kenji looked at the psychopath with boredom. At his side, Kohaku was picking his nose while Kiyomi was busy looking at her recently manicured nails. None of them looked like they belonged on the battlefield.

Kuroda was getting increasingly irritated. The genin from the other Kiri team were on their guard and sweating. They had wanted to avoid Kuroda's team until the end. A vicious shinobi like him wouldn't even spare his allies.

"Did you say something? I'm sorry, I couldn't understand what you said with your crooked teeth. And, are they made of gold? They're sooo yellow!"

If it was possible, Kuroda would have crushed his own teeth. He lost his patience and chose to attack Kenji head on.

"Idiot." Kenji whispered and blocked Kuroda's slash with his tsurugi.

The Kiri nin put all of strength in his attacks. He attacked with such ferocity that he looked inhuman. It was mesmerising to watch him use the katana so masterfully.

But, the fact that he was being easily matched by a Konoha nin with nary an expression or body language that displayed any effort on his part, it terrified the rest of the Kiri nin.

They had known Kuroda for years. They knew of his genius with a katana. For a shinobi from a different village to not only go toe to toe with him, but to do it effortlessly was a terrifying reality.

"Enough!"

Kuroda jumped back and immediately used 'Hidden in the mist technique'. He began laughing maniacally and said, "Have you heard of the silent killing technique?"

"Not very silent if you keep cackling like a an old hag who found two kids at her door. Anyway, I've waited long enough."

The mist suddenly discipated which startled Kuroda. He hadn't even been able to start using his technique before it was foiled. He looked at his teammates who were bound, gagged, and unconscious. The same was the case with the other Kiri team. Meanwhile, the Konoha nin were ruffling through their enemy's bags.

"W-What happened?!"

Kenji shooked his head and said, "We're shinobi, not samurai who would wait around for a villain to finish their monologue."

*Squelch*

"H-Huh? How?" *Gasp*

Kenji looked like he was thinking before he shook his head and said, "Nah, I'll keep you in suspense."

Kuroda did not want to die a peasant's death. He was supposed to be the best. He was supposed to be the future of the seven swordsmen. He was supposed to be the next Mizukage.

But there was cutching at his abdomen as the Konoha nin pulled the sword out of his chest.

"You'll survive if you're lucky. Your teammates will wake up soon and it'll be up to them if they want to save you or not. Next time, don't be such a psychopath to your own allies, stupid."

They had retrieved the item from the other Kiri team. It wasn't even well hidden as Kohaku found it in their bags.

"Man, I'm so glad they didn't hide it in their underwear."

Kenji and Kiyomi looked at him like they were looking at an exhibit of a monkey in a zoo.

"What?! It's possible!"

"Oh, yeah?! How exactly were they supposed to hide a scroll bigger than their fore arms in their underwear?" Kenji asked incredulously as Kiyomi's eye twitched repeatedly.

"I-It's possible!"

Kenji looked at him weirdly and Kohaku realized what the former was thinking. "NOT LIKE THAT!!"

Kiyomi's eyes widened as well. The poor boy's expression grew from indignation to outright panic. The girl on his team was going to think he was a weirdo who hid scrolls up his butt!

They walked back to their boat as Kohaku kept screaming 'Not like that!'

"Hey! Guys! Don't leave me behind!"

"Fine, but you won't be keeping the scroll with you."

"I didn't mean it in that way, god dammit!!!"