In the middle of a dusty vilge, a bronzed-skinned man with disheveled hair that seemed never to have met a comb stumbled through the streets. His fierce yet slightly gzed eyes seemed to ignite with every step, as he carelessly toyed with a machete in one hand. It was clear he was drunk; the stench of sake clung to him, and his erratic gait was unmistakable. Yet, his presence alone was enough to intimidate anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

  —What are you up to, Rokuro? —asked a man sitting on the steps of a nearby house, a jug of sake in hand. His tone was casual, as if this scene were nothing out of the ordinary.

  Rokuro halted, swaying more than necessary, and slowly turned his head toward the man. His narrowed eyes held a calcuting glint for a moment, his expression cold and dangerous. Then, abruptly, his face broke into the crooked grin of a drunkard who had long crossed the threshold of reason.

  —Hello! —Rokuro drawled, dragging out the word as he raised the machete in a gesture that was hard to read—part friendly, part menacing. He chuckled, nearly spitting his words as he said— Tell me... where are those fools we captured? I want to have a little fun with one of the dies! —He licked his lips in a revolting manner.

  The man on the steps shrugged and took another swig of sake, acting as though such talk was entirely mundane. He gestured with his head toward a house further down the path.

  —They’re in the fifth house, Rokuro. But don’t go too far with the goods —he warned in an indifferent tone, though his eyes betrayed a glimmer of caution—. If you damage them too much, they won’t be of any use to us ter.

  Rokuro let out a gruff ugh, spping his thigh as if the warning amused him.

  —Bah, bah! I just want... a little fun! —he slurred, dragging out his words as he staggered toward the house, his machete swinging like a dancer’s prop.

  The man on the steps watched him go, sighing and shaking his head. He muttered under his breath— One of these days, that idiot’s going to mess with the wrong person...

  Rokuro arrived at the fifth house, wobbling as he tried to steady himself. He banged the machete against the wooden door, marking an erratic, sinister rhythm with each strike.

  —Open up, damn it! —he growled, his voice a blend of impatience and twisted amusement, like a child about to tear into a gift that wasn’t his. His voice pierced the stillness of the night, and inside the house, murmurs and sobs instantly fell silent.

  A burly man with scars across his arms opened the door slowly, the creak of the hinges echoing. His expression was stern, but his eyes carried a hint of resignation when they met Rokuro’s face.

  —They’re inside. But let me remind you—don’t break anything we can’t sell —he said, his tone dry, like a parent chastising a troublesome child.

  Rokuro shot him a mocking gnce as he stumbled past.

  —Yeah, yeah, I won’t break anything, I promise! —he sing-songed, raising his hands as if to procim innocence, though the machete still dangled dangerously from one of them. As he passed the man, he paused, cpping a heavy hand on his shoulder.

  —But hey, friend... there’s selling meat, and then there’s enjoying it a bit first.

  The other man clenched his jaw but didn’t respond. Rokuro stepped inside, leaving behind the echo of his drunken ughter. Inside, the air was thick with fear. A dozen people were chained in the corners, their gazes fixed on the floor or lost in the shadows, trying to disappear.

  Rokuro scanned the group with a predatory gaze until he settled on one of them.

  —You! —he said, pointing his machete at a woman, his grin growing even more twisted—. Come here. Let’s have some fun.

  The woman didn’t respond, but neither did she look away. With unsettling composure, she stood and walked toward him, ready to sacrifice herself to shield the others from harm.

  —Good, good. Let’s get started! —he shouted, grabbing her roughly and pushing her to the ground, his greedy smile widening.

  A single tear slid down the woman’s cheek as she braced herself for the inevitable.

  —Hey, is your name Haruka? —he suddenly asked, his threatening demeanor evaporating.

  The woman, startled by the abrupt change, nodded cautiously, her confusion evident.

  —My name is Akihiro Takeshi —he said, his tone calm and measured—. I’m a ninja from Kusagakure, and your father hired me to get you out of here.

  The woman, more bewildered than ever, didn’t know how to react. Moments ago, this man had seemed like just another bastard about to harm her.

  Akihiro, sensing her hesitation, added:

  —I don’t need you to trust what I’m saying. I just need you to nod and do as I ask —he murmured in a firm, confident tone.

  The woman, still full of doubt, slowly nodded. She didn’t know what to think of him, but she was willing to follow his instructions if it meant keeping everyone safe.

  —Good, I need you to gather everyone quickly —he said as he stood up.

  —What are you going to do? —Haruka asked.

  —Prepare everything. —He pulled out a brush and began inscribing fuinjutsu seals on the walls.

  The people inside the cell were frightened when they saw him stand and confused as he started writing suddenly on the walls. Haruka observed the scene and approached her companions, expining the situation.

  Upon hearing the word "ninja," they couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. To civilians, ninjas were practically a special forces unit, so knowing a ninja had come to rescue them restored their hope of safely returning home.

  When Akihiro finished inscribing the seals on the walls, he nodded and turned to Haruka.

  —Alright, stay here while I deal with the people outside —he said as he headed for the door.

  —Be careful —Haruka replied.

  Akihiro nodded and left.

  —Done already, Rokuro? You didn’t damage anything, right? —asked the burly man, about to step inside to check on the goods, only to feel his world spin several times.

  Akihiro had severed his head in one clean swing with the machete.

  —Stupid bandit —he muttered, kicking the corpse aside before leaving the area. He quickly exited the vilge and returned to his comrades.

  —Did you find the target? —Miyuki asked.

  Akihiro nodded.

  —Yes, I’ve pced the protective seals. We can destroy the vilge now —he replied.

  —Good. Aiko, do it —Miyuki ordered.

  Aiko, who was also controlling another body, formed a simple hand seal. Instantly, the explosive tags she had pnted all activated simultaneously. Countless explosions echoed, and in the blink of an eye, the vilge was obliterated. Every bandit in the area was blown to pieces, leaving not a single body behind.

  When the smoke cleared, only one house in the center remained, completely untouched.

  —Your seals have improved —Miyuki remarked.

  Akihiro nodded.

  —Thanks. It was tough, but I managed to enhance them.

  Everyone immediately moved toward the house, with Akihiro, in Rokuro’s body, entering first.

  —Everything is ready. You can come out.

  Inside, the group exchanged puzzled gnces. They hadn’t heard or felt anything, as the seals had completely blocked the interior from all outside events.

  They stood up and exited, only to be met with a nightmare-like scene. The ground was utterly devastated, the buildings reduced to ruins, and the only structure left standing was the house.

  —Did you… kill them all… that quickly? —Haruka murmured, stunned and frightened. She hadn’t expected such speed or destruction. It looked more like a natural disaster than the work of a man.

  —Yes. Allow me to introduce my team leader and my companions —Akihiro said, presenting his teammates.

  Once introductions were made, Miyuki stepped forward.

  —My name is Miyuki. Your father hired us to rescue you, so I expect you to come with us without causing any trouble —she said sternly.

  Haruka nodded, already aware of this from the man called Akihiro.

  —Alright, but I expect you to protect my people too —she said, gesturing to those behind her.

  Miyuki observed them for a moment before nodding.

  —The fee will go up.

  —No problem, I’ll pay for everything ter —Haruka replied.

  Miyuki nodded, and they immediately got to work. Due to Haruka and her followers’ slow pace, it took two days to reach the rendezvous point.

  An elderly man was waiting and immediately embraced Haruka.

  —My daughter, I’m so gd you’re safe. Did those men do anything to you? —he asked, deeply concerned.

  —No, but they killed my husband —she replied sorrowfully.

  —We know. They sent us the body. We gave him a temporary burial and were waiting for your return to hold a proper ceremony —the man said sadly. He had been fond of his son-in-w, but unfortunately, he had passed away. Luckily, he had left descendants, so there wouldn’t be any inheritance issues.

  The man turned toward the ninjas he had hired, frowning slightly upon seeing two unfamiliar individuals.

  —Who are they? I’m certain they weren’t here before —he asked.

  Miyuki responded immediately:

  —We used a transformation technique to locate your daughter. It sts 24 hours, so for now, they’ll remain in this form.

  The man nodded, already accustomed to the strange techniques ninjas used, and didn’t press further.

  —Very well. Take this, —he said, handing them a scroll—. With this, the mission is complete. Thank you for rescuing my daughter and granddaughters, —he added, gesturing for his daughter and her followers to follow him.

  Haruka looked at Akihiro and took a step closer.

  —Before I leave, I want to thank you, —she said with a smile. —If it weren’t for you, my fate would have been terrible.

  Akihiro shook his head.

  —There’s no need to thank me. I was just doing my duty.

  Haruka gently shook her head.

  —Even so, thank you, —she replied sincerely. Then, without another word, she turned on her heels and walked toward her father, joining him and the others.

  With the mission complete, the group immediately set off back to their vilge.