Chapter 44: The Land of Iron, The Kiyota Clan

Chapter 44: The Land of Iron, The Kiyota Clan

"Could you possibly be the legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi?"

"Just an empty reputation. Please, take a seat."

Kakashi gestured toward a chair.

The man sat down.

Tenten, Azusa, and Chiba stood behind Kakashi, quietly sizing up the middle-aged man in samurai attire.

Judging by his muscle tone, this fellow's physical prowess was not weak.

As for his swordsmanship, opinions would vary, and Chiba found it hard to make a definitive judgment, but the man's behavior exuded an overwhelming sense of bizarreness.

He could not help but frown slightly.

"I am Kiyota Shin. Your renown is loud and clear even in the Land of Iron. Since you have taken the commission, I trust this rebel, Yuichi, will be captured in no time."

Kiyota Shin bowed slightly.

Kakashi waved a hand and said, "I am currently bringing along three dead weight trainees, so even with me stepping in, success isn't guaranteed. Let's start by asking: what is the approximate strength of the target?"

"Yes, I will share all the intelligence I have with you."

With that, Kiyota Shin produced a stack of papers.

Chiba glanced over them.

They were filled with details regarding the enemy's condition.

The rogue samurai was named Yuichi, a commoner from the Land of Iron. His strength was roughly at the elite chûnin level, but he was exceptionally skilled at stealth and evasion, in addition to being proficient in the quick-draw art of Iaijutsu.

Furthermore, the notes indicated that this individual had stolen a treasured blade belonging to the Kiyota clan.

Chiba's gaze sank slightly.

Kakashi's expression remained unchanged as he nodded gently and said, "I see. Forgive my presumption, but I have a question: why didn't you petition your own country for assistance instead of putting out a mercenary contract?"

"This... well, it's not entirely unspeakable. That blade was forged as a gift for a higher-up. Specifics aside, we naturally hoped to recover it quietly if possible."

"Besides, he fled to the Land of Fire. Since we would have had to negotiate with you folks first anyway, hiring you saves us some time."

Kiyota Shin explained.

Kakashi packed the papers away, handed them back, and nodded, "We should set off as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely the intelligence you've gathered will become obsolete."

"Wonderful! With you taking action, that fellow Yuichi won't be able to escape!"

Kiyota Shin looked visibly relieved.

Kakashi stood up, followed closely by Kiyota Shin, while Chiba and the other two formed a protective formation around the jonin.

Leaving the village went smoothly.

After a routine registry check, they were cleared to pass.

Since Kiyota Shin was a samurai himself, his pace was quite brisk. After running for half the journey, Chiba had already turned "panting and breathless," huffing and puffing with every step.

Kakashi frowned.

"Chiba, are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei. I'll just take a military ration pill and keep going."

Chiba fished out a ration pill.

This was one of the substandard batches he had previously handed to Tenten and Azusa. He had kept one for himself; its effectiveness in satisfying hunger and replenishing chakra was thoroughly mediocre, making it perfect for putting on a show.

Kakashi sighed lightly, "Very well. We are on a mission, after all, and we cannot halt our progress just to accommodate you."

"Understood. Please don't worry about me."

Chiba nodded.

Tenten and Azusa remained silent.

Though they didn't know Chiba's exact train of thought, they each had their own suspicions.

If what Kiyota Shin said was true and the target was merely a samurai equivalent to an elite chûnin, Kakashi could easily handle the situation by himself.

Should the Kiyota clan harbor ulterior motives, however, Chiba keeping a trump card hidden would allow him to strike unexpectedly.

That was precisely what Chiba was thinking.

Aside from that, appearing weak would force Kiyota Shin to personally participate in the combat.

In situations like this...

It was better to be safe than sorry.

The absolute best choice would have been to reject the mission outright, but Chiba harbored a deep interest in the swordsmanship of the Land of Iron, and he also wanted to uncover what the Kiyota clan was really up to.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Taking a calculated risk every now and then was acceptable.

Chiba touched the thick stack of paper talismans and explosive tags hidden inside his tunic, feeling a modest sense of security settle in his heart.

Tenten and Azusa were not pig-headed teammates.

They actively cooperated with Chiba, acting as though he was naturally frail and sickly.

During a rest stop, Kiyota Shin could no longer hold back. He sought out Kakashi and asked in a low voice, "Lord Kakashi, who is this?"

"My disciple, Yagyu Chiba. He has extraordinary talent and has created quite a few ninjutsu at a young age, but unfortunately..."

Kakashi sighed softly.

Kiyota Shin's expression grew complex, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Kakashi chuckled and said, "Rest assured, although this disciple of mine is somewhat lacking in physical taijutsu, he excels in ninjutsu and is extremely reliable in battle."

"So he is a ninjutsu-specialized ninja. No wonder. Still, a ninja cannot afford to neglect their taijutsu. You should urge him to train harder."

Kiyota Shin remarked.

"Hahaha, since he is under my command now, I will certainly supervise him properly. Thank you for your concern."

Kakashi laughed.

Tenten and Chiba exchanged glances.

She suspected Chiba's initial guess was wrong, while Chiba, operating on the logic that being wrong only meant putting on a bit more of an act with minimal losses, decided to stick to the script.

Observing sword techniques only required a pair of working eyes.

Chiba had made up his mind.

According to Kiyota Shin's intelligence, Yuichi's previous known whereabouts were in a small town in the northern part of the Land of Fire, close to the border of the Land of Iron. Traveling there from Konoha wouldn't take too long.

As they journeyed onward, Chiba could clearly sense one thing—

This samurai gentleman was secretly observing them.

As an employer, evaluating the strength of his hired muscle might seem like a reasonable motivation, but combined with the numerous suspicious details encountered earlier, Chiba increasingly felt that this fellow was far from simple.

While gathering intelligence in the town, Chiba seized an opportunity to communicate discreetly with Kakashi.

Kakashi acknowledged his perspective and gave him a reassuring look that clearly said "don't worry."

Since the Copy Ninja had a plan in place, things should be stable.

Chiba felt completely at ease from that point onward; otherwise, he would have chosen to make a move right then and there to subdue the man first and ask questions later.

"Master Kiyota, as expected, the target may have already left this place. Do you have any further clues?"

With their communication concluded, Kakashi turned and asked.

Anyone with half a brain could figure out that a samurai proficient in stealth wouldn't obediently stay in one place waiting to be caught.

"Well, that fellow used to be a hunter, so he might have fled into the mountains. As you know, I had to travel all the way to Konoha to seek your assistance, so..."

Kiyota Shin scratched his head, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Did the Kiyota clan not send anyone else to help? Even though the opponent is merely a samurai comparable to an elite chûnin, if he decides to run, you wouldn't be able to stop him by yourself."

Chiba pointed out.

Kiyota Shin nodded, a look of shame crossing his features: "Indeed. Originally there were three of us, but the target is intimately familiar with the forest, using traps and poison combined with his sword techniques to severely injure my other two companions. I had no way to pursue him alone, which is why..."

"So that's how it is. In other words, this target also knows how to set traps and concoct poisons?"

Kakashi's expression grew grave.

"Yes! That fellow has no regard for the samurai code; he is unworthy of being called a true samurai!"

Kiyota Shin said with righteous indignation.

Kakashi fell silent for several seconds. He now harbored severe doubts regarding the "elite chûnin" intel; the target was likely an entity comparable to a jônin. If that was the case...

What was Kiyota Shin's true intention in seeking reinforcements?

Was this a personal vendetta or a clan-wide plot?

He couldn't quite pin it down.

Pondering for a moment, Kakashi spoke up, "Master Kiyota, do you have any personal belongings of the target? Preferably something he wore close to his body."

"I do."

Kiyota Shin retrieved a blood-stained fragment of clothing.