A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of The "ANBU" Member:
-ar4ngel
-Cain
-Ryan biggins
-Kreios
-Sabo
-Goha21
-Cherudim
-Splendid
-Jacob Mooe
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Land of Water was an island nation, yet it was covered in mountains. Villages were scattered sparsely across the land, as finding habitable areas was difficult. And because of the rugged terrain, rogue ninjas found it easier to hide.
Without external assistance, searching for clues here was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Fortunately, Midorima and Mei Terumī gave up on searching personally and instead opted for a more direct approach—using bait. The bait was a small village near the suspected hideout of the rogue ninjas: Karyū Village, a coastal settlement.
Upon arriving, Midorima and Mei split up to investigate, targeting restaurants, inns, pharmacies, and a few local doctors.
Of course, as part of standard investigative procedure, questioning the villagers was essential.
The village was remote, and its inhabitants were fewer than expected. Most had dark, sun-weathered skin and lean figures. When they noticed Midorima, their hollow eyes filled with wariness.
This place was on the fringes of the Land of Water.
Typically, Mist ninjas rarely came here due to their limited numbers.
And after the devastating war with Konoha, the weakened Kirigakure found it even harder to spare resources for such a distant location.
From the villagers' demeanor, Midorima deduced that this trip would yield no useful information—and he was right.
"I hope Mei has better luck. Otherwise, we'll really lose trail." Midorima yawned as he headed back toward the village entrance—the spot where he and Mei had agreed to meet.
Just as he stretched, his peripheral vision caught several figures hiding behind straw stacks and debris along the roadside. Instantly, his boredom faded.
If these people behind him were foolish enough to make a move, he wouldn't mind having a little fun at their expense.
After taking a few winding paths, he noticed the pursuers closing in. Suddenly, he picked up speed, darting out of the village. His stalkers, no longer bothering to conceal themselves, chased after him into the forest outside.
"Dammit! He got away!" one of them cursed.
"This is your fault! I told you not to let him leave the village! Who knows when we'll find another fat sheep like him?"
"Didn't we just 'butcher' one a few hours ago?"
"Pah! That was all you—I didn't get a share!"
"We finally got our hands on those kunai and shuriken. I couldn't resist testing them on a few targets."
"Hey! Up ahead… that guy's right there!"
In the distance, a figure was sprinting deeper into the forest.
Without another word, they all gave chase.
This was their home turf—they knew every tree in these woods. Soon, they had the man surrounded from all sides.
"Hey, kid, you're trapped. That headband of yours doesn't have Kirigakure's symbol, so you're not a real Mist ninja. Let me tell you something—we just took down a real one. If you don't wanna end up like him, hand over anything valuable. Otherwise… well, you'll regret it."
"Yeah, the five of us aren't messing around!" One of them gripped a kunai tightly, then winced and loosened his hold.
The man said nothing.
Annoyed, two of the pursuers hurled their kunai and shuriken—only for their target to dodge effortlessly.
"Brothers, this one's tough! Bring out the big stuff—we can't let him escape!" One of them pulled out an explosive tag, ready to throw it.
"Wait… do you hear something?" Another grabbed his arm.
"Huh?"
Before he could react, a surge of water rushed toward them like a flash flood, sweeping all five off their feet.
The man they had surrounded dissolved into water, merging with the torrent.
"Tsk tsk, why does everyone love starting fires in forests? Mei can put them out herself, but can you? Ah, what a troublesome fate… I wonder if anyone will give me an 'Environmental Ambassador' title." Midorima sat on a tree branch, watching as the men below coughed up water.
From his perch, he had heard them boasting about killing a Mist ninja.
Of course, with their skills, it was likely just empty talk—but the fact that they had encountered one was probably true. After all, explosive tags were expensive, and given this village's poverty, it was unlikely anyone here could afford them.
"Enjoy the water?" Midorima nudged one with his foot.
The man spat out more water, eyes squeezed shut, too exhausted to move.
Midorima smirked.
These thugs were all bark and no bite. If he tried questioning them politely, they'd make demands and lie through their teeth. So, he had to use… alternative methods.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
When Midorima grabbed one by the ankle and hoisted him toward a tree, the man finally panicked.
"If you want to live, tell me everything. What's this about 'killing a Mist ninja'?"
The man opened his mouth to lie—but then he saw the murderous glint in Midorima's eyes.
"You 'will' tell me, right?" Midorima suddenly smiled.
…
Mei had questioned half the village but found nothing useful. A few men had tried hitting on her—she knocked them out without a second thought.
"Midorima… we agreed to meet at the village entrance whether we found anything or not. Where is he? Did something happen?" she muttered.
Even outside the village, she could feel eyes watching her.
'This feeling… so annoying.'
Just as she turned, she spotted Midorima approaching from the distance, waving at her.
She sighed in relief—but then frowned.
'When did he leave the village? Wait… who's that behind him?'
The men who had been eyeing her earlier slunk away at Midorima's approach.
"Who's that?" Mei asked.
"He's quite the character… a lead that came to us on its own. He encountered a Mist ninja." Midorima didn't bother keeping her in suspense.
As he had guessed, those five idiots were nowhere near strong enough to take down a ninja. They had merely stumbled upon a severely wounded Mist ninja, looted his explosive tags, kunai, and money, then returned to the village.
When they saw Midorima—young, and not wearing an official headband—they got greedy.
They knew he might be stronger than them, but after their earlier "score," they couldn't resist another "fat sheep." Besides, five against one—how could they lose?
Turns out, five morons together were still just morons.
"What about the other four?" Mei asked.
"Hanging from a tree," Midorima grinned. "One guide is enough."