Outside the Au Venue

  The merts vying for the gold mine had already ehe venue, leaving a crowd gathered outside—some standing, others squatting.

  The crowd sisted of shinobi, samurai, and rough-looking individuals armed with deadly ons. There were many people present, as the gold miracted not only merts from the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain, but also those from smaller regions and nations hoping for a lucky break.

  Local merts from the Land of Rivers were plentiful as well, apanied by a variety of bodyguards. The se outside was far livelier than inside.

  However, merts from smaller regions were uo risk engaging in assassination plots. Most of them hoped to win within the rules, letting money speak for itself.

  The weaker they were, the more they wanted everyoo follow the rules.

  “Boss, it feels like everyone’s looking at us,” Iris whispered cautiously.

  Due to the deaths of the Amegakure shinobi and merts, the only shinobi from major vilges remaining were from the Sunagakure and Konoha. Naturally, they attracted the most attention.

  The Amegakure’s reputatiely stemmed from Hanzo the Samander, so the Sunagakure shinobi appeared retively normal, aside from the female ninja suspected to be Temari. Her massive iron fan made her seem particurly intimidating.

  Oher hand, the Konoha team…

  With the Jōnin from both vilges already ihe vehe most eye-catg figure outside was Link, wearing the iic green i of Konoha.

  Why? Because he looked far too young, was pletely unknown, and was, after all, just a in. All of these points drew attention.

  “Ha! I ’t believe Konoha made a little brat like him a in,” jeered a ronin with a heavily tattooed chest, leaning on his longsword.

  “Yeah, if our boss were there, he’d probably be a Jōnin!”

  “Ha ha ha!”

  The other ronin ughed, their ents filled with mockery, dragging Konoha’s reputation through the mud.

  The Land of Fire might be powerful, and Konoha prestigious, but in the Land of Rivers, where these men had no families or attats, they lived only for fame and fortuhese were men with nothing to lose.

  Why hadn’t they dared moara Ensui earlier? Because they weren’t looking for a fight. They simply wahe bragging rights of “provoking a Konoha in.”

  If someoacked in broad daylight, it would draw immediate backsh. The shinobi from major vilges, bound by rules, were uo retaliate.

  As for why they didn’t pi the Sunagakure shinobi…

  Everyone knew Konoha shinobi were softer and less likely to kill i people outside of missions or wars. Provoking the Sunagakure could easily result ih.

  The ronin mocked Konoha because they believed Konoha’s shinobi were easier targets, the type to endure insults without retaliation. In short, they were opportunistic cowards trying to smear Konoha’s reputation.

  Iris gred furiously, instinctively drawing a kunai.

  "g!"

  The sight of someone reag for a on instantly heighteensions. The crowd began drawing their own ons in response, creating a rea.

  This was a cssic dispy of intimidation dynamics: shinobi from major vilges were strong, and their mere presence provoked fear and hostility. Any sign of aggression from them was bound ter unified opposition.

  The suspected Temari stood with her arms crossed nearby, watg the Konoha trio with i.

  A fight could easily escate inte-scale flict, resulting in the au's failure and the mission's colpse.

  Not fighting, however, would damage Konoha’s reputation and credibility.

  [So, as a in from Konoha, what will you do?]

  Her smirk grew wider.

  “Boss…” Ami, more perceptive of the situation, softly reminded Link of the stakes.

  Link turned a cold gaze toward the jeering ronin.

  Unnoticed, his shadow had already crept behind the group, silently standing upright.

  "Crack!"

  The leader’s head twisted a full 360 degrees, his longsword snatched from his grip by the shadow.

  "Spt!"

  "Spt!"

  The shadow, mirr Link’s physical strength, reflexes, and taijutsu skills, unched a surprise attack, killing the ronin instantly.

  There were no screams, nle—just the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground and the quiet flow of blood.

  The st of blood slowly spread, and the atmosphere grew heavier. What terrified the crowd wasn’t open bat, but the silent, lethal efficy of the attabsp;

  The fact that the Konoha shinobi could instantly eliminate several burly ronin suggested they could likely do the same to most others present.

  Liracted his gaze, calmly watg the au venue. He her threatehe crowd verbally nor offered expnations or reassurances.

  The majority of people lowered their ons, silently raising their vigind plotting potential escape routes.

  Iris, clutg his kunai, flushed with excitement as his eyes swept over the previously hostile crowd, who now avoided his gaze entirely.

  Ami, meanwhile, looked at Link with admiration. His stature didn’t matter; his strength, decisiveness, and execution spoke volumes.

  How had the great vilges earheir reputations?

  Through bloodshed.

  Link silently reflected. Should good people always be the oargeted? Ridiculous. He never sidered himself a good person.

  Without the burden of moral obligations, no one could use them to manipute him.

  Two choices?

  He’d rather elimihe person f the decision. After all, he was a ninja, not a hero.

  Judging by the results, his approach was highly effective. The simpler and more direct, the better.

  The powerful elites might disregard samurai and shinobi as expendable tools, but who were these small-time thugs to dismiss ninjas so lightly?

  If a full brawl had broken out, Link repared to sughter every hostile individual quickly and effitly to prevent them from interfering with the au.

  That was his simple, brutal solution.