"Damn it, why aren't these Konoha ninjas afraid of us?"
The Kumogakure team leader was a Special Jonin.
Having experienced both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, he was seasoned and well-versed in the habits of Konoha ninjas.
Although possessing formidable combat strength, they were typically restrained in their actions towards outsiders due to their village's prevailing atmosphere.
Generally… unless confronted on their own territory, Konoha ninjas would usually choose to endure and retreat, adhering to the principle of "never acting impulsively abroad."
But now…
He was leading a small squad of only seven ninjas, while the Konoha team had at most one elite Chunin.
Without reaching Jonin level, they were mere ants.
If a fight broke out, his side would undoubtedly emerge victorious.
But the way the opposing team looked at them… it was definitely off!
There was no hint of concern for village policies or the stance of their superiors.
They were clearly being viewed as prey, with no regard for his status as a Jonin. How infuriating!
"Captain… it's Konoha ninjas!"
"No shit, I'm not blind. I can see them."
"So? I heard from the elders that if we encounter Konoha ninjas in a neutral country, as long as they're not Uchiha, we should proactively…"
"Idiot!"
"Have you forgotten the Raikage's instructions?"
The Kumogakure Jonin roared. The shinobi world wasn't about reckless fighting; it was about following orders from superiors.
If this were a few years ago, his youthful arrogance might have led him to charge in.
But having gone through two Shinobi Wars, he understood a principle: acting against orders… even if victory was achieved, he would be blamed for insubordination, and the credit would ultimately go to other ninjas.
He wouldn't do such thankless work.
Following orders was the way of survival for low-ranking ninjas like them who lacked any powerful backing.
"Huh? Instructions? The mission I accepted only mentioned assisting in establishing a base in the Land of Hot Water, helping Land of Lightning citizens evacuate from the Land of Water, and following the team leader's orders to receive fleeing ninjas and merchants from Kirigakure…"
"You fool, look at your headband!"
The Jonin sighed, offering a quiet reminder. "The Raikage's instructions are engraved on the new headbands. Are you telling me that you Chunin didn't even bother checking your equipment before departure?"
"You're just like cannon fodder Genin fresh out of the Academy."
"Headband…"
Hearing this, the Kumogakure Chunin hurriedly removed his headband, which he had been using as a forehead protector.
He widened his eyes, staring at the inscription on the side facing his forehead: [Please strictly abide by local laws and respect the local customs and traditions, including the Shinobi Village System.]
"Hiss-" The Kumogakure Chunin gasped. "I, I don't remember any laws in the Land of Hot Water. What should we do?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"What laws could a country possibly have? Those relevant to us ninjas must be about prohibiting skirmishes and ninja battles within their borders!"
"It wouldn't be a problem if it were an enemy village's country, but the Land of Hot Water is a neutral nation."
"If this were before this mission, it wouldn't matter. The Raikage would definitely support us ignoring any laws and engaging the enemy if we encountered them during a mission. But now…"
Neutral countries were essentially a thin layer of paper. As long as the Raikage gave the nod, they could disregard any laws of the Land of Hot Water. Kumogakure ninjas could confidently disregard the Land of Hot Water's face.
But now, even the typically belligerent Raikage had approved the new Kumogakure headband policy, implicitly endorsing the inscription.
If they caused trouble outside, forget about receiving support; they would be lucky if they weren't charged by the temporary military tribunal formed by the Raikage's advisory council upon their return.
Thinking of this, the wrinkles on the middle-aged Jonin's face seemed to deepen, and his already slightly hunched back unconsciously bent further.
"B-But… why don't the Konoha ninjas seem afraid at all?"
"They should be on a special operation like us, shouldn't they? Aren't they afraid of being punished for engaging us here?"
The Kumogakure Chunin questioned in a low voice. Faced with the same sudden encounter, despite being weaker, those Konoha ninjas didn't show the slightest hint of restraint.
Especially that bushy-browed, green jumpsuit-wearing guy, who seemed eager to fight.
"How would I know? I'm not a Konoha ninja."
"Alright, enough talk. We're retreating now. Avoid any unnecessary complications."
"If we really encounter trouble, we'll relay the intel to the Raikage and let the higher-ups resolve it through diplomatic channels."
The Kumogakure Jonin muttered under his breath, his figure blurring as he vanished from the tense scene.
With their backbone gone, the remaining Kumogakure Chunin no longer persisted, swiftly retreating as well.
Might Guy: "..."
The Konoha ninjas, who had already started channeling chakra and preparing for a deadly battle, froze, exchanging bewildered glances.
They couldn't understand why the typically belligerent Kumogakure ninjas had fled without a word, especially when they had a Jonin leading them and seemingly held the upper hand.
At the very least…
Where was the trash talk? Shouldn't they have at least left behind a meaningless taunt like "Konoha ninjas, just you wait"?
Guy reluctantly released his Eight Gates stance and coughed lightly. "Sarutobi, what do you make of this?"
"It's hard to comprehend, but… I feel strangely good about it."
This moment mirrored a past encounter, but the outward attitudes and stances of Kumogakure and Konoha seemed to have completely reversed.
"Forget about it. Let's head to the Land of Hot Water base and report."
Moments later, the group of Chunin arrived at the base in the Land of Hot Water. A heated argument seemed to be taking place outside the perimeter.
A ninja wearing a Land of Hot Water headband gesticulated wildly, expressing his discontent. "You Konoha ninjas are too overbearing!"
"Establishing a base within our Land of Hot Water is one thing, but isn't it only right that you pay a temporary stationing fee?"
"We, the Land of Hot Water, don't want to get involved in the disputes of major villages, but as a neutral shinobi village, we should be able to exercise our rights!"
"You wouldn't want us to side with Kumogakure, would you?"
The Konoha ninja in charge of negotiations was the Special Jonin, Raidō Namiashi. He impatiently cleaned his ear. "If Kumogakure is paying, then we'll pay too."
Raidō was secretly following Gojo Kaigetsu's orders.
He had received a promise: once this mission was completed, he would be promoted to Hokage Guard.
Gojo Kaigetsu's private instructions were as follows:
"If the Land of Hot Water dares to demand any neutrality fee or stationing fee, teach them what it means to be too far from heaven and too close to Konoha."
"If they don't want to become the next Land of Rain, they better understand the awareness a small village should possess."
In essence-
This special operation aimed not only to leech off Kirigakure but also to flex their muscles in front of these smaller shinobi villages, demonstrating Konoha's current stance.
They were being told that the days of doing nothing, relying on their neutral status to reap benefits and collect fees from Konoha, were over!
Raidō, being kind-hearted, had hoped to scare off the Land of Hot Water ninja with this, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed.
However, the other party actually pulled out a stack of bills bearing the Kumogakure insignia from his pocket. "They paid!"
The stack of banknotes waved up and down, as if slapping Raidō's face.
Wait, had the Kumogakure ninjas changed their nature? They actually paid?
In the next second, Raidō's expression turned fierce. He whipped out a kunai and held it against the Land of Hot Water ninja's headband.
"Are you seriously trying to extort money from Konoha?"
"Have you ever seen a major… shinobi village?"
"Keep talking, and I'll make you fly."