The villagers mentioned that the bandits’ hideout was quite a distance from the village. If they set out now, they would reach the hideout by nightfall. Without much hesitation, Rin decided to depart immediately. The group first returned to the village to gather the remaining people.
Rin took Haku back home and gave some simple instructions to Haku. He then gently picked up Pikachu.
“Pika?” Pikachu seemed confused, its ears drooping as it stared at Rin.
Rin gently rubbed its small head, feeling how adorable Pikachu was. He said softly, “Kuroro and I need to go out and take care of some things. During this time, Pikachu, you must protect the house, okay?”
“Pika!”
Pikachu, understanding Rin’s words, widened its eyes and shook its head vigorously. It stretched out its little paw, grabbing Rin’s clothes, as if pleading to be taken along.
Rin had no choice but to refuse its request. He said sternly, “You must protect the house, Pikachu.”
“Pika…” Pikachu’s ears drooped in disappointment, looking very upset.
Despite Rin’s reluctance to leave Pikachu behind, it was the only option. He quickly left after giving his instructions. With a total of 36 people, they set out for the bandits’ hideout at Senjōji Temple before dark.
Initially, Rin had considered taking Pikachu along, suspecting it to be quite powerful. However, he prioritized the safety of Haku and the others, ultimately deciding to leave Pikachu behind.
As the group hurried along the path, Rin and Kuroro took the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. The villagers mentioned that Senjōji Temple used to be famous in the area when crops were good. Villagers often went there to pray and offer incense.
Later, something happened in the Land of Water, causing sudden chaos. The monks of Senjōji Temple were massacred, and many places experienced rebellions followed by brutal suppression. Only the fishermen near the Land of Water had enough food, while those inland suffered terribly due to poor harvests and constant warfare.
After listening to the villagers’ complaints, Rin thought to himself:
The uprisings across the Land of Water… Is it because the Third Mizukage has already been controlled by Tobi? The so-called “Blood Mist” policy…
As Rin pondered this, Kouichiro, who was walking beside him, spat angrily, “This country is better off destroyed, especially those ninjas. Whether it’s the Land of Fire or the Land of Lightning, as long as they can kill the ninjas of this country, it doesn’t matter!”
Rin glanced at him, noting to himself that Kouichiro seemed to harbor deep hatred for the Mist Ninjas. Was it due to some unfortunate past, or did he express the sentiments of the common people in this country?
Rin looked at the haggard villagers beside him and kept his thoughts to himself. Observing for a while longer, his current priority was to increase his strength.
As dusk approached, the group finally reached Senjōji Temple after hours of travel. The temple stood on a snowy hill, appearing lifeless under the moonlight, resembling a temple amidst graves.
“Chief Kouichiro, find a place for the villagers to hide. Remember to tell them to hide well,” Rin said quietly. “If they are discovered, I won’t be able to come back to save them.”
Kouichiro quickly nodded, agreeing to follow Rin’s instructions.
“Kuroro, let’s go.”
With Rin’s words, Kuroro, who had been guarding him all along, moved first, heading towards Senjōji Temple under the pale moonlight.
Despite some training, Rin’s physical strength had not increased much. He slightly directed his internal energy to his limbs, barely keeping pace with Kuroro, who had significantly slowed down for him.
Reaching halfway up the hill, they noticed the flickering lights inside Senjōji Temple.
“Indeed, the bandits are hiding here,” Rin whispered to Kuroro.
Kuroro nodded and looked at Rin calmly, saying softly, “Rin, you just need to hide well. I’ll handle those guys.”
Rin smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t push myself beyond my limits.”
They continued towards the hilltop. Shortly, they arrived at the temple surroundings. The green stone walls were in disrepair, covered in snow, with visible brownish-black stains on the damaged walls, resembling either claw marks or splattered liquid. The temple’s exterior exuded an eerie silence.
As Rin and Kuroro approached stealthily, they heard the noisy chatter from inside Senjōji Temple.
“Come on… drink up!”
“Ha ha… Today’s haul isn’t bad. Although that village only had a few households, there’s plenty of loot!”
“Right, if we raid a few more villages, we’ll have a prosperous winter. Come on, keep drinking!”
Large bonfires burned on the floor of the temple hall, making it warm. The bandits drank heartily inside, while the guards at the entrance watched enviously, waiting for their shift to end.
Unaware, in a dark corner of the wall, Rin had already climbed up, quietly observing the scene inside the temple through his black eyes.
A drunken man staggered out of the hall, looking for a place to relieve himself. Suddenly, a shadow flashed before his eyes.
“Huh? You are…” He began to speak but was interrupted.
“Shing!”
As the shadow’s hand blade retracted from his neck, his body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
It was Kuroro, wearing his usual dark purple cloak, his black hair hanging loosely, and his hands in his pockets. His calm gaze shifted from the corpse on the ground, and his lips moved as he spoke softly, “The first one…”
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