Konoha Notes

Chapter 27 City Gate Tax

Within the Land of Fire, the headbands of the Konoha ninjas served as their greatest guarantee of safety, thus the caravan's journey was not hindered in any way. It wasn't until they left the Land of Fire and set foot on the territory of the Land of Tea that the caravan's crew began to perk up.

Xiu Si began sending his shadow clones to scout the road ahead of the caravan. Some small bandits hiding in the woods along the trails were dealt with by his shadow clones before they could make a move.

Shuji's shadow clones occasionally brought back some battle spoils, which made Hiroyama Makoto's smile even more sincere. However, as the caravan gradually approached the old forest called Wild Tea Slope, the relaxed atmosphere seemed to be swallowed up by the shadows in the forest.

"Wild Tea Slope is just ahead, Captain Xiu Si." Hong Shan Cheng spurred his horse closer, his voice tinged with barely concealed tension. "That Tea Mountain Gang..."

"The camp on the hillside is empty." Xiu Si's voice was calm as he looked at the lush green hillside in the distance. The information brought back by his shadow clone was that a large bandit camp that could accommodate hundreds of people was deserted, with no signs of fighting, and it seemed to be an organized evacuation.

Hongshan Cheng's face turned even paler: "Empty? Then...where did those people go?"

"I don't know." Xiu Si's answer was crisp and decisive. His gaze swept over the increasingly dense forest belts on both sides of the official road, his vigilance as taut as a fully drawn bowstring. The whereabouts of the hundreds of bandits who had vanished were unknown, like a dark cloud hanging overhead. His senses, like an invisible spider web, quietly spread out.

This pressure continued until the caravan safely rounded Wild Tea Slope and embarked on the last smooth road leading to Chujie Port. Hongshan Cheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased halfway, and he breathed a long sigh of relief: "Thank goodness we're through! Thank you, Captain Xiuji!" He thought the threat was over.

Shuji silently gazed at the gradually emerging outline of the port city—Izuku Port. Gray-white city walls nestled against the mountains and faced the sea, masts standing tall in the harbor. However, the closer he got to the city gate, a symbol of security and trade, the more acute the sense of unease stemming from the empty camp at Nochapo became.

The caravan approached the towering city gate with the flow of people. A checkpoint stood at the entrance, guarded by several men dressed in leather armor resembling that of the Tea Kingdom's local garrison, wielding long halberds. Their posture carried a superficial air of languor, but their eyes, scanning the goods, were sharp as eagles, revealing scrutiny and greed.

It was Hongshan Cheng's turn to lead the convoy. The head guard captain was a wiry man with a shallow scar on his face. He casually glanced at the tarpaulin-covered carts and customs documents, a forced smile playing on his lips.

“A cloth merchant? Hongshan Cheng?” The guard captain drawled. “According to the city’s new regulations, goods entering the city must pay a ‘special passage tax’ of 40% of their value.”

"Wh...what?!" Hongshan Cheng's face drained of color instantly, his voice shrill. "Forty percent?! There has never been such a rule before! Sir, are you mistaken?!"

The screams served as a signal. Dozens of similarly dressed, armed men surged out from the shadows at the city gate, swiftly surrounding the six carts and Hongshan Cheng's group. The atmosphere plummeted, a silent threat filling the air.

Hongdou stood beside Xiu Si, her muscles taut beneath her dark purple trench coat, her eyes blazing with fury—this was clearly robbery! But she forced herself not to move.

Itachi stood at the end of the convoy, coldly scanning the positions and details of the surrounding guards—the calluses on their hands gripping their guns, the faint tattoos beneath their leather armor, the lingering ferocity in their eyes… These details were subtly different from those of a true guard.

Hongshan was sweating profusely. His merchant instincts overwhelmed everything, and he forced a fawning smile and bowed repeatedly: "M-Sir, please calm down! It was my fault for losing my composure! This forty percent... I have exhausted all my wealth and really cannot pay it! Could you make an exception? Or allow me to go into the city to sell goods and then pay the rest?" He did not expect the ninjas to fight against the government of the Land of Tea.

In other words, any commission that a ninja village can accept from the outside world never includes anything involving confrontation with the state's administrative organs.

Especially after Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of Konoha, established the Anbu system, those kinds of missions that looked very undignified would no longer appear on the village's official mission list.

The tasks are usually handled by the village's high-ranking officials who personally negotiate with the relevant individuals and then directly assign the mission to the appropriate squad in the village, or the ANBU will carry it out directly.

The missions that ninjas can receive at the mission center are all seemingly legitimate missions such as guarding and exterminating.

"Make an exception?" The guard captain sneered, his gaze greedily sweeping over the carts. "No money? No problem!" He waved his hand dismissively. "Leave two cartloads of goods to offset the tax! Move it!"

"Yes!" The surrounding guards responded excitedly, pouncing on the tarpaulin like hungry wolves!

"Stop." The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cold quality that pierced through all the noise, instantly freezing the sweltering air in front of the city gate.

Shuji's figure moved like a ghost, firmly blocking the two locked carts. He didn't adopt a fighting stance; his hands even hung at his sides. He simply stood there calmly, like a rock embedded in the ground. Sunlight slanted down from behind him, lengthening his shadow and casting a heavy shadow over the approaching guards.

The two men at the front were startled by the silent obstruction and paused in their tracks, their fierce momentum momentarily halted.

The scarred captain's triangular eyes narrowed dangerously as he sized up Shuji, especially noticing the clearly visible Konoha insignia on his headband. His face twitched, and he forcefully suppressed his anger, deliberately raising his voice: "Konoha ninja? Look closely! I'm the captain of the city's guard! Collecting taxes according to the rules is my duty! What? Are you Konoha ninjas interfering in the Land of Tea's internal affairs and attacking officials performing their duties?!"

“We’ve accepted the mission,” Xiu Si said calmly, but his gaze was sharp as an ice pick, piercing the scarred captain’s eyes. “The contract is to escort this caravan and its goods safely to their destination, Chujie Port.”

"Or rather, you're now planning to openly rob the property of those who commissioned missions from Konoha Village."

The moment the last word was uttered, an invisible, chilling aura, seemingly emanating from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, suddenly spread out from Xiu Si's center! The air seemed to be sucked out, and the temperature plummeted. The guards who had been lying beside the cart turned deathly pale instantly, as if an invisible pressure had gripped their throats. They staggered back a few steps, barely able to hold their weapons.

The scarred captain's arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by a pale, bewildered expression. His Adam's apple bobbed laboredly, and a chill ran down his spine. This seemingly calm young ninja before him felt a hundred times more dangerous than the most ferocious bear in the forest! He had no doubt that if he gave the order to attack again, the other would unleash a bloodbath without hesitation.

Red Bean moved silently, positioning herself perfectly at a possible flanking angle from the other side. Itachi, behind the caravan, kept an eye on the guards positioned further back.

A stifling silence enveloped the city gate. Only the restless snorting of the packhorses and Hongshan Cheng's heavy breathing could be clearly heard. A few onlookers exchanged glances, and one of them quickly left.

The scarred captain's eyes flickered violently, and a fine layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Those few seconds felt like centuries. Finally, his bluffing official air was completely crushed, and he forced a weak smile, his voice hoarse: "Heh...heh, a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" He waved his hand frantically, "Everyone, step back! Step back! Don't disturb our distinguished guest!"

The surrounding men, as if granted a pardon, hurriedly put away their weapons and retreated.

Hongshan was about to lead his men straight in when Xiuji stopped him again.

"Give them the same as before, however much they are entitled to." Xiu Si's voice remained calm, withdrawing the suffocating pressure.

Hongshan, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly and shakily counted out a few bills from his purse and offered them with both hands. The captain snatched them, stuffed them into his pocket without even looking at them, and said with a fawning smile, "Let him through! Let him through quickly!"

He thanked Xiuji profusely, almost kneeling down. Wiping his sweat, he still felt a lingering fear as he directed his men to the dock.

Shuji didn't leave the vicinity of the city gate immediately. Instead, he led Anko and Itachi discreetly into a relatively quiet back alley. The alley was damp and filled with the smell of the sea.

“Captain, just now…” It felt good to force the guards to submit, but Hongdou frowned, her voice low and full of confusion, “Won’t the village think it’s inappropriate for us to do this?” She was worried that Xiu Si would be held accountable afterward.

Shuji leaned against the wall, the light streaming in from the alleyway casting a half-light, half-shadow on his face. He didn't answer Anko directly, but turned his gaze to Itachi, who had been silently observing: "Itachi, what did you see?"

Itachi raised his eyes: "Most of those guards have tattoos that can't be completely covered up. The patterns are common among bandits in the tea mountain area. They are more like bandits than regular guards."

Hongdou was taken aback. After thinking carefully, the details immediately became clear in her mind.

Shuji laughed and said, "Exactly. Newly promoted bandits are always being chased and killed by ninjas, and they haven't adjusted to the mindset yet."

(End of this chapter)