Konoha Notes

Chapter 38 Beast Guard

Wandering ninjas are hunters, lone wolves, shadows that ordinary people avoid yet must respect; they are the henchmen that the powerful and wealthy despise yet need. They are also prey, stray dogs, wild animals that steal food in the eyes of ninja clans, rotten flesh that cannot be cleansed from the hearts of ninja villages, and insects that cannot be eradicated.

Jubei didn't care about these buzzing conclusions. Power was the only truth, and he understood this principle well. For years, he had led the Black Eclipse Clan on a journey of plunder, hiring, and killing... As long as he didn't touch the behemoths that ruled the continent—the true ninja villages—he could live ten times better than most wandering ninjas. He thought he had long since mastered the laws of survival in the cracks of the ninja world, until those dim, yellowish snake eyes seized him.

"Hmm... an interesting life." The effeminate voice carried a chilling inquiry, like a snake's tongue licking down your spine. "Let me see where your limits lie..."

Pinned to the spot by an invisible force, his bones groaned under the unbearable weight, even his soul was dissected and scrutinized by that gaze. The power that Jubei was so proud of, enough to roam freely through the wilderness, was like a child's toy in front of that person.

They were caught, manipulated, and finally discarded like trash.

"They bring a little bit of trivial pleasure. It's a pity they're just defective products." The man's voice faded into the distance, leaving behind a chilling coldness. "If it weren't for those annoying flies that keep chasing after you, you might have some other use."

Orochimaru, once one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, is now a rogue ninja. Such a terrifying figure, yet he could only flee in disarray from the pursuit of the ninja village...

"Shall we...find a village to join?" Someone asked hoarsely after a desperate gasp.

In the darkness, the heavy breathing paused.

“The small ninja village is peaceful, but it’s as poor as a rock in the sand! Would they dare to take in a group of us?” someone immediately retorted.

"A great ninja village? Going in means being skinned alive and interrogated! Starting from the lowest rung, having to read people's faces, risking your life for scraps?"

Whispers gnawed at the silence like poisonous insects. Join? Become someone else's subordinate? A strong sense of resentment and a burning, almost arrogant thought surged within Jubei.

"Then let's build one ourselves!" Jubei's voice cut through the noise, filled with a desperate and ruthless determination. "Let's build a village that belongs to us!"

So they began looking for a suitable target. Places that were too remote were no good, as they had little money; places in the middle were no good, as they were too dangerous; after much deliberation, the Land of Tea was the perfect place. Its homeland was far from the conflicts of the ninja world, and its location was relatively wealthy, enough to support a medium-sized village.

However, directly approaching a famous person won't work.

Jubei chose the Chazan Slope. He united the scattered bandits into a single force—the Chazan Gang. Then, the Black Eclipse Clan, disguised as pirates, unleashed a reign of terror on the sea route to Nagasaki Island. Merchant ships sank, trade ceased, and panic spread like a plague. Finally, an envoy from the Daimyo Prefecture appeared before them.

"Your strength is extraordinary, and you have relieved our sea route from its predicament. The Land of Tea will remember you." The envoy spoke humbly, but his eyes lingered on Jubei's face. "However, Konoha Village has long been a close partner of our country. Such a sudden change is probably not a simple matter."

“If you can first establish a foundation and build up the village,” the envoy lowered his voice, “the task will naturally fall into place. The daimyo promises to open the door wide for you.”

Yes, it was a convenient way. By suppressing the Wasabi family, who were unwilling to cooperate, and having the Kazuki family step in, the Chayama gang was brought into the open.

So, where does the money come from?

Establishing a ninja village requires a massive amount of money! Purchasing ninja tools, building bases, recruiting manpower—all of these cost money, and everything costs money. The Black Eclipse Clan's meager savings are far from enough, so they can only control this port and search for money from the streets and alleys, taking it from every traveling merchant and ronin.

Jubei withdrew his gaze from the window; the outline of the Sea Breeze Inn in the distance was blurred in the gray sky. The scarred captain of the guards ran over quickly, reporting in a low voice. He stood up.

There was only one person in the Sea Breeze Pavilion, so the other two must have been protecting the messenger.

The First Eclipse is capable of dealing with Jonin from ordinary ninja villages, yet there has been no news of him until now; something must have happened.

Jubei pondered. The safety of the First Eclipse was uncertain. With his strength, even if he was no match for the First Eclipse, he shouldn't have died in battle. The force in the city was now clearly a Konoha ninja, and Jirocho might have hidden one or two more ninjas—why one or two? If he really had that many combatants, Jirocho would have already taken action against the Chayama gang.

Should we support the First Eclipse? Should we continue to reinforce the messenger route?
Do not!
If they fail to intercept the messenger immediately, then sending someone else will not be enough to stop him.

Instead of focusing on interception, we should demonstrate our strength.

So now there's only one thing left to do—

Kill that old bastard, Wasabi Jirocho! Once he's dead, that so-called "ironclad evidence" will become ownerless, a lie fabricated by the Wasabi family to seize power. The daimyo will have plenty of excuses to throw that thing in the trash, or even turn around and accuse the Wasabi family of framing a loyal subject. The source of all the chaos will vanish with Jirocho's death.

"Gather the troops," Jubei's voice was cold, carrying an undeniable iron will, "and impose martial law on the entire city."

"Sir? This... reason?" The scarred captain was startled by the question, cautiously prompting, his forehead beaded with even more sweat. "Our forces in the city can't suppress the backlash from everyone..."

Their ability to act with impunity in the city was largely due to the fact that other forces in the city, wary of the daimyo's "recognition" of the Hejie family, chose to remain neutral, while the Chashan Gang tacitly avoided directly threatening the core interests of those local tyrants. Now, the sudden imposition of martial law throughout the city is tantamount to shattering this fragile balance, inevitably provoking a strong backlash and heightened vigilance from all factions.

Jubei's eyes, deep in the shadows of his brow bone, were like two icy pools, reflecting only the outline of Wasabi's house outside the window. The murderous intent surging within them was as sharp as a knife, causing Scarface to swallow all the words he was about to say.

"Hmph," Jubei let out a short, contemptuous snort, "That's what we need to keep them on their toes."

The scarred captain was taken aback, then suddenly understood.

With martial law declared, the local tyrants and guild leaders would immediately assume that the Tea Mountain Gang, these lawless bandits, were about to go berserk and take advantage of the chaos to loot. They would inevitably gather all their forces back to their properties and residences, locking their doors and guarding them at all costs. In this atmosphere of panic and self-preservation, no matter how many allies Wasabi Jiro usually had, they would be unable to offer any assistance at this moment.

A surprise attack on Wasabi's family requires elite troops and real strength. The ordinary bandits of the Tea Mountain Gang, aside from bluffing and creating chaos to attract attention, are nothing more than cannon fodder in a real ninja battle. Their role is merely to muddy the waters and scare all the "fish" back into their burrows.

"Yes! Yes! Understood! I'll arrange it right away!" The scarred captain dared not ask another question. He lowered his head deeply, turned around and strode out. His leather boots made a rapid sound on the rotten wooden floor, and the scabbard at his waist hit the door frame with a screeching sound.

The shabby room fell into darkness and deathly silence once more, with only the howling wind pouring in through the broken window. Jubei slowly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

Wasabi Jirocho...

(End of this chapter)