Chapter 12: Arrival"Forget it... Since Konoha Ninjas are taking action, I don't need to do anything extra."A smile hung on Matsumoto's lips, but his tone clearly betrayed his desire to evade the situation.Naruto instantly shed his previously feigned childish appearance and looked at Matsumoto with a cold expression:"How can that be? If a bloodshed incident has already occurred there, Mr. Matsumoto, could you still rest easy while taking care of those homeless children?"[Resentment value from Matsumoto + 567]This abrupt notification left Naruto secretly puzzled—he had only asked him to accompany them; why had he ended up being resented?"Even if there really is an accident, Konoha will handle it properly; there's no need for me to worry about it." Matsumoto still refused to budge.Uchiha Itachi, who was standing to the side, saw this and spoke calmly:"Let's just go together. Wild beasts appear frequently in the border area. You are just an ordinary person, it's safer to be with us."Matsumoto's expression shifted several times, finally revealing some hesitation, and only after a moment did he reluctantly nod:"...Alright then, I will go with you."They traveled together for a stretch, having already covered half the distance, and before long, they arrived at their destination.Before their eyes, the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and dark red blood, still wet, pooled on the ground.Uchiha Itachi's expression was grave."It seems the situation is far more severe than we anticipated."The two sisters beside him turned pale; it was their first time witnessing such a tragic scene with their own eyes.The air was filled with a heavy scent of blood, and broken Kunai and blood-stained daggers were scattered all over the ground, a shocking sight.Naruto remained silent.Although this was his first time experiencing such a scene in person, in his past life, he had frequented QQ Spaces in 2017 and 2018.He had seen all sorts of bloody and grotesque video footage, so he was already psychologically immune to such scenes.Even so, the real stench in his nostrils still churned, and a wave of nausea uncontrollably rose from the bottom of his heart.As the group stepped into the Village, they encountered a thin, small figure.The child was carrying half a bucket of water and walking into the Village when he suddenly bumped into Naruto and his group. His small face turned deathly pale in an instant, and terror filled his eyes."Clang—"The bucket crashed heavily onto the ground, splashing water everywhere.The child was scared out of his wits, turned around, and fled in a panic, crying out at the top of his lungs while running:"The people from Heiyu Village are here again!"This exclamation was like a thunderclap.In the previously silent Village, several auras surged out in an instant, rapidly approaching them.Within ten breaths, the four of them were surrounded.The sturdy man in the lead had a grave and vigilant look, but when his gaze fell upon the Konohaforehead protectors on the foreheads of Itachi and the others, his pupils constricted slightly, his expression suddenly brightened, and he blurted out:"You... are Konoha Ninjas?"After the man finished speaking, the surrounding atmosphere, which had been as tense as a bowstring, quietly eased a little.However, the villagers did not let go of the farm tools and short blades they were gripping. Their eyes were a mixture of fear, vigilance, and a hint of almost desperate expectation.Itachi simply raised his hand calmly and gently adjusted the Konoha forehead protector on his forehead; the silver symbol shone faintly in the dim light."We are from Konoha, here to resolve the conflict between your two Villages."His voice was not loud, but it carried a reassuring power.Upon hearing this, the hope in the villagers' eyes grew stronger, but they still had not fully let down their guard.The sturdy man took a deep breath and said:"Since you are Konoha Ninjas, we trust you.""But the people from Heiyu Village are truly vicious. Our Village has been harassed by them many times, and this time the casualties are even heavier."As he spoke, a hint of grief flashed in his eyes.Naruto stepped forward and asked:"Can you tell us what exactly the conflict between the two Villages is about?"The sturdy man sighed and said slowly:"A few months ago, our two Villages jointly discovered a rich mineral vein, but we had a disagreement on how to distribute it, and ever since then, a grudge has been formed.""Heiyu Village was formed by wandering Ninjas from the Ninja world.""Heiyu Village relies on the fact that they have Ninjas and often comes to our Village to plunder resources."Just then, a villager ran over in a hurry and shouted:"It's bad! The people from Heiyu Village are here again!"Everyone's expression changed, and Itachi said calmly:"Everyone, don't panic. We will negotiate with them... Matsumoto, go and look for any straggling children."Matsumoto nodded in agreement.Just as he finished speaking, a burst of rough, wild laughter came from the direction of the Villageentrance, and several figures dressed in dark, tight-fitting outfits strode in.The leader had a hideous scar on his face. His gaze swept over the chaotic scene and finally landed on Itachi and Naruto's group."Oh? There are actually outside Ninjas who dare to meddle in the business of my Heiyu Village?"The scarred man sneered, his eyes sinister. "Looking at these forehead protectors, are you brats from Konoha?""You have no right to interfere in the disputes here." The scarred man slowly drew the Kunai from his waist, the blade gleaming with a cold light."Either get lost, or be buried here along with this broken Village."Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unchanged, his tone plain:"Plundering Villages and killing innocent people violates the bottom line of a Ninja. Since we encountered this today, Konoha will not sit idly by.""Stubborn!"The scarred man roared and waved his hand to order, "Kill them! Leave no one alive!"The Ninjas from Heiyu Village grinned and lunged forward, Kunai and Shuriken attacking like a rainstorm.Uchiha Itachi did not move, his Sharingan spun gently, and the trajectory of all the hidden weapons became crystal clear in his eyes.He simply sidestepped, raised his hand, and flicked his fingers; in the blink of an eye, all the incoming hidden weapons were knocked to the ground."Not bad taijutsu, but that's all the ability you have."The scarred man roared and led the crowd to surround and attack, but in front of Itachi, their movements were as slow as children playing.Itachi's figure flickered, his one-handed hand signs were so fast they left afterimages. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique erupted, and the scorching flames instantly swept forward.The Ninjas of Heiyu Village didn't even have time to scream before they were blown away by the flames, crashing heavily against the wall and losing consciousness.In just a few breaths, the group that had been so aggressive just a moment ago was all collapsed on the ground, with no strength left to resist.Itachi slowly retracted his hand from the hand signs, his Sharingan still activated, his cold gaze sweeping toward the Village entrance.He could clearly perceive a Chakra far more powerful than all the previous ones combined, approaching rapidly, carrying intense killing intent."Konoha's brat, you do have some ability."A hoarse and cold voice came from the smoke, and a man wearing damaged Hidden Mist attire with a sinister expression walked out slowly."I am Momochi Zabuza!"Seeing this, the villagers were trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.They had never seen such a terrifying aura; just standing there made one's whole body go cold.Itachi's expression became completely grave, his fingertips tightening slightly:"A Hidden Mist missing-nin, why are you here?""Why?"The man sneered, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes."This Heiyu Village was founded by me years ago!""I have my eyes on the mineral vein of this broken Village; whoever tries to stop me will die."As soon as he finished speaking, Momochi Zabuzasuddenly erupted, his Water Release Chakrasurging wildly.Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique formed with a roar, and the massive water dragon, carrying the force of destruction, slammed fiercely toward Itachi.Itachi didn't dare to be careless. He retreated rapidly, his hands moving with lightning speed to weave hand signs. Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique struck back to meet it.Water and fire collided, erupting into a sky full of steam, shaking the entire Village slightly.The two instantly entangled in combat.Fists whistled, Ninjutsu collided, and the shockwaves of Chakra swept in all directions.The two sisters stood in the distance, unable to intervene at all, and could only watch the fierce battle in the field nervously.Naruto was also watching the battle quietly from the side; it wasn't his turn to act yet in this situation.This Momochi Zabuza was experienced, his Ninjutsu was superb, and his Water Release was truly masterful.Although Itachi had the Sharingan to foresee the initiative, his opponent was extremely strong, and his moves were incredibly ruthless. For a time, he could only barely hold a stalemate and fight to a draw.After a hundred moves, both of them retreated simultaneously, each catching their breath.The hem of Itachi's clothes was slightly damaged, and his expression remained calm, but it was hard to hide a trace of gravity.The opponent's breathing was also slightly disordered, and his gaze towards Itachi held a bit more wariness."Konoha's brat, you are indeed very strong."Momochi Zabuza said slowly with a gloomy face, "I don't want to fight you to the death here. It's no good for either of us."He raised his eyes to sweep across Naruto and the others, then looked at the trembling villagers, his voice ice-cold:"I'll give you three days.""When the three-day deadline arrives, immediately take the Konoha people and get out of here.""If you dare to stay, I will flatten the entire Villageand bury you all here together."After saying this, he coldly glanced at Itachi, turned around, grabbed the unconscious scarred man on the ground, flicked his figure, and disappeared into the depths of the mountain forest.
