Suddenly, within Shanks' vision, a figure flickered into view—a girl dressed in ordinary civilian clothes. But despite her unassuming appearance, Shanks instantly sensed the truth. Her aura, her movent, her presence—they all told him one thing: she was a ninja. And not just any ninja. Judging by her speed alone, Shanks estimated her to be at least at the level of a Chunin, possibly even a Special Jonin.
The mont she spotted him, her expression shifted, eyes wide with concern. She took a quick breath and called out, urgency sharpening her voice.
"Damn it… because of , soone innocent might get caught up in this. You need to leave. Now. Don't ask questions—just go!"
Her warning wasn't barked like an order, but delivered with genuine worry. That struck a chord with Shanks. It told him sothing about her character—quick-thinking, selfless, protective. He imdiately felt a quiet respect for her.
But he didn't move. He simply stood there, calm and still, as if rooted to the ground.
She stopped mid-step when she realized he wasn't running. Her gaze dropped slightly and landed on sothing that made her pause. Without his overcoat, Shanks' left side was exposed—specifically, his empty sleeve, hanging loose. It was clear he only had one arm. His left was gone. Slung at his side was a sword, the grip within reach of his only hand.
The girl's eyes narrowed briefly as she reassessed him. From what she could see, he looked like soone who carried a blade solely for self-defense. Nothing about his posture or presence scread power. To her, he didn't seem like anyone remarkable—certainly not a threat.
The girl raised her voice again, more insistent this ti.
"Run! The ones chasing —they're not so run-of-the-mill thugs you can handle with a sword. They're Kirigakure ninjas. Ruthless, trained killers. You may think you've got what it takes to fight them, but trust —you don't. Against them, you won't even see your death coming."
Her tone was sharp, almost desperate. But Shanks didn't flinch. He didn't speak, didn't argue. Instead, in one smooth motion, he began to unsheathe his sword.
With calm confidence, he said, "Then maybe I'll see what I can do."
The girl's eyes narrowed. His refusal to listen—whether it was bravery or recklessness—made her shake her head in disbelief. She had tried to warn him out of genuine concern, but if he was too stubborn or proud to heed her words, then so be it. She had no ti to babysit soone eager to throw their life away.
Without another word, she turned and began to move again, ready to continue her escape. But just as she shifted her focus forward, sothing caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.
Shanks was gone.
Vanished—without a trace, as if he had never been there in the first place.
She spun around in disbelief, scanning the area to confirm what she'd just seen. The spot where he had stood was empty, the air still, no sign of movent or presence.
Then, from the direction of the forest—where the Kirigakure ninjas were expected to erge—ca the sounds of combat. Steel clashing. Shouts echoing. A brief, brutal skirmish.
And then—silence.
Just like that, the chaos ended.
The girl froze, her breath caught in her chest. Her thoughts raced as she processed what had just happened.
That speed… right in front of , and I couldn't even track it. That kind of strength… it's anything but ordinary.
With the forest now quiet, the girl stepped cautiously between the trees, her senses on high alert. She didn't know what she'd find—if anything. But hope stirred in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, that reckless young man had actually done the impossible.
As she pushed through the underbrush, the scene revealed itself.
There he was—standing calmly among the fallen bodies of the Kirigakure ninjas. Not just one or two, but all of them—dead. And Shanks was sealing their corpses with practiced precision, using only one hand. A single hand forming seals? That wasn't normal. One-handed ninjutsu was a rare skill—reserved for prodigies or seasoned elite. That fact alone stopped her in her tracks.
The very sa assassins she had been fleeing for her life—gone, defeated, in a matter of minutes.
Once the final seal activated and the last body vanished into storage scroll, Shanks turned to face her. His expression was unreadable.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady. "And why were those Kirigakure ninjas chasing you?"
For a mont, she didn't answer. Her mind was reeling—trying to reconcile the image before her with the assumptions she had made earlier. He had eliminated a Jonin and four Chunins without a scratch. No signs of fatigue. No blood on him. Just silence and control.
She finally snapped out of her daze and spoke.
"Ah—hello. My na is Tomiko. I'm from Yu Village. I've been running because… it's been taken over by Kirigakure ninjas. They're exploiting us. I tried to resist, tried to do sothing aningful—but I got caught, and had to flee."
Shanks nodded slightly, as if considering her words. Then he asked, almost offhandedly, "So… are you a ninja of Yu Village? Or were you sent by soone from the Daimyo's office of the Land of Hot Water?"
Tomiko replied quickly, "Yes, I'm a ninja from Yu Village. I wasn't sent by the Daimyo."
There was a pause. Shanks looked at her, not unkindly—but with the cool, unsettling calm of soone who already knew the truth.
"Hm," he said. "Everything you just told is a lie."
Tomiko swallowed hard, tension tightening her shoulders. Shanks had struck right at the truth. Nearly everything she'd just told him was a lie—except the part about fleeing Yu Village and being hunted by Kirigakure ninjas. That much was real.
Shanks saw through her deception effortlessly. Using his Observation Haki, he could sense her emotions and detect her lies. She hadn't fooled him for a mont.
Still, his voice remained calm, almost reassuring.
"Relax," he said. "I don't care about your real identity or what mission you're hiding. You're clearly a trained ninja, which ans you have orders and secrets you can't share. I get that. I've got what I ca for anyway—the bounty on these Kirigakure bastards. Five heads. That's a decent payout."
He paused, then added evenly, "You're free to go. But before you leave—point in the direction of Yu Village."
Tomiko blinked, caught off guard. The relief that had started to wash over her now stalled, replaced by sothing else—confusion, maybe concern.
"You want to go to Yu Village?" she asked, brows furrowing.
Shanks nodded without looking back. He turned and began walking toward the spot where he'd left his food earlier—where a deer leg had been roasting over a fire. As he moved, he thought to himself: It should be done by now.
Tomiko hesitated, then followed after him. She wasn't sure why, but she did.
"You're going there... for the bounty?" she asked cautiously, watching him closely now.
----
Want to get daily updates and read chapters on a daily basis? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: s[email protected]/Hkj822
User Comments
0 comments from readers