บท 4: Chapter 4 - Miscalculation
Hey, how are you all doing? I'm sorry for any editing mistakes, it's just that my laptop finally broke down after 8~ years and so I'm using another computer that doesn't have an autocorrect program installed (I use Grammarly) so there may be some grammar mistakes in the chapter... (It's fixed now btw) Don't forget to leave a comment with your thoughts, and yeah, see you next week.
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*While Haru and Ryu were in the secret cave*
A vibrant rainbow stretched across the expansive sky, while the village below glistened as the rising sun's rays illuminated the water droplets left behind by the torrential rain the Land of Water was known for. The village seemed to have sprung to life.
Children gleefully played outdoors, their laughter and excited chatter filling the air. They engaged in games of Tag, Hide and Seek, Tic-tac-toe, and many other pastimes that filled their hearts with joy.
The older children, however, appeared more focused and studious. Most of them could be found indoors, their noses buried in books or doing intense workouts as they prepared for the upcoming entrance exams to the prestigious Ninja Academy.
Despite the inherent danger of being a ninja, the profession offered financial security and valuable combat experience—particularly in the art of Ninjutsu. This unique skill set was highly sought after, as only the most basic jutsus were available to the general public.
The village bustled with business as traders showcased their wares from all corners of the Elemental Nations. Streets were lined with stalls brimming with fascinating toys, stylish clothing, practical tools, and formidable weapons.
Eager customers browsed the merchandise, enticed by the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from local bakeries. The market area was a hive of activity, and the sounds of haggling and laughter filled the air as villagers and traders conducted their business.
Patrolling the village, a pair of guards—one armed with a spear, the other with a sword—made their presence known. Both wore warm smiles as they greeted the awestruck children and their appreciative parents.
The village had always been relatively peaceful, thanks in part to the Kirigakure shinobi who safeguarded it from the shadows. This protection was provided in exchange for the high-quality goods the village supplied, particularly weapons crafted by the numerous skilled blacksmiths residing there. As such, any potential attack on the village would be a futile endeavor, considering its meager wealth and lack of valuable assets.
Nonetheless, the villagers couldn't solely depend on Kirigakure, as their support could be withdrawn at any moment. Local guards, therefore, remained essential in maintaining security.
After about an hour, the two guards approached Haru's smithy, located in a quieter part of the village. Haru and Ryu were well-known for their diligence in blacksmithing, which often resulted in a racket of noise that kept the merchants, children, and other villagers away. Even other blacksmiths avoided the area, though that was mostly out of jealousy. On the rare occasion when they weren't working, the area transformed into a haven of tranquility.
The guards knew that Haru and Ryu were gone on a trip, so they planned to have their lunch break in the area and enjoy the peace and quiet. The guards sat down on a nearby bench as they took out their Bento boxes. The two began to eat, enjoying the silence that enveloped the place.
But suddenly they started to notice something weird, as an ever-so-weak sound could be heard from somewhere. At first, they thought nothing of it, but after the sound annoyed them for half an hour, they finished their lunch and started to investigate.
One of the guards recognized the noize as the sound of a blacksmith hammering at a blade as it was a common sound around the village, but aside from the closed smithy of Haru, there were no other smithies close enough to hear that sound.
The guards decided to follow the weak noise, which was difficult due to its barely audible sound, but the trained guards eventually succeeded. As the two stood before Haru's smithy, they were confused. Weren't Haru and Ryu on a trip today? And even if they decided to cancel it, why is the sound so weak? The situation didn't make sense no matter how they looked at it, so they decided to continue and investigate.
After banging on the smithy's door and shouting for a bit, they received no answer. Left with no answer, the two forced the smithy's door open.
To their surprise, the smithy was empty. As they walked around, they noticed an unnatural formation in the ground, concealed behind the forge. The peculiar formation intrigued them, but what piqued their interest even more was the realization that the sound originated from it. They were no fools; they quickly connected the dots.
The strange sounds beneath the ground and the odd formation suggested that someone was up to something secretive underground, possibly using an earth jutsu to cover it up.
Now Haru was the main suspect as it was his smithy and the sound was that of blacksmithing, but it could also be someone else using Haru's smithy as a cover. You never really know when this level of secrecy is involved.
As a result, the two figured they needed to set an ambush in the smithy for the man who'll come out. If it's Haru, he'll need to give a very good explanation. If it's anyone else, interrogation, then death. But if Haru or whoever is underground is so paranoid, they must have at least basic sensory abilities. As such, it will be hard to make a successful ambush. They needed someone who's an expert at stealth, they needed a Shinobi.
...Unfortunately, there was a problem. You see, there was a hidden conflict between the village guards and Shinobi. Although the guards knew that the presence of Shinobi was vital to ensure the safety of the village, such a fact still delt a blow to their pride.
Although they knew that fully trained high-rank Shinobi were stronger than them, the guards were still powerful enough to take down trained Chunin. If a Rouge Shinobi suddenly attacked them, they needed to be able to fight back.
The Shinobi, on their part, didn't make things easier as they treated the guards as if they didn't exist, resulting in the hatred towards them only increasing. As such, the two guards were reluctant to ask for help from the Mist Ninjas.
In the end, they decided to set up in a nearby tree. Just out of reach so that no one will sense them, but still close enough to allow them to see the smithy. They didn't know when the mysterious man will ascend back up, so they had no choice but to wait.
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