Chapter 36

We left early the next morning, we were blindfolded on our way out and we walked the path until we got outside to daylight. I tried to count steps and turns, because you know what, it'd be good to know. But it was hard to do in the dark. Maybe it was better if this stayed a secret, because hell if things wouldn't get bloody if it was revealed.

Regardless once we headed on the path the people in the carts were more nervous. This was the final stretch, we were several islands away from the main Mizushima compound, where this food was to be taken and processed before it went into distribution all over the land of water. While seed was valuable, it was just the potential for food, this was the real thing. We weren't stopping unless we had a town to stay in, and even then we were expected to stay outside and watch for trouble.

Trouble didn't come until we were in the very last leg of the journey.

While there was a compound for the Mizushima in Kirigakure, the main Mizushima compound wasn't actually there. Instead it was on northwesternmost island of the Land of Water because since that was the directions most merchant ships came from it was the island with the largest amounts of ports. When they were open, it meant that all imported goods could quickly be transported through the Mizushima compound before it was exported all over the land of water. Of course that wasn't the case anymore, but it didn't mean it wasn't a good idea.

Once we docked and got on land it was half a day's travel inland from the port we used, though it was really a half a day's travel from any port since the compound was in the direct center of the island. The port town was rather scarce and a lot of buildings seemed empty. Probably a direct result of the lack of trade. There were several fishermen and booths selling fish but we couldn't stop to see if there was any fresh catches. Though I was tempted to do so on the way back, I could probably get a good price.

The terrain of the island was somewhat rocky, but there were well worn roads which were likely remnants of the active trade in the past. We were about an hour and a half down one of those roads when an unnatural mist surrounded our caravan.

In the land of water mist was common and frequent, but usually came down in layers that surrounded an area that you gradually went into. This mist hit the caravan all at once blanketing all at once and we were immediately on guard. Kansen yelled through the mist.

"Turtle stance!"

Myself, Kiriko and Hiroshi all pushed ourselves forward and down. Turtle stance was a defensive stance where you put yourself as low to the ground as possible and stuck yourself to it with chakra. It was generally assumed when a friendly had to use an area jutsu that might otherwise sweep you away. This was the case this time as well as Kansen called out.
"Wind Release: Sweeping Gust!"

A huge gust of wind pushed over us and shook the wagons who only stayed down because of the sheer amount of weight holding them there. The horses weren't so lucky, one or two was caught off guard and they startled at the sudden wind. Only the wooden parts of the harnesses kept them upright and from bolting forward. But the wind did it's job as the mist cleared and revealed Twelve people circling the caravan. Two of them had been blown away but the rest had dropped low and had also assumed turtle stance. That wasn't good.

I pushed the ground with a force jumped up and over towards the nearest person in turtle stance before I flipped midair and used another jump to slam myself elbow first down into the person. They dropped unconcious from the impact by one of their their partners nearby jumped up and started to rain kunai on me. I jumped back at the kunai and looked up at the person who's stance I recognized.

Was that the academy standard?

I didn't really have time to analyze it as I leaned load and put my left hand on my blade. The person paused as he watched the stance and started to do some handsigns.

Dang, it was a trained person. I pushed off with chakra pulling my blade and hitting his wrists hard with the dull edge of my sword. I heard bone crunch and the person cried out in pain but tried to grab me but I sensed his intent and ducked it spinning and bringing the next attack to the side of his head which knocked him to the side.

Dangit, that should have been a knockout but I couldn't bring as much force to bear with my hits cause I couldn't use the friction of my sheath for a faster pull nor could I use both hands to swing the blade.

He got up in the daze and I let out a sigh. I hadn't done this in a while, but I couldn't play with him all day. I sheathed my blade and ran up swinging my left hand towards his face. He instinctively raised his arms so he wasn't guarding when I brought up my right foot and kicked him in the family jewels. That did it because after a few seconds his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he tumbled to the ground.

I did a quick jump to get a look at the battle field. Kiriko was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean anything because neither was any of the drivers which meant either they were taken or she had them hidden. Kansen had his bow out and was shooting arrows as fast as he could pull the chakra for them. I saw the results as seven of the twelve attackers were trying to dodge or outrun them. Yeah that didn't work, you had to break them with a weapon or a jutsu otherwise they would never stop.

Hiroshi had three on him who he was engaging with water clones. Which left two unaccounted for. I landed on the top of one of the caravan roofs and closed my eyes pushing chakra into my ears. I could hear the hurried breathing of a group of people, probably Kiriko, sound was harder to mask with concealment genjutsu. Which meant, huh.

I focused for a few moments before I found more breathing.

Crouching on the top of the wagon I moved slowly and softly to not make an overt noise. I heard the sound of the rustle of a bag. One step, two steps, three.

I jumped down off the carriage onto the back of one of the two under the genjutsu. It wasn't as it turned out someone much bigger the I was. The concealment dropped as he ran backwards with me still clinging to his back. I did the logical thing, I wrapped my good around his neck and wedged it up against my shoulder as I did a bloodchoke on him. It took a few seconds but he dropped and I pushed up. Looking over I saw a very pissed and surprisingly very familiar form staring at me. It was a form I remembered seeing leaving an auditorium a year ago.

"Senichi?"

He was furious holding a bag that he was filling with fruit. He reached in his pouch for something but didn't get it. I closed the gap and struck him with the blunt end of my sword. Unlike with the grown man the force I could use one handed was enough to knock a teenage boy out. I stared at him for a few moments laying there, the fruit spilling out of the bag before I turned to look at the other person I'd just choked into unconciousness. I rolled him over and looked into the face of Futoshi. They were both part of platoon three, one of the platoons that had been sent to the garrison. Why were they here?

The sound of battle snapped me out of it and I looked at them for a few seconds before I went to help Hiroshi.

By the time I entered the fray, Hiroshi had scorched and frozen the ground, his fighters definitely were having a rough time getting close so they were changing tactics and were circling him to try and close the distance. They might have succeeded, if I didn't take out their back guard. In the distraction Hiroshi hit them both with a lightning jutsu that had enough shock to put them both down.

We pulled them to the side and checked on Kansen, but it was clear when we got there that he hadn't stood a chance. When we gave the all clear Kiriko dropped the genjutsu around the drivers and the Mizushima behind the cover of Mizushima's wagon. She had tapped them and pulled them away the moment combat had started so she was fine. We collected and tied up all twelve who had attacked the caravan, plus the two, Senichi and Futoshi who had been waiting under a genjutsu to raid the caravan while the others were a distraction.

Their clothing wasn't the uniform of the Garrison, but when I told Kansen he seemed to understand.

"That makes sense, they moved like a garrison unit did and they used standard jutsu taught at the academy. Which platoon were they from Ume-chan?"

"Platoon three."

I said looking at them.

"That means they were sent to base 46, it was one of the last ones to go down at the hands of the Kaguya before they were wiped out. It was reported there were no survivors, guess that was wrong."

He took a closer look at them.
"Well we'll have to bring them back for processing."

"Why? They're nothing but traitors and thieves."

Mizushima spoke up.
"And worse then that, their cowards. I bet they ran from their garrison when they got the report. No wonder so many Kaguya got to the gate if so many abandoned their post."

I turned my head to Mizushima Hei and my face was scrunched into a scowl. The hell did he know about courage and battle. He wasn't even a fighter, he'd never seen battle in his life. Although the seven families were based in Kirigakure a lot of their members weren't shinobi themselves. Only certain positions required ninja work to fulfill, becoming a family heir one of them, but this guy was likely born and bred to be a merchant.

Kansen probably sensed my outrage as I took a step forward. He moved to restrain me, to put a hand over my mouth before I could speak. But I ducked his arm.
"Would you have them die if it accomplished nothing?"

I said in a low voice.

"It may have thinned that herd of beasts. Or maybe they stayed long enough to spill the location of Kirigakure to them. Everyone wonders how they managed to find us. I wouldn't doubt one of their kind would have betrayed the village to save their own skin."

Kansen made another grab for me. I let him but I pushed my head aside so he couldn't muffle my voice.

"Their kind? What do you know of who they are, of what they went through?"

"I would not want to know the ways of traitors, so if you line them and execute them, we can be on our way. No need to bring that fi…"

I bursted out of Kansen's grip using a force jump and closed the distance between myself and Mizushima in an instant. My head connected with hit chest in an unbalanced barrel and he bowled over and knocked his head on the wagon behind him. He was out before he hit the ground. I was laid sprawling on top of him, my head hurting from bent angle I'd hit him. But it felt good.

Kiriko wasn't there, she had been assisting the wagon guys with inventory, but Hiroshi was close enough to come over just near the end and he looked at both me and Kansen. Kansen looked shocked, Hiroshi not as much as he found words more quickly.

"Ume, what did you do?"

I stood up and looked at the Mizushima. The arrogant frail merchant who was about to order the death of the former soldiers of Kirigakure.
"What I've wanted to do for about a week now."

I stood up wincing, the pain of the movement in my arm, as well as the rapid movement in the battle with the headache was pounding now that I was still enough to consider it. I turned and looked at the former members of the garrison.
"Still, we can't just execute them."

Kansen looked at me for a moment then at the garrison.
"Technically, we can. They abandoned their posts, that is grounds for execution in Kirigakure. Mizushima was right in his assessment."

"But they were going to die, and it wouldn't have meant anything. The Kaguya weren't going to stop, they, didn't stop, not until they were all dead."
My eyes probably said something as my voice dropped on the last word. Hiroshi turned away, his face pale at the words. As he nodded.

"Yeah, they wouldn't."

Kansen looked between the two of us and Mizushima Hei and something went through his eyes.
"Well, we need to come to a decision. This isn't a very flattering thing to put on a report."

I looked at the Mizushima, then over at the drivers and Kiriko.
"Well it depends on what he remembers when he comes too but I think we can think of something."