Border Patrol Arc: Kiwazawa

"I told you! I'm learning the way of the sword so you don't have to spend stupid money on them anymore."

"And you think that means going around starting fights? Give up already and help out for once."

"No way! How am I ever going to find a wife if I'm always dirty like those losers. One day I'll own those mines, but no one will take me seriously if I'm covered in grime."

"Nobody said you have to go into the mine. Help with accounting, sort through the ores, help negotiate deals – anything besides swinging that sword around. You're making yourself look idiotic."

A father and son argued in the middle of the town's centre after the son tried to pick a fight with someone who bumped into them as everyone else watched on. The thing about small villages was that everyone was up in everyone's business.

Kiwazawa was a mining town. Many of the workers worked at the mines at the outskirt of town.

Yuina had learned that 65% of the Land of Fire's mining activity came from the north-west corridor. Much closer to the Haisai area then their current whereabouts in the north-east.

If Konoha was worried about this prosperous village it was likely to know the state of mining. She hoped she was reading too much into it, but that meant the mining activity in the north-west may not be a reliable source of metals. The tensions with Iwa were known to her, but did the village expect things to escalate or was this a mere precaution?

She was about to leave the crowd. She didn't need to listen to a familial squabble as a form of twisted entertainment when there was work to be done.

"You!"

Yuina was walking away from the crowd when she realized their eyes were on her. Well, her and Orochimaru. She looked back in the direction of the voice to see him stomping over to approach them. His father failed to stop him.

"Go back to that village of yours and tell them we never want their services again."

She wished he was drunk so there could at least be a poor excuse for his behaviour.

His father ran over and looped his arm around his son's elbow. "I apologize on his behalf." He pushed the back of his son's head in an attempt to force a bow out of him. "Apologize."

"Stop hiring them then."

"Safety is important! Though, I currently don't have anyone hired."

Now they were both stared as if waiting for an explanation. She eyed Orochimaru who signaled for her to take care of it.

"Sensei is taking me on a training camp. We're only passing through."

"Pshh. You're telling me they let some child become a shinobi?" He looked to his father. "You don't think I can do better than a child?" Did he purposely pretend to not hear anything that didn't fit his narrative of the world? He was frustrating. "Hey. Pa won't let me duel Masaharu so you duel me."

"No." Did she need to explain?

The father slapped a hand over his face. "Could I convince you to duel him? No death? I'll properly compensate you. It seems Kobutsu needs a harsh lesson."

"Of course she will." Orochimaru volunteered her against her will. She didn't want to fight an oversized toddler. "It's good for people to remember our strength." Ah, so he wanted to use her as advertisement. She didn't think it was necessary since the father clearly had faith in Konoha's abilities and implied that he already used their services. Though, if he really did intent to pass on the business to his son then it would become a problem one day.

Yuina wasn't happy to fight against someone with a sword even with lack of training. Having large weapons pointed at her was intimidating. Still, Kobutsu didn't have access to his chakra, as miniscule as it was, meaning she knew she greatly out sped him. It really would be like fighting a toddler back in Konoha.

"I'll show you just how strong us country men can be." If no one else would shut him up, she would.

Yuina was now within the circle of villagers at the opposite end from Kobutsu. His father didn't even declare the start of the match before he rushed forward.

She couldn't let him reach too closely to the edge of the ring. Someone else might get hurt in the process.

She vanished from his sight and kicked his backside sending him tumbling to the ground, face first into the dirt.

He used his arms to prop him back up. "Lucky hit. Another round."

There truly was no saving this man from his own idiocy.

He ran at her again. This time she unsheathed her tanto, parried his sword, flipped her weapon so that when she hit his gut with her tanto it was with the tip of the handle side.

The force pushed him to land on his behind, and a pain shot through him. He put a hand over where she attacked him and watched his sword clang against the ground.

Something stirred within her as pathetic as the scene was.

The crowd was a mixture of laughs, cheers, and taunts.

"Are you finished?" She stared at his gaping form. Yuina turned to face Orochimaru. "Is this enough of a display?"

Yuina didn't need Orochimaru's smirk as a warning. She heard the thumping footsteps behind her from a fool who wouldn't give up. She grabbed the arm that was aimed to punch her and sent a zap of electric chakra through him, knocked him off his feet, and pulled out a kunai and held it to his neck so he would stay in place. He gulped as her eyes sharpened on him. She wasn't a pleasant person when her patience was tested and he's passed that limit.

"Did you know? The human body is designed to be adaptable and resilient. Despite that there are so many ways people can die." She removed her kunai from his body. "Don't flaunt skills you don't have. Everyone will think you're a fool." She looked over to his father. "We don't need payment."

Orochimaru was amused. Perhaps Yuina could be predatory when needed. She merely had never been in a position where she was high enough up the hierarchy to assume control. It was the kind of direct assuredness of knowledge and power that she emulated in the lab but never demonstrated during training. He'd have to look into more opportunities once this mission was completed. It'd be a waste not to cultivate that side of her.

"You aren't going to stick around for intel?" he asked as he picked up that she was headed out of town.

"There's no need. We're here for the mines." She wasn't wrong. "Iron."

She could see why Konoha cared so much about this town. Whether it remained iron or whether it was processed into steel, it was a vital asset to have to build the equipment associated with their profession. Weapons was a form of power.

As much as she loved crafting theories, she regretted her latest one.