Chương 47: Tracking the Vicious Sea Shark Syndicate

The shinobi world was a warped reality. Ever since his reincarnation into its fold, Dongye Zhen had felt the weight of that realization more acutely with every passing day. Standing on the heights overlooking Hama, one couldn't help but feel a jarring sense of temporal dissonance. Within the city, multi-story buildings reached for the sky, and crowds surged through the streets like a tidal current.

A labyrinth of power lines wove through every alleyway like a manic spider's web, and as dusk settled, the first flickers of electric light began to pierce the gloom. From a distance, it bore the skeletal silhouette of a modern metropolis. Yet, upon the roads, not a single motorized vehicle was to be seen. Instead, the thoroughfares were clogged with ox-carts and horse-drawn wagons—a primitive sight that clashed violently with the neon glow and high-rises.

Technology in this world had developed with a peculiar bias. Household appliances were commonplace even among civilians, and bio-medical sciences were nothing short of miraculous, yet the tools of transportation remained trapped in the middle ages. Zhen hadn't delved too deeply into the cause, but he suspected it stemmed from a dearth of petroleum. The fossil fuels that had served as the lifeblood of modern industry in his previous life seemed virtually non-existent here.

Perhaps that was the fundamental difference between this Earth and his last. After all, the moon above was not a celestial body born of cosmic dust, but a solitary garden constructed by two sons for their mother—a truly touching, if somewhat excessive, display of filial devotion. Unlike Zhen, who was perpetually haunted by these incongruities, Hayate, Yugao, and Yunmi saw nothing amiss.

As native-born denizens, they viewed Hama through a much simpler lens: it had the salt-crusted character of a port city, but it wasn't Konoha. That was the extent of their appraisal. Their true destination, however, lay several miles further—a place called Higashiga Town. By the time they arrived, night had fully descended. Yunmi Gekko led the squad into a local inn, where they were served a sprawling seafood feast as part of their stay.

"Time for the briefing," Yunmi said, setting down his chopsticks.

"Recently, a group of bandits calling themselves the Sea Shark Syndicate has been terrorizing the outskirts of Hama. No one knows where they hailed from, only that they appeared two months ago and have since cut a bloody swathe through the region." He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.

"They've raided outlying villages, abducted young women, and kidnapped the families of wealthy merchants for ransom. Their most recent strike was right here in Higashiga Town, after which they vanished into thin air. Local law enforcement hit a dead end, which is why the commission was sent to the Hidden Leaf."

"Sensei," Hayate asked between coughs, "can we confirm if there are shinobi among them?"

"Unconfirmed. That's why the initial rank is C, but consider it a 'floating' assignment. It could escalate to B-rank or higher at any moment." While Zhen remained contemplative, Yugao Uzuki was already bristling with indignation.

"Excellent. We'll hunt these bastards down and show them exactly what happens to those who bring chaos to the Land of Fire."

"That's the spirit," Yunmi said, offering a rare word of praise before his tone sharpened.

"Once we've finished eating, move out and gather intelligence. You've all been trained for this. Don't let me down."

"Yes, Sensei!" Under the cover of night, the three Genin utilized the Transformation Jutsu to mask their identities, shedding their Konoha flak jackets for the drab attire of commoners. Higashiga was far from bustling. Even in the early evening, a shroud of stagnation hung over the streets. Few shops remained open, and the few pedestrians they encountered moved with a frantic, furtive energy, as if expecting a predator to leap from every shadow.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Zhen, now disguised as a nondescript adult, slipped into a cramped izakaya. He ordered a few skewers and a flask of sake, taking a seat at the long counter near the kitchen. He tuned his ears to the chef's banter with a half-drunken patron, while simultaneously filtering the grumbles of the other customers for useful tidbits.

He made a show of drinking the sake, but in truth, the liquid was surreptitiously funneled into a hidden collection pouch beneath his clothes. If Yunmi caught him drinking, the man would undoubtedly tattle to his mother, Megumi. It was another absurdity of this world: he was legally sanctioned to kill people, yet prohibited from enjoying a drink. Fortunately, he hadn't carried a penchant for alcohol over from his previous life, so the abstinence was no great hardship.

Amidst the raucous din, no one noticed the nine-year-old child in their midst. For a shinobi, manipulating ordinary civilians was child's play; the gap in power was so vast that the locals wouldn't even realize they were being played until long after the fact. At the appointed hour, the three reconvened at the inn.

"Report," Yunmi commanded.

"Those monsters aren't human," Yugao spat, her face pale with fury.

"The whole town is paralyzed by fear. I heard that several remote villages were picked clean—burned to the ground with not a soul left alive. It's sickening." The young girl's sense of justice was a roaring flame, unable to fathom such senseless cruelty. Yunmi didn't offer a platitude; this was the reality of the shinobi world. One either grew accustomed to it or broke.

"I managed to infiltrate the estate of the wealthy merchant," Hayate added.

"The ransom demand was real. His daughter was returned, but she's... she's catatonic. It's likely that..." He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication hung heavy in the air. Even nine-year-old Yugao understood. Despite her age, the rigorous education of a ninja meant she was well aware of the darker impulses of men. Her anger only intensified, a cold desire to put those bandits to the sword taking root. Yunmi nodded solemnly before turning to his final pupil.

"Did you drink?" Zhen shook his head instantly.

"Not a drop. Don't go making things up, Sensei. The smell is just from the izakaya air."

"Good. For your sake, I hope so; Megumi would have my head. So, what did you find?"

"This 'Syndicate' isn't a new local group," Zhen replied, his voice calm.

"They're likely pirates from the sea. Some of the locals who worked on cargo ships recognized a few faces from previous raids. I suspect the ongoing conflict between the Mist and the Sand in the south has squeezed their hunting grounds, forcing them inland to seek easier prey."

"A sound theory," Yunmi agreed.

"If they are pirates driven inland, there's a high probability they've recruited rogue ninja or ronin. Can you confirm any jutsu use?"

"No. None of the witnesses saw anything beyond conventional steel."

"You've done well. Get some rest. We begin the field investigation at dawn." The next morning found the group standing in the center of a desolate, charred village. The settlement was a graveyard of ash and blackened timber. Local constabulary had cordoned off the area with ropes, and the positions where the bodies had been found were marked with faint outlines of lime.

However, several days had passed; the corpses had long since been hauled away, and the rain had smeared the white outlines into ghostly, incoherent stains. They combed through the wreckage, searching for a scent, a footprint, or a scrap of cloth.

"Any signs of ninjutsu?" Yunmi asked.

"None," Hayate replied.

"The wounds on the scorched remains suggest common blades."

"The fires were set manually at multiple points," Yugao noted.

"Ordinary arson, not Fire Style."

"Good eyes," Yunmi remarked.

"You're learning. Let's move to the next site." Traveling at a pace no common investigator could match, they soon reached a derelict shrine perched near the coast. Once a place of worship for the Sea God, it had fallen into decay years ago. It was here that the merchant had sent his men to trade ransom for his daughter just a few days prior. Despite the kidnappers' attempts to cover their tracks, they were amateurs compared to trained shinobi.

As Yunmi shared tracking techniques with his pupils, they followed a trail to the edge of a sheer cliff overlooking the ocean. The terrain here was treacherous—a vertical drop into a churning, violent sea. Even for a ninja, a fall would be perilous. It was a place utterly unsuitable for docking a vessel. Yunmi stood back, leaving the final puzzle to his students. It didn't take long. After a thorough sweep, the three discovered a hidden trapdoor concealed beneath a layer of expertly laid sod. Yugao looked at Zhen.

"Zhen-niisan, was this made with Earth Style?" As the only one among them proficient in the element, Zhen knelt to examine the subterranean stone stairs.

"Precisely."

"Then the bastards escaped by boat," Hayate concluded. Yunmi smiled, though his eyes remained sharp.

"Which brings us to two problems. First: the Sea Shark Syndicate has at least one shinobi, and we have no idea how strong they are. Second: they've vanished into the vastness of Tea Island Bay. The area is a labyrinth of islets and hidden coves. How you smoke them out... well, that's where the real mission begins."