Renjiro looked at Feng Zheng and said,
“Feng Zheng, create a few Clones to inspect the bodies and see if there’s anything valuable.”
As he spoke, he threw several storage scrolls to Feng Zheng and said,
“Store these Ninja bodies in these scrolls.”
Feng Zheng nodded, created a few Shadow Clones and Wind Clones, and the Clones immediately began their work.
Renjiro himself created a few Shadow Clones and some Earth Clones, and they were doing the same thing.
He looked at Hodaka and Mieko and said,
“Both of you should learn Earth Clone Ninjutsu later. Once your Chakra reserves increase, then learn Shadow Clone Ninjutsu. Both of these Ninjutsu will be very useful.”
Mieko and Hodaka nodded and said,
“Yes, Sensei.”
While cleaning up the bandit bodies and searching for valuables, they walked towards the hiding merchants and asked them to come out.
The merchants breathed a sigh of relief, no longer hiding among the cargo and rock shields.
However, when they came out and saw the condition of the surrounding hills and forest, they were all shocked. The surrounding bodies and bloodstains also made them uneasy.
Iha Toshio walked up to Renjiro and asked,
“Lord Renjiro, can we leave here as soon as possible?”
Renjiro said,
“We need to rest for a bit. We will depart soon. You can start preparing to move.”
Upon hearing this, all the merchants immediately began to prepare for movement.
Renjiro looked at Hodaka and said,
“Take off your shirt.”
Hodaka took off his shirt, and Renjiro disinfected and bandaged the wound on his chest.
Feng Zheng’s Wind Clones first inspected the Ninja from the first wave. They had nothing valuable; all their scrolls were destroyed in Feng Zheng’s first strike.
Next, they inspected and sealed all the Genin and Masato. The Genin had nothing valuable. Masato, on the other hand, had a large amount of money and weapons.
Then, they inspected the Chunin and Tomio. They all had a fair amount of money and weapons. Tomio also had a scroll listing some Water Release Ninjutsu, and another scroll explaining the mission information.
Feng Zheng Shadow Clone quickly browsed through the Water Release Ninjutsu scroll. However, in the end, he was disappointed.
“I thought I’d be lucky and get some powerful Ninjutsu. Unfortunately, these are all quite ordinary. I could probably find them in the Library.”
Next, he flipped through the mission scroll and understood what their mission actually was. He exclaimed in surprise,
“These guys sent five similarly sized squads to intercept the five squads sent by Konoha? Are they too brave? Also, how did they enter the Land of Fire so easily without being detected?”
Feng Zheng sighed about the current state of Konoha and the Land of Fire.
“If the border guards of all countries are this weak, even I wouldn’t have any difficulty operating. No wonder the Akatsuki Organization operates so unhindered. I thought it was a testament to their strength, but it seems even Genin wouldn’t have much trouble.”
About ten minutes later, Feng Zheng and Renjiro finished the cleanup.
Renjiro organized all the loot and said,
“Not bad, 1.6 million Ryo, five hundred Shuriken, and one hundred kunai.”
He put all the items into a scroll and said,
“I will divide these weapons equally among each of us. As for the money, half goes to the Village, and the rest will be divided equally, just like we distribute mission rewards.”
Hodaka and Mieko didn’t care about the money, so they nodded. Feng Zheng didn’t care much either, just thinking,
“Wow! 1.6 million Ryo earned from one battle? No wonder so many Ninja become rogue Ninja.”
The merchants also heard Renjiro’s words. They were stunned.
“They earned so much money from a few minutes of fighting! We risk our lives traveling from one country to another and don’t even earn half that! Not to mention, we also have to share it with others.”
They were very envious in their hearts, but seeing the condition of the forest and hills, they didn't have a single wicked thought!
While the Renjiro Squad rested, they ate a few ration bars. Feng Zheng thought while eating,
“Since making money is so easy, and there are so many rogue Ninja trying to make money, should I form an organization similar to Akatsuki, but just for making money? Haha.”
He constantly analyzed the feasibility, pros, and cons of his idea.
Around the same time that the Renjiro Squad was attacked, the other four squads were also attacked.
The force that attacked the Anbu was the strongest. However, they were also the fastest to be eliminated.
Among the three Chunin squads, one successfully defeated the enemy. The remaining two inflicted significant damage on the enemy and retreated safely.
Subsequently, they coordinated with the Konoha forces deployed on the border of the Land of Fire and eliminated these enemies through multiple ambushes.
The Wasabi Family sent many high-ranking Ninja and spent a fortune hiring some rogue Ninja, but they never expected that every single Ninja they sent would die!
They assembled another strong force in the Land of Tea for an ambush in case the initial attack failed.
However, after receiving no reports from two of the attacking forces, and reports of failure from the other three, they canceled all operations and disbanded the forces they had assembled.
Their plan to rule the Land of Tea would be put on hold for many years.
The Renjiro Squad completed their mission without any further incidents. Upon reaching Fuhou Port, Iha Toshio transported the goods into the Wasabi Family’s property.
There, Renjiro and Toshio met the head of the Wasabi Family. They dismantled a large, cubic wooden crate hidden among the goods.
Placing the box on the ground, Renjiro made Hand Seals and said,
“Release.”
Immediately, multiple Sealing Jutsu appeared on the box and began to unseal themselves.
Renjiro opened the box. Inside, Wasabi Daichi was sleeping. As soon as Renjiro opened the box, he opened his eyes.
If Feng Zheng, Mieko, and Hodaka had seen this, they would have been very shocked! None of the three had noticed that a person was hidden inside the cargo.
Renjiro recalled his discussion with the Third Hokage.
Hokage Office - 16 days ago.
Hiruzen looked at Wasabi Daichi and said,
“Daichi, under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for only one squad to escort you, so we will seal you and transport you with the merchants’ other goods.”
Daichi thought for a moment and asked,
“The journey to Fuhou Port will take over two weeks, so how will I be sealed?”
Hiruzen replied,
“We will seal you in a box. Inside, we will engrave Sealing Jutsu to ensure you have a fresh air supply. This will also prevent you from being discovered by any means. Your water and food will be stored inside. As for your waste, it will also be placed in a storage scroll.”
Upon hearing this, Daichi frowned. He asked,
“Is this really necessary? Can’t I disguise myself as a merchant and join their ranks?”
Renjiro shook his head and said,
“No, your Chakra level is higher than that of an ordinary civilian, and any Sensor Ninja could easily detect you. Once detected, all enemy forces would only attack us. In that case, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Daichi sighed and proposed some other ideas. But Renjiro pointed out the flaws in them. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Wasabi Family Estate -
More than two weeks later, Daichi finally saw sunlight. He tried to stand, but his legs trembled. Renjiro grabbed him, helped him out of the box, and said,
“You haven’t moved for over two weeks. You’ll need some time to adjust, and probably some exercise, to move normally again.”
Daichi sighed upon hearing this. The head of the Wasabi Family smiled, patted his back, and said,
“Don’t worry, at least you’re alive.”
Then he bowed to Renjiro and said,
“Mr. Renjiro, thank you for solving our problem. With the losses the Wasabi Family has suffered, they won’t be making a comeback for at least a few years.”
Renjiro nodded and replied,
“I cannot comment on the internal politics of the Land of Tea, but I suggest you take this opportunity to thoroughly suppress them.”
The head of the Wasabi Family nodded. He paid Renjiro for the mission and invited Renjiro and Toshio to his estate as guests. They both agreed.
The next day, the Renjiro Squad began their return to Konoha. They traveled quickly, arriving back in Konoha by midnight. Renjiro disbanded the squad and gave them a week of rest.