Chapter Forty-Three: The Commission Fulfilled

If a compassionate soul were to witness such a scene of war, he would surely be troubled for the fate of the world. But, regrettably, Yu Higashino was not such a person. What he cared about, in the end, were only those people and things closest to him, those he held dear. Clearly, the war between two nations was not within the bounds of his concern; at this moment he was merely a bounty hunter who had accepted a commission, his sole aim to fulfill the task—he had no intention of changing anything else.

"Now, follow me and charge!" The leader of the Grass Shinobi called out to Yu Higashino and the other bounty hunters, then dashed toward the Waterfall Shinobi. After a brief hesitation, Yu Higashino and his fellow bounty hunters followed suit. As for danger, it was their bread and butter; a bounty hunter who feared death would never last in this trade.

The leader was evidently an elite of Grass Shinobi Village, a warrior of considerable strength, and the Waterfall Shinobi he encountered could not match him in combat. Yu Higashino and his group hardly needed to lift a finger; their detachment had already penetrated deep into the enemy’s ranks, and the breach they created allowed the Grass Shinobi Village to press their attack ever harder, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Naturally, their spearhead unit soon drew focused attention, and more and more Waterfall Shinobi began to encircle them. The leader pressed on, but his pace slowed considerably—he was entangled by two Jonin from Waterfall Shinobi Village. Meanwhile, Yu Higashino and the bounty hunters were fighting seven or eight Waterfall Shinobi.

The bounty hunters’ skills varied: some dispatched their foes with ease, while others, careless for a moment, had their throats slit by Waterfall Shinobi. Of course, Yu Higashino and Kakuzu belonged to the former.

The battle shifted swiftly; one moment the leader was locked in combat with the two Jonin, the next he seized his chance and eliminated them both. He even had time to turn and aid the bounty hunters. While helping, he took special notice of Yu Higashino and Kakuzu, recognizing their formidable abilities, though given the chaos of the battlefield, he did not dwell on it.

Having temporarily cleared the surrounding enemies, he issued another command: "Keep charging with me!" His tone was devoid of emotion. But he soon stopped, realizing Yu Higashino stood motionless, lost in thought.

"What are you doing? Don’t just stand there, move!" In his view, Yu Higashino’s skill was the only reason for this special reminder—otherwise, letting him lag behind would mean certain death in such an environment.

To his surprise, Yu Higashino replied with a baffling remark: "I’ve experienced enough. It’s time to end this battle."

"What?" The Grass Shinobi leader questioned, then decided not to bother further—if Yu Higashino wished for death, let him have it.

But before he could turn away, he sensed an indescribable aura rising from Yu Higashino. The aura spread rapidly; at first, only those nearby felt it, and they gradually ceased their actions, turning to gaze at Yu Higashino.

Yu Higashino was lifting his blade, slowly, but with a unique grace that drew all eyes to the sword. Gradually, those farther away sensed the aura as well; their movements slowed, and in the brief moment they parried their opponents, they turned to look at Yu Higashino.

He raised the blade, poised to strike.

In the next instant, he brought it down.

In that moment, the indescribable aura swept across the entire battlefield. A blade of energy was unleashed in a horizontal slash. At first, the sword energy was barely half a meter long, flashing with the blade’s arc, from afar resembling a crescent moon, dazzling in its beauty.

As the sword energy surged forward, it expanded to both sides: one meter, two meters, three meters… ten meters…

In the blink of an eye, a sword energy dozens of meters long had formed, racing ahead. Anything in its path—whether weapon, earth-style defenses, or person—was cleaved in two.

The sword energy shot far ahead, finally striking a distant mountain and leaving a massive fissure before it came to a halt. A thunderous roar echoed, and the mountain trembled in the distance.

Yu Higashino had carefully controlled the height of the sword energy, so only a few were actually struck by it; had it been lower, it would have been like reaping wheat. Yet even those who were not hit directly, but merely watched the sword energy pass overhead, felt as if something within them had been severed—they stood motionless for a long time.

What was cut away was their courage.

Some things, when seen, are known to be utterly irresistible—Yu Higashino’s sword energy was such a thing for those on the battlefield.

Ignoring the astonished and fearful gazes, Yu Higashino floated upward, carried by the sword energy.

"I am a bounty hunter hired by Grass Shinobi Village. Do you still wish to fight?" His voice remained cold and indifferent, not loud, but delivered by special means so that every person present could hear.

As his words fell, the battlefield sank into a deathly silence; whether from the Country of Grass or the Country of Waterfall, all ceased their movements and utterances.

But the stillness did not last long. Someone on the Waterfall Shinobi Village side shouted a retreat, and their forces began to move frantically, withdrawing swiftly toward their homeland.

Yu Higashino did not pursue, nor did he strike again; he simply drifted back to the ground.

He looked at the Grass Shinobi who had questioned him earlier, and responded calmly, "That’s all."

The Grass Shinobi remained frozen in astonishment, unable to react for a long while.

After Yu Higashino’s intervention, there was little left to say of the battle. The Waterfall Shinobi were routed, and the Grass Shinobi, stunned into inaction, let them escape. By the time they recovered, the enemy had already retreated.

Soon after, the Country of Waterfall offered terms of surrender, and as Yu Higashino had predicted, the war ended with their capitulation.

As for reparations and the aftermath, those were matters beyond Yu Higashino’s involvement or interest. What concerned him was the completion of his commission for Grass Shinobi Village.

Upon returning from the battlefield, the attitude of the Grass Shinobi toward Yu Higashino had improved immeasurably, though it was clear that their change was born not of gratitude, but of fear.

Yu Higashino’s strength had exceeded their comprehension.

And seeing their demeanor, Yu Higashino sensed that the final outcome might not unfold as he had hoped.