Land of Fire — Border Region
A short, Mediterranean man wearing a sharp black suit and dark sunglasses stomped his foot and cursed furiously.
"Damn it! I came all the way here to negotiate a business deal with Konoha Village, and the Third Hokage tells me that Konoha has no money?"
This man was none other than Cardo, a well-known businessman whose wealth had spread across many lands. In his mind, the Land of Fire was the richest country in the entire ninja world. And Konoha, its ninja village, was a place with strong economic development and constant flow of missions and contracts. A place of prosperity.
Cardo had seen the potential. He believed that a partnership with Konoha would be a goldmine for both parties. Yet to his shock, the Third Hokage had outright rejected him, citing budget constraints and an inability to engage in new business ventures.
Cardo's face turned red with rage. "Unbelievable! I'm one of the richest men in the ninja world, and they have the nerve to reject me like I'm nothing?" He clenched his fists. "From now on, I swear, I'll never do business with Konoha again. Bunch of arrogant fools!"
Behind him, a tall man holding a gleaming katana stepped forward respectfully. "Boss, please calm down. We can just find other partners. There are still plenty of clients in other nations."
This man was one of Cardo's personal bodyguards—a wandering warrior hired to provide protection. Several others stood nearby, equipped with swords and armor, handpicked by Cardo for their reputed strength.
With a scowl, Cardo spat on the ground. "We're done here. Let's go back."
The bodyguards nodded and quickly began escorting him away from Konoha. Their next destination: the Land of Waves.
But just as they stepped into a wooded path along the border, a sharp rustling sound broke through the silence.
The bodyguards immediately went on alert, hands flying to their weapons.
"Who's there?!" one of them shouted.
The bushes ahead shook violently, and in the next instant, more than a dozen rough-looking men burst out. Each held a blade, and their clothes were tattered but their expressions vicious. At the center stood a tall, scarred man, his chest bare and muscles bulging. He raised his sword and shouted,
"I built this road, I planted these trees! If you want to pass through, leave money for the toll!"
Cardo's eyes widened. Bandits? Here, on the very border of the prestigious Land of Fire? Where were the Konoha ninjas? Weren't they supposed to maintain security?
Panic gripped him for a moment, but he quickly calmed down. He glanced at the group of warriors he had hired. Each of them, he had been told, was comparable to a Chūnin. These weren't amateurs. They could easily take out a bunch of roadside thugs.
With a cold expression, Cardo waved a hand.
"Kill them all," he ordered.
The scarred bandit leader hesitated. Something about Cardo's calm tone unnerved him. Were these guards more than they appeared to be? But when he looked closely, he noticed that the hands of the supposed "warriors" were trembling slightly as they gripped their weapons.
He narrowed his eyes. "They don't look that tough…"
Still, he remained cautious. Anyone who acted that confident was either insane or extremely dangerous. The bandits instinctively took a step back, ready to bolt if things went sideways.
But Cardo's bodyguards remained frozen in place, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"What are you waiting for?" Cardo barked. "Do you want these thugs to escape? Attack them now!"
The guards looked at one another. Their lips quivered, and their eyes showed fear, not courage. After a long pause, they slowly stepped forward, raising their blades shakily.
The scarred bandit tensed, preparing for a serious fight.
But then—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The bodyguards suddenly dropped their weapons, fell to their knees, and began kowtowing to the bandits.
"Please spare us!" one of them cried. "We don't want to die!"
"Yeah! We were forced into this! Show mercy, boss!"
Cardo's jaw dropped. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. The men he paid a fortune to hire were now on their knees, begging for their lives like scared children.
"You useless scum!" he screamed. "I hired you to protect me, and this is what you do?! You're all frauds!"
Only now did Cardo realize that he had been swindled. These so-called "Chūnin-level" warriors weren't even on par with novice ninjas. He had been completely fooled—robbed of both money and security.
His legs began to tremble uncontrollably. If he hadn't already emptied his bladder earlier, he would've wet himself then and there.
The bandit leader growled. "You dare trick me, huh?!"
He rushed forward with a roar and slashed down with his blade, striking one of the kneeling guards.
"AHHHH!" the bodyguard shrieked, collapsing in a pool of blood.
The spray splattered onto the bandit leader's face, making him look even more savage and terrifying.
"Murder!!" screamed one of the remaining guards. The rest jumped to their feet and scattered in all directions.
"Chase them!" the leader shouted, and the bandits bolted after them.
Cardo, seeing the chaos, seized the chance and fled in the opposite direction.
"Don't let him get away!" one of the bandits yelled. They quickly redirected their pursuit toward Cardo.
The little tycoon didn't look back. His legs moved like pistons. Though he was short, his well-developed leg muscles and frantic desperation propelled him forward like a startled hare.
His strides were small, but rapid—so rapid, in fact, that even the pursuing bandits were stunned.
"This guy can run," one muttered in disbelief. "I've never chased someone this fast before…"
Still, they refused to give up. The promise of loot—and maybe even a ransom—kept them running hard.
Cardo ran like his life depended on it—because it did.
He glanced behind him. The distance between them was still sizable, but it was closing. And fast.
His breathing grew ragged. Panic clawed at his chest. "No, no, no! They're getting closer!"
He pushed harder. His legs burned. His lungs screamed for air. Sweat drenched his suit.
The bandits were relentless. With stronger endurance and years of chasing prey through forests, they gradually shortened the gap.
Now they were only a few hundred meters behind.
Cardo's mind raced. If they catch me, they'll take everything. My money… my life… everything!
He could almost feel their hot breath on his back.
"What do I do? What do I do?!" he panted.
Just then, through the trees, he saw something up ahead.
A house!
Hope surged in his heart. It was a small structure, nestled by the edge of the forest. Smoke rose faintly from the chimney. Someone was home.
Without hesitation, he bolted toward it.
As he neared, he shouted desperately, "Help! Please help me!"
A moment later, the door creaked open. A tall, lean man stepped out—calm and composed, with a headband tied around his forehead.
"Who's making all this noise?" the man muttered.
Cardo stumbled forward, gasping. "Please! Save me! Bandits are chasing me!"
The man looked down at him, then glanced at the approaching figures in the distance.
He sighed. "You sure bring trouble, don't you?"
Then he raised his voice.
"Peter! We've got company!"
From inside the house, a young man stepped out. He was around eighteen, with sharp eyes and a sheathed blade on his back. His expression turned serious as he saw the bandits rushing toward them.
"What now?" Peter asked.
The tall man smirked. "Guess we're getting some exercise today."