Haruto Saito wanted to take a walk around Gutian Village, observing the surroundings. Perhaps he could come up with a new way to make money. Compared to treasure hunting or plundering through war, only business could provide sustainable income. If he could establish a stable economic cycle, he would never have to worry about money again.
The night in Gutian Village was bustling with activity.
Whether it was taverns, teahouses, restaurants, or casinos, business was thriving everywhere. This was largely due to the high subsidies provided by the village authorities. For example, in taverns, a pot of wine that cost one ryo was subsidized by half, meaning customers only had to pay half the price.
The only place without subsidies was the casino.
The casino was currently the only business generating tax revenue for Gutian Village. However, compared to the village's massive expenditures, the revenue was insignificant.
Subsidies would need to be phased out gradually.
In the future, all goods and services would return to their normal prices. But this required time—it required Gutian Village to grow stronger and attract more settlers, especially wealthy individuals from the Land of Whirlpools.
Haruto Saito wandered through the streets and alleys, observing everything.
Arriving at a street corner in the southern district, he placed his hand on the wall at the entrance of an alley and activated his Chakra Sensing. His senses swept across a hundred-kilometer radius, but he found nothing unusual.
Haruto had long been aware of the limitations of Chakra Sensing. Perhaps due to his current level, he could only detect life signatures on the ground. If a powerful individual stood atop a tall tree or a high wooden building, he would be unable to sense them.
—
The night was quiet.
After making his rounds, Haruto Saito returned to his palace residence, full of thoughts, and fell into a deep sleep.
At the same time…
To the east of Gutian Village, inside a tavern named "Mizuwatoya."
On the sixteenth floor, by the window of a guest room.
Two figures stood side by side, gazing out at the bustling village.
A tall, thin, and mysterious-looking middle-aged man rhythmically tapped his fingers on the windowsill, his expression dark and serious. Beside him, a black-faced man stood respectfully.
These two were none other than the Third Mizukage, Feiyu, and the captain of Kirigakure's Anbu, Itsuka. They had come personally to investigate Gutian Village.
*Knock, knock!*
A sudden knock on the door.
"Enter," Itsuka called.
A man pushed the door open, strode in, and knelt on one knee. "Greetings, Lord Mizukage, Captain!"
This man, though appearing as an ordinary rogue ninja, was actually an elite Anbu jōnin from Kirigakure, codenamed 'Akashio.' He had been in Gutian Village for some time now. His presence wasn't due to any immediate threats posed by the village but rather because its rapid development had raised some suspicions. He had also been considering establishing a temporary Kirigakure outpost there.
At present, Akashio was the person in Kirigakure's Anbu who knew the most about Gutian Village.
In fact, Haruto Saito was aware of Akashio's presence. Not just Akashio—there were dozens of spies from various factions operating in Gutian Village. Haruto had left them alone because launching a purge would only confirm to the outside world that something was amiss.
"Report the situation," Feiyu commanded with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes, my lord!" Akashio responded respectfully and began his detailed report.
Though his intelligence was limited and he couldn't uncover any truly critical secrets, some relatively sensitive matters couldn't be hidden from him—such as the high subsidies Gutian Village was offering to businesses.
On the surface, this made it seem like Gutian Village's leadership was recklessly throwing money around, but in reality, it revealed that the village had deep financial backing and significant funding.
—
A new day.
Haruto Saito once again traveled to the southern mountain pass of Gutian Village to train.
By dusk…
Within the mountain pass.
His massive Houto Shikigami collapsed with a loud crash, revealing his true body. Haruto landed on the ground, breathing heavily. He had attempted to activate the Chakra Wing Mode while in the Houto Shikigami state, but it remained exceedingly difficult.
"Whew…" Haruto exhaled deeply and sat cross-legged on the ground, pressing his fingers against the earth.
Chakra Sensing!
It was a routine check—nothing more.
Yet this time, what he sensed made him freeze in shock. He abruptly stood up!
At that moment, 30 kilometers southeast of Gutian Village, a large group of ninjas was rapidly approaching. There were about 200 of them—not a huge number, but their average strength was shockingly high!
The weakest among them were elite jōnin!
More than 50 were considered top-tier jōnin!
And at least three individuals were Kage-level!
Additionally, 10 kilometers east of Gutian Village, seven incredibly strong signatures were also closing in.
"What's going on? This many…" Haruto muttered in disbelief before vanishing in a flash.
Haruto had placed Flying Thunder God kunai all around Gutian Village within a hundred-kilometer radius, allowing him to teleport instantly. With a single flicker, he appeared near the approaching group.
Deep in the forest…
A force of over 200 ninjas was advancing at high speed. In fact, they had already been on standby in the eastern part of the Land of Whirlpools the previous night. At midnight, they had received a messenger bird from Feiyu and had set off immediately.
Because the Mizukage himself was present, they didn't bother to conceal their movements. They planned to strike as soon as they arrived!
Haruto Saito materialized like a ghost in the shadows of a tree canopy, watching them from a distance.
All of them were Kirigakure ninja!
The three strongest among them had reputation scores exceeding 25,000:
- Guidō Rouchi, Captain of the Guidō Clan's Elite Guard
- Kaguya Akimitsu, Patriarch of the Kaguya Clan
- Kawasa, Commander of Kirigakure's Police Force
It was clear that this was a hastily assembled unit. Normally, someone of Kawasa's status wouldn't leave Kirigakure, and clan leaders like Akimitsu rarely left their villages either. Their presence usually symbolized stability for their clans.
For instance, in Konoha, the head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Tokugawa, hadn't left the village in years—even during wartime. His presence was vital for preventing internal power struggles. If someone like Tokugawa died in battle, the Uchiha Clan could easily descend into chaos.
"Damn it!" Haruto cursed under his breath. It was clear now—Gutian Village had been exposed!
Rather than attacking immediately, he vanished once more.
In the next instant, he reappeared several kilometers east of Gutian Village.
There, the seven individuals he had sensed earlier were approaching at even greater speed. They were nearly at the village already. Haruto had felt their presence earlier and had come to confirm.
His instincts had been correct.
These seven were none other than—
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
They had arrived too!