The rest of the journey was smooth sailing. Perhaps the enemy's initial ambush was merely a probe to test the Tokugawa clan's defenses. Once they realized they were up against a squad of Konoha elites, they wisely decided to hold their fire.
After all, the real battle was over the mine. Killing Tokugawa Shuo on the road wouldn't change the outcome of the war.
And so, on the evening of the fourth day, Team 8 arrived at the Tokugawa estate in Matsudaira City.
Tokugawa Kang, the head of the clan, was waiting at the main gates dressed in elaborate formal robes, flanked by key family members. The grandeur of the reception took the team by surprise, driving home just how seriously the Tokugawa family took this mission.
Kang bowed, clasping his hands with a warm smile. "It is truly an honor for the Tokugawa clan to host the elites of Konoha. You have traveled far."
His gaze swept over the youthful faces of Taichi, Yohei, and Saori. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but after a subtle nod from Shuo, that surprise was instantly replaced by the practiced calm of a seasoned leader.
To celebrate their arrival, the clan held a lavish banquet in their most spacious hall, illuminated by twelve gilded lamps that turned night into day.
Servants brought out high-end delicacies rarely seen back in Konoha. While Captain Yamaguchi handled the diplomatic small talk with the Clan Head, Taichi and the others focused on keeping their ears open and their mouths full.
As the banquet wound down, Tokugawa Kang tapped his sake cup for silence. "I apologize for dragging you all into this mess, but the Kawada family has colluded with the Hidden Sand to sever my clan's lifeline."
He pointed to a map of the mining area hanging on the wall. "The Matsudaira mine yields hematite with seventy percent purity. It's perfect for weapon forging. But more importantly, it contains trace elements that make the edges of those weapons incredibly sharp."
A servant brought forward a sample of ore with a dark, blue-black sheen. Captain Yamaguchi took it, immediately noting its unusual weight.
Kang lowered his voice. "This is a byproduct of the hematite, known as Raven Ore. The metal refined from this has incredibly high ductility."
"The Sand Village's puppet brigade is desperate for high-ductility metal," Kang explained grimly. "Our spies report that the Kawada family has promised seventy percent of this ore's output directly to the Sand if they win the mining rights. And that's not even counting the standard iron."
Taichi glanced at Captain Yamaguchi. Both of them knew the terror of the Sand's puppet units; on the battlefield, they were nothing short of meat grinders.
Tokugawa Kang was clearly a skilled politician; he knew exactly which buttons to push.
"Thirty percent of the iron used for ninja tools in the Fire Nation comes from this mine," Kang said, waving his arm for emphasis. "If the Kawada family succeeds, the next kunai thrown at a Konoha ninja might very well have been mined right here."
Saori paused, her chopsticks hovering over her eel rice. Kang's words clearly struck a nerve, and she looked toward the Captain.
"Lord Tokugawa, since we have accepted this mission, we will complete it," Yamaguchi said with his usual calm, though his tone was steely. "We will put our lives on the line if necessary."
At the end of the banquet, the Clan Head sat up straight and addressed the Konoha ninjas formally. "Gentlemen, the lifeline of the Tokugawa clan is in your hands. This is not just a mission, but a testament to the friendship between our family and Konoha. I pray for your success!"
He bowed deeply to them. Led by the Captain, Team 8 returned the bow with equal solemnity.
---
Later that night, in the guest quarters.
Yohei was pacing back and forth, a frown plastered on his face. He would look at the Captain, then go back to brooding.
"Yohei, stop spinning around," Saori finally snapped. "You're making me dizzy. You've looked worried ever since we left the banquet. What's wrong?"
Yohei stopped and looked between his teammates.
"Spit it out," Taichi grumbled. "Stop acting like a shy maiden. It's unmanly."
"Do you guys think we should call for backup? This iron mine seems like a really big deal," Yohei finally voiced his concern. "If a resource this critical gets taken by the Sand, isn't that a huge loss for the village?"
Captain Yamaguchi smiled faintly. "Yohei, the fact that you're thinking about the village's strategic interests is good. It shows you're looking at the big picture."
"Then why are you so calm, Captain? Is the mine not actually that important?" Yohei asked, confused.
"It is important. Very important." Yamaguchi looked at Taichi and Saori. "Can either of you explain the dynamic here?"
Saori shook her head; she was worried about the exact same thing.
Taichi spoke up with his theory. "It's probably because, right now, this is still officially a 'mission dispute.' Neither Konoha nor Suna wants to start a full-blown war over a single contract."
"Correct," Yamaguchi confirmed. "Iron exists elsewhere. If we can't buy it here, we buy it somewhere else. If we can't buy it directly, we buy it through a middleman. It just costs more money."
"But," he continued, "if two Great Villages start endlessly pouring ninjas into a single dispute, it breaks the unspoken rules of mission engagement. Remember, the villages fight over resources all the time, not just here."
Seeing the realization dawn on Yohei and Saori, Yamaguchi concluded, "In times of relative peace, we compete within the boundaries of the mission rules. No one wants to be the one to break the balance first. That just gives the other nations an excuse to attack you."
"I get it now!" Yohei punched his open palm. "Then I'm not worried. If it's just a contest of skill, bring it on!"
"Good, but don't get cocky. Based on the attack earlier, the Kawada family has hired both Sand ninjas and bounty hunters. They definitely outnumber us. Watch your backs."
With that final warning, Yamaguchi sent them to bed. The defense mission would officially begin tomorrow.
---
At the same time, on the other side of Matsudaira City, in the Kawada estate.
A heated argument was underway.
"Lord Kawada, are you unaware of the taboo? Since you hired the Hidden Sand, hiring outside mercenaries is a slap in the face," a Sand Jonin growled, suppressing his rage as he addressed the man in the head seat.
"Lord Kawada, don't blame Wind Wolf for being upset," a smaller, thinner Jonin added, though his tone was softer. "This involves the honor of the Sand. If other villages hear about this, they'll think our ninjas aren't capable enough to handle the job alone."
The Kawada family members looked at each other in dismay. They hadn't known about such unspoken rules. They simply thought spending more money to hire more muscle would make things safer. Since they had the Sand as their ace, they figured cheap bounty hunters would be good cannon fodder.
"Honored guests from the Sand, this was truly an oversight on my part. I had no idea," a Kawada executive stepped forward, taking the blame for his master. "How should we proceed?"
"That's your problem," Wind Wolf scoffed, giving them no face. "We will not work alongside bounty hunters."
He turned and led his men out of the hall.
Outside, the smaller ninja, Sand Shark, whispered, "Wind Wolf, wasn't that a bit harsh? We don't need to antagonize the employer."
"You don't understand, Shark. Before we left, the Kazekage gave me specific orders. The Kawada family isn't loyal; they only came to us out of desperation. In previous years, they always used mercenaries. If I don't put them in their place now, future cooperation will be a headache."
Wind Wolf was thinking long-term. This mine was critical for the Sand. They needed to not only win the rights but also dominate the relationship with the Kawada family.
Back in the hall, the silence was deafening. Lord Kawada clenched his hands until his knuckles turned white.
"My Lord, what do we do now..." the executive asked cautiously.
Lord Kawada took a deep breath, forcing down his anger. "What choice do we have? This is the Prince's command. We are in the critical phase of the succession battle for the Daimyo's seat. The Prince cannot afford to lose the Sand's support."
"And the bounty hunters?"
"You handle it. Just keep them separate from the Sand ninjas. As long as they don't see each other, we can pretend it's not happening." Lord Kawada waved his hand dismissively and left the room.
---
The next day, Team 8 arrived at the mine. It was massive, but fortunately, the area requiring protection was limited to the active pits and the living quarters.
Yamaguchi divided the defense into a fan shape. Taichi, Yohei, and Saori each took a 180-degree sector, while the Captain sat in the center to provide support.
The first day was calm, filled only with the noise of miners and smelting furnaces.
On the evening of the second day, Taichi spotted shadows flickering in the distant trees. He fired a signal flare and sent a Shadow Clone to investigate.
The enemy retreated immediately upon being spotted.
Moments later, signal flares rose from Yohei and Saori's sectors as well. All three sides reported the same thing: the enemy peeked and ran. No contact.
For the next two days, the enemy acted like ghosts. They would skirt the edge of the forest, triggering alarms, but vanish the moment the Konoha ninjas moved to intercept.
On the morning of the fourth day, Saori found disturbed earth on her patrol route. It was a trap rigged with explosive tags.
She disarmed it calmly, but her anger was rising.
Back at the rendezvous point, Yohei slammed his fist on the table. "These cowards are playing us for fools! If this keeps up, the miners are going to panic even if we don't!"
Saori tossed the disarmed trap onto the table. "They aren't satisfied with watching anymore. If we let this continue, we'll lose the initiative."
Taichi narrowed his eyes at the explosive tags. "Captain, since they like hide-and-seek so much, how about I go play with them?"
Yamaguchi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Active defense. But make it quick, and do not pursue too deep into the forest."
---
Night fell. Taichi slipped into the forest alone, lying in wait along the enemy's usual approach.
As the moon rose, he extended his senses. Sure enough, his chakra perception locked onto two ninjas sneaking forward.
After days of toying with Konoha, their guard was incredibly low. They didn't even notice Taichi moving behind them.
The glint of a short sword flashed in the dark. A simple horizontal slash sent two heads spinning into the air. They died without ever knowing what hit them.
Leaving the bodies where they fell, Taichi silently moved through the mine to Yohei's sector, and then to Saori's.
By the time he returned, six enemies had been silently removed from the board.
"That should keep things quiet tonight. They lost a whole squad; I doubt they'll try again."
True to his word, the confused enemy, realizing their scouts hadn't reported back, stayed put for the rest of the night.
---
On the fifth day, the enemy changed tactics. No more sneaking.
A group of seven or eight ninjas, led by Chunin, launched a raid. They didn't even get close—they just bombarded the mine from a distance with random ninjutsu and kunai strapped with explosive tags. They fired a volley, then ran before Team 8 could close the gap.
They did this repeatedly. While Team 8 was unharmed, the mining operations ground to a halt.
"Captain, what do we do? They're trying to bleed us out!" Yohei punched a rock in frustration.
They had identified the attackers as the hired bounty hunters. They were using high mobility to harass them, betting that the Konoha ninjas wouldn't dare leave the mine unguarded to chase them down.
It was effective. The constant alerts were exhausting the team.
"Taichi, Yohei!" Captain Yamaguchi's eyes flashed cold. "You two move out immediately. Ambush their retreat path! I'll use Shadow Clones to mimic your presence here at the mine."
His voice was low and ruthless. "We need to teach them a lesson they won't forget. Let them know we aren't soft targets."
"Yes, sir!"
Yohei's eyes lit up with excitement. The frustration of the last two days finally had an outlet. Taichi remained calm, but the sharp glint in his eyes showed he was just as ready to make them pay.