Terumi Mei is very dangerous.
Her ninjutsu is strange, her reactions are fast, she is definitely an expert in fights.
Most important, even though Linto used Hermit Purple to trap her, one hand grabbed Terumi Mei's shoulder to make sure she was within Star Platinum's reach.
The system's defeat notice still had not appeared.
This means, even though Linto had the upper hand over Terumi Mei, she could turn things around at any time. Linto did not fully have the advantage.
"The fight with Kakashi was because I beat a "holding back Kakashi," so I got a soul fragment. But this woman in front of me does not hold back. If we keep fighting..."
It would be a desperate struggle.
The two had no grudge, Linto did not plan to fight Terumi Mei to the death.
Even if it came to that, it would be after figuring out why she came.
"Name."
"Terumi Mei."
"Gender."
Terumi Mei narrowed her eyes and puffed out her chest: "What do you think?"
"Hard to say."
During this time, Linto had developed trauma from assassination attempts. Men could turn into women, old people into kids, ninja tricks were endless. Who knows if this was a guy in disguise.
"Please answer properly."
"Female."
Linto nodded.
Terumi Mei glanced at Linto's hand on her shoulder. A slight numb warm feeling spread over, like countless tiny currents flowing along her veins, into her body, gently stroking her heart.
This feeling... was very strange.
Linto noticed Terumi Mei's expression turn odd. Not sure what this woman was planning next, he kept using ripple to sense her heartbeat and breathing, to check if she was lying.
"Why did you come to Our Village?"
"To see you."
"Are you here to kill me?"
"No."
Terumi Mei added in her mind: Not yet.
Linto thought for a moment and asked the key question: How did you know I would come to Kirigakure?
Kirigakure's info was only known to Kambara Hayato and Akatsuki. From what Linto knew of Kambara Hayato, he did not think the man could be bought off with money.
Kambara was not a money-first info broker, or he would not have complained multiple times that Linto ruined his rest time.
Compared to money, he cared more about having a good life.
Selling out Linto was not an option that would make Kambara feel good.
But if he was caught and tortured, that would be different.
Kambara Hayato had helped Linto a lot before, some things could be measured in money, but some could not.
That was "favor."
If Kambara Hayato really suffered because of Linto, Linto would have to go save him.
Terumi Mei was sharp and quickly understood why Linto was so serious. She explained: "It was a guess."
I traced your path from killing bounty hunters and assassins, and figured out your general direction.
You took Samehada, for one of two reasons: sell it or use it yourself.
From when you killed Suikazan Fuguki until now, so much time has passed, enough to sell it, but I never heard of Samehada being offered on the market.
This means you want to use it yourself.
Linto slightly raised his chin, signaling her to go on.
"Samehada is a very special blade. It only obeys those who suit it. Along the way, the bounty hunters' bodies had no wounds from Samehada, so clearly it did not obey you—"
Terumi Mei thought of the scary Star Platinum and changed her words: Or rather, it does not suit you. You did not sell it, and it does not suit you, so you only have one path left.
"Remake it."
Turn the picky Samehada into a shape that fits Linto.
Terumi Mei smiled a bit: Based on that info, I searched for blacksmiths in this direction and locked onto Kirigakure... It was not hard for me.
The logic was clear, the guess spot on.
Linto had to admit, Terumi Mei was a smart woman.
"What do you plan to do?" Linto asked.
"I told you, I just came to see you, to see what kind of person committed such a "stupid" act."
Terumi Mei's gaze was aggressive.
Linto said coldly: "You have seen me now, you can go."
"That will not do, this is just a first impression."
Seeing Linto slowly furrow his brow, Terumi Mei dropped her smile:
"I will not bother you. You can treat me like a normal traveler. We just happened to meet in this small village, that's all. When you leave Kirigakure, I will leave too. Or..."
Terumi Mei leaned back against the broken tree trunk, looking totally shameless.
"Kill me now."
Killing Terumi Mei would not be easy.
Most important, after the Mirages Castle rescue and caring about the info broker, Terumi Mei had a good idea of Linto's personality through those two things.
He would not kill someone just for wanting to see him.
As long as Terumi Mei showed no hostility and did nothing against Linto's principles, she could keep some distance and openly watch him.
It is just like watching a picky cat.
Terumi Mei thought to herself.
Linto raised his hand, and the Hermit Purple around Terumi Mei's arms and legs quietly withdrew.
"You trust me now?" Terumi Mei asked.
Linto said: "The prettier the woman, the better she is at lying."
Terumi Mei brushed off the dirt and stood up, hands on hips, freely showing off her womanly charm: "So do you think I am pretty?"
Linto turned and walked toward the village. Just as his back was about to vanish, his voice came from afar.
"You look very good at lying."
Terumi Mei smiled at the corner of her mouth, but the smile pulled at her wound. She rubbed her face.
"Jerk, he hit really hard."
...
Linto and the injured-faced Terumi Mei returned to the dinner table.
The mood grew even stranger until dinner ended. Linto used ripple energy to heal Haku's mother's cold, and smiles returned to everyone's faces.
After a basket full of thanks, Linto and the other two stayed overnight at Haku's house.
Linto, Momo-chan, and Sasuke slept on mats. The candle went out, thin moonlight fell, Momo-chan who was tired from the day fell fast asleep, but Sasuke still had wide eyes.
"Brother Shou, is that lady an assassin? Sasuke asked."
Linto warned: "Not yet, hard to say later. Just be careful around that woman."
Sasuke grunted, turned his head to look at the room where Haku's family of three was.
"Haku's mom, that was not a normal cold, right? I felt a different breathing."
Linto nodded slightly.
In Haku's mother, her organs were all giving off cold. A normal person would have died long ago, but she was still fine. That alone was not normal.
The reason she showed "cold" symptoms was that too much cold had built up inside her.
Linto tucked Momo-chan's blanket and said softly: "Do not think too much. Everyone has their own secrets. If they do not want to tell, do not ask. Sleep."
Sasuke agreed, got into bed, only showing his little head.
The next day, Linto was woken by crying and noise.
"Sir... this is all the food we have left. If you take it, our whole family will starve!"
"Starve? You deserve it! For not working hard!"
Then came wails and cries.
Linto and the other two exchanged looks and went out of the room.
They saw one fat and one thin, two men in thick cotton coats with knives at their waists, beating up a man with a lame leg.
The man's wife lay on top, protecting her husband. The men did not care and beat her too.
Pah!
One man spat, grabbed a bag of grain from the man's arms, opened it, half was bran for animals, the rest corn and unhulled rice.
"Just this much?"
The man snorted, hoisted up the man's wife.
"Then sell your wife to pay this month's heating tax."
This was the problem caused by Yagura selling people, being called by the Daimyo but not removed from office.
Leading by example.
If those above do not care, those below make some extra cash, no problem, right?
"No! Sir! You cannot do this—"
The lame man chased after on one leg, took two steps, and was kicked down again by the thin tall man.
Haku's family of three had come out and saw the scene. Haku looked unwilling.
Linto asked: "What is heating tax?"
Haku whispered: "A new county head came nearby. Since he took office, many new taxes appeared."
Heating tax is for burning wood at home to stay warm. Besides that, there is fishing tax, harvest tax, wedding tax, birth tax, and more.
Kirigakure is freezing cold, people here are already poor.
Last night's food and chicken was brought by Terumi Mei. Normal families go years without eating it once.
Families with able men work to death, barely pay taxes, and get by with enough food.
Like this lame man who cannot do heavy work, he can only slowly be forced to death.
The short fat man carried the woman to Haku's door.
Haku's father showed a pleasing smile.
"Sir, we paid this month's heating tax."
"You did."
The short fat man pointed at Linto and the other two: "What about them?"
"Th-they are just travelers."
"Do travelers not need heat? Or do you want to break the county head's orders!"
The short fat man yelled, thumb pushing out a bit of blade.
"If you have no money..."
The thin tall man walked over, narrowed his eyes at Momo-chan: "Hand her over."
Momo-chan's face turned pale.
Painful memories buried deep in her heart came back. She lowered her head, pink hair fell, shoulders trembled slightly.
Seeing Momo-chan scared, the thin tall man's excitement grew. He walked over, licked his lips, reached to touch Momo-chan's face.
One hand grabbed the thin tall man's arm.
He got furious and was about to yell at Linto for disrespect when there was a crack. His forearm bent ninety degrees, snapped right off by Linto.
In great pain, his curses turned to screams. The thin tall man instinctively reached for his sword.
But when he met Linto's eyes, his hand on the hilt could not pull it out.
Draw the sword, and die.
Fear exploded in his heart. His only thought was to turn and run, never come back.
Linto let go. The thin tall man fell to the ground. His look at Momo-chan changed from looking down to looking up.
"Still scared?" Linto asked.
Momo-chan sniffed. "Not anymore."
"Good."
The short fat man saw it was tough, drew his sword, approached warily.
Linto had no plan to fight such people: "Sasuke, break one of their legs, make them scram."
"Yes."
Linto turned and left. Under the villagers' scared stares, he headed to the blacksmith shop.
The old blacksmith squatted at his door, eating a rice ball while watching Sasuke beat the two men, using it to go with his meal.
Seeing Linto come, he tossed the last bite in his mouth: "You are the one that pervert mentioned?"
"Pervert..."
Thinking of Kambara Hayato's hobby, Linto nodded.
The blacksmith chuckled: Got some guts.
He looked at the blade on Linto's back.
"Samehada... long time no see. How do you want to remake it?"
---
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