A Few Days Later

The team was tasked with another C-Rank mission. The mission involved dealing with a bandit group that were raiding properties under the Duke of Fire. Upset by the blatant disregard to his authority, the duke hired the same capable Konoha ninja who had performed exceptionally well for him last time. He requested Kurenai's team by name to find the group and root them out.

The Duke of Fire stood, stoic as ever, with the classic 'bucket' hat on his head. His arms were behind his back as he greeted. 

"Welcome. I trust you appreciated my 'gratitude' from last time?"

Kurenai frowned. "Lord Duke, the Hokage-sama would be eternally grateful if you instead increased the Rank of the mission rather than providing special... incentives. That way we may assign stronger Ninja if needed. It's truly a group of bandits this time, right?"

The Duke waved his hand disinterestedly. "Should be. It is of no matter, regardless. I was satisfied with your team's performance. Especially the brown haired boy... They spoke of how he intimidated them effortlessly, and how he was not simply just one man. He split himself into many and subdued them without harm. Saul, correct?"

Saul nodded. "It's my pleasure, Duke-Sama." 

"I appreciate one who has such a measured hand when dealing with... merchandise. Where is the brash one?"

Kurenai's lips twitched. "Inuzuka Kiba was his name. He is no longer with us."

The duke clapped, "Good, good!"

Saul could tell Kurenai was only a few steps away from going off on the man. He interjected a little, politely, "Honorable Duke, what of those who dared to slight your honor? We eagerly await your wide guidance upon their matter." 

There was a chance for him to acquire many potential 'test' subjects for his Genjutsu. Saul didn't hope to find Ninja, but even ordinary people with Chakra would be fine. Regardless, they needed more information to act. Kiba's absence meant they couldn't just get a scent and go.

The Duke's face darkened. 

"I will have a servant guide you to the most recent site they raided. They did something outrageous this time - absolutely unacceptable. You will kill on sight for this humiliation!" He motioned to a servant standing beside him, and the servant bowed. 

"Follow me."

They were taken an hour's walk away (at the servant's pace), where they were greeted by the sight of charred buildings, a devastated gate, and a shaggy haired decapitated head, pierced through all the way by a pike. Saul felt a slight hint of familiarity when seeing his face.

"This man was castrated and hung up for everyone to see, to scare all those who would oppose them."

Castrated...? Oh, Saul knew exactly who this man was. And who did it to him. Hisame had gotten her revenge, it seemed. He had done well to be cautious. Saul felt an urge to laugh. Woman, the poor guy was innocent! He didn't do anything! Yet you still castrated the poor scapegoat. Hahahah!!!

However, Saul held himself back. He looked over at the other women of his team, observing. Hinata was slightly disgusted, Kurenai was unaffected, and Yakumo looked as if she was about to be sick. He put his arm around her shoulder and turned her away from the sight.

Kurenai queried, "May I see the body?"

The servant looked up at the decapitated head queasily.

"The rest of it." Kurenai clarified.

Saul led Yakumo away while Kurenai and Hinata went to examine the body. 

"Everything alright?"

"...Yeah. Just, how could you do that to someone? To cut them apart and defile the body, like. Like that!" Yakumo grew angrier, "How could they!?"

Saul nodded hypocritically, "These bandits rob, kidnap, and kill people just because they can. That man did not deserve what happened to him. We're here to make things right."

"But... The mission orders were clear. We cannot spare anyone. What if some of them are innocent? Wouldn't that make us worse?"

Saul didn't give a single fuck, but he entertained the question for Yakumo's sake. 

"Of course not, Yakumo. Today it was this man. Tomorrow it could be another. The bandits are a cancer to the people, that will kill and destroy many more than we will now if we don't stop them."

"..."

Maybe. Maybe not. Saul didn't care either way - it was about saying something that sounded convincing: giving a good enough excuse. They were ninja - worse than bandits. At least bandits robbed and killed for the sake of their own survival. Ninja? They were merely mercenaries. They had magical jutsu that could be used to sustain themselves and everyone around them, yet Ninja as a whole sought methods on how to better kill. Yet because of their own shortsightedness and folly, they continued to perfect their craft for years upon years. Reliant on merely servicing the highest bidder.

"I know. That doesn't make it feel any better, does it. Tell you what. I can bear that burden for you. Yakumo, you can just knock your opponents out with Genjutsu. I will finish them later myself. Their blood will not be on your hands."

The girl paused. Surely she couldn't just accept this offer, right? Even though she heard tales of killing, how it never left some without crippling nightmares or guilt, killing was an integral part of being a Ninja. She had to be willing to bear the burden; it was part of the price to revive her clan. Yet Saul would even kill someone for her!?

"But... Saul? What about you? That wouldn't be fair to you, would it?"

Saul smiled, "Don't worry, I'm a man. If it's for your sake, Yakumo, I'll do it."

The woman felt a massive sense of relief, gratitude, and adoration. She gave him a hug. He was big, tall, so much taller than her. When his arms surrounded her back, she could feel a profound sense of safety and security. Yakumo smiled. Tiptoeing upwards, she put her head over his shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"Add it to the tab, Saul-'san.'" Her cherry red lips brushed intimately against his neck, and he could feel her warm, wet breath tickle his ear. "I'll pay it all back to you later."

Shortly after, the group reconvened. Kurenai looked towards the now composed, ever smiling noble girl and the nonchalant Saul. She didn't notice anything amiss. 

"Now that we're all back together, I'd like to make sure we're all on the same page. Based on the state of the body, it's confirmed that this was likely not a mere case of killing for an example. The man was stabbed over 50 times, castrated, and skinned like some sort of... pig."

Yakumo paled. "Then what...?"

Kurenai shook her head. "Maybe one of the bandits had some sort of... unsavory relation with the man. Regardless, whoever did this was not in their right state of mind. They left many traces on their way out. Hinata, we'll be counting on you again."

The girl nodded and led them - slower than with Kiba - but still precisely toward whatever 'camp' the bandits had made. Imagine Saul's surprise when the group found themselves right outside the prior refugee camp area! Hinata put her arm in front of Saul's chest, stopping him. Her eyes bulged as she looked through the area - which was now shrouded in a watery mist.

"Saul-kun, this mist isn't natural. It was made by some sort of jutsu." Her veins pulsated, "It looks... strange."

Kurenai frowned. "Hinata, can you find any other signs of ninja?"

Nothing could hide from her Byakugan. The mist could not obscure it. Pressing through the chakra infused mist, she saw through it. There was no 'camp of people'. In reality, there were only three: two men and a woman.

The first one was a man with long hair, a cap, and a mask covering the side of his face. He laid next to the fire underneath his cloak, uninterested.

The second man was shouting at the woman. He had a sleeveless black shirt that exposed the muscles on his arms. He had blue paint along the bridge of his nose and underneath his angrily furrowed eyes.

The last one was a woman, who stood there enduring the shouts. She had blood all over her face, in her clothing, and her appearance was completely disheveled. An unrelenting, manic grin was on her face. Wasn't that the girl the one that... Kurenai had spared?

All of them wore forehead protectors with multiple vertical lines running down in succession. They were scratched, by some sort of blade or Kunai. Missing-nin.

"Kurenai-sensei. There are no bandits. All of them are missing-nin. One of them is the woman who interfered with our previous mission."

Kurenai frowned. This was no good.