Chapter 142: Bandit Baki

Chapter 142: Bandit Baki

Baki, known among bandits as "The Tactician," had a reputation that, unlike Shikaku's, was limited to a small area of about ten miles. Beyond that, his name meant nothing to anyone.

His bandit hideout was effortlessly dismantled by Konoha ninja, and he was quickly handed over to the magistrate's office. After a brief interrogation, he was thrown into an endless cycle of hard labor.

Initially, he clung to a glimmer of hope. The female Konoha ninja who had captured him seemed to imply she might recruit him. He resolved to hold his ground and negotiate favorable terms when the opportunity arose. However, after half a year of waiting without any sign of rescue, he concluded that her words were likely just casual remarks, long forgotten.

Realizing that depending on others was pointless, Baki decided to take matters into his own hands. Knowing that the relentless labor would eventually kill him, he planned an escape. He secretly discussed his plan with Tōfū, his trusted subordinate, and a few fellow villagers, intending to create chaos within the prison and make a break for it.

But before he could act, Tōfū betrayed him, selling him out to the authorities.

Baki was brutally beaten by the guards. Just as they were about to execute him and leave his body for the dogs, news arrived that a high-ranking official was coming. The guards immediately stopped.

It wasn't out of mercy. This official enjoyed watching death matches, and someone like Baki a wild dog of a man was perfect for his entertainment. They decided to keep him alive for the official's amusement.

Outside the prison, Tanigō, a high-ranking official from the Land of Fire, second only to the Daimyō himself, arrived discreetly in an ox-drawn carriage.

Tanigō, a fifty-year-old man with glasses, had a refined and scholarly appearance. As the chief magistrate in charge of the Land of Fire's finances, he was the Daimyō's most trusted confidant and often acted as his proxy.

Through hard work and a sharp mind, Tanigō had risen to his current position. Yet, he was far from content. Within the country, there was a force he despised a group of uncouth, disrespectful individuals who disregarded hierarchy yet wielded immense power.

These were the ninjas of Konohagakure.

Tanigō's parents had died in a pointless ninja skirmish. He could no longer recall their faces, only the memory of wandering for a long time before being taken in by the Daimyō. He had served as a page, performing menial tasks like serving tea, accompanying the Daimyō in his studies, and even sharing his bed.

Back then, he had little understanding of ninjas. As an adult, Tanigō demonstrated exceptional administrative skills, and the Daimyō gradually receded into the background, leaving all affairs of state to him.

The three Great Ninja Wars had devastated the ninja world, and their battles had caused massive destruction in the Land of Fire. After the wars, the ninjas simply left, leaving Tanigō to deal with the aftermath compensating civilians, rebuilding markets, and repairing homes. Why should he bear this burden?

Old grievances and fresh resentments fueled Tanigō's disdain for Konoha.

Secretly, he had been mining gold, bribing ninjas from smaller villages, and even purchasing ninjutsu scrolls to train samurai loyal to the Daimyō in the ways of ninjas. He had been very busy behind the scenes.

Tanigō knew the Daimyō was using him as a shield. If things went wrong, the Daimyō would undoubtedly sacrifice him to maintain peace. But Tanigō didn't mind.

Accompanying Tanigō were seven ninjas, remnants of the radical guardian ninja Kazuma's faction. Kazuma had believed that the Hokage was unnecessary and that ninjas, as tools, should be directly controlled by the Daimyō, living or dying at his command. That's how tools should be, after all.

Kazuma's radical faction had clashed with the moderate faction led by Asuma. The moderates won, and to appease Konoha and the Hokage, the Daimyō exiled Kazuma and his followers. Now, with tensions easing, these ninjas had quietly returned to the Land of Fire.

Among them was a kunoichi named Fūka, originally a special jōnin from Sunagakure. She had been secretly recruited by the Land of Fire with money, participated in the civil war among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, was exiled, and had now returned.

Behind Fūka stood six other ninjas, all from smaller villages and nowhere near her level.

Tanigō had come to the prison for entertainment and stress relief. Sitting behind a curtain, he clapped his hands lightly, signaling the start of the day's performance.

The guards pushed forward the most dangerous prisoners. The weak were given weapons, while the strong were forced to fight bare-handed. They battled in pairs, with only the victors advancing to the next round. The final winner would earn their freedom.

Tanigō jokingly referred to this game as the "adult version of the Chūnin Exams!"

A bloody free-for-all erupted in the prison, with no rules other than survival. Live, and you win; die, and you lose.

The chaos of the death matches left Ino, who had sneaked in to forge a death record, completely bewildered. Was this some kind of tournament? Why was it so chaotic?

"Sensing!"

She quickly scanned the area. Behind the curtain sat a high-ranking official, surrounded by seven ninjas in a circular formation, with thirty samurai guards on the perimeter.

Those who used ninjutsu were ninjas; those who didn't but could wield chakra and used swords or ancient techniques were samurai. The distinction between the two was clear.

Ino's sensing ability wasn't as precise as the Byakugan. Even with the Byakugan, it was hard to gauge an opponent's strength unless they attacked. She could only tell that the seven ninjas were far stronger than the thirty samurai. Beyond that, she sensed nothing.

Who was this high-ranking official? Why were so many ninjas here? Could it be the Daimyō of the Land of Fire?

She grabbed a guard and used her mind-reading technique, but she gleaned no useful information.

Watching the battered bandit Baki, armed with a spear, fight a burly prisoner to the death, Ino felt uneasy.

Honestly, her original plan was to rescue Baki and start a construction company. Without Baki's architectural knowledge, relying solely on Karin would make the partnership seem disingenuous.

But should she save him now? Would rescuing him drag her into a conflict with this so-called high-ranking official? For a moment, she felt like she was considering assassinating a country's ambassador over a trivial matter.

In her mind, two voices argued. One urged her to flee as quickly as possible, while the other egged her on to cause trouble the bigger, the better. A high-ranking official? Perfect target!

After a mental struggle, the voice of reason won. Why not cause some chaos? She wasn't in the village anymore, and anyone organizing death matches in a prison couldn't be a good person. Worst case, she could use the Steaming Danger Tyranny to destroy the evidence.

"Poof!" A cloud of smoke dissipated, and Ino transformed into an old man with bandages wrapped around his head, leaning on a cane.

Facing a high-ranking official involved in national affairs, only one figure could command respect: Danzō, the "Darkness of the Shinobi." She had taken on Danzō's appearance!

Ino formed the "Ram" hand seal, creating nine shadow clones. The clones shifted, transforming into masked Root ninjas.

Ino waved her hand at the clones. "Follow me no, follow this old man!"

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