Unknownfate
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Chapter 73 The Rag Man’s Smile
🕑 Added 2025-06-23 08:49:02 +0000 UTCThe trip happened very much as I had expected it to. We travelled just ahead of them—barely far enough to stay out of reach, but close enough that I could keep them within my Byakugan’s range. It let me know when we could rest, when to move, when to sleep.
And more than that, it let me observe them.
There was a limit to what I could learn from a distance, especially without chakra signatures to rely on, but even so, I picked up more than a few critical details. Enough to start building a profile.
They had only one puppet user. That alone was invaluable. It meant we wouldn’t be overwhelmed by puppets like we were in earlier engagements. One specialist—manageable. It also meant we could begin preparing for that style in particular, mapping out counters and battlefield control options.
I could also tell there was only one woman in the group. And interestingly, there wasn’t much team spirit among them. No banter. No side chatter. No shared laughs or inside jokes. They coordinated just enough to be functional, but they didn’t feel like a true team. More like a temporary alliance—shaped for utility, not trust.
Their sleep schedule became ours—at least, it became the team’s. I had to flip mine around, keeping my Byakugan active whenever they were awake, and collapsing into rest during the day while Koji carried me. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked. He made no complaints, of course. Quite the opposite.
They followed a rigid pattern: two hours of movement, two hours of rest, repeating that cycle until they got six hours total. Annoying, but predictable. I only had to keep an eye on them for two hours at a time.
And that gave us windows.
As we moved, we gathered supplies—no longer bothering to completely conceal our tracks. We collected wood, stones, terrain features we could use. Anything that could be rigged for substitution jutsu or rigged with tags.
We scattered explosive tags through likely engagement zones. Buried them beneath rocks. Wrapped them in soaked cloth and tied them to logs we could roll into the water. Everything we could think of to even the field.
Meanwhile, we poured over bingo book entries and cross-referenced everything I observed.
What we found… wasn’t ideal.
If our guesses were right, if these four really were the shinobi we feared they might be—then Suna had outdone itself. I cursed whoever compiled this unit. Each one was dangerous alone, but together? Handpicked. Crafted. Built for this.
But it didn’t matter. We would still fight. And we would win.
Losing was not an option.
“Alright,” I said, standing on a high branch overlooking the faint shimmer of water ahead. “Time to move. We need to widen the gap, get there before them.”
Koji met my gaze. “How much time do you need?”
“An hour. Minimum.”
He nodded. “Then let’s make it two.”
We moved.
…
We stood on the water.
The lake was vast and mirror-still beneath us, the surface dimmed by a heavy grey sky that stretched unbroken in every direction. No wind. No sound. Even the trees around the shoreline held their breath.
We had arrived more than an hour ago.
We had set everything.
The trap points were in place. Tags hidden in reeds and stones. Substitution anchors scattered across the field. And each of us now stood on the glassy water in a loose formation—just far enough apart to move freely, just close enough to protect one another.
Koji and Kuro stood to my right, a bit of a gap between us, that gap was taken up by Haruto and Arata, who stood half a step behind us. Allowing us two taijutsu masters to protect them, while they still and free sight to use ninjutsu.
Though honestly, I feared our formation wouldn’t last long. The enemy would likely split us apart, target our weaknesses, and take us down one by one.
But there wasn’t much I could do but trust the others to handle their parts, or at least long enough for me to hopefully handle whatever Suna had handpicked to face me.
I took one deep breath.
Then another.
“They’re close, will be on us in a few minutes, they will be at their most tired while we had an hour of relative rest, it doesn’t get better than this.”
A low rumble of anticipation built in my chest.
This was it. No more running. No more guessing. We were out of time and out of ground. Only the lake remained between us and whatever Suna thought would break us.
Koji rolled his shoulders once, cracking his neck lazily. “No need to worry not Yuki-chan, by this time tomorrow, we will be continuing where we left off a week ago when these fuckers interrupted us.”
“Don’t think I have forgotten about that, I’m still waiting for a chance to make you pay for what you did there, partner.” I said, feeling a bit of tension leave me due to his joke.
“What did I do?” He asked, acting all innocent. “Kuro? Did I do anything wrong?”
The ninken barked and shook his head.
“See, Kuro says I’m innocent, and even if I did something silly, it's been a week, been good this whole time, surely you will forgive me.” He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Been good? You spent half the day pawing at me while carrying me, don’t think I didn’t notice where your hands wandered to.”
He just laughed. “Well, given we might all die today, I honestly feel I should have been braver, just taking you while we ran.”
“Koji,” I said sounding as serious as I could.
“Yeah?” he asked, standing straighter.
“You better not die today, because I’m going to end you for this.”
Koji grinned, teeth bared, unrepentant. “Guess I better survive then. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”
Kuro snorted, low and amused, tail flicking once before his ears perked up.
I stiffened a heartbeat later. “Here they come, they seem to have noticed us, and they aren’t moving to attack, looks like a scenario C.”
The ripple of tension spread across our formation, subtle but absolute. We straightened. We breathed slower. We became still.
Four figures appeared at the far side of the lake. Distant shadows on the tree line. Then, with precise steps, they moved onto the water.
They paused only for a moment before they flashed closer to us, not attacking, just standing there, facing us at about thirty meters apart.
“Well, well, would you look at that, the people we have been chasing finally decided to stop and meet us? How kind of you all.” The lead male said. A kind, almost gentle smile on his face, and a sword on his back.
I knew who he was; that face had a page in my Bingo book.
“Sazanami Tokuma,” I greeted him by his name.
He dipped his head slightly, acknowledging me like an old friend, though we had never met.
“You flatter me, Hyūga,” he said. “Or can I call you Yuki? Or snow ghost? Nahh, Yuki is best, I must say, you look even better in person than in the book, I’m a lucky guy to be the one sent to deal with you.” That smile remained on his face as he spoke, making him look like a kind uncle.
Yet, anyone who reads beyond the first few lines in the Bingo book would know that the smile hides a dark, brutal heart.
I looked at the others, mentally confirming their identity and the information I had about them from the entries.
The woman had brown hair, and black dead eyes, she was a whole head shorter than Sazanami, and had two of Suna’s famous combat fans in her hands. Small ones, but still dangerous weapons.
Yomei Kasui was her name; she was fast, sadistic, and an expert in disruption and harassment, and well known for killing with a thousand tiny cuts. She would dance around you, slowly cutting you up with sharp winds.
Then there were two more males other than Sazanami, one puppet master, the smaller of the two, with black hair, a long cloak, covered in scrolls. He was easy enough to identify, few puppet master of his level around.
Kiso En was described as silent, methodical, and hating all summons, a hate that seemed to translate to Ninken as well given the way he glared at Kuro.
He believed puppets to be superior and wanted to eliminate all summons and animal companions.
He would likely be Koji’s opponent here, and a dangerous one, giving his interests, I had no doubt he was well prepared.
The final person was harder to place, but given what I knew, I judged he was likely Tsurugi Shoma. Honestly, I wish everyone had proper pictures in the Bingo book. It would make it easier; some pictures were decades out of time, showing the face of a fresh Genin.
He was another taijutsu user, and someone mastering punching his way right through defences and slamming his chakra-weighted wind-enhanced knuckle blades into anyone hiding behind them.
I quickly determined who would face who.
I would likely face Sazanami Tokuma.
Koji would face Kiso En.
Haruto against Tsurugi Shoma.
And finally, Arata, who liked staying at range, would deal with the fast Yomei Kasui.
These were not random enemies. This was a perfectly tailored execution squad.
“Eyes on me, Yuki-chan.” Sazanami said, licking his lips as he stared at me. “Those Byakugan, such exotic look it gives you, such pale flawless skin, and that hair? You are such a young beauty, it would be a shame to kill you.”
I heard Koji letting out a low growl, and Kuro too bared his teeth at the tone he spoke with.
I too felt disgust.
“Too bad that seal on your forehead makes it impossible to keep you, but I figured I can likely play with you for a month or two before it kills you, I can’t wait.” He said, pure sick desire in his voice.
That was the type of person he was.
The worst kind of shinobi, one that preyed on Kunoichi. Those types who did so openly were never liked, not even in their own villages, often ending up as missing-nin. Though if they are strong enough, they might hang around.
Too valuable to get rid of, to punish, so they are allowed to do what they want. Konoha doesn’t really have any, but all the other villages have a few.
And Sazanami is one of them. A rag man.
Koji too noticed that, and he wasn’t one bit happy about it, something Sazanami noticed.
“What's this? Is the mutt in a bad mood?” He looked between Koji and me. “Don’t tell me, are you lying with this mutt Yuki-chan? It seems Konoha has no real men for you to enjoy, but no worry, I will give you all you have been missing, all up until the end.” He let out a cruel, cold laugh, all while somehow smiling kindly.
It made me feel sick with disgust.
Even his teammates didn’t look like they enjoyed being on the same side as him. Yomei even looked at me with a mix of pity and relief. Likely glad she wasn’t the one having to endure Sazanami’s attention.
Sazanami’s words hung in the air like a sickness. Even the wind seemed to recoil.
Koji’s chakra flared at my side, rage, fury rolled off of him in waves, not yet uncontrolled, but so very hot. If he had the Sharingan, it might have evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan and unleashed Amaterasu on him.
I didn’t speak. I wouldn’t dignify it. I just looked at Sazanami, and I memorized every inch of his face. I’d carve it into memory so I could still hate it even after I erased it.
“Well then,” Sazanami said, still wearing that kindly uncle smile, “shall we get started?”
He stepped forward once, and the others followed.
The moment broke.
We exploded into motion.
Water split under us. Chakra surged. Arata moved first, vaulting backward into the air and forming seals. Yomei followed instantly, her fans flaring wide as wind surged to chase him. She was fast—faster than I expected—and Arata barely touched the far shoreline before she was already curving around to intercept him, sharp wind trailing behind her like ribbons.
A clash waiting to happen.
Haruto ran left. Tsurugi followed, twin knuckle blades already out. His movements weren’t showy, but each step shook water and left small craters. A brute force fighter, just like the book said. Haruto didn’t try to run. He just drew water up around him, forming a shield and preparing the field.
That left me.
Sazanami didn't rush. He strolled, as if this were a garden walk.
And behind him, the puppet master—Kiso En—moved for Koji. Scrolls unrolled around him like wings. Koji didn’t hesitate. He and Kuro split instantly, circling to opposite sides. A maneuver they’d practiced a hundred times before.
Everything was falling into place. Each of us was where they wanted us.
Isolated.
It had begun.
(End of chapter)
And so it begins.
Now, Rag Men, those are something I came up with. A world of war, where kids are thrown into war at a young age. Well, it messes with people
Just look at Guy, yeah, that guy is a few screws short.
And Kakashi, always late, always reading porn in public.
People drinking, whoring… everyone is messed up.
So yeah, everyone is fine with being spied on as they bathe, or some people doing everything for immortality.
Amidst all this, some people will undoubtedly embrace evil.
Some people will just be shit people, and with killing a trade, that won’t be pretty.
And while some people still remember honor, kindness, and all that, some people just forget about that, those… are trash, Rags… Rag men.
