Path Of War-Chapter 362: First Mission

Most importantly, Killer B was not in the village at this moment.

From what Arthur knew of Killer B, he was still the current Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki. Unlike others who hosted Tailed Beasts, B had a close relationship with his, which allowed him to control its power rather than be overwhelmed by it.

He was known for his strength, speed, and his unique fighting style that combined wrestling and kenjutsu with unpredictable movements. B could also transform into different Tailed Beast modes.

His importance in the Naruto story was significant, as he played a key role in the Fourth Great Ninja War and helped turn the tide against the Akatsuki.

Despite his role as a Jinchūriki, B was very proud of his skills and often expressed confidence through rap music, even during battles. His personality was also laid-back and somewhat cocky, but he cared deeply for his friends and his village, frequently risking himself to protect others.

He shared a close bond with his brother, the Raikage, and valued talent and strength in others, respecting those who demonstrated skill in combat.

In appearance, he had dark skin and blond hair and wore sunglasses along with a ninja outfit topped with a long red belt.

Known for his large chakra reserves and combat, he could unleash powerful attacks like the Tailed Beast Bomb and use ink to create clones or write lyrics at random.

Arthur had checked multiple sources, and from what he gathered, B was currently elsewhere—probably visiting another location.

That was good news for Arthur. It meant the village was less on edge and less prepared for sudden trouble. He could move more freely without risking immediate detection.

As such, he walked through the village casually with his senses on alert.

The village was divided into about five districts, each with its own appeal. Two of these districts were the most affluent. They housed the biggest homes, some of which looked like small castles. These places belonged to the wealthiest families and officials.

Arthur didn't have much interest in those. They were too obvious of a place to dwell. Truth be told, the castles at his village were much bigger anyway.

Besides, he didn't need the prestige of the richest neighborhoods.

The poorest side of the village was where he aimed to spend his time. That area held the orphanage and most of the training facilities for ninja. It was a rougher part of the place, but it was also the best area for him to hide in plain sight.

From the homes there, he could watch the training grounds and see what the younger ninja were studying. Quite the good spot to gather intel without raising suspicion.

He figured that if he wanted to blend in, living among the lower class was the best option. It would also give him a sense of humility, something that might help him fit in.

Truly, if he wanted, he could buy out more than half of this village. Their structures were only subpar compared to the expensive materials he used to build his whole country.

Yet he didn't need to go that far. The legal system to buy this property would take too long. The complications of paperwork and negotiations would also slow down his plans. Then there was the celebrity status he would gain.

Best to keep things simple—get a modest place, watch, learn, and plan. He had enough patience to wait out the process.

As such, he headed toward that and soon reached the housing office. He spotted the manager standing outside, flipping through a small notebook. Arthur approached and greeted him.

The manager looked up and said, "Sorry, pal, but the academy's two blocks over."

"You're mistaken, sir. I'm here for a place to stay."

The man's face lit up with a grin.

"Ah, is that so?! I understand. Let me show you what we have available." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small catalogue before flipping through the pages. "This area is pretty quiet in the mornings. Sometimes the kids can be a little noisy, but it's nothing serious. Just them having fun."

Arthur skimmed the list quickly. The best option appeared to be a small apartment on the outskirts of the district. From there, it had a clear view of the Raikage's office—an ideal spot for observing the village's leadership.

"This one seems good," he said, pointing at a modest apartment on the map.

"That's a fine choice," the manager agreed. It honestly wasn't. "It's quiet, affordable, and far enough from one of the training grounds so the noise won't bother you." Again, it was actually very close to it.

"How much is the first month's rent?" Arthur asked.

The manager checked his notes and answered, "Well, based on that headband, I'll assume you're a shinobi. Add that discount we give to ninjas; it's 1,500 ryō for the first month with a 500 ryō deposit—non-refundable."

While Arthur was no stranger to money, that was highway robbery. The price was almost equivalent to renting out a studio apartment for almost 3,000 American dollars!

Arthur reached into his wallet and pulled out a small pouch. He then opened it and handed the man sixty thousand ryō in one smooth motion.

"Keep the change..."

The manager blinked in surprise and said, "Sir, you only needed to pay the deposit."

"And you only need to give me the keys, right?"

It didn't take long for the man to understand what Arthur had done; he had paid twelve months in advance.

"Of course," he said with the biggest grin yet. "Just let me get the paperwork, and I'll hand the keys right away, kind sir!"

Not long, and Arthur was finally at his abode.

The apartment was modest—small, with a single room, a simple kitchen, and a small bathroom. It was also a tad dirty, at least compared to every other place Arthur had stayed in. For instance, there was a large rat hole in the corner, and he could see insects through the wall.

Nonetheless, that didn't bother him since he'd slept in much worse conditions. Plus, he knew just how to handle this kind of place.

Using his skills, he cleaned it up quickly by sweeping away dust and dirt and making the space livable. He also fixed the loose faucet by repairing a leak and sealed all the cracks in the wall.

All of this was very simple for him, considering he had once repaired a large, acre-sized plaza. So he restored what he could without making a fuss.

While working on the lighting, he stabilized the whole room by rewiring a few connections. Next, he used water style to clear the spaces he couldn't reach by hand.

The last thing he did was go out and buy poison and glue traps for the rats and cockroaches. If those bugs and rodents were fortunate enough, they would crawl into the next room over for the tenants to finally complain.

These were all small fixes, and they made a noticeable difference. freewebnoveℓ.com

Once finished, the apartment felt better and free of the small problems. Without chakra at his disposal, he would have had to use handheld tools, which would have taken him the whole day and night to fix.

Now that he had a base, he could focus on his real goal—spying on the academy and at the Raikage's office. Their layout and schedules could all be seen written on bulletin boards.

All he needed was time and patience, and soon enough, he would make his move.

But for now, he would wait, watch, and prepare.

Over the course of three days, he moved between the Cloud Village and the Land of Birds.

It was quite the workload checking on this village and his own. Thank goodness there were more of him and more under him to keep things balanced.

When he was in the Light Village, he had to make sure the Uchiha clan's and the Uzumaki clan's missions were running smoothly. Then he would return to the Cloud Village to ensure that he was always prepared in case his number was called.

During these days, his name and face slowly became known. The village's records now included his home address. It was a small detail, but one that confirmed his presence was no longer hidden.

And although he had officially been registered, not once had he been greeted by any important character. One would think that the Raikage would wish to meet him. Or at least Samui. But both of them had their own matters to deal with.

One shinobi, regardless of his reputation, was only one out of thousands they had to manage.

When he finally received his first mission, it was quite a basic one. This shouldn't have been a surprise, as most of the missions were routine—simple tasks, welfare checks, and mundane things like theft.

Arthur didn't have time for petty squabbles or trivial disputes, but he knew that maintaining a good reputation meant doing what was asked of him. So, he held his peace.

Today's mission involved a domestic disturbance.

He headed to the wealthy district of the village. The environment was upscale, and the streets were clean and quiet compared to where he dwelt.

As he approached the address, he could already hear the sounds of shouting and glass breaking. The noise was loud enough to echo through the door.

He knocked once, causing silence. Then, after a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing a man with a bruised lip and swollen eye. He looked tired, beaten down, but he straightened himself when he saw Arthur.

"Can I help you?" the man cautiously asked.

Arthur looked past him, noticing a woman behind him. She was tense, with clenched fists and a furious glare. Her face was red, and her hair was disheveled. She looked ready to explode.

As such, he chose not to comment on the man's injuries and simply said, "I'm here about a domestic call. I believe you were the one who put in a request for it."

The woman immediately snapped. "What domestic call?! Who the heck are you?! No one called for help!"

It was obvious she was angry, defensive, and suspicious. Arthur watched her with a good level of calm and patience.

She was married to the man; that much was clear based on the wedding rings on both of their fingers. But her reaction told him she was hiding something.

So Arthur addressed the husband, saying, "Your wife and you seem to be having some problems. I'd like to help you sort this out."

The woman's eyes widened further as she yelled, "We don't need anyone's help! Much less from a man with a blindfold on!"

Then she tried to slam the door, but Arthur moved quickly and stuck his foot out to prevent her from closing it. The door stopped just short, and she glared at him with a flushed rage.

"Get out!" she yelled, trying again to push the door closed. Arthur pressed his palm against the wood and walked in like it was nothing. So she spat, "This is breaking and entering!"

But he ignored her words.

The husband, seeing him inside, began to plead, "Please, she's just upset. Honey, don't do anything stupid."

"Shut your mouth!" she yelled. "And tell this corrupt ninja he's trespassing!"

When the man remained ashamed at all this, the woman started cursing at her husband, calling him useless and threatening him with a divorce.

Her shouting and waving of her arms was annoying, yet Arthur didn't even react. He was trained to handle situations like this, where emotions ran high and violence was possible. So he let her vent and waited for her to exhaust herself.

The moment she got in his face and pressed a finger on his chest, he reached out and tied her hands behind her back.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried.

"You should never put your hands on a shinobi," he calmly addressed.

She tried to kick and scream, but she was no match for an elite ninja. He held her firmly and pinned her to the ground, making sure she couldn't cause any more harm.

Her yelling, of course, continued, but her voice was muffled, and her struggles weakened as she understood she wasn't going anywhere. Arthur kept her restrained and didn't hurt her even after all that she'd done.

Once she calmed down a bit, he moved her to the side and focused on the husband.

"Come with me," he said, guiding him into another room.

In that space, he said, "She's fortunate I didn't use force..."

"Seriously, sir, I really app—"

"But I need you to understand something," Arthur interrupted, "you need to learn to stand up for yourself and be a man."

The husband shamefully looked down. He was quiet for a moment before finally admitting, "I've been weak, and I've let her control everything."

"The first step you should take is showing who's truly in charge."

With moist eyes, the man finally whispered, "Thank you..."

Then, unexpectedly, he threw his arms around Arthur and began to cry. Arthur didn't pull away; he let the man do his thing.

"I promise I'll be tougher," the man teared up. "I won't let her push me around anymore."

As emotional as this might have seemed, Arthur didn't at all feel any genuine concern. How could he?

The next hour was spent processing the paperwork. He filed reports on the woman, noting her domestic battery right after taking her into custody and arranging for her to be taken to the village jail.

It was a straightforward routine—nothing special, but necessary.

The only thing that annoyed Arthur in all of this was that this was only the first mission of the day. There were many missions like this lined up. But because this village didn't have a police force like the Leaf Village, that meant the ninjas were responsible for mundane tasks like these.

The day was still young, and he had more work to do.