Naruto: Azure Awakening

Ch 131 - Mercy Is Not a Strategy

Thank you, Keiran G. & Mitchel for supporting Azure Awakening!Mizuki and Kaoru quickly realized that all eyes were on them, well, except for Scorpio’s. She was still lying on the ground, groaning weakly as the last of her strength faded. Kaoru didn’t feel even a flicker of sympathy. She had tried to kill him after all.

“The hands and legs… that was me,” Ao said, still watching Mizuki, whose face remained buried in Kaoru’s shoulder. Ao was shocked by what Mizuki had done, not because of the horrible state Scorpio was in, but because of how her appearance differed from her personality. “She refused to answer any questions. Just kept cursing, said the Mizukage would destroy us.”

Added Ao in a flat voice. He wasn’t offering an opinion, just stating facts. Now that Kaoru was safe, Ao wanted to see how he’d handle what came next.

“Since she doesn’t want to speak…” Kaoru’s eyes began to glow, cyan light flaring to life as a thin, dark blue needle formed in front of Scorpio’s face.

It hovered for only a moment. Then pierced her remaining eye and drove straight into her skull.

The groaning stopped. Her body convulsed once, then went still.

Ao watched the scene unfold, satisfied. He had not seen Kaoru on the battlefield and was glad to see how resolved he could be. Even without noticing it, Ao was starting to groom Kaoru as a leader.

Mizuki was still shaken as she pulled back, her grip on Kaoru lingering just a second too long. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Her relief was written across her face.

Kaoru barely noticed. His mind was somewhere else entirely.

he thought, his gaze narrowing as he watched the way life faded from Scorpio’s body. ‘

Unfortunately, Takimura had no specialists in that field. Their skill in interrogation was about as poor as their talent in genjutsu.

“Lord Ao,” Kaoru said with a faint smirk as he looked at the lifeless body, disgusted, “let’s send her corpse back to the group… what was their name again? Right. Mumeitai.”

“They need to understand what it means to try assassinating someone from Takimura. It’ll serve as a warning for those still thinking about signing the contract with us.”

Kaoru had considered suggesting they capture the rest of the group and interrogate them but quickly changed his mind. Publicly killing them would complicate things. If he handled it alone, under a disguise, he could eliminate the group quietly and gather intel at the same time.

Ao’s jaw tightened in disapproval. He had expected Kaoru to be more ruthless. But he pushed the feeling aside.

He exhaled slowly.

“Alright,” Ao said with a nod, managing a faint smile. “Let’s do that.”

“Can I ask that we return her body before my sister gets back?” Kaoru added, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

Thought Kaoru and he wasn’t wrong. Maki didn’t believe in subtlety. If she had walked in on this, she would’ve immediately charged and killed every mercenary in the group without a second thought and Kaoru’s strategy needed more cunning. Maki was someone who preferred a straightforward approach. And for once, Kaoru wanted to take full control of how things played out.

“Hm. Alright,” Ao said after a pause. “Since Lady Maki technically left you in charge, I won’t argue.”

He didn’t agree with the decision. That much was clear.

But he wasn’t stepping back to avoid responsibility. He simply understood that no matter what Kaoru chose, those mercenaries wouldn’t escape the eyes of Takimura’s S-rank shinobi for long. And letting Kaoru learn from his mistakes was much better than simply shutting down his very first important decision.

Ao gave the order to release those who had arrived with Scorpio, allowing them to return to their camp and take her body with them. But the other mercenary groups would remain detained as Ao planned to interrogate them himself.

“Kaoru, will you come with me?” he asked, glancing back at the boy. “I think it’ll be good for you to see how interrogations work. It’s a useful skill, even during missions.”

But Kaoru shook his head.

“I’m exhausted after everything that happened, Lord Ao,” he replied with an apologetic smile, faking a yawn and dropping his shoulders. “I’d rather get some rest.”hey’ll be taken care of.”

He paused, trying to remember something, then continued:

“You know… my son probably won’t even remember my face,” he muttered. “And my wife… she’s probably already with someone else.”

“What the hell do you want from us? Sympathy?” the man on the left snapped, his voice rising. “We’re all in the same damn situation! Stop talking shit and shut up! I-It just makes it worse…”

He’d forgotten about stealth. The reminder of their miserable lives made him lose focus. They were all thinking the same thing, but hearing it out loud made it real. Too real.

No one spoke after that. They just kept moving in silence, the creaking of the cart the only sound left.

Not far behind the cart, two smaller figures flickered between the treetops, their movements light and silent. Both wore black from head to toe, their faces covered by masks that left only their eyes exposed.

Kaoru landed on a branch and narrowed his eyes. '

He wasn’t the least bit worried about being spotted.

he noted, watching the way they moved - sloppy, unsure, unaware.

The fact that shinobi this weak had been sent to assassinate him was baffling... What stung more was that they had nearly succeeded. If not for Tsunade’s gift, he might already be dead.

he thought, his jaw tightening in shame and regret.

Ahead of them, the three mercenaries neared the coast, but something didn’t add up.

Kaoru scanned the terrain. His Suijingan picked up faint movement - several chakra signatures inside the cliff itself.

he realized.

Without a word, he signaled to Mizuki, and both of them dropped down from the trees, moving low and quiet until they reached a better angle.

The cart rolled up to the cliffside, where thick vines and dense overgrowth clung to the stone. Without slowing down, the mercenaries pushed straight through the greenery and vanished behind the curtain of leaves.

Kaoru smiled behind his mask.

“There are a few traps near the entrance,” he said softly. “But nothing we can’t get past. Let’s move.”