Who Is That Kid
For a time, Xu Fan was directly protected by Yugito Nii and C.
Yugito wasn't just an ordinary jinchūriki. Like Killer Bee, she was a perfect jinchūriki of Kumogakure. She had befriended her Tailed Beast and could freely wield its power.
These ronin warriors didn't pose much of a threat—if it weren't for a lack of intel, poor coordination, and the unexpected intervention of an undead duo like Hidan and Kakuzu from the Akatsuki, Yugito likely wouldn't have fallen into enemy hands in the original timeline.
At the same time, although C was still a teenager, his sensory abilities were already exceptional. He didn't even need to look directly at the samurai—he could easily detect their chakra signatures, anticipate their movements, and relay that information to Yugito.
With her impressive taijutsu and the power of the Two-Tails, Yugito made quick work of the warriors, subduing them effortlessly.
"Ninja..." the leading samurai muttered grimly.
He drew his sword and infused it with Wind Release chakra, causing the blade to shimmer with cutting intent.
Due to the Land of Iron's neutral stance, samurai rarely had the chance to clash with shinobi. But now, the leader felt it was time for the ninja to witness the true strength of a samurai.
The civilians on the street scattered in fear, afraid of getting caught in the battle. Even Yi Jiao and the others looked tense and uneasy.
"You should now understand how much trouble this weapon is causing," C said to Xu Fan as he repelled a charging samurai. "If you want to get out of here alive, you'd better hand it over."
"No, thank you," Xu Fan replied politely. He hadn't expected that simply acquiring a scabbard would cause so much trouble.
But regardless, he had no intention of wasting more time.
Let's just end this farce, he thought to himself. He fastened Qian Dao (Thousand Blade) to his waist, then formed a seal with his hands, preparing to suppress the warriors with Wood Release.
But just as his chakra surged and he was about to unleash Mokuton, a shout echoed through the street.
"Stop!"
Xu Fan looked up. It was none other than the samurai commander who had initially escorted them—Li Jiao.
"Lord Li Jiao!" Yi Jiao immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Lord Li Jiao," the ronin leader said, his expression sour, "these ninja interfered out of nowhere."
"You don't need to explain," Li Jiao cut him off with a low voice.
He turned to Yi Jiao. "What the hell happened here?"
Despite Li Jiao's arrival, the ronin warriors remained arrogant. In their eyes, this was an internal matter of the Land of Iron. No matter the cause, foreign shinobi had no right to intervene.
"Hah."
Yugito scoffed. "So that's your excuse for trying to steal a weapon from a kid? Ridiculous."
As she spoke, she moved protectively in front of Xu Fan.
Li Jiao was now truly confused. Samurai and their swords were the pride of the Land of Iron. What kind of weapon could cause such a scene?
But when he demanded to meet the person involved, Xu Fan finally stepped out from behind Yugito.
During the commotion, Xu Fan had instinctively retreated into the blacksmith's shop and ended up in Li Jiao's blind spot.
The moment he saw Xu Fan, Li Jiao froze.
If Yugito and C had clashed with the samurai due to a misunderstanding, both sides could share blame.
But if the warriors of the Land of Iron had tried to seize Xu Fan's weapon—it changed everything.
Because Xu Fan wasn't just any traveler—he was the personal guard of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and an honored guest of the Land of Iron.
If news of this incident reached the Hokage, it could cause diplomatic tensions. More than that, though both Hiruzen and the Raikage were Kage, only one man in the shinobi world was recognized as The Professor—the Shinobi of Shinobi.
This was no small matter.
After a tense pause, Li Jiao bowed deeply to Xu Fan, bending ninety degrees at the waist. His eyes were fixed on the ground.
"My deepest apologies!"
If word of this incident spread, even Lord Mifune would be put in a difficult position.
"Please, Lord Xu Fan… we humbly ask you to treat this incident as if it never happened."
But Li Jiao knew his words alone weren't enough.
He took a deep breath, drew his katana, and before anyone could react, slashed down in a swift, brutal motion—severing the left hand of the ronin leader.
"Agh!"
The warrior screamed in agony, staggering backward, staring in horror at his mutilated wrist. His face was drenched in sweat, veins bulging with pain.
"Lord Li Jiao…"
Everyone present—Yi Jiao, the blacksmith, Yugito, C—all stared in shock.
Who exactly was Xu Fan?
"Forget it," Xu Fan said quietly.
He realized that while Li Jiao had punished the ronin, it was also a way to protect him from further consequences.
Xu Fan had come to the Land of Iron for the upcoming Double Kage Summit. A minor incident like this wasn't worth escalating.
"That's fine," he said calmly.
Without another word, Xu Fan turned and walked away, not even glancing back.
Yugito and C stood rooted in place, still reeling from what had just happened.
"Wait a second…" C muttered, his eyes narrowing.
As a skilled sensory ninja, he had briefly detected an enormous surge of chakra during the earlier clash—powerful enough to rival Yugito's own.
At first, he'd assumed it came from Li Jiao.
But when Li Jiao attacked the ronin, he didn't feel that same chakra signature.
Could it be…?
Was that Xu Fan's chakra?
C inhaled sharply, anxiety building in his chest. He turned to Li Jiao.
"Who… who was that kid just now?" he asked, voice tense.
"Xu Fan," Li Jiao replied. He followed Xu Fan with his gaze. "He's the personal guard of the Third Hokage. He just arrived in the Land of Iron."
"What?!"
C and Yugito's eyes widened once more.
They looked at each other, stunned beyond words.
They never would have guessed that the quiet, unassuming boy... was that important.