"I see. You two did well."
Hayama complimented Shiro and Tate after finding out what happened.
"Master so what do we do now? Since those two are Shinobi from this village staying in this village would be too dangerous."
Tsurugi said to Hayama.
"I suppose you are right. Since your escort mission is already over you can go back to the village I will follow you after I finish my investigation."
Hayama said as his body turned into a couple of smoke.
It was a shadow clone since the real Hayama was near the place where a gold mine was located.
Since he needs to investigate the information regarding one of the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist.
*****
Hayama continued his investigation by asking people who were around the gold mind but no one answered him.
"You got to be kidding me. How can I care about what the swordsmen from the mist are doing when my family is just barely surviving in this mess of a land." one of the workers said to Hayama.
"He is right. This place collects a large amount of tax to the point that we have to work all day with little to minimum tasks just to stay at this place. Now get lost. You are getting in our way."
The workers scorned Hayama.
It does not seem like they are the ones who spread the rumours about the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist.
They seem to even hate the fact that they are being bothered for such a reason.
"Don't be like that brother. If you can tell me anything you know about him I swear I will properly compensate you."
Hayama said as he gave a small pouch containing a hundred Ryo to the worker.
"Then come with me. I will tell you everything I know if you give me more."
The worker whispered as he dragged Hayama off to a shop.
*****
"Here. This is the curry of life. Please enjoy."
An old woman said as she put two plates of rice that had curry on top in front of Hayama and the worker.
"I am not entirely sure if that is the legendary swordsman from the mist. But what I know is that he can wield lighting with his two unique shape blades."
Kiba. A name popped into Hayama's mind.
It was a pair of Taiji swords that had been imbued with lighting.
The sharpness of the sword even surpassed the second Hokage's Raijin no Ken.
I wonder if the wielder of that weapon is a jonin. Hayama wondered.
He was planning to take the swords by force if the wielder was a Chunin-level warrior.
The relationship between the leaf and the mist was not very good after the accident that involved the copy-ninja so being able to obtain one of their lost treasured weapons is appealing to a Konoha Ninja like himself.
"The owner of the sword is known to walk around with a child on his back. And it seemed like he was also gathering some kind of an army."
"Because of that, the lord that is responsible for this land is extremely wary of him. And even hired some assassins to take care of him a while ago."
The worker explained.
"What happened to them?"
Hayama asked.
"There is no way someone who wields such a weapon would fall to assassins so all the people that seek to kill him are annihilated."
That means the opponent is not so simple. I don't think I can take him head on, especially with the Takumi village aiming for my life. If I get wounded by the swordsman I might be targeted by the Shinobi from Takumi village.
Hayama thought carefully.
The order from the third Hokage is to find out about the information regarding the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist.
He wants to take the blade with him if he could but he does not need to risk his life to take them.
"Thank you for your information."
Hayama said as he handed another bag that contained a hundred Ryo to the worker.
"This is for the meal."
He said as he put a few coins on the table and walked out of the store.
His plan has now changed.
He does not need to confront the swordsman. But he still needs to find out what he is planning to do.
Since the swordsman was an enemy of the lord of the goldmine he was in hiding.
Hayama knew that he needed to spend a few days at the goldmine to find the whereabouts of the swordsman and have a meeting with him before he returned to Konoha.
*****
At that time in Takumi's village.
"Say that again Kujaku. What happened to those two?"
"Ryugan and Suiko's corpses have been recovered but their weapons are currently missing."
"Fools."
Hoki said as he slammed his desk in anger.
"Those two are the most powerful warriors from our village and they died to an unknown Jonin from the leaf and his three Genin students."
He was angry not because they died but because of who they died to.
He has not even heard of the name Hayama.
And losing to a group of Genin is even worse than losing to an unknown Jonin.
"Where are they now?"
Hoki asked after trying to calm himself down.
"The three Genin have left the village and seem to be returning to Konoha. But the Jonin is reported to be headed towards the Katabami Goldmine."
Kujaku replied.
"Isn't that the place where one of the seven swordsmen of the mist was sighted?"
Hoki asked.
"Yes, my lord."
"Kujaku prepare your Fujaku Hisho Shoken(weakness soaring swords). We are eliminating that Jonin and the swordsman from the mist."
Hoki said as he got up.
"And send a group of Chunin after the Konoha brats. If they are the ones who took the weapon instead of the Jonin we can't afford to let them return to their village."
He would have personally followed the group of Genin if he could or sent jonins after them.
But he was the sole Jonin of the village and he knew that he couldn't underestimate the Jonin from the Konoha.