"Caw! This is the place! We wait here."

The Kasugai Crow thought of perching on Nik's shoulder before burning the foolish self-suggestion and continued flapping its until he had informed Nik about meeting location and then, he flapped away.

Meanwhile, Nik looked at the patched trail boring into the dark forest before reigning in his curiosity. Most probably, that forest is the outskirts of the shinobi village filled with shinobi scouts and most probably a demon.

Entering the forest in such a sensitive period would be bat crap crazy which Azula might find her interest in, but Nik had not lost the interest in his own life and sat cross-legged while pulling down the hefty bag slung across his shoulder and started chewing on the meat jerky prepared by Sakonji.

It was as if the kind tengu already knew that missions would flood in even before the duo could even change into their demon-slaying uniforms.

"Who are you? State your reason for arrival."

Nik's body grew a bit tense and immediately wished to release an outburst of Hamon, but suddenly, the owner of soft and soothing voice pressed a point at his back and the Hamon energy was immediately put into a chaos, making Nik's mind buzz a little, but the sharp blade touching his neck had retracted while his control over the Hamon grew back in moments.

"You use Hamon... Are you the reinforcement?"

The monotone voice questioned once again and Nik finally turned back and looked at one of the most ravishing beauties he would ever meet, but right now, he was not in the mood to revert in his horny self.

There was a blade placed against the nape of his neck, and by the looks of what was held in the grasp of raven-haired beauty, it was a deadly Kunai.

"I have not broken any restriction. Why did you show hostile intentions?"

Nik immediately pursued. The woman in front of him was way stronger than him... Nik understood it well, and usually, he would play happy go lucky and simply cow under the woman's might, but when his relationship with the lady had already stretched to the extent of life and death, Nik did not find any version of himself willing to smile while conversing with her.

"Village... martial law."

The lady impassively placed the kunai within the pouch slung across her slender... not the time!

"It doesn't matter to me, I am not of your village, neither have I entered. Without even performing a check, you attempted hostility.

Did you get that, shitty crow? I'm out of here."

This was the other reason Nik immediately pursued a clash of interest. The Lady's appearance allowed Nik to understand that whatever was happening, it wasn't even close to his own grasp of power and understanding.

"Denied. The order states—"

"Want me to fry you?"

Nik immediately snapped while the lady kept her mask of emotionless expression without commenting anything.

"But... what can I even do?! I am just a communicator, brat!!"

The crow finally snapped while Nik grinned and pointed at the woman in front of him by no small amount of reluctance, but when he recalled the dangers of the world and how much he had to lose, he steeled his heart and continued.

"Then communicate her actions! What she did—"

"She is the second-in-command of the Shinobi Village, you miserable brat! That equals to Rank 2 in the Demon-Slaying Corps."

The crow cawed shrilly and even proved itself capable enough to snort through its beak before flapping away.

Silence reigned in the surroundings save for the whispers of the rustling tree as a wry smile formed on Nik's face.

This is the day, he finally realised that he was too much shameless, for his next words even brought out an amused smile from the lady in front of him.

"Well, hello there! Can I interest in you some meat... jerky?"

Nik smiled politely while extending the bag of meat jerky towards the lady, who looked at the bag for a moment before placing her hand over the contents and fishing out a small piece before placing it in her mouth.

"Good... enough. Who are you?

Reinforcements?"

"Er... yeah?"

Nik also felt a bit confused. How can he even back-up the village if there was such a skilled warrior... not to mention, such a ravishing warrior present?

"Follow me..."

The kady whispered and walked past Nik, who looked up at the cawing crow dangerously before following the well-endowed lady.

***

"My name's Nik, what's yours?"

Nik continued once again as the duo walked within the silent forest. The lady in short pink-kimono was definitely hot, and after Nik gradually got over his previous rage after watching her butt jiggle softly at each step, he finally returned to his previous good ol' Nik, smiling softly.

"Let's try it this way. Nik is my name, your's is?"

Once again, the lady merely turned her head and smiled momentarily before walking straight once again.

'So... the change in the structure of sentence does not work. Then...'

"Shigure Kosaka..."

The kunoichi's words interrupted Nik's thought, but her next words made his mood plunge from happiness to bitterness.

"I didn't want to reply... I am not a kunoichi of the village...

I am just a... a weaponsmith...

My identity... is a secret..."

"Can you speak normally?" Nik finally interrupted the lady who had started spilling beans ever so slowly, yet surely and the kunoichi named Shigure finally quietened down before regarding Nik with her calm purple eyes.

"I can. But I want to learn the technique you used."

Her melodious voice echoed within the empty forest while she turned her heels and faced Nik. Her long raven-haired ponytail fluttered slightly while her large bangs perfectly framed her face. The most conspicuous feature of this mysteriously hot creatures was her lightning-like eyebrows, that aroused many of Nik's... desires and a dark-purple choker that once again elicited unending desires.

Finally, her curvaceous hips gave way to smooth thighs that were covered in purple stockings.

Seeing Nik's observing gaze, Shigure's already droopy eyes dropped a notch lower and she coughed softly, breaking Nik's dazed stare while continuing.

"Teach me, what you did. I want to learn."

She stated calmly, meanwhile, Nik tilted his head in confusion.

"Teach what? The art of—"

"That thing." Shigure cut him in and pointed at his chest before replying.

"Your Hamon is different. Teach me how?"

Nik's eyelids trembled ever so slightly before he smiled once again and shrugged.

"I don't want to."

He didn't know how the lady knew about his secrets on the surface, but he wasn't going to teach the method of elemental Hamon just because he was exposed.

"Teach me." Shigure thought for a while before extending her kunai towards him.

"No... and what do you think you are doing? A kunai is not even worth my eyes."

Nik shrugged once again before looking at the surroundings before checking the area once again with his [Life Vision] and found not a single trace of Life-force signature aside from Shigure.

Hearing Nik's words, Shigure retracted her hands and then nodded.

"I'll make something good. Teach me then."

She stated, not requested, but stated with a calm confidence while walking forwards, her twisting buttocks beckoning Nik to follow her.

"Hey, Shigure?" Nik uttered lightly and looking the slight tilt of her head, Nik continued, "What's the difference between a swordsmith and a weaponsmith?"

Shigure kept walking while her words reached Nik.

"There are many swordsmiths. There is only one weaponsmith."

"Only you?"

Nik asked curiously while she nodded. To Nik's eyes, meanwhile, the sword slung behind Shigure kept flashing purple. He knew what this meant. It must be a higher grade item, but since Nik did not have a single item greater than the dark green grade, he wasn't able to identify it.

Meanwhile, he still had the multiple white medallions and the blue medallion he received from killing that giant hand covered demon.

"Did you forge that sword... the one on your back?"

Nik asked once again while Shigure shook her head.

"My father... the previous weaponsmith."

There was no hiding Shigure's despondent tone while the remaining stretch was closed in within a few minutes as Shigure would sometimes move around certain trees or just get to one region and retrace her steps back before continuing to the other area.

Not before long, Nik and Shigure finally reached a clearing filled with hideously short dressed men and scantily dressed females as the whole village was in a flurry of activity, no one minding Nik's or Shigure's presence.

"Let's go..."

She stated softly before the duo moved while avoiding the crowd moving everywhere in a hurry while a thick scent of battle intent lingered within the village. 

"From now on, you both will stay in this accommodation. Even if the Swordsmith Village sent a fake and the corps sent a kid, we don't need your help."

As the duo reached a well-built house, a figure appeared from the shadows and looked at the duo with calm, impassive eyes before jumping and vanishing mid-air.

"You just arrived?"

Nik questioned Shigure, who nodded and opened the doors of the house while Nik followed her without any follow-up questions.

After all, there was no need to ask her everything right now. Nik severely lacked sleep and he couldn't wait to have a long night's sleep before waking up and finally exploring his new mission... Shigure.