Reborn!

25: Moon's Escapee

"Seriously, what's Toneri doing here?"

The peculiar white-haired child was simply too recognisable for Naruto to dismiss it as a case of mistaken identity.

The boy had just started mouthing off against a band of rather unsavoury individuals. The gang in question was actually rather infamous in the smaller nations around the continent, although they stayed away from the hidden villages that had the protection of the shinobi known as the Five Kage. However, that did not mean that this group had escaped notice.

Their most lucrative trade was one that almost crossed the line between illegal and depraved.

Their profession involved a practice which had long been abolished and for good reason.

Slave trade.

In this age, the sole legal form of slavery was that of prisoners of war. It was a punishment, often imposed in the form of a term of service upon a prisoner-of-war. Many shinobi villages would also require traitors who do not receive a death sentence to repent by working for their village without rest or pay for the rest of their lives. It was a job without honour, and many preferred death to such a fate.

"Illegal slavery is punishable by immediate execution for all willing parties involved, no questions asked," Naruto spoke up stiffly. "If a non-civilian is found to be involved, they are to be arrested whenever possible. All samurai and shinobi responsible are to be returned to their respective villages and will be sentenced there. The most common punishment is being forced into becoming a criminal slave."

Just because their actions were overlooked thus far did not mean that the governments approved of it. They were a crafty group that was capable enough to evade capture from the local forces around their areas of activity. Since it was too troublesome to dispatch the high-ranked shinobi of the hidden villages of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, the lowlifes have been able to escape persecution so far.

They were akin to an irritating pest infestation that was not yet at a level to warrant calling for a pest exterminator.

Any respectable shinobi or samurai who came across a case of illegal slavery would, however, take action regardless of this. Showing proof of the kill would be rewarded at all bingo stations, similar to the heads of missing-nin and enemy shinobi within bingo books. There was also the additional requirement of providing evidence of their crimes but that was rarely an issue and often neglected.

While the slavers were still trying to process the situation that they now found themselves in, he jumped off his perch to land in their midst. If he were honest with himself, Naruto could admit it was not originally his goal to assist Toneri. This unusual white-haired boy was the stalker of his classmate Hinata. Their initial encounter was a coincidence and, far from getting along, he had been in a confrontational position against him.

Naruto simply found himself speaking up even before he figured out what he wanted to do.

"Do you know who we are?" demanded a thug.

They showed clear disbelief at the ignorance of a child who dared intervene in the activities of their group. Their infamy spread far and wide, making them reputable as far as lowlifes went. Feared by the civilians beyond the reach of the Five Great Shinobi Countries as they were, they were used to seeing others trembling whenever they caught sight of them. The courageous folk have long since been taught a lesson and most who dared speak against them died without a grave.

Before the slave traders realised that there was something very wrong about this unanticipated interfering factor, the seemingly-harmless child Naruto struck.

The ones with shinobi training, albeit only at a level where they would be mere genin if placed in a hidden village, were incapacitated while all other participants were slain.