Seaside of the Land of Water.
The crew members were idle, playing cards in twos and threes.
The ship had already been fully loaded with cargo and was ready to set sail. Unexpectedly, two people came looking for a passage, but asked to wait for a day. Since there was no rush anyway, the captain agreed, seeing it as an easy way to earn some extra money.
At the bow, Kenta and Yui leaned against the railing, occasionally gazing into the distance.
"I wonder how Kakashi-sensei and Yoru are doing. I hope nothing bad has happened," Yui said worriedly.
"They should be fine. After all, their strength is so..." Kenta trailed off.
In the distance, Aoki Yoru came sprinting at high speed, carrying Kakashi on his back. A few breaths later, he leaped and landed on the ship.
"Quickly, set sail. We can't stay here," he urgently instructed the two.
Kenta immediately went to find the captain, and they set off right away.
He took Kakashi to the cabin and laid him on a bed.
Yui stepped forward to examine Kakashi's injuries. His body only had some minor wounds, all from being caught in the blast of the Tailed Beast Ball. Yui quickly healed them using the Mystical Palm Technique.
"I can't heal the mental trauma Kakashi has suffered. I have no idea where to even start right now," Yui said, her eyes slightly red, her expression downcast.
He, who had always aimed to emulate Lady Tsunade, was actually helpless when his teammate was seriously injured.
Aoki Yoru shook his head. "It's not your fault. Those who can treat mental trauma in the Ninja World are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."
In the original story, after Kakashi was hit by Tsukuyomi, even the Konoha hospital was at a loss. It was only when Tsunade, the medical master, intervened that he recovered.
Just then, Kenta returned. The captain had already arranged to set sail.
"What kind of enemy did you run into? For someone as strong as Kakashi-sensei to end up like this..."
Aoki Yoru slowly recounted what had happened, including the Tailed Beast with its immense Chakra, the Anbu's actions, and Uchiha Itachi.
The two listened, stunned. They hadn't expected so much to happen in such a short time.
"I know of Uchiha Itachi. A genius of the Uchiha Clan, on par with Uchiha Shisui. I used to run into him often at the dango shop," Yui said.
"Later, I heard the news that he killed his entire clan, sparing only his younger brother. I never imagined his strength was that formidable. Looking at it now, it makes sense that someone with such power could wipe out the entire clan."
Kenta was completely captivated. This was the first time he had heard such a comprehensive account of these events; before, he had only caught scattered bits of information.
"So, the Ninja World is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. You never know how strong a random person might be. It's best to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention whenever possible."
Aoki Yoru looked at the two and spoke seriously. He was quite satisfied with these teammates and didn't want them replaced by some hot-blooded fools. He didn't have any protagonist's plot armor.
Hearing this, the two nodded. This was essentially their own philosophy for getting by.
Two days later, the ship arrived in the Land of Waves.
The captain approached them. "We agreed to give you a lift. Our final destination is the Land of Waves. If you want to go to the Land of Fire, you'll have to look for ships at the dock. There are plenty of ships heading to the Land of Fire."
Aoki Yoru nodded.
"Let's go find some food. The teacher can't survive on just soldier pills in this condition."
With that, he headed towards the shore, with Kenta carrying Kakashi closely behind.
Walking along the road, Aoki Yoru deeply felt the poverty of the Land of Waves. Along the way, there wasn't even a single inn. Scattered earthen buildings, thin and weak-looking commoners stared at them with numb expressions, their eyes utterly devoid of emotion.
The three stopped in front of a brick-and-tile house that looked slightly better than the others and knocked on the gate.
Creak —
The gate swung open. A man with dark skin opened it, looking at them with confusion. "May I ask who you're looking for?"
Aoki Yoru gave a slight bow, his tone sincere. "We are merchants who have come to the Land of Waves to do business. Our companion is injured. We would like to ask for lodging and also buy some food."
The man stared at them for a moment—three half-grown children with an unconscious adult—and nodded. "Alright. It's not easy being away from home. Come on in."
The three immediately thanked him profusely and followed him inside.
After settling Kakashi in, they thanked the man again and again.
From their brief conversation, they learned his name was Kaiza. He lived with his wife, son, and father—a family of four. The others had gone to visit relatives and wouldn't be back until evening.
That evening, there was a knock on the door. Kaiza invited them to join for dinner.
When they walked into the living room, Aoki Yoru froze for a moment, a look of surprise appearing on his face. He hadn't expected this to be their home.
He saw the old man from the original story, Tazuna of the Land of Waves, and his grandson Inari. So it seemed Kaiza was the father of Inari, the one who was publicly executed by Gato in the story.
Kaiza introduced them with a hearty laugh. "This is my father, Tazuna, and my son, Inari. My wife, Tsunami, is busy in the kitchen." As he spoke, he patted the head of Inari, who was hiding behind him and peeking at them curiously.
"Thank you for coming to the Land of Waves to do business. It's a shame the country is so poor now. It's all because of that bastard Gato, who bribed the daimyo and monopolized all trade in the Land of Waves."
Kaiza said resentfully during the meal.
"Husband, I heard you've been organizing people to oppose Gato again. He's not someone to be trifled with. Are you sure it's okay?" Tsunami, who had just brought out a dish, asked worriedly.
"What are you talking about? Your husband is the hero of the Village. Why would I be afraid of a mere Gato?" Kaiza laughed heartily.
"Daddy is a hero!!" the young Inari exclaimed excitedly, raising his spoon.
In the peaceful environment, Aoki Yoru managed to get a rare, sound sleep, relaxing his tense nerves.
The next day, Aoki Yoru and the others were awakened by noisy sounds from outside. He told Yui to stay and look after Kakashi while he and Kenta went out to investigate.
At that moment, the Village was surrounded by gangsters. Everyone was being held under control.
Then, Kaiza was brought forward by a gangster and forced to his knees on the ground.
The gang leader stepped forward and announced, "Kaiza has colluded with terrorists, murdered civilians, and disrupted order. By the daimyo's command, he is to be publicly executed."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd instantly erupted. People clenched their fists tightly, veins bulging, but the gleaming swords and knives surrounding them kept them from acting rashly.
Inari, at this moment, had his mouth tightly covered by Tazuna. Tears streamed down his face.
The gang leader in the center raised his sword and looked at Kaiza.
"Now!"
As soon as Aoki Yoru finished speaking, his figure vanished. The gang leader's neck spurted blood, his body collapsing, the smile from moments ago still frozen on his face.
Then, the gang members in the area fell one after another, none even able to see the enemy's figure.
In no time, there were no gangsters left standing in the area.
Aoki Yoru flicked the blood off his sword blade, walked over, and untied the ropes binding Kaiza.
Silence fell over the scene. The gangsters who had been so arrogant just moments ago were all lying on the ground.
Inari broke free from his grandfather's hold and rushed into Kaiza's arms. "Daddy, I'm so glad you're okay."
Kaiza finally snapped back to reality. He bowed deeply to them. "Thank you for your help. I will never forget this life-saving grace."
"It's nothing. We should thank you for taking us in," Aoki Yoru shook his head. When he watched the anime in his previous life, he had felt a bit sorry for this man. He never thought he'd have a chance to save him.
Looking at the bodies on the ground, a profound look appeared in Aoki Yoru's eyes. He was ready to begin researching Hashirama cells and White Zetsu cells. The research equipment needed was far beyond what he could afford.
He had been troubled about how to make money, even considering 'borrowing' stories from his previous life like 'The Story of Ah Bin' or 'Old Man Qin the Gatekeeper'.
Just then, this big fat sheep named Gato appeared, and from a small country no less. A gift from heaven, if not taken, invites disaster.