《Naruto: The Samurai Menace》 01 The beginning The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡° ? ? ? 02 Touki was never a man of action in his past life, having mostly practiced a sport or two in his youth, but upon discovering his passion for computing, he became almost completely sedentary. Today, that attitude hasn''t changed much, because outside of his hand seal practice, his physical condition leaves much to be desired, especially now that he''s forced himself to take a trip, which must mostly be done on foot or, if lucky, by wagon. The young man''s steps have become heavy as the first destination of his journey appears on the horizon: a large village located on the main road to the capital of the Land of Fire, southeast of Konoha. It is morning, but the height of the sun indicates that midday is soon approaching. Touki can''t help but feel relieved and tired at the same time. The roads in this nation aren''t bad per se, but the geography is too rugged, with too many valleys and mountains, turning a distance of just 20 kilometers into a journey almost twice that, with countless ups and downs, taking him two days to reach his first destination. Fortunately, along the way, there are several villages where one can find a place to spend the night. "Now I understand why only ninjas can travel fast in this world. It''s much faster to avoid these paths and jump through the trees in the forest to reach the destination quickly," the young man thought, almost panting from exhaustion. Unlike Konoha, this town seems like a much closer version of a medieval town, with clearly more modern technologies in some aspects (such as electric light), but with a culture more trapped in 15th-century Japan, clearly the work of the original author. Touki''s journey has several purposes, but two are undoubtedly the most important: accessing better materials to make his artifacts and finding someone who will help him advance the seals without stabbing him in the back. Once inside the village called "Strong Leaf," he focused his efforts on the various shops and blacksmiths available, which weren''t many. While the young man is by no means wealthy, his frugal lifestyle has allowed him to save enough to at least pay for quality materials, if he can find them. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, all he found was field tools and materials of far inferior quality to the worst in Konoha. The young man realized that he wasn''t going to find anything surprising in a simple town, so he had to turn his attention to the cities to find something, specifically the larger cities or even the capitals. Without even spending the night there, Touki started walking again along the main road, slowly leaving the town behind him, as he didn''t want to waste the good weather and was no longer as tired as before. The route is quite busy, with several travelers and the occasional cart passing by him. He has thought about hitching a ride more than once, but it comes to nothing due to his apprehension and shyness. The road continues to wind, and the journey becomes monotonous, until, without realizing it, the young man finds himself on a particular stretch of road that is quite desolate compared to what he''s seen so far. The sun indicates that sunset is several hours away, and everything indicates that there should be a village beyond the horizon where he can rest, the presence of some crops underscoring this. It''s when the young man crosses a small bridge, spanning a canal, that something happens that sets off all his alarm bells. Two men emerge from some trees along the road, heading straight toward him. Touki, without thinking, immediately turns around and walks in the opposite direction, but on the other side of the bridge there are also two men, who appeared out of nowhere. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Touki stops, his face white with fear and his legs looking as if they might give way at any moment. The young man quickly realizes what''s happening and turns around again, waiting for whatever happens. -Well well, look what we have here. A lone traveler in the middle of nowhere, with a heavily loaded backpack. I''m afraid I have to do a routine inspection. We''re in charge of monitoring this road and we must make sure there''s nothing dangerous inside. - Says the taller of the two, with an axe in his right hand, which he swings quite skillfully from time to time. At his side, his companion, with an impatient and nervous face, holds a short sword tightly, in an obviously aggressive posture. -A-are you really doing this?- Touki tries to dialogue. "Look, don''t play dumb and hand over your stuff, unless you want to end up dead. By the way, I really like that jacket," the obvious bandit insists. Touki''s mind has trouble processing what is happening, since he has never seen himself in a situation like this, and his inexperience also leaves him unable to react in the many ways he planned in his imagination to a situation like this. Faced with the victim''s inaction, the bandits immediately lose patience, and the man with the sword rushes at Touki without regard for the consequences, raising his weapon with the intention of delivering a fatal blow. Touki reacts automatically, more out of fear than any planning, taking a step back as he raises his umbrella toward the attacker. None of the bandits suspect anything strange about this action, as the gesture seems a true act of desperation. ?Paaamm¡­ ! The explosion is loud but short, reverberating through the surrounding forest. No one can believe what just happened, even Touki, who stares in horror at the chest of his former attacker, completely destroyed by the 50 five millimeters diameter steel pellets fired from one of the barrels of his shotgun at almost point-blank range. Time seems to run in slow motion for Touki, who after processing what just happened, turns his attention to the man who intimidated him in the first place, who has frozen in his position, and before he can react to anything, points his shotgun at him and fires again, hitting him square in the stomach. Needless to say, the bandit collapses to the ground, trying to cover his abdomen as his intestines threaten to spill out. Touki fights back his nausea as best he can and realizes that everything has gotten out of control, in addition to the fact that he just used one of his secret weapons. So, panicking and almost paranoid, he drops the shotgun and begins to run toward the two bandits covering the bridge. The men in question react with fear and immediately run away, realizing the threat approaching them. The bandits can''t run more than a few meters toward the forest when a strong whirlwind lifts them off the ground and violently slams them against a pair of trees. When Touki arrives in front of the pair of bandits, one is found with his face completely destroyed by the impact against the tree, clearly dead, while the other is on the ground with a completely dislocated leg. -No, no, no. I''m sorry, Lord Shinobi, we didn''t know it was you... please don''t kill me! - The fallen man cries out in despair as he sees Touki approaching. Touki lunges at the man, this time without hesitation, and with knife in hand tries to stab him in the chest, but the man resists desperately, screaming at the top of his lungs. However, everything changes when Touki manages to land a severe blow to the bandit''s head, who, disoriented, is unable to prevent the knife from plunging into the center of his chest. Reality isn''t like movies or TV shows; death isn''t a quick thing to do in combat, especially when it''s done with a fist and sword. Touki receives a powerful dose of reality the moment he regains his senses, unleashing a fury of emotions, culminating in a panic attack and vomiting. All while the stabbed man drowns in his own blood. Fortunately, no one appears on the road as Touki tries to clean up the evidence of the fight that just happened, even having to finish off the bandit who was still trying to contain his guts. Touki, with a hardened but pale face, reloads his shotgun again, makes sure all his belongings are in order, and resumes his journey, leaving four bodies piled up at the edge of the forest. That night, Touki didn''t rest in any village or town, but continued walking without stopping until the next morning, when his legs gave out and he had no choice but to rest at a travelers'' inn. The young man couldn''t eat anything that day and simply locked himself in his room. Tension, fear, nausea, and paranoia plagued Touki''s mind throughout the bitter day, as he slept only sporadically, only to wake up shivering and sweating. Touki couldn''t get the image of each murder he committed out of his head, and it wasn''t until the next day that he emerged from his room, gaunt but functional. ¡°The world waits for no one,¡± Touki thought as he resumed his journey, at a much slower pace than before and choosing to follow other travelers closely in order to have a little emotional peace. He even, in an almost superhuman effort for him, asked a wagon for a ride more than once. Four days later, Touki sets foot in the first city in the Land of Fire other than Konoha (because despite being called a village, Konoha is the size of a city), one of the many destinations he must travel to in search of help and answers. 03 The city is called Kotariko, and Touki estimates it can easily accommodate over ten thousand inhabitants. The architecture is similar to that of Konoha, with its characteristic medieval oriental touch and excessive use of curves and cylindrical buildings. The streets are narrow, and the density is higher than in the ninja village, implying the difference in purpose compared to Konoha, which literally houses an army. Touki''s first impression of the city is one of backwardness, much more so than he expected. Perhaps it''s the post-war economy, but there''s much more poverty than he was used to in his previous life, at least in the country where he lived. The presence of vagrants, beggars, and orphaned children, while not extreme, is very noticeable, especially in the poorer neighborhoods and commercial areas. Society is clearly defined by class, with absolute authority and rigid enforcement of the law by the samurai, dangerous and renowned warriors known for their ability to stand up to ninjas, although most of the time at a disadvantage. The world of Naruto is something of a paradox for Touki, as it seems to be set in an eternal medieval era, yet at the same time, there''s supposed to be a wealth of technology and advanced communication methods, considering the existence of electric light. Perhaps it''s a cultural issue, where people simply ignore most technological advances in favor of anything chakra-related. Although it makes sense in a world of ninjas not to rely on communication methods that are too easy to infiltrate and intercept, considering the infrastructure they need to operate. It would be a nightmare to have to protect thousands of relay antennas and millions of kilometers of cables. Maintaining a low profile, Touki proceeded to explore the city in depth, searching for materials and trying to find information about chakra and its applications. Unfortunately, the available material regarding chakra applications is completely monopolized by the authorities, since outside of ninja villages, only samurai and a few monks are capable of utilizing the power without being persecuted; the rest are considered renegades and have bounties on their heads. Touki finds himself in a difficult situation, as he doesn''t belong to any organization capable of providing him with research material; worse yet, he doesn''t even have the qualifications to join one. The truth is that the young man can''t obtain the material "legally" without the support of an authority, and the only way to do so is by revealing his language to someone he trusts, but unfortunately, that someone doesn''t exist at the moment. In the end, his only option is to decipher everything himself, or delve into the dark world of the black market, which requires strength, money, or both. Touki''s stay in the city stretched to two weeks, during which time he tried to form a more accurate picture of the possibilities ahead of him in this world. He came to several conclusions, but the ones that stand out above all are the fact that he''s too weak to start a practical relationship with any organization, without the very real possibility of ending up screwed. Then there''s the fact that, despite having a ton of knowledge about what''s going to happen in the ninja world, he''s truly ignorant of the rest, not to mention his constant struggle to socialize and trust others. For Touki, the customs are very different from his old world, and despite having spent several years trying to get used to it, he still can''t seem to feel comfortable with the way this reality works, which is one of the main reasons for his isolation and reserved attitude. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. After some thought, Touki had to admit that he could no longer hide from the world and from himself. Reality is terrifying, death is around every corner, and there are villains with a level of evil that borders on the cartoonish, so no one is safe. But that doesn''t mean all is lost for him. His mind holds information about the future that no one else has. Furthermore, his seal language has infinite potential. Touki isn''t going to take the short or easy route; he''s going to create his own force, his own organization, and he''s going to implement his own ideals. With a much clearer mind, Touki mustered up his courage and set a specific goal for himself: to obtain money, which he intends to do no matter what, though perhaps with exceptions related to taboos and some moral issues. It just so happens that there is a group of people who meet all the requirements to give Touki what he needs: money, information, and jutsu manuals. It''s also a group of people no one will miss: the bandits and renegade ninjas. What one wants and what one can do are usually separated by a great distance. Touki is aware that being too ambitious can be lethal, so he decides to start from the bottom, with bandits like the ones he recently encountered. To do this, the first thing he must do is gather information about criminal activity in the area. As the young man recalls, based on his knowledge of Naruto''s history and the little he learned in Konoha, bandits in this world are almost like a force of nature, appearing seasonally and bringing disaster. From a certain point of view, it''s almost ironic, but the economy of large ninja villages depends largely on missions commissioned by the different nations, most of which are either the direct extermination of criminals and bandits, or the protection of individuals threatened by them. It''s an almost insane contradiction that ninjas depend on bandits for their subsistence, so when there''s a shortage of criminals, it''s the ninjas themselves who fill the gaps out of desperation. It''s impossible to know where individual bandits and criminals are, as they constantly emerge and disappear, but what we can know is where they usually operate. Touki turns to several public institutions with the intention of finding out where bandits usually operate, but it is in the commercial guild where he truly finds the information he was looking for, specifically the routes that merchants should try to avoid. Touki didn''t charge headlong into equally unfamiliar territory against unfamiliar enemies. First, he acquired every map he could access of the dangerous territories, paying special attention to details such as mountains, forests, rivers, and any other significant geographical features. Second, he bought several weeks'' worth of supplies, prioritizing compact items and long-lasting food. Finally, he crafted a pair of weapons that, given the experience gained from the previous encounter with bandits, he believed were necessary to improve his combat capabilities. Two months after setting foot in the city for the first time, Touki resumed his journey to the east of the Land of Fire, this time, instead of following the route towards the capital, he headed towards other more distant cities, deliberately using the most dangerous routes in existence. Touki knows full well that his plans are full of holes and that they approach the issue in a very simplistic and passive manner, but for him there are few options in this regard. Despite having great combat prowess with his weapons and tools, he has zero speed and stealth skills, typical of a ninja or even bandits familiar with life in the woods. Touki has no choice but to pretend to be a victim, a moderately wealthy, innocent, and resourceful traveler. -Courage, courage, courage... Determination- Touki says to himself, as he walks along the roads with the fewest pedestrians he has seen so far, where only carts escorted by guards and samurai pass by, only very occasionally. The roads become monotonous for Touki, but the solitude slowly begins to relax him, becoming a strange therapy as each step calms his doubts one by one. Soon, the young man begins to observe his surroundings in a more relaxed manner, though never letting his guard down. He proceeds to avoid cities and concentrates on analyzing the topography, beginning to make his own maps of the area, highlighting everything he finds that will eventually prove useful. Time passes, but Touki never loses his motivation, as he believes it''s only a matter of time before someone takes the bait, something that ends up happening exactly one month after he began this crazy search. 04 -Do you think it''s a good catch?- A man asks quietly, while hidden in the branches of a tree, watching the path about 30 meters away; his target is more than 150 meters away. -I don''t know, it''s very slow. I think I see some kind of walking stick or maybe an umbrella, a large backpack too. Shouldn''t we wait for something better?- Another man answers, also hiding next to the first, although on a different branch. -At this rate, we''ll end up empty-handed. All I''ve seen are wagons with too many guards... this route is already ruined. Even if we get lucky with some naive merchant, we''ll have the ninjas upon us in no time. We''d better finish off this last unfortunate fellow and move further north. Send the signal- The first man says, his gaze fixed on his next victim. The second man begins whistling in a high-pitched, bird-like voice, and after a few moments, a similar call is heard back, from a position much closer to the road. -Okay, we''re ready- The first man nods and picks up a bow strung from a nearby branch, as well as an arrow from the quiver on his back, which he deftly places into the weapon. He then takes up a firm stance in the tree. When the traveler is within a distance where his facial features are visible, the man raises the bow, draws the string, and releases the arrow, all very quickly and fluidly. In a matter of a second, the arrow strikes the victim''s chest, causing him to fall backward to the ground. -Excellent shot, there was no need for the others to act- The second man comments, as they both descend from the tree. From the bushes beside the road emerge three disheveled men, dressed in light armor and carrying various weapons, who casually approach the man who has just fallen from the arrow, apparently dead. -To the heart?- Asks one of the bandits, with long black hair and carrying a spear on his shoulder. -This is already the third one. Toru is getting better and better with the bow- Comments another bearded and bald man, with a short axe hooked on his waist. -He''s not moving, so it must have been a shot to the heart. Shouldn''t that guy be participating in some competition or something?- Says the shortest of the three, his voice so ragged it''s barely understandable and his teeth almost gone. He''s carrying a dagger, apparently ready to finish off the victim. Just as the three bandits are a few meters from the fallen man, the other two who were in the tree emerge from the bushes, one with his bow and the other with a katana. -Hey, no tricks! Don''t think I didn''t know that one of you kept a ring from the last one that fell!- Shouts the katana bandit, while running towards the group that is almost about to reach the victim''s place. At the katana-wielding man''s shout, the group of three bandits burst out laughing and turned to see their companion running toward them. It was at that precise moment that the fallen man''s arm moved and raised the umbrella he was still holding, pointing its end directly at the short bandit''s back. Everyone is surprised by the sudden bang, but it is the katana bandit who is filled with horror as he clearly sees how the fallen man moves his umbrella and blows his companion''s chest to pieces, his body paralyzes and he simply sees how the umbrella moves in the direction of the bald bandit, and this time the detonation bursts his head like a watermelon. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. What follows is simply hell for the bandits, who scream at the top of their lungs, while running or trying to defend themselves. The mysterious man simply stands, drops his umbrella, and pulls from his clothes a strange, thin tube with a wooden handle, which he points directly at the long-haired bandit, who is now trying to run into the woods. The blast is less loud this time, and the bandit falls to the ground clutching his right thigh. The katana bandit recovers, putting himself on guard as he tries to retreat, behind him a sound of a bow being released is heard and immediately an arrow passes just inches from his arm towards the adventurer, but, like magic, an almost transparent barrier stops said arrow in mid-flight, just inches from its target. Without hesitation, the traveler raises one of his hands and points it towards the katana bandit, causing him to fly through the air due to a strong whirlwind and crashing directly onto the bow bandit, the sound of breaking bones resonates in both of their ears, making them understand that everything is over. The mysterious man begins to manipulate his strange tubular weapon, while walking towards the location of both wounded bandits, who try to move their incapacitated bodies. -Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!- The katana bandit screams upon seeing the barrel of the weapon pointing at his face, only to be silenced with a bang and a hole in the middle of his forehead. The bow bandit trembles with fear as he watches the traveler manipulate his weapon again, understanding with horror what it means. -Please don''t kill me- The bandit tries to plead. -Why the surprise arrow? You didn''t even give me a chance- The traveler says, then looks at the bandit closely, as if waiting for an answer. -Because... Because... without evidence... there is no crime - The bandit answers with a resigned face, while he sees the weapon pointed at his face. -Good advice- The adventurer nods, and a blast leaves a hole through one of the bandit''s eyes. [Touki] Behind the facade of a ruthless man, Touki does his best not to collapse or vomit on himself. Despite the fact that the situation seemed under control on his part, nothing went as he expected. The bandits shot him with an arrow without warning, without threats or anything like that, straight to kill him. All the young man''s planning was for nothing. "If it weren''t for the metal plates on my jacket, I might not make it. What if I get shot in the head? Or in the leg and bleed to death?" Touki thinks. Angry at the bandits, the world, and himself, Touki approaches the only surviving bandit, the long-haired one, who is crawling into the woods on his bloody leg. Once next to the man, Touki disarms him and grabs him by the hair before punching him in the face. -Where''s the loot? Where''s the money?- Touki asks, between each blow he delivers to the bandit. -Haaa! No, no, what?... I don''t know what you''re talking about - the bandit tries to answer. -Where are you keeping what you''ve stolen? If you tell me where it is, I''ll let you live- The young man insists, with hatred and violence. The bandit is too disoriented and pale from blood loss, so Touki proceeds to put a tourniquet on his leg and gives him some water to drink. -This should hold you over until the next town, where you can ask for help- The young man tells the bandit, trying to calm him down. The bandit begins to rave, but quickly tells Touki where they hid their ill-gotten gains, which is not far away. Following the instructions, the young man easily locates the five bandits'' possessions inside a hollow tree. They are immediately searched and reduced to just a bag of valuables, money, jewelry, and other items. Upon returning to the scene of the massacre, Touki finds that the last bandit has lost his life, clearly from blood loss. The young man, fighting back nausea, searches each of the bandits for valuables, then moves their bodies as deep into the forest as possible, occupying the remainder of the day. With the sun almost hidden, a tired Touki resumes his walk along the road, with an additional bag and the bow of the bandit who almost ended his life, more than a souvenir, a reminder and a possibly very convenient weapon, with its corresponding modifications, of course. With over 20,000 ryo and jewels of a similar or greater value, Touki isn''t satisfied in the least. The fact that he was almost killed is the main reason, but what really bothers him is that he couldn''t predict the bandits'' behavior. These particular criminals were far smarter, more cautious, and more dangerous than he expected¡ªnot at all the caricatures portrayed in manga and anime. Touki is worried that the world seems to be many times more dangerous than he thought. "I''m going to have to prepare even more if I want to survive here. The worst part is that this killing is going to become all too common if I continue like this," the young man concludes. 05 As time passes, Touki''s life becomes a slow dance with death, where the rewards are plentiful but everything can end with the slightest carelessness. Eight months have passed since the beginning of his adventure as a criminal hunter, and the business has paid off¡ªnot enough to make him rich, but more than enough for all the young man''s needs. Touki has found himself fighting dozens of criminals over the months, mostly on the roads, but he''s also fought within villages (nighttime raids on his room) and lately, he''s ventured into the forests in search of bandit hideouts. The fights have always been short, though intense, but the young man has managed to overcome each challenge, while gaining invaluable experience and developing more effective tactics, to the point that many people think that the disappearance of criminals on some routes is the work of Shinobis. Touki''s work has undoubtedly improved the lives of some travelers and merchants, but in the end, it''s just a drop in the ocean of global crime. As effective as the innocent traveler''s act is, Touki only attracts the most common and desperate criminals; the most dangerous ones focus on bigger fish or other money-making schemes, such as drugs and extortion. In addition to his dangerous work, Touki has had to familiarize himself with the underworld of the different cities that make up the region where he has operated until now, more out of necessity than anything else, as many of the valuables he obtains must be sold somewhere that won''t attract too much attention. Fortunately for Touki, the information he is able to obtain from the bandits before ending their lives often contains the addresses of merchants directly linked to the black market¡ªcriminals, no doubt, but unfortunately necessary. In the city of Tamita, in the northernmost part of the Fire Nation, there is a particular merchant, little known publicly, but one of the most important in the region for the underworld, as he not only buys objects of dubious origin, but also smuggles materials that are not sold on the common market. Touki was fortunate that one of the bandits he killed not only knew the merchant''s location, but also the specific way to access him. -Welcome- Says an elderly woman, seeing a potential customer enter her steamed bun shop. -Hello, Junko-san- Says Touki as he enters the shop, then approaches the owner and whispers, "If you don''t mind, could I borrow your sewing kit? I have a torn sleeve and I''m going to appear before the Daimyo tomorrow." -How unexpected. Go ahead, go through the back door. Do you know how to get there?- Replies the old woman. At Touki''s affirmative, the old woman presses something under the service counter, which remotely unlocks the lock on a door at the back of the business. Without hesitation, the young man walks to the door and opens it, revealing stairs leading to a lower level, which he uses to reach a sort of storage room with multiple wooden crates and a small service counter with a middle-aged man standing behind it. -Welcome. Are you buying or selling?- The man asks in a raspy voice. -I sell first- Touki replies, then walks over and places a bag on the counter. The man takes the bag and empties its contents onto the counter, revealing jewelry made of various precious metals and the occasional gem, as well as various high-quality objects, such as brushes, inks, chakra paper, and books. The inspection takes several minutes, during which the man uses various instruments to measure the weight and verify the authenticity of the objects, filling out a small sheet of paper with numbers to keep track. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. -All together, it should be worth approximately 80,000 ryo, I''ll give you 40,000- the man finally says, after adding all the numbers. The black market is a place where you''ll never sell anything for its real value, let alone buy, so Touki has already gotten used to its prices, and there are very few places like this where they''ll buy what you have without asking any questions about where you got it. -Do you have chakra metal?- Touki asks. -Nothing since last time, but I have a piece of 30% pure adamantite, 100 grams- -How much?- -One million- Touki''s eyes threaten to bulge out of his head at the thought of such a figure, even more so with the calmness with which the man says it. Until now, this has been the best place to acquire rare and hard-to-find materials on the legal market, but the prices are exorbitant. During his last visit, he managed to buy a piece of chakra metal for an "affordable" price. Chakra metal is one of the most sought-after materials in the world, especially for samurai, who dream of owning a sword made from it, as it greatly aids in channeling chakra. Touki was fortunate enough to purchase a small piece of the 20% alloy, which led to incredible discoveries of possible uses, though unfortunately, the sheer quantity only allowed him to create a pair of arrowheads with extraordinary capabilities. Adamantite, on the other hand, is the hardest metal known and is the most sought after around the world for making extremely durable weapons with almost eternal edges; however, only the wealthiest and most important can afford to pay its almost ridiculous cost. -Too much money. Do you have any information?- Touki continues, resigned. -Two pieces of information, category 2 and 3, plus a category 2 contract- The man replies, after reviewing a small journal. Another valuable resource the black market provides is information, primarily about potential victims for robbery, as well as jobs to assassinate or steal specific items. The categories vary based on difficulty and danger: 4 is low danger, 3 is high danger without the presence of shinobi or samurai, 2 is very high danger with the presence of shinobi, samurai, or both, and finally 1 is the presence of extremely dangerous people, whether important authorities or even characters from the Bingo Book. -What''s Category 3 data?- Touki decides. -Possible high-value target. 1,000 ryo for preliminary information- -Okay, deduct it from the debt- -A merchant from the land of rice will send an expensive gift to a partner in the fire capital. The details include a specific location where the escort group will stop and the approximate time of arrival, as well as the estimated number of guards. The information costs 10,000- -Truthfulness?- -90% according to the guild- Touki ponders for a moment. Information is expensive, but the possibilities are enormous¡ªnot to steal the loot, mind you, but to steal from the thieves (and kill them if necessary). The only unknown is who the thieves will be, because if there are ninjas, things could get difficult, although there''s always the option of not attacking. -How many people bought the information?- Touki asks. -That information is worth 2000- -Okay, tell me- -Three people bought the information- the man says after checking his journal again. -In that case, give me the information- Touki finally decides. The man then proceeds to hand Touki a sheet of paper with all the available information about the shipment, as well as the money he owes. After saying goodbye, Touki leaves the store and wanders erratically around the city, trying to confuse anyone following him, if there is anyone, before finally leaving the city heading northeast, where the possible robbery is supposed to take place. Without incident, Touki should take a day to reach the exact location, and considering that the arrival date of those envoys with the gift is at least six days away, he has enough time to study the terrain and wait for all the actors to arrive. Touki has greatly expanded his repertoire of weapons and tactics, so it is not impossible to face more dangerous subjects like genins, even chunins if he manages to surprise them, the problem he has is that he is not fast enough to prevent them from escaping. Touki does not want word of his strange abilities to spread to the ninja villages, so he must carefully evaluate whether he can face ninjas without leaving evidence. 06 ¡°The Lone Wolf¡± is a strategically located inn at the intersection of one of the most important routes in the Land of Fire: the northern road leads directly to the Land of Rice, the southwest road connects to the road leading to the Land of Rivers, and the southeast road leads to the nation''s capital. The inn is always busy, day or night, with people relaxing in a comfortable room or simply eating in the living room. The building isn''t a hotel, but it''s well known for providing some of the best service in the area, so word of mouth has made it a must-visit for all travelers passing through. Today is a day like any other, and the inn''s dining room is packed with diners despite the early morning. Outside, several people are waiting for service or simply buying food from one of the several takeout stalls located across the road. At one of these stalls, two men are chatting as travelers enter and leave the inn. -I don''t see anything that matches the description. Are you sure it was him?- asks one of the men, with blond hair and a scruffy mustache. -I saw him come in 20 minutes ago. He had gray hair, a braided beard, and he was with five others. He matches everything the paper said. I''m telling you, he''s still inside. It''s impossible for you to see anything from here- replies the other man, wearing a straw hat and in a state of excitement. The blond-haired man begins to get impatient that he can''t see anything, so he crosses the street and looks out of one of the inn''s windows, taking a quick look so as not to arouse suspicion, but his eyes can''t help but show surprise, which he quickly hides and returns to where the other man is, crossing again. -It''s him. I''ll tell the boss. You stay and don''t lose sight of the objective- says the blond-haired man, to which his companion nods. As he turns to leave, the man in question accidentally trips over something and almost falls to the floor. He hears a moan beneath him. To the man''s surprise, a little girl, no more than 6 years old, with short black hair, is lying on the floor in pain. -What are you doing, girl? Watch where you''re walking!- the man shouts. -I''m sorry sir, I can''t see, can I bother you with a coin so I can eat?- The girl says, trying to direct her face towards the man. The man realizes that the girl is blind, due to her whitish eyes, and that she is dressed as a beggar, so he seems to understand that it is just a nuisance to continue dealing with her, so he simply ignores her and leaves the place. -Hello, can I bother you for a coin so I can eat?- the girl tries again, this time with the man in the straw hat. -Don''t bother me, girl! I''m busy!- the man shouts back, while still looking in the direction of the inn. -Little girl, I told you not to bother people. Take this and get out of here- the owner of the nearest stall intervenes, passing a rice ball to the girl and leading her away. The girl quickly eats the rice ball while trying to orient herself by touching objects along the road, then begins to walk slowly southeast. Hours pass, and the clock strikes 3 when a man leaves the inn along with five others. This man in particular is elderly, with white hair and a long beard that he keeps braided and neatly groomed. His clothes are of high quality, and his companions behave like well-trained guards. One of them also carries a bulging backpack on his back, probably a precious piece of cargo. The group in question immediately heads to the inn''s stables, and a few minutes later, they emerge in a two-horse wagon, heading toward the capital. A few moments after the wagon leaves the inn and the intersection, a dove takes flight from some trees and heads south, quickly overtaking the wagon. Having left the intersection for no more than an hour, the wagon passengers are surprised to find that traffic on the opposite side of the road has slowed to almost nothing, causing some to begin to suspect that something is amiss. But the alarm really arises when they encounter a lone rider around a particularly sharp bend. The rider in question advances at a brisk trot toward the wagon, obviously paying no attention to the wagon''s crew, as if simply passing by, which causes them to hesitate. It''s at the precise moment the rider stands side by side with the wagon horses that his eyes shift to the wagon, and with inhuman skill, he draws a katana from his waist and swiftly slashes toward both horses. The sword is far from capable of harming both animals together, but what ultimately happens is that a massive crescent-shaped blade of chakra is ejected from the weapon, instantly decapitating both horses and leaving a deep mark in the ground. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. -Samurai!- shouts the leader of the group of guards inside the wagon, causing everyone to panic, including the older man, who jumps out of the wagon in search of a hiding place. The rider, a man with long, ponytailed hair, shows no fear and simply whistles. Immediately, arrows begin raining down on the wagon guards, causing screams of pain. Then, from the bushes beside the road, a dozen heavily armed men emerge and pounce on the wounded guards. Without any mercy, the bandits kill all the members of the wagon and proceed to loot everything of value they find, under the watchful eye of the rider, who doesn''t care much about what his companions do and keeps his eyes more on the road in case he sees someone approaching. Without any mercy, the bandits kill all the members of the wagon and proceed to loot everything of value they find, under the presence of the rider, who does not care much about what his companions do and keeps his eyes more on the road in case he sees someone approaching. A few minutes after it all began, the rider sees a silhouette appear on the northern road, coming out of the sharp curve, a strange rider riding what appears to be a donkey, trotting at a fast pace and approaching them. "Finish quickly. I''ll take care of the unexpected guest," the samurai tells the bandits, who are already in the process of looting the bodies of the dead men. After riding for a few moments, the samurai stops about 10 meters from the strange traveler on the donkey, who also stops. The figure in question is wearing the typical attire of any traveler, with a straw hat and a strange umbrella that he keeps open until now, apparently to protect himself from the sun. -You guys are fast, I won''t deny it. I almost couldn''t catch you- says the man with the umbrella as he gets off the donkey. -Who are you? Do I know you?- asks the samurai, placing his hand on the handle of his katana. -Not at all, but you could say we share the same profession, in a sense- the man replies, then slowly closes his umbrella. The samurai senses something is wrong and begins to look around for a possible ambush. It is at that moment that the strange man points the end of his umbrella at the samurai. The samurai detects the movement immediately and reacts instinctively to the danger, drawing his katana and placing the blade directly in the path of a surprise detonation; unfortunately, what comes out of the umbrella is not a projectile, but dozens of widely dispersed metal pellets. The samurai manages to stop at most about 8 pellets, but the rest end up wounding him in various parts of his body, in addition to hitting the horse, which ends up throwing its rider and then fleeing in terror. The samurai manages to land skillfully on his feet, but immediately has to defend himself against another shot from the umbrella, which ends up being quite effective in one of his legs. Panicked, the samurai counterattacks with a chakra blade directly at his enemy, which is stopped by a kind of barrier that forms around him. The samurai, believing he is dealing with a ninja, tries to retreat, but finds that his right leg is completely ruined by the last attack, making it impossible to flex. Taking advantage of the samurai''s weakness, the man with the straw hat pulls another strange weapon from his clothes and points it at his opponent, and this time the samurai is able to deflect the projectile with his sword, but the weapon unfortunately ends up broken at the point of impact. The samurai is in a terrible position, bleeding from wounds all over his body and with his sword destroyed, but his fighting spirit is still alive, looking with hatred at his adversary, who begins to manipulate his strange weapon while concentrating his gaze behind the samurai. -I see your friends came to help you- the man comments nonchalantly, then puts away his weapon and raises the umbrella he had previously discharged on the ground. Soon, the man is seen defending himself from several arrows, using the open umbrella as a shield, a sight only possible for a ninja. Without letting his enemies even think about what is happening, the man in the straw hat moves the umbrella to the side and unleashes a violent whirlwind with one of his hands, causing more than half of the bandits to fly away, he switches the umbrella to his other hand and sends the rest, including the samurai, flying with his other hand. What follows can be described as a true massacre, in which the strange man even uses a bow to shoot arrows capable of hitting the moving bandits trying to escape. Just 20 minutes into the fight, the man has already finished off everyone and begins to retreat with his loot atop his trusty donkey. His gaze scans the landscape of blood and death around him, apprehensive that he doesn''t have the time or inclination to clean up such a mess. But as the man begins to resume his journey south, he notices something strange a few meters along the road, something resembling a bundle of clothing. As he approaches, the man realizes it appears to be a child in the fetal position, covering his head with his hands. The man stares, thoughtful, as if waiting to see if the child is breathing. After a moment, he proceeds to kick him lightly, causing the child to move and whimper. -What are you doing here, kid?- the man says, pulling his weapon from his clothes. -I''m not a kid, and I was walking toward the village, but something terrible happened, and I just covered myself- the figure replies, then reveals the face of a girl with whitish eyes. The man is surprised, then tucks his weapon inside his clothes, gets a little closer to the girl, and realizes she''s actually blind. -You live in the village?- -I sleep there. I have no family- -So you''re an orphan. No one adopts you? How old are you?- -No one wants someone with disabilities. They only give me food sometimes, and someone lets me sleep in the stables. I don''t know how old I am- The man begins to think as he stares at the girl in silence for almost a full minute. He then goes over to the donkey and takes a small object from one of his bags. Upon returning to the girl, the man bends down and takes one of her hands, placing a strange crystalline rock in her palm. After a couple of seconds, the rock begins to glow a blue hue, to which the man smiles almost sinisterly. -Are you going to kill me?- the girl asks, trembling. -What''s your name?- -Suki...- -Okay, Suki, do you believe in destiny?- ... 07 -Your hands are too stiff; they need to flow so you can move quickly- says Touki''s voice. -Yes, master- replies a girl''s voice. ¡­ -That seal is poorly done, remember the thumb goes inside- -Yes, master- ¡­ -Take your vitamins or you won''t recover, I need you healthy- -Yes master- ¡­ -I don''t want any food on that plate when I get back. You''re no good to me if you''re skinny, and no avoiding broccoli- -Ugh... Yes, master- ¡­ -Come on, I need ten more push-ups. Focus on the chakra, let it flow through your arms- -Ufff Yes.. Ufff, master- Watching the little girl do her best to meet the goals imposed on her leaves a bitter taste in Touki''s mouth, as he increasingly resembles an animated film villain, abusing his adopted daughter. But reality differs greatly from fantasy, for while Touki borders on being a movie villain, in this world he''s more of a pragmatist with unorthodox methods. Touki made a decision at the beginning of this crazy adventure: to use every means possible to ensure his survival and screw those who threaten him. The girl in front of him is just another tool he needs to achieve his goals, a gift from heaven at a time when he can no longer make significant progress with his seal language. Suki, a homeless and blind orphan, but with a great affinity for chakra and abnormally mature for her age, is truly the perfect candidate to help Touki with his experiments. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Since taking in the girl, Touki stopped hunting criminals and settled in one of the villages near Tamita City, where he bought a vacant house on the outskirts, away from the general public. There, he began his most ambitious project yet: turning a blind, starving girl into an expert chakra manipulator, capable of executing seals faster than he could. Suki is by no means a prodigy, but the first thing Touki learned from her is that she has incredible tenacity. If he asks her to do 100 repetitions of an exercise, she''ll do it until her body can''t take it anymore. The word "giving up" doesn''t exist in Suki''s vocabulary, and it seems she doesn''t intend to waste the opportunity Touki has given her. Touki was very clear with the girl when accepting her as a disciple, partly to test her directly, so without sugarcoating the truth he clearly told her what had happened on that path and the reason why he did it, in addition to explaining the strange work in which he had gotten involved. Suki was undoubtedly surprised to learn the truth, but to Touki''s surprise, she showed no repulsion or interest in moving away from him and his offer. Turning to the black market, Touki managed to acquire several Shinobi arts manuals, especially those dedicated to physical conditioning and speed, with the intention of preparing Suki for her future work. With all this, he can only hope that the girl makes the necessary effort to become his hands. Regarding his latest raid, Touki decided not to sell anything he''d obtained from the messenger and his guards, as the battle was too great and the disaster too conspicuous. It was a correct decision, because in just one week, everyone was already talking about the massacre and rumors spread that both the samurai and ninjas of Konoha were looking for the culprits. Touki realized that he had been very lucky so far, and that acts like the previous one drew too much attention from the authorities, so resting for a while was the best way to avoid getting on the radar of the ninjas, his current greatest fear. [Suki] Suki''s first two months as an apprentice have been the most intense of her life, going from living on the streets and begging for food to having a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and a purpose. She''s never seen the world the way everyone else does, having grown up blind all her life, so her perspective is somewhat limited beyond basic needs, let alone career prospects. In fact, she never thought she''d be capable of anything more than begging. But everything changed that day, when Suki found herself in a place she wasn''t supposed to be. She didn''t know what was really happening, but her ears told her that many people had died, and in a rather brutal and painful way. The moment Suki first heard her now-teacher speak, she felt horribly afraid, but at the same time, a part of her wanted it all to be over once and for all¡ªthat part that was tired of struggling through a meaningless existence. But fate had something completely strange and unexpected in store for her: a purpose and a life as close to normal as possible. The girl seized the opportunity and doesn''t plan to let go, no matter the cost. The training is tough, and she finds herself exhausted most of the time, but she can feel the gains as time goes on: her body gaining weight and energy, her arms getting stronger and faster, and an energy she can now tap into within herself: the mysterious chakra, which is the gateway to a true future. What began as an act of desperation for Suki, simply to avoid death, has transformed into passion, and the fear she felt for her master has now become respect. She knows well what the man who saved her and now feeds her is capable of, as well as the true reason why he does it, but in the end, what matters to her is that he has a true purpose and will do everything humanly possible to live up to his expectations. As the months pass, Suki begins to better understand her master''s personality, a man who speaks little, is coarse, and whose sole purpose is his inexplicable passion for enigmatic hand seals, which increasingly become like breathing to her. "Faster, faster, faster," is what the girl hears every day, in an endless, obsessive cycle that seems to have no end. But at the same time, every time she seems to overcome some kind of speed barrier, her master rewards her with a long rest and a delicious sweet, which makes Suki redouble her efforts. "What a sinister man," she constantly thinks (with her mouth full of sweet). Suki is not a naive girl and knows well that nothing is free in life, so through the constant exercises and obligations that she must fulfill, she has managed to conclude that what her master wants is for her to be able to help him with a kind of ritual, in which it is necessary to perform hand seals at a very specific speed, an act that according to him will take years for her to achieve.