Coo~ Coo~ Coo~
A pure white pigeon flew over.
Ryosuke caught it, removed the secret letter tied to its leg, and handed the messenger pigeon to Sasuke.
Sasuke held out a handful of rice grains and a cup of water, placing them in front of the messenger pigeon, full of hope that the little pigeon would eat.
The pigeon's jet-black little eyes flashed with disdain. It flapped its fan-like wings and flew to the table nearby.
It pecked open a rice ball, ate the meat slices inside, then took small sips of the leftover tea Ryosuke had drunk. Only then did it lie contentedly on the table, lift one leg, and rest.
Ryosuke read the secret letter in his hand,
[To Ryosuke,
Regarding the swordsmith, I know of an extremely outstanding craftsman. He's in the north of the Land of Water, in a village where it snows year-round. You can go find him, just say you were sent by Kamihara Hayato, and he'll help you.
Additionally, all kinds of organizations are eyeing you recently. As your contact, for safety reasons, I'll be leaving the Land of Water.
By the time you read this letter, I should be holding a girl and heading off on a trip to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
If there's an emergency, give the letter to Junko-chan (that white dumb pigeon), and you'll be able to reach me.
That's all.
Signed, Kamihara Hayato
P.S. 1: On the back of the letter is a map to the swordsmith's village.
P.S. 2: Don't get caught!]
Ryosuke flipped the letter over and saw the hand-drawn map on the back.
The world of Naruto had no satellites, so the map wasn't accurate.
Fortunately, the upgraded Aerosmith had a patrol radius of several miles. It could scout from the air and roughly guide Ryosuke's direction.
After ditching the cruise ship on the shore, Ryosuke took Sasuke and Rei, bought two horses, and headed to their destination.
Along the way, Ryosuke encountered more than a dozen waves of enemies.
They disguised themselves as farmers, travelers, merchants, no longer fighting Ryosuke head-on, but instead using poison, assassination, arson, and explosions.
This was the other side of ninjas, creating maximum damage with minimum chakra.
This was precisely the part Ryosuke wasn't good at. While dealing with it roughly, he humbly studied the techniques of his enemies.
During this time, Ryosuke instructed Sasuke to teach Rei the Breathing Technique.
Rei wanted to stay by Ryosuke's side, so she at least needed some ability to protect herself. Even if she couldn't fight, when trouble came, she had to be able to run with them.
Ryosuke felt that having something to focus on might help her recover from her psychological trauma.
In a flash, over half a month passed. When the three of them left the city and entered the forest, bounty hunters chasing them gradually decreased.
Crunch! Crunch!
Frost had formed on the grass, spread in large swaths, turning snow white. Horse hooves stepping on it gave a crisp sound like crushing soda crackers.
Ryosuke exhaled, releasing a large cloud of white mist.
"Rei, look!" Sasuke pointed to the sky.
A snowflake drifted past their eyes.
'It's snowing?'
This was good news. According to Kamihara Hayato's intel, the swordsmith lived in a village where it snowed all year round.
Ryosuke said, "Maintain your Breathing Technique to resist the cold. We're almost there."
"Yes." Sasuke and Rei answered in unison.
Sasuke was already very skilled in the Breathing Technique. Rei was still a bit unsteady, stumbling here and there. The two of them rode one horse. Heat continuously radiated from Sasuke's body, helping her stabilize her breathing.
"Hope we can find the village today," Sasuke said softly.
They had already finished the dried food they brought, the night before last. The freezing weather and sparse wildlife in the woods left little to forage.
Rei took out an orange from her chest and handed it to Sasuke. It was her treasured food.
Sasuke shook his head. He didn't want to eat oranges.
He wanted rice balls, fried eggs, tempura...
As he thought about it, Sasuke nearly drooled.
But things didn't go as hoped. By dusk, Aerosmith still hadn't found any sign of a populated village.
Seeing the sky dim further, Ryosuke gave up on finding the village that day. He found an open area and prepared to spend the night there.
Sasuke quickly gathered firewood, used Fire Style to light some branches, and soon a campfire was blazing.
"You two rest a bit. I'll go see if there's anything to eat nearby."
Ryosuke moved through the forest. Even after the sun completely set, he hadn't found any edible wild animals. Just then, within Aerosmith's detection range, a large red glow appeared.
From the size, it looked like a large animal.
'A wolf? Or a deer?'
Whatever it was, it would feed the three of them for a week.
He stepped on the snow and charged toward the target.
———
Rei stared blankly at the firelight.
"Brother Sasuke, why… do people live? What's the meaning?"
Sasuke picked up a twig, tossed it into the fire, and after a long silence, said, "I asked Brother Ryosuke the same question."
The day of the clan massacre, due to the overwhelming shock, Sasuke felt more fear and confusion than sadness.
It wasn't until a few days later, one night when he woke up in a patch of grass, realizing he could never go home again, never see his father or friends again, that the sorrow truly hit him.
"If I had to answer now, I'd probably say, 'It's because you're too full. Go practice throwing kunai a hundred times and you won't overthink things.'"
Sasuke's words made Rei show a faint smile.
The firewood crackled in the flames, sending golden sparks dancing in the wind.
"Brother Ryosuke told me, if you feel life is meaningless, then just live without meaning."
"In a mental world that's empty and meaningless, you can better create your own value. He said this is called…"
Sasuke recalled, "Right, it's called 'Nihilism.'"
"Nihil… what's that?" Rei looked confused.
Sasuke scratched his head, "Not understanding is normal. I didn't understand it either at the time. But following Brother Ryosuke all this way… I've started to understand a little."
His youthful face, under the firelight, showed a touch of maturity, "The inner emptiness that comes after pain isn't the end of everything, it's the beginning."
"I will carry everything I can bear and set out. I want to find my own path in this wild land of free nothingness."
Rei nodded, half understanding. She was about to say something else when a rustling came from the forest ahead.
Sasuke's smile vanished. He stood up and drew a kunai.
Seeing it was Ryosuke, Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, then saw a small figure following behind him.
It was an incredibly beautiful little girl, wearing a fluffy cotton coat and carrying a bamboo basket. She politely bowed to Sasuke and Rei and gave a sweet smile, "Hello, I'm Haku."
After a simple introduction by Ryosuke, everyone understood each other's identity.
Haku was a child living in the swordsmith's village. Because her mother was sick, she had gone out alone to gather herbs. Just as she was about to return, Aerosmith detected her.
Ryosuke claimed to be a doctor and asked Haku to guide them. As payment, he would treat Haku's mother.
This wasn't Ryosuke tricking a child, having mastered Ripple, Ryosuke could cure most illnesses. Calling himself a doctor wasn't wrong.
'So the village is nearby… just happened to be outside Aerosmith's detection range.'
Ryosuke thought. Then Haku pointed northwest.
"Go another 20 Kilometres, and that's our village."
'Forty Kilometres... Haku looks no older than ten. How did she walk all that distance alone?'
'Was this what they meant by poor kids maturing early?'
Fortunately, the return trip wouldn't be so hard. Ryosuke lifted Haku onto the horse and activated Ripple, sending it into the horse's body.
The horse reared up, neighed loudly, and galloped toward the village.
In under an hour, just before nightfall, they arrived at Haku's village.
Snowy Village.
It was a very small village, only thirty to forty households in total. Haku pointed at one house.
"Brother Ryosuke, that's my home."
She jumped off the horse and ran toward it, opened the door.
"Mama, we have guests! A doctor!"
Ryosuke followed Haku inside and saw a weak-looking woman sitting on a chair. The man beside her, likely her husband, was carefully preparing medicine.
"Sorry to intrude."
Ryosuke was just about to take off his shoes, when suddenly, the kitchen door opened.
Wearing an apron, Mei Terumi came out carrying two dishes.
"Dinner's ready."
She looked at Ryosuke, tilted her head slightly, and smiled faintly.
"A guest?"
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