Looking around, Shangguan Mo realized he had no memory of this place. It was a vast, barren plain, with only a few withered foxtails growing here and there under a clear blue sky.
"Where am I...?" he murmured, suddenly feeling lost. He had been inexplicably transported to the ninja world, then inexplicably chased by a fanatic from the Cult of Jashin. He had survived, but he didn't know what to do next or where to go.
Clear River Village was definitely out. If those Jashinists were still there, going back would be like walking into a trap.
Just then, the Earth Dragon Beast beside him grew restless. Shangguan Mo's own confusion was like a thick fog, but the beast's state was clearly not normal. "What's wrong?" he asked, patting it soothingly.
Then his expression flickered through a rainbow of colors. He could understand what the Earth Dragon Beast was telling him! It was likely due to the system that a weak telepathic link had been established between them. The message was simple and clear: "Someone is in the tunnel below!"
A deep sense of absurdity filled him. He could communicate with an earthworm? But he quickly pushed that thought aside, his expression turning grave. "It's that Jashinist cultist!" he cursed through gritted teeth. "Are you kidding me?! What kind of grudge do you have to crawl through a dark hole for half a day just to find me?!"
He quickly scanned the area but found nothing sharp he could use as a weapon. He settled for a head-sized rock and walked over to the dark hole the beast had emerged from, his eyes filled with an unprecedented viciousness. He had never killed anyone before, but this cultist was pushing him too far. If he didn't kill him, he would never be at peace.
The Earth Dragon Beast, copying him, coiled up beside him. It looked even uglier now. Shangguan Mo rolled his eyes, feeling a mix of exasperation and relief. The beast, despite its size, was quite timid and had an immature mind. Its favorite thing to do was imitate its "daddy," Shangguan Mo.
While waiting, he summoned the system panel in his mind. He wanted to try and synthesize another summoning beast before the life-or-death battle. He had no combat experience and felt uneasy.
He looked at the system's notification log and frowned. Synthesizing a summoning beast required chakra, and if he had none, it would consume his life force! "No wonder I feel so weak. It wasn't because of the drowning..."
A wave of anxiety washed over him. He had no chakra, so he couldn't synthesize another beast for now. His body felt like it had been completely emptied out. How was a weakling like him supposed to face a murderous fanatic?
"Forget it! I'm not running this time. If I don't kill this bastard, my mind will never be at ease!" he resolved.
Scrape, scrape, scrape!
The sound of clothes rubbing against the tunnel walls grew clearer. He could even hear faint groans of pain; the cultist must have been scraped up by the rough stones. Shangguan Mo gave the Earth Dragon Beast a look. Its huge mouthpart opened slowly, baring its teeth at the hole.
He's close! Shangguan Mo's expression grew grim. He held his breath and slowly raised the rock. The Earth Dragon Beast's back arched, its body rising like a provoked cobra.
When a dusty head popped out of the hole, the Earth Dragon Beast, which had been coiled and ready, struck like a snake, its mouthpart tearing open to twice its size and completely engulfing the man's head.
Caught completely by surprise, the cultist instinctively flailed, trying to pull his head free. "Die!" Shangguan Mo roared, his face contorted in a ferocious snarl. He lifted the rock over his head and brought it down with all his might onto the man's chest.
"Urgh!" A muffled grunt came from within the beast's mouth, and the cultist's limbs went limp. The Earth Dragon Beast shook the corpse in the air before spitting it out.
As the world fell silent, Shangguan Mo looked at the body with a complex expression. This man had chased him and nearly killed him, but this was still his first time taking a life. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The desolation of his surroundings mirrored the emptiness in his heart. His life was saved, but he had lost his direction once again.
Sensing his master's confusion, the Earth Dragon Beast brought its head close to his cheek and gently nuzzled him. Shangguan Mo smiled faintly. The beast beside him gave him a sense of security, at least creating the illusion that he was not alone.
After staring into space for a while, he finally came to his senses. "At the very least... I need to figure out what era this is and find the nearest town. Right... let's set a small goal first—become a ninja!"
In a small town, Shangguan Mo stood thoughtfully on a bustling street.
"So Yugakure (The Village Hidden in Hot Water) already exists? And it's been around for a few years.""This country is famous for its hot springs. Ninja from all villages come here to relax. It's truly a nation that has forgotten war...""The current leader of Konoha is the Third Hokage. The residents here don't know much more than that... But I guess Yugakure was established much later than the villages of the Five Great Nations. Based on the anime's timeline and the info I've gathered, it should be around Konoha Year 30-something..."
Thinking of Konoha, he shook his head with regret. Joining them was impossible. His identity was that of someone from the Land of Hot Water. Even if he made it to Konoha, they would search his memories to ensure he wasn't a spy from another village. If they discovered his memories from another life, he was sure he would die a miserable death.
"Then, my only choice is to try and join Yugakure and find a way to become a ninja. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I'll lie low and develop for now! Reborn with a system... that's the standard protagonist setup, right...?"
His mind was made up. He cherished this second life he had been given. No matter what, he had to survive in this ninja world first!
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