"Burp!" Hoshigaki Fuguki let out a satisfied belch, casually plucking a blade of grass to pick his teeth. "That was so satisfying!"
The Land of Whirlpools truly had an abundance of delicious food. In all his years, he had never eaten as well as he had these past few days. It felt like he had wasted the last few decades of his life.
"But... is this really okay?" A Kiri-nin beside him asked cautiously. "No matter what, we are still ninjas of Kirigakure."
To be so indulgent in the food of the Land of Whirlpools...
It was just too shameful!
He had failed Kirigakure!
"..."
Hoshigaki Fuguki froze when he heard the Kiri-nin's words. He hadn't expected to be found out. Wasn't this exactly what he was doing—making these Kiri-nin lose themselves in the Land of Whirlpools so they could slowly integrate?
But...
As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he couldn't say that outright.
"Young man, your ninja awareness is lacking!" Hoshigaki Fuguki placed both hands on the Kiri-nin's shoulders, wearing a disappointed expression. He sighed and shook his head. "Everything I'm doing is for Kirigakure!"
Yes, everything he was doing now was for Kirigakure.
"Only by working diligently can we truly blend into the Land of Whirlpools," Hoshigaki Fuguki said solemnly, staring at the Kiri-nin. "Only by blending in will the Uzu-nin let their guard down around us."
"Once the Uzu-nin relax their vigilance, we'll have a chance to do other things."
"For example, planning another escape."
Hoshigaki Fuguki patted the Kiri-nin's shoulder, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked ahead. His face bore the expression of someone awake among the drunk, his gaze profound as he stared into the distance. He spoke faintly, "My hard work and hearty eating are all part of my plan to integrate into the Land of Whirlpools."
"It's not just about indulging in the food."
"My heart still belongs to Kirigakure!"
Hoshigaki Fuguki's eyes welled with tears as he gazed ahead, then he secretly glanced at the Kiri-nin, who now wore a face full of guilt and regret.
Satisfied, he nodded slightly, his lips curling up briefly before he forced a sorrowful expression again. He shook his head and sighed. "But I never expected you all..."
"Ah, forget it!"
"No matter what, I was the one who brought you here, so I will do everything in my power to take you back."
"Captain Fuguki!!" The Kiri-nin, moved by his words, exclaimed, "We will also work hard and eat well! We won't let you bear this burden alone!"
"Please, let us share this with you!"
"Well..." Hoshigaki Fuguki hesitated, but in the end, as if persuaded, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, let us carry this together!"
"But remember..."
"No matter what, we are still ninjas of Kirigakure."
This generation of ninjas...
Was just too naive!
Hadn't he just been boasting? Why did they all believe him?
Did he have a talent for acting?
Hoshigaki Fuguki's lips curled slightly as he murmured, "It seems the mission will be completed soon."
He just wondered how Pakkun Jūzō was doing on his side.
He remembered that most of the Kiri-nin under Pakkun Jūzō had families back in Kirigakure.
Persuading them to join the Land of Whirlpools would probably be much harder.
But for now...
Hoshigaki Fuguki raised his hoe and shouted, "Everyone, pick up your tools! Today, we work hard again!"
As expected...
That Uzu-nin really wasn't paying them any attention!
Pakkun Jūzō licked his dry lips. It seemed this Uzu-nin actually wanted them to slack off so they'd starve to death.
But...
That suited him just fine!
As a ninja, he had long been prepared for death.
But still...
"Not even a drop of water," Pakkun Jūzō muttered bitterly. "Do they have to be so ruthless?"
He glanced at the Kiri-nin lying beside him, all in the same sorry state.
Fine.
Dying of thirst and hunger wasn't so bad.
He figured Hoshigaki Fuguki was probably doing the same right now—refusing to obey the Land of Whirlpools' orders and waiting for death, all to protect Kirigakure's dignity.
His brother had led him astray!
If only he hadn't stopped him from jumping off that building back then.
Splattering into fish paste would have been better than starving to death!
But now...
He could only consider it a debt he owed his brother, to be repaid in the next life.
"Lord Mizukage, we have not disgraced Kirigakure," Pakkun Jūzō murmured. "But..."
We can never go back.
Just as Pakkun Jūzō closed his eyes, resigned to death...
"Child."
An elderly woman, walking unsteadily with a water jug filled with clear liquid, approached. Her face was wrinkled, and she smiled, revealing yellowed, incomplete teeth. "You must be thirsty. Here, have some water."
With that, she took out a ceramic bowl, poured water into it, and handed it to Pakkun Jūzō, who was lying on the ground. "Drink up."
"If you're tired, rest a bit."
Pakkun Jūzō, parched and exhausted, stared blankly at the water offered by the old woman. That wrinkled, unsightly smile and her cloudy eyes struck something deep inside him.
It was a feeling he'd once known...
But when had he lost it?
Pakkun Jūzō's heart seemed to tremble.
This kind of care from an ordinary person...
It was something he hadn't experienced since becoming a ninja.
His hand reached out almost unconsciously to take the bowl of plain water.
"Drink, child," the old woman said warmly as the water was taken from her. Her wrinkled face broke into another smile. "You must be exhausted."
"This old woman is very grateful to you young folks."
"If not for your help, this land of mine would have gone to waste."
"..."
Pakkun Jūzō took the water and looked at the plain liquid in his hands. After a pause, he looked up and asked, "This whole field is yours?"
"Yes," the old woman nodded with a smile, then sighed regretfully. "But my eyes aren't good, and my legs don't work well. Such good land, going to waste."
"Old woman, you..." Pakkun Jūzō hesitated before asking, "Where are your children?"
"Dead," the old woman sighed, as if lost in memory. "Died in the war. My husband also died on the way to the Land of Whirlpools, trying to take care of me."
"Now it's just this old woman left."
"If he had lived, he'd probably be about your age now."
"But it's fine," the old woman smiled, showing her yellowed, missing teeth. "This old woman isn't lonely. Every day, I go to the orphanage to take care of the children."
"Those poor children are all my children now."
"Alright, this old woman needs to bring water to the others," she said, trembling as she stood up with the jug. "If you're tired, rest. There's no hurry. After all, it's just for this old woman to eat."
"I don't need much."
"So take your time. This old woman isn't in a rush."
"Mm." Pakkun Jūzō watched as the frail old woman slowly walked away. Unconsciously, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He lowered his head and looked at the bowl of water in his hands, bringing it slowly to his dry lips...
He took a small sip.
And then...
"So good!"