Back in the forest, I confirmed what I had already sensed before: my inner world was not yet completely stable. Because of that, the time I could remain inside it was still limited.
"I haven't even tested my strength yet… but since I'm alone here—"
Walking toward one of the nearby trees, I decided to conduct a simple test. Instead of starting by recklessly punching and kicking everything around me like some cliché protagonist, I merely placed my hand against the trunk and began to push—slowly, steadily, with controlled force.
That way I could better gauge the extent of my strength by seeing how much the tree would sway, bend, or break.
To my surprise it didn't take much effort before the trunk shifted. With just a bit more pressure, cracks began to spread across the bark until the tree finally collapsed.
"…Whoa." Still in awe, I walked toward another tree. "Alright then—let's go all out this time."
Channeling my new combat instinct I threw a swift and powerful punch.
—BOOOOM—
With a thunderclap, the strike detonated the tree into fragments, the shockwave even tearing into the ground beneath my feet and leaving behind a shallow fissure.
I never imagined something like this could be possible.
"But I'm not done yet." I thought, reflecting on my new lineage. If I were to unleash the true power of my bloodline—just how strong would I become?
I was ready to dive deeper into this experiment, to test the very limits of my existence in this new world… when a subtle shift in my surroundings drew my attention.
The distant beating of wings—birds scattering in fear—echoed through the forest. My instincts sharpened, and with a leap high enough to land atop a thick branch, I quickly scaled to the treetop. From there, I saw it: black smoke rising into the sky.
"Civilization?"
It was far from where I stood, yet to me it was nothing more than a new opportunity to test myself. 'How long would it take me to get there? Would I get tired halfway?' These were my immediate thought.
As for the dangers I might face? It seemed like nothing more than a fire or maybe a ruckus. With my current strength, what danger could I possibly face when I just got in this new world.
[POV: Land of Rivers – Takumi Village]
A massacre was unfolding in what had once been a peaceful village of craftsmen.
Takumi was a small village of just over a thousand people, leading ordinary lives. Its renown stemmed from the master artisans who lived there, skilled in producing works of extraordinary quality.
However, Takumi's true fame reached other nations only after the village turned its craftsmanship toward forging weapons and shinobi equipment, items in high demand during the Great War nearly two years ago.
Unfortunately, that same fame had now drawn the greed of outsiders.
A squad of five Sand shinobi was raiding Takumi Village, their uniforms and forehead protectors
announcing their identity as they looted one of the storage halls.
"Mole, grab everything you can. Utahei, Fudoka—kill anyone in our way. Yoro, with me!" barked the shinobi whose face was marked with purple streaks.
"Go! Warn Seimei-sama! We'll hold them off here!" shouted one of the village guards to the panicked civilians still inside.
The storage district sat close to Takumi's residential area, serving as a hub for merchants exporting the village's goods to other lands. Normally bustling with life, it was now silent, save for screams and steel.
Bodies lay scattered—men and women, old and young—all dead for the simple misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It had taken less than three minutes for the Sand squad to infiltrate Takumi, guided by intelligence reports, cutting down or slipping past the modest patrols of the local guard. When they reached the designated warehouse, the guard's resistance forced their hand. The shinobi decided to eliminate every witness.
"You were dreaming too big…" sneered a woman, hurling shuriken at the guards.
One guard barely dodged before a shuriken pierced his shoulder and another struck his chest—his armor the only thing keeping him alive. After all, Takumi was famed for the quality of its gear.
"We outnumber them! Together we can—agh!" shouted another guard, only for a kunai to bury itself into his eye.
"Heh, looks like Fudoka-chan still needs to work on her aim." mocked a blond shinobi with long hair tied into a ponytail. Though androgynous in appearance, his delicate frame concealed a deadly grace. Utahei danced through the guards' strikes with fluid steps, then suddenly shifted pace. With a kunai in each hand he slit their throats in an instant.
"Shut up and do your job, girly." Fudoka shot back, still peppering the defenders with poisoned shuriken. Even if they didn't die immediately, her toxins would guarantee a slow, agonizing end.
"Focus, both of you. Our target must already be on the move." ordered the captain, hiding in the shadows with Yoro as they prepared for the squad's true objective.
[POV: Dojimaru Seimei – Chief of Takumi Village]
Just as I feared…
I had always known that entering the shinobi weapons trade carried risks. But our usual crafts were no longer enough to sustain the prosperity of our people.
"Escort the civilians to the shelter! Imaki, you're with me. Uraume—take Shinobu and Takumi to safety and protect them!"
"Yes, sir!" Imaki replied at once.
"Seimei-sama!" Uraume hesitated and I understood well the reason for her reluctance.
"There's no time. You're the only one I can entrust with my family's safety. Take this—use it only in an emergency." I pressed a scroll with my last invention seal inside into her hands, leaving no room for argument.
"Now go!"
Imaki and I turned toward the warehouse direction, leaving Uraume behind. In Takumi Village, the three of us were the only ones with the ability to mold chakra and knowledge of some ninjutsu.
"Seimei-sama, are you certain of this?" It was almost amusing—Imaki, who had never once questioned my orders, chose this moment to doubt me. Not out of rebellion, but out of concern for my life.
"I am... Even if they seize the secrets of our craft they won't stop until every artisan who contributed is dead. That is why I will take full claim of it. I will die with our secrets—and I will drag each of these invaders down with me!"
My proclamation was more to myself than to him as I strengthened my resolve for what is coming. Yet, loyal as always, Imaki gave his answer.
"Then I shall stand with you, Seimei-sama. To the very end!"
"…Thank you, Imaki."