Chapter 24 – Action
Whether driven by emotion or logic, Hajime couldn't ignore his clansmen in distress.
This wasn't merely about his personal feelings, likes, or will—it was tied to their shared understanding as a people.
Though Hajime had long discarded the surname Yugami Gen, that didn't mean he had severed the blood ties that bound him to his kin. Nor had he ever intended to.
Names might change on the surface, but what lay beneath remained the same. A person's nature couldn't be rewritten with a few words.
The distress call from Chihori didn't necessarily come from just one individual. It could very well represent a plea from several—or even dozens—of clansmen.
Upon hearing Hajime 's decision to carry out a rescue mission, the others still maintained stern expressions. But he could feel a sense of relief ripple through the group, as though a heavy weight had been lifted.
"Of course, we have to go through with the rescue," Hajime said. "But just like before, I'll be going in alone."
He raised his hand to stop anyone who was about to object and continued:
"I'll be more agile on my own. If anything goes wrong, I can adapt. But if too many people come along, we could easily get stuck with no way in or out."
The truth was, the others simply lacked the ability to handle such a complex mission—one that involved reconnaissance, infiltration, and extraction all at once.
"'Burden' might sound harsh," Hajime added, "but if we all go in, we're more likely to create problems than solve them."
"To put it another way... given the complexity of the rescue, I'll head there first and scout the area. You all stay ready. If I need support, I'll send word immediately."
That phrasing sat better with the group.
"But Captain," someone voiced concern, "if something urgent happens and there's no backup... the consequences could be severe."
Hajime responded by casually demonstrating his ability to drive a bare hand through a massive tree—again.
"Unless I get caught in an airtight sealing technique," he said, "it's hard to trap me."
The performance was convincing. There wasn't much they could say in return—none of them could change Hajime 's mind.
Some couldn't help but think, If only that Senju ninja was still around... maybe he could help.
"It's settled," Hajime said. "I'll go ahead and investigate. Time is tight—we need to move quickly."
Even though he didn't intend to include them in the actual rescue, he knew he had to give the others a sense of purpose—a feeling that they were part of the mission too. Everyone had to believe they were contributing, or else it would seem unfair: some working, others just watching.
After all, every clansman weighed equally in their hearts.
Truthfully, whether during his early days as cannon fodder or now as a high-level operative, Hajime had never been good at working in teams. He was far more comfortable fighting alone.
He made some quick arrangements at camp, packed his ninja tools, grabbed some ration pills, and headed out. Thanks to the Sarutobi clan's generosity, he was well-stocked with gear and supplies.
In the past couple of months, Hajime 's strength had grown at a remarkable pace.
While he was still far from the top, he was comfortably ahead of the bottom.
He might not be great at fighting—but running away? He was excellent at that.
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After leaving camp and crossing through the forest, Hajime didn't rush at full speed.
At any moment, a fight could break out—he needed to conserve chakra.
To avoid drawing attention, he draped a tattered blanket over himself, concealing the ninja tools strapped to his waist. He looked less like a shinobi and more like either an avant-garde artist or a classical vagabond.
It took about three days, but he finally reached the coordinates marked in the distress signal—a seemingly ordinary town.
Shrouded in the gray mist of early morning, the town was filled with mismatched, crumbling buildings. The people moved like shadows—lifeless and slow.
Nothing seemed out of place. Most of the ninja world looked like this now.
Geographically, this area fell near the border of Fire Country, River Country, and Rain Country—a well-known lawless zone where no one claimed jurisdiction.
After watching the town for a while and spotting nothing suspicious, Hajime walked in.
That's when he noticed something strange.
In a closed-off town like this, the sudden appearance of a stranger should have triggered caution. The townspeople should've looked at him with suspicion. But no one did—they barely even glanced at him.
His clothes were ordinary, sure. But his face was unfamiliar.
Definitely suspicious...
After circling the town's main road once, Hajime felt the faint sensation of being watched.
Could our people really be hiding here—or being held captive?
He didn't know. The only clue he had was this coordinate. All he could do now was start digging.
On his second loop around town, Hajime stealthily lifted a coin pouch from someone who looked relatively well-off. For a trained ninja, pickpocketing was as natural as breathing.
It was his first time holding real money in months.
Currency in the current era was still measured in ryō, but unlike the paper notes used during the era of the shinobi villages, war-torn lands now favored metal coins minted by local warlords.
Hajime opened the pouch to find five gold coins—oval-shaped and strikingly similar to Edo-period koban.
Each coin bore the denomination of one ryō. Judging by its heft—around 15 grams—these were high-value coins.
Back in the village days, one ryō might've been worth 10 yen, but that clearly no longer applied. These coins were worth far more now—possibly the equivalent of 5,000 modern currency units apiece.
With his newly acquired funds, Hajime approached the only inn in town.
He'd already scoped it out—this place was the only game in town.
Inside, a lean middle-aged man sat behind the counter, directly facing the door.
Hajime dropped a coin on the counter and said, "I'll stay for now. Let me know if I owe more."
The innkeeper picked up the coin and held it toward the light, then blew on it and rubbed it hard with his sleeve before commenting:
"Minted by the Enshi family. Pure gold... You could stay here 'til the end of time."
He tucked the coin into his sleeve with a movement too fast for Hajime to follow, then tossed him a key.
Hajime raised a brow.
This guy's no ordinary innkeeper… That sleight of hand was almost too smooth. A hidden master, maybe?
Still, Hajime didn't press the man for information about his clansmen. Not yet. It was too early to take risks.
With key in hand, he made his way to a second-floor room. After shutting the door tightly behind him, he conducted a thorough check of the space.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Finally, he allowed himself to relax—just a little.
For now, he would observe this strange little town.
If something was off here, the truth would eventually slip through the cracks.
Sooner or later, he'd find it.
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