As soon as Gin dispersed the chakra cloak, a wave of scorching heat blasted him in the face, instantly drying out his nasal passages and making it slightly difficult to breathe.
"Ah! My hair~"
Noticing how his already curly hair was growing even more frizzy under the heatwave, Gin panicked and furrowed his brow, quickly rummaging through the small pouch he carried.
Not long after, his hand brushed against something cold and metallic, and his face lit up with joy.
"Hehe, this'll do perfectly!"
He pulled out a glowing piece of gear radiating a faint blue light. The moment it appeared, the surrounding heat was pushed back, replaced by a chilling cold that enveloped him and blocked the oncoming heatwaves.
Enjoying the coolness, Gin hung the item around his neck and stroked its ornate engravings with satisfaction.
[Eternal Winter: While worn, creates a Winter Barrier around the user, reducing enemy attack speed and with a chance to freeze them.]
To think this artifact could double as a portable air conditioner outside of battle—Gin silently praised it in his heart. Truly, no equipment is ever useless.
...Well, except for the electric blade. That one's just trash.
Now equipped with Eternal Winter, Gin no longer feared the blazing heat of the Land of Wind. He looked out at the small settlement in the distance, smoke rising from within, and set off swiftly in that direction.
As he approached, the desert settlement known as Rōran gradually came into view. It was a typical tribal camp—sun-dried earthen homes neatly arranged across the landscape, each with its own rustic charm. At mealtime, smoke curled from chimneys, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Just as Gin was about to enter the village, a pair of guards stepped in to block his path.
In the Land of Wind, locals—regardless of gender—always wore head and face coverings when outdoors to shield against sandstorms. These two guards were no exception. They wore plain robes, held crude spears, and had grayish-white cloth wrapped completely around their heads, leaving only their black eyes visible.
Those eyes were now fixed warily on Gin. His unfamiliar appearance and the unsettling aura radiating from him made their skin crawl.
"I'm just a passing traveler," Gin replied calmly. "I saw signs of life here and hoped to resupply."
He had no intention of starting a fight with these weaklings. His mission was reconnaissance, not slaughter. Just take a look around and report back—nothing more.
"Where's your gear?"
Suspicious of the empty-handed stranger, one of the guards mustered his courage and asked. Who travels through the desert with nothing? And his pale skin? He didn't look weathered by the sands at all.
"Uh, I ran into a sandstorm not far from here. Lost my supplies and my horse."
Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Gin knew he didn't look the part of a worn-out traveler. But he stuck to the story anyway.
"Wait here. I'll report to our captain. He'll decide."
The two guards, while weak, weren't dumb. They didn't act like arrogant nobodies from some trashy story who get smacked down immediately. Instead, they exchanged a wary glance, and one of them quickly turned and ran into the village. The other stayed behind, visibly nervous, his grip on his spear trembling.
"Am I really that scary?" Gin asked.
This was already the second group of Wind Country people to act this way around him. The last time had been some caravan guards—same cautious, reverent attitude.
He didn't have "Main Character" written on his face… so why did they look like they were about to kneel before him?
"P-please, my lord, don't harm me. I have a newborn daughter at home. Please show mercy~"
The guard trembled as he spoke, nearly collapsing to his knees. The oppressive pressure emanating from Gin was overwhelming—far worse than even their squad captain.
Unbeknownst to Gin, even after deactivating the Tenseigan Mode, residual chakra pressure still lingered on him. While he couldn't feel it himself, ordinary shinobi could easily sense the vast, bottomless terror it implied.
"Well… congratulations then. A daughter is a father's precious little charm~"
Gin chuckled, not wanting to escalate things, and casually struck up conversation with the remaining guard. The man gradually relaxed, and they ended up chatting mostly about his newborn daughter.
"Hehe, my little Chiyo is the cutest in the whole world~"
"Right, right… wait—what did you say her name was?"
Gin's eyebrow twitched subtly as he glanced at the guard's hair peeking out beneath the headwrap—faintly lavender in color.
"Chiyo! Isn't that a nice name?"
"She's definitely going to be a powerful kunoichi in the future."
Gin's tone grew oddly emotional. Remembering the swimsuit gacha version of Chiyo from his past life's mobile game, he felt an ache in his chest. Some memories were best left buried.
"Gin-sama…"
After chatting for a while, the guard realized Gin meant no harm and leaned in cautiously to whisper.
"No need to be so formal. Just call me Gin~"
Gin, never one for honorifics, waved off the flattery.
"Well… Gin-san, when our captain arrives, please don't be put off by his appearance. He's actually a very kind man, even if he looks scary…"
His appearance? Just how scary was this guy supposed to be?
If nothing else, the comment piqued Gin's curiosity, and he decided to wait and see for himself.
Moments later, a squad arrived in a flurry of footsteps, kicking up a cloud of dust as they stormed toward the entrance.
"That's the scary one?"
Even before the dust settled, a cold voice rang out.
As the cloud dispersed, Gin's eyes were drawn to a shining bald head. The owner of that gleam soon revealed his full appearance.
A towering, muscular bald man stood at the forefront. His narrow eyes radiated menace, and his lack of eyebrows added an icy edge. But the most intimidating feature was the massive blue dragon tattoo coiled across his scalp, its black claw resting over his right eye like a mark of authority.
"He's just a regular guy. You probably spaced out during your shift."
The tattooed bald man gave Gin a long look, then turned to glare at the guard who had raised the alarm.
"Uh… maybe I was just tired from not sleeping well lately…"
The guard scratched his head in embarrassment, unsure why Gin now seemed so harmless.
"Hmph. Slacking on the job? That won't do. From today, you're on mandatory leave for a week. Reflect on your mistakes and return when your head's clear."
Just as Gin expected the brute to punish the guard harshly… the man's next words were surprisingly gentle.
A week of paid leave? What kind of fantasy world was this?
"Thank you, Captain Sāmon! I'll reflect properly!"
No one around seemed surprised by this. Even the punished guard remained calm—clearly, this captain was full of contradictions.
So that's why the other guard warned me. This guy, Sāmon, is all bark and no bite…
Wait—Sāmon!?
The closer he got to the center of the storm, the more familiar faces he encountered. Gin's hidden anticipation began to grow.
"Who are you, and why have you come to Rōran?"
After disciplining his subordinate, Sāmon turned his attention back to Gin.
"I'm a traveler, passing through. Got separated from my companions in a sandstorm and lost everything."
Same story, same deadpan eyes filled with fake sincerity.
"Where are you from, and why are you traveling?"
Sāmon's narrow eyes showed a glimmer of curiosity. Though he held a high position as Rōran's Guard Captain, he had never left the Land of Wind and was deeply curious about the outside world.
"Well, I… uh… I'm from the Land of Fire. My goal is to record local customs and traditions, and maybe meet some interesting people along the way."
Gin nearly slipped into a Buddhist monk bit, but caught himself in time and answered solemnly.
"The Land of Fire, huh… How long were you there?"
Sāmon's eyes lit up with admiration at the mention of that prosperous country.
"Not long. They're still at war, so I didn't stay in one place for very long."
Gin shrugged, offering a perfectly reasonable explanation.
"Still at war? How's that going?"
Unlike most of Rōran, which remained hidden and uninvolved in the Land of Wind's conflicts, Sāmon had dreams. He wanted to leave his mark on history, to prove his worth on the battlefield.
But alas, he was the guardian of Rōran's most sacred treasure, and forbidden to ever leave.
"Well… there's a man named Retto who's rising quickly. Looks like he might unify all the ninja clans in the Land of Wind."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]