Upon hearing Gin's words, the previously smug Shamon instantly broke into a cold sweat. Beads of it trickled down from the azure dragon tattoo on his bald head, dripping onto the dry desert ground and kicking up dust.
"Please don't, Gin-dono! This is supposed to be a secret, you know, a secret!"
The muscle-bound Shamon flailed as he tried to explain the gravity of what he'd just revealed.
"I know, I know. I'll give your Loulan tribe a cool mysterious background to spice things up when I write it down."
Gin waved his hand nonchalantly, assuring him he totally understood.
"No, that's not—!"
Shamon panicked even more. He didn't want to be the one who let the secret of the dragon vein slip and ruin a thousand years of tradition. But he was so tongue-tied he couldn't explain it properly and could only scratch his head in frustration.
"Come on, Shamon-aniki, I'm just messing with you. Of course I'd never leak something that important. I'm famously tight-lipped."
Seeing the poor guy almost in tears, Gin gave his shoulder a comforting pat and offered sincere-sounding reassurance.
"Phew... please don't joke like that, Gin-dono."
Relieved, Shamon wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled once again.
Even after all that, it never crossed his mind to silence Gin by force. He genuinely believed Gin was a good guy—someone worth befriending.
Recalling the events of the future storyline, Gin frowned.
Wasn't there a rogue ninja from Sunagakure who found the dragon vein, went back in time using its power, and ended up ruling Loulan?
At that thought, his laziness vanished, and his expression turned serious.
"But still," Gin said, "even if you keep it secret now, one day word's going to get out about Loulan and the dragon vein. When that happens…"
"Heh... Gin-dono, you're a shinobi too, aren't you?"
Shamon gave Gin a meaningful glance, his small eyes lingering on the black wooden sword at his waist.
"Well, you have to learn a bit of self-defense when traveling."
Gin didn't bother denying it—his presence in the desert was already too suspicious to pass off as a regular traveler.
"I may not look it," Shamon said, puffing out his chest, "but I'm the strongest warrior in Loulan. I've never lost a fight."
It wasn't just his impressive physique that earned Shamon his role as Loulan's protector—he was genuinely strong, with a unique fighting style.
"Sigh... I'm not sure I should say this…"
Gin tilted his head, sizing up the overconfident bald man.
From his perception, Shamon wasn't that much stronger than an elite chūnin—maybe on par with a squad leader.
Sure, in a small place like the Land of Wind, he might be considered a big shot. But if he ever faced a real powerhouse, he'd get absolutely crushed.
Gin hesitated. Should he tell this guy the harsh truth?
"The world outside is colorful and dangerous, but your skills… bro, they're kinda mid."
"Go ahead, Gin-dono, speak freely!"
Thinking Gin was about to praise him, Shamon waved grandly and prepared to receive the compliment with modest humility.
"I've traveled to many countries and seen a lot of strong shinobi. To put it bluntly, if you tossed a brick into a big clan compound, you'd probably hit two or three guys on your level."
High EQ: "on your level."
Low EQ: "random cannon fodder."
"Nani!? Impossible! Absolutely not!"
Expecting flattery, Shamon nearly jumped out of his skin at Gin's words. His tiny eyes bulged wide in disbelief.
"Looks like I need to teach you a little lesson about the dangers of the shinobi world."
Gin sighed inwardly. He looked up at the sky with a trace of melancholy.
"You wanna spar with me? Gin-dono, I don't wanna hurt you!"
Shamon, thinking Gin was challenging him, quickly waved his hands and tried to back out. Despite the shock of Gin's words, he hadn't taken them seriously.
Pfft! No way random travelers are stronger than me!
"I'm not trying to fight you…"
Gin scratched his head, frustrated. Honestly, he was so strong now, he didn't even know how to hold back.
If he went too hard and shattered Shamon's confidence, the future Five Kage Summit might be short one bald-headed rep.
"Wait! I almost forgot I had that thing!"
Just then, Gin's eyes lit up as he recalled a certain prize he'd lifted from the moon.
His entire demeanor shifted with excitement.
"You still haven't given up, Gin-dono? If you fight me, you could get hurt."
Shamon tried to dissuade him again. Despite Gin's cheerful attitude, he didn't believe this calm, sword-wearing traveler could possibly match his power.
"No no no, I'm not fighting."
Gin waved both hands quickly.
Downscaling the conflict—it's the classy move.
"Good, then we—"
Before Shamon could finish, Gin pulled something from his back—a scroll.
After a quick dramatic chant (which was mostly for show), he discreetly opened a rift to the Shadow Realm.
"Come on out… Sarei!"
With a puff of theatrical white smoke, a figure in a white kimono stepped forth from the scroll.
Grinning, Gin raised an eyebrow at Shamon and said seriously:
"As a big-time traveler, it's totally reasonable for me to carry a bodyguard, right?"
"What… is that thing?"
Shamon's alarm flared immediately. Even with his rough sensing skills, he could feel a crushing pressure from the kimono-clad woman with no life force.
This was Sarei—one of the two puppets Gin had "borrowed" from the moon. Since they looked identical, he'd named them "Sarei" and "Urei" for easy distinction.
"Master, what are your orders?"
Sarei's yellow eyes flickered with faint emotion as she scanned the desert around her.
Though her tone was cold and mechanical, she seemed faintly surprised.
"Shamon-aniki, my personal strength is hard to quantify... but thankfully I've got a bodyguard. Why don't you spar with her?"
Gin shoved the bewildered Sarei forward with a helpless look.
"Gin-dono... what is she?"
Shamon asked cautiously, trying to make sense of this strange presence.
"'What is she'? Oi, Shamon-aniki, you're gonna make me angry. Sarei's my partner, not some thing."
Gin sounded genuinely offended, and his words struck a chord with Sarei.
For a moment, something warm flickered in her mechanical heart… and then—
"She's not a thing!"
CRACK!
Her mechanical heart shattered.
Fortunately, Gin's chakra was still flowing through her, and she repaired herself in just a few seconds.
"Master... if you have gas to pass, pass it already."
...She would never allow herself to be emotionally moved again.
"Ahem... Sarei was a gift from a distant relative of mine. They live way out in the boonies, so I guess it's not surprising you've never seen this kind of... regional specialty."
Every word technically true.
"So she's a…"
Shamon leaned in, curiosity practically oozing from his pores.
Seeing that, Gin decided to stop teasing and explained,
"Sarei is a puppet. I control her movements using my chakra."
"A puppet? Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!"
The moment he heard the term, something clicked inside Shamon. He circled Sarei several times, eyes gleaming, muttering in awe.
Gin sighed.
Yup. He'd just birthed the ninja world's first figurine-obsessed puppet artisan.
"Wanna try her out?"
He quickly interrupted Shamon's dazed inspection.
Yup... too late. I've created a monster.
"Let me see what a puppet can do!"
To Gin's relief, Shamon didn't mind being interrupted. In fact, he looked thrilled.
"Monitoring host entering combat... Steel Heart Treasure Chest accumulating..."
The system suddenly chimed in for the first time in ages.
...Oh yeah, I forgot that thing even existed.
"Sarei, just play with him. Don't go all out."
Gin knew roughly what Sarei was capable of, but still felt the need to give a warning.
"Yes."
The moment she replied, Sarei vanished like a white streak of lightning.
"So fast!"
Shamon's earlier smugness vanished as he went into full alert.
He released a purple chakra aura that formed a thin barrier over his body, then clapped his hands together.
Wind-nature chakra surged between his palms, ready for a powerful strike.
"What are you looking for?"
A cold, mechanical voice rang out from above him.
"Fūton: Reppūshō (Wind Style: Gale Palm)!"
Startled, Shamon hurled the attack upward—only to hear no impact.
His heart sank.
Before he could react, the voice echoed again—this time from behind.
Instead of another close-range strike, Shamon formed a different seal, releasing a new jutsu:
"Fūton: Rōmō (Wind Style: Net Bind)!"
A net of yellow wind chakra spread out around him in a perfect 360° dome.
"Unless you've sprouted wings, there's no escaping my Heaven and Earth Net!"
"Chirp chirp~"
(End of Chapter)
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