"If handled right, Nikamura might become my first ally."
Shiki thought to himself. In truth, he had considered Duy Ni—at least back then—as a possible ally, despite his cruelty.
But the guy was way too brutal. First, that clashed with Shiki's own beliefs.
Second, drawing from his past life experiences, he knew someone this cruel would eventually fall. Even without Shiki getting involved, it seemed like destruction was already on its way for him.
"I really can't figure out what goes through your mind," Ka Natsuko sighed helplessly, gazing at the endless green fields in the distance.
Beyond those fields lay the Land of Rain, shrouded under dark clouds—and on its border stood Nikamura.
"Harada is a man who always believes in goodness. At first, the villagers made a lot of money under Duy Ni's leadership, so they drove Harada away."
Shiki Uzumaki frowned. "But if he truly were a good person, wouldn't he expose these things after learning about them?"
The surrounding scenery kept changing—marking how far they'd traveled from Konoha Village.
Yet when mentioning this, traces of sadness appeared on Ka Natsuko's gentle face.
"In the Land of Rain, killings like this are quite common. No one tries to stop them, because the current leader of Amegakure acts strangely—seemingly indifferent to national affairs. And aside from being kind-hearted, he deeply loves his village, which probably explains why he wanted to change it on his own."
"So?" Shiki Uzumaki pressed.
Ka Natsuko reminded him, "Do you remember the letter your team delivered last time?"
"The letter we delivered before?"
That had been Team 9's very first Class C mission—the one where Shiki learned [Dance of the Sword].
Now though, he recalled other details.
At that time, Harada had written a letter to the village, and the headman of Nikamura wore such a delighted expression upon reading it. It must have meant that Harada had achieved some major breakthrough.
"At that time, Harada had already begun negotiations with the merchant village near Konoha. He offered general cargo protection services at half the price charged by Konoha. When the villagers learned the news, everyone was overjoyed. Because now they could make the village prosper through their own efforts—with less risk involved, and no need for guilt."
The so-called "Merchant Ninja Village" isn't really a ninja village at all—it's just a trade hub filled with merchants (merchant ninja is just a name).
Shiki nodded. Normally, hiring ninjas for regular cargo escorts would significantly increase costs.
Only valuable goods usually required protection from elite ninja villages.
That's why Harada's idea made perfect sense.
Seeing Shiki nod, Ka Natsuko continued, "Precisely because of this, the conflict between Duy Ni and Harada intensified."
Although most villagers supported Harada, the younger fighters tended to back Duy Ni, so Harada lost.
A final sigh revealed Ka Natsuko's mood.
However, Shiki Uzumaki, having sorted everything out, looked away with a sudden gleam in his eyes.
"It's okay, Onee-san. I've decided to go all out for this mission. I'll help you support Harada and eliminate Duy Ni from your village's power struggle. What do you think?" (To be continued)
Chapter 230: Return to the Land of Rain
The rain fell in heavy sheets. Beneath the thick clouds, the cold downpour was especially unpleasant.
But Shiki Uzumaki had already prepared himself, holding up a black paper umbrella.
At twelve, he'd grown to about four foot eleven.
Even standing beside Ka Natsuko, who was around five-and-a-half feet tall, he didn't seem particularly short.
Holding the pitch-black umbrella kept both of them dry from the falling rain.
Shiki exhaled warm breath before solemnly looking at the village barely visible through the curtain of rain.
"Onee-san, do you know where Harada is exactly?"
"Hmm..." Ka Natsuko hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't."
"I see." Shiki nodded. Actually, there was no need to bring Ka Natsuko along on this mission in the first place.
But as far as Shiki Uzumaki was concerned, she clearly understood the village situation better. Plus, she wanted to come back on her own.
So Shiki brought her along.
At first, they simply walked together normally. It wasn't until later that they realized their pace was too slow.
Then Shiki picked up Ka Natsuko in a princess carry.
At first, Shiki wanted to carry her on his back, but since she was taller than him, that would've felt awkward.
Eventually, he chose this position.
Might as well treat it as arm strength training.
Though in reality, Ka Natsuko's weight offered practically no resistance for Shiki at all.
Throughout this process, Ka Natsuko's face flushed a little.
But the results were clear—they returned to Nikamura within a single day.
Giving them much more time for their next move.
"Not knowing Harada's exact location right now is definitely a problem," Shiki sighed.
Before ensuring Harada's safety, he absolutely couldn't allow Duy Ni and his men to detect their presence.
If it were only himself involved, that wouldn't be an issue. But with her by his side, the risk factor shot up considerably.
"Onee-san, if that's the case, why don't you rent a room at an inn in a nearby village first? Let me scout ahead in the village first. How does that sound?"
Shiki asked. Clearly, this was the simplest solution.
"But you aren't very familiar with the village yourself," Ka Natsuko replied with concern.
This kid's actions seemed recklessly impulsive.
And his youthful, immature face made it hard for her to feel reassured.
Actually, this was also one of the reasons she wanted to return with him.
"Don't worry, I used to live here for a bit before, remember? Rest assured, I'll be just fine."
As he said this, Shiki Uzumaki gave Ka Natsuko a thumbs-up, flashing his white teeth like Might Guy.
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