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Ryūsei had clearly gone overboard with his teasing, undoing two months of careful conditioning in an instant.
Hinata had never been subjected to such verbal shock before.
After waking up, she immediately reverted to her former ostrich-loli self, her head perpetually lowered, cheeks still burning red. However, her bowed posture only accentuated the very noticeable "assets" she had developed—thanks to her bottomless-pit appetite absorbing vast amounts of nutrients. No doubt, Ino and Sakura would be green with envy if they saw them.
At this rate of development, it wouldn't be long before Hinata transformed into the classic "baby face with overwhelming proportions."
Watching Hinata, who refused to lift her head, Ryūsei grew worried. He feared she might develop the same self-loathing or insecurity as certain manga heroines about her prematurely developed "blessings." Acting on impulse, he blurted out, "It's fine, Hinata. Bigger is better. I just like them big."
Boom—
A sound akin to a train whistle erupted as a white mushroom cloud seemed to burst from Hinata's head.
Then, with a soft thud, the girl collapsed onto the tatami—fainted again!
Ryūsei: "…"
---
The Next Morning, 7:30 AM
Team 8 arrived early at the village gates, waiting for Kurenai and the merchant convoy.
Shino, carrying a backpack, glanced at Ryūsei, who had no luggage, and couldn't help but ask, "Ryūsei, aren't you bringing any supplies?"
Hinata, who hadn't dared to meet Ryūsei's eyes since waking up the day before, also looked at him curiously. She inwardly scolded herself for being too timid—if only she had stayed to help Ryūsei pack his things yesterday!
Ryūsei pulled out a scroll and smiled. "I don't have much luggage. Everything's stored inside this sealing scroll."
This was a lie.
The scroll was completely empty.
All of Ryūsei's belongings were stashed in his Spatial Backpack.
Aside from monsters dropping loot, the best feature of the game system was undoubtedly the 5x5 grid Spatial Backpack.
Ryūsei had already tested it—the Spatial Backpack functioned just like in the game.
The twenty-five slots could only store inanimate objects, and neither the weight nor the volume of the items could exceed Ryūsei's own capacity as the host.
As long as these conditions were met, identical items would stack, occupying only one slot. However, the maximum stack limit was ninety-nine.
With clever usage, Ryūsei's Spatial Backpack could hold an astonishing amount.
"A storage scroll?" Shino and Hinata nodded in understanding.
Then, Team 8 lapsed back into silence.
This was something even Ryūsei couldn't fix.
One was a brooding, aloof type, while the other was shy and reticent. No matter the topic, conversations died quickly, leaving Ryūsei at a loss for how to liven things up.
So, he simply closed his eyes and meditated.
---
8:00 AM
Kurenai and the merchant convoy arrived at the gates right on time, sparing Team 8 a long wait.
"This is Mr. Yamada. Your duty these next few days is to ensure his safety," Kurenai introduced.
"Yes, Kurenai-sensei!" The trio responded in unison.
Mr. Yamada smiled warmly. "Thank you for your hard work. Once we return to Iron Mine Village, I'll make sure to treat you all properly."
Instantly, Mr. Yamada won the trio's favor.
Compared to Tazuna, the client from Team 7's original mission, this man was a saint. No wonder he was the convoy's leader.
After brief introductions, Kurenai and Mr. Yamada handed their exit permits to the gate guards.
For the first time in their lives, Ryūsei, Hinata, and Shino stepped beyond the walls of Konoha—this militarized stronghold.
Hinata's face brimmed with excitement, her curiosity about the outside world palpable.
Shino, as cool as ever, kept his hands in his pockets, seemingly indifferent.
In truth, he was even more eager than Hinata.
Only Ryūsei remained genuinely unimpressed.
Though he had lived in a concrete jungle in his past life, Ryūsei had grown up in the countryside.
For this world—where even nobles traveled by horse-drawn carriages and roads were unpaved—he could easily imagine the sights.
Aside from fresher air and prettier landscapes, there'd be nothing but muddy, uneven paths.
And whenever a carriage passed by, they'd be eating dust.
Had they not endured countless D-rank missions to temper their patience, this journey on foot would have been torture.
Because when shinobi traveled at full speed, it was downright absurd.
In the original story, at the start of Shippūden, Team 7 had raced to save Gaara, reaching Sunagakure from Konoha in just one day—despite crossing two major nations and several smaller ones in between.
Ryūsei's history grades were excellent. He knew the Land of Rivers' location—wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. In the original story, the Akatsuki's cave where they sealed Gaara's One-Tail was situated there.
This country was nothing but mountains and forests.
Most villages and towns were either nestled at the base of mountains or perched atop them.
Those built on mountains were called mountain villages.
Unsurprisingly, Iron Mine Village was one such place.
Judging by its name, the convoy had likely come to Konoha to trade iron ore.
With so many rugged hills, bandits running rampant was inevitable.
Thus, the most probable enemies they'd face on this trip were those very outlaws.
At this thought, Ryūsei felt a twinge of disappointment.
Bandits were just desperate peasants—the odds of encountering rogue-nin among them were practically zero.
But his disappointment didn't end there.
Perhaps because Mr. Yamada was carrying substantial funds—money that wasn't solely his—he took no chances.
After leaving Konoha, the convoy stocked up on supplies and deliberately avoided all populated areas, aiming to return to Iron Mine Village as quickly as possible.
At night, they camped in the wild.
Thus, Team 8 took turns keeping watch, bored out of their minds.
---
Three days later, the convoy finally exited the Land of Fire.
Once inside the Land of Rivers, Hinata—who periodically activated her Byakugan—spotted numerous bandit scouts eyeing the convoy.
However, after noticing Team 8, the scouts retreated to report, and the bandits dispersed.
A few clever ones tried tailing the group, hoping to discern their destination and strike after Team 8 left.
With Kurenai's permission, Shino sent out his insects, incapacitating the stalkers.
---
On the fifth day, after traversing countless mountains and enduring harsh conditions, Team 8 and the convoy finally arrived at Iron Mine Village—perched atop one such mountain.
Though both were called "villages," comparing Iron Mine to Konoha was like comparing dirt to diamonds.
It was less a village and more a mining outpost.
Aside from the elderly, women, and children, every villager was busy digging tunnels.
Seeing this, Team 8 lost any desire to rest here for a few days.
Politely declining Mr. Yamada's hospitality, Kurenai collected their mission payment and led the team back down the mountain.
However, just as they prepared to use Body Flicker to hasten their return to Konoha—
A group of figures clad in black raincoats appeared ahead.
At the sight of them, Kurenai and Hinata's expressions shifted slightly.
Kurenai subtly signaled Team 8 with a hand gesture behind her back.
Hinata leaned close to Ryūsei and whispered, "When we ascended earlier, I scanned the area with my Byakugan. These people weren't there."
Hearing this, Ryūsei and Shino tensed. As they continued forward, their hands drifted toward their weapon pouches, ready to strike at any moment.
*****
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