As Mitsuki and the trio arrived at the doorway, the shift was immediate.
The controlled atmosphere of the building behind them gave way to the open noise of the village; voices, footsteps, distant laughter and shouts.
Hideki stretched his arms as he stepped out. "Ahh… feels less stiff out here."
Sora glanced back once at the entrance before turning forward again. "…Yeah. That place makes you stand straighter without even noticing."
Murakami said nothing as he stepped out, his eyes adjusting to the light. The transition didn't bother him, but he noted it anyway.
'Better cautious than sorry.' he thought to himself as Mitsuki turned to face them, hands resting loosely at his sides. "Alright," he said casually, "you've seen the important parts in there."
His gaze moved between the three of them. "So… where to next?"
Hideki immediately looked at Sora.
Sora didn't hesitate, he turned straight to Murakami.
Murakami's eyes twitched. 'Of course he did.'
Murakami understood they kids and all, but does that prevent them from realizing that this guy is an unknown…a stranger, yet they had already gotten so comfortable with him.
Didn't know whether to say as expected of a real Ninja considering his ability to make Sora and Hideki let their guard so easilu.
Or to say as expected of Hideki and Sora for being too trusting of someone just because he's putting on the same outfit as them.
He didn't comment on it, though. Instead, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out the folded map Kaito had given them earlier.
Since he was already in the game, there was no need to step out of line and stand out.
The paper made a soft sound as he unfolded it, his eyes scanning over the marked locations without hurry.
Sora leaned slightly closer. "You already memorized it, didn't you?"
"…More or less," Murakami replied, not bothering to hide it.
Hideki blinked. "Then why are you checking again?"
Murakami's gaze didn't lift from the map. "Confirming."
There was a brief pause as his eyes moved across the markings, tracing the paths between them.
Then he folded it halfway.
"…The health center," he said.
Sora raised a brow. "Medical facility?"
Murakami nodded once. "It's marked."
Hideki scratched the back of his head. "That's… kinda serious for our next stop, isn't it?"
Murakami finally lifted his gaze from the map. "It's necessary. You could very well end up there. So a reality check early on will do you good."
Sora studied him for a moment, then gave a small shrug. "…Fair."
Mitsuki's lips curved slightly, like he approved of the choice. "Good thinking. Most people skip that one unless they have to."
He turned, motioning down the street. "It's this way. Not too far."
Murakami folded the map completely and slipped it back into his sleeve. "After you."
They fell into step again, this time with Mitsuki slightly ahead.
Hideki kicked a small pebble along the road as they walked. "So… what even happens there? Just healing people?"
Mitsuki glanced back at him. "Mostly. Injuries, poison treatment, chakra exhaustion… anything that doesn't kill you immediately, ends up taking you there."
Hideki blinked. "…That's not comforting."
Sora, on the other hand, seemed more focused. "Do shinobi stay there long?"
"Depends," Mitsuki replied. "Some are in and out the same day. Others…" he paused briefly, "…take longer."
Murakami didn't ask anything because he didn't need to.
Places like that always told the same story. Not just through words… but through the people carried in there.
After a few more turns, the atmosphere shifted again.
The noise didn't disappear, but it softened.
Conversations were quieter here and movements more careful.
And then the building came into view.
It carried the same air as the Hokage building, but while the Hokage building was domineering, this one demanded a quieter kind of respect.
It was wider than most structures nearby, its design simple but clean. Large windows lined the front, letting in natural light, and there was a steady flow of people going in and out.
Some walked on their own.
Some didn't.
Hideki slowed slightly. "…So this is it."
Sora's eyes moved more carefully now, taking in everything. "…Yeah."
Murakami's gaze rested on the entrance for a while as his thoughts churned. If the mission center was where actions were chosen… Then this was where their results gathered.
"…Let's go," Mitsuki said, already stepping forward.
Murakami followed without hesitation.
There was no reason to avoid it.
Not when this was a place every shinobi would eventually come to visit no matter how strong you are.
After all, there is always someone stronger out there.
…
The moment they stepped inside, the air changed.
It was cleaner… sharper somehow. The faint scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the air.
Voices were lower here, even footsteps felt quieter.
Hideki instinctively dropped his voice. "…Why does it feel like we're not supposed to be loud?"
"Because you're not," Sora muttered, though his tone had also softened.
Mitsuki didn't slow his pace. "You get used to it," he said. "People come here to recover, not to listen to you shout."
They moved past a few beds lined along one side of the room. Some were empty, some weren't.
A shinobi sat with his arm wrapped tightly in bandages, staring ahead in silence. Another lay back with his eyes closed, chest rising slowly, a medic-nin checking something at his side.
Hideki's steps slowed again. "…They look… normal."
Mitsuki glanced back at him. "What were you expecting?"
Hideki hesitated. "…I don't know. Worse, I guess."
Sora shook his head slightly. "That's probably the point."
Murakami said nothing, his eyes moved from one patient to another, not lingering too long on any single one.
'Some injuries you see… some you don't,' he noted quietly.
Mitsuki stopped near a side corridor, turning to face them again.
"Basic layout's simple," he explained. "Front area for quick treatment and checkups. Further in, you've got recovery rooms, surgery areas… stuff you don't need to be wandering into."
Hideki nodded quickly. "Yeah… I don't think I want to see all that yet."
"That's the idea," Mitsuki replied.
Sora crossed his arms, looking thoughtful. "…Do all teams come here like this?"
"Some do," Mitsuki said. "Depends on the sensei. But knowing where this is, and not panicking when you need it, is important."
Murakami exhaled lightly through his nose.
'A place you hope not to need… but must be ready to rely on.'
"…Understood," he said simply.
Mitsuki gave a small nod, satisfied.
"Alright," he said, turning back toward the entrance. "That's enough for here. No need to overstay."
Hideki didn't argue.
Sora didn't either.
And Murakami… had already seen enough.
They stepped back outside, the noise of the village returning once again. .
Hideki let out a breath. "…I don't think I like that place."
"You're not supposed to," Sora replied. "It's not somewhere you go because you want to."
Murakami said nothing, already pulling out the map again.
"…We're not done," he said simply.
Mitsuki gave a small nod. "Good. Let's keep moving."
Murakami gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing. 'This senpai is a little bit too enthusiastic.' he noted to himself.
…
Their next stop was the training grounds.
Upon arrival, they were met with a wide stretch of open land that came into view, broken up by wooden posts, scattered logs, and patches of uneven earth that looked like they had been churned up more times than anyone could count.
This wasn't training ground 8 they were familiar with. This place looked more sophisticated.
Hideki's eyes lit up. "Woah… so this is where people come to train?"
Mitsuki gave a small nod as they walked further in. "One of them."
Sora glanced around more carefully. "…One?"
"Yeah," Mitsuki said, gesturing lazily with his hand. "Konoha Shinobi doesn't rely on just one training field. There are multiple training grounds spread across the village."
Hideki blinked. "Why so many?"
"So people don't get in each other's way," Mitsuki replied simply. "And because not all training is the same."
He pointed toward a section off to the side where several tall wooden posts were lined up at different distances.
"Some areas are set up for basic drills like target practice, movement, and repetition."
Then he tilted his chin toward a more open, rough-looking field further ahead where the ground was uneven and scarred.
"And others are meant for sparring."
Hideki squinted. "…That place looks… dangerous."
"It can be," Mitsuki said without hesitation. "But that's the point."
Sora crossed his arms. "So teams just come here and train?"
"Mostly," Mitsuki nodded. "Genin teams usually have assigned spots depending on their sensei. Some prefer quiet areas. Others…" he glanced toward the scarred field again, "…don't."
Murakami's gaze followed briefly before shifting back. He already had a large enough space behind his home. Visiting the training grounds would be useless unless it was a team gathering.
Mitsuki continued walking, "There are also specialized grounds," he added. "Forest areas for tracking and stealth, water zones for chakra control, obstacle setups for endurance."
Hideki's expression shifted from excitement to something more focused. "…So it's not just about fighting."
Mitsuki gave him a brief look. "If it was just about fighting, half the village wouldn't make it past Genin."
Sora nodded faintly at that.
Murakami didn't speak. His eyes moved across the field while wondering what number this training ground had.
He was aware of training ground 8, there was training ground 7, and there was training ground 44 which was the forest of death.
By that order, there should be training grounds 1 through to 44.
All for shinobi training, movements, repetitions, and mistakes being made and corrected without consequences.
Hideki suddenly puffed his chest a little. "We should come here more often."
Sora immediately shot him down. "We will be coming here. You don't get a choice."
"…Still counts."
Mitsuki let out a quiet chuckle. "You've got energy. That's good."
Then he turned slightly, already starting to move on.
"But don't burn it all in one place," he added. "You've got a lot more to see."
Murakami didn't hesitate and followed and the others did the same.
…
After that, they stopped by a series of weapons stores. They were all situated on an entire street, like a plaza.
Murakami was familiar with this place since a few of his training kunai and shruiken came from here.
The place was small but packed. Rows of Shinobi grade and household weapons lined the walls.
Kunai and shuriken of different sizes were arranged neatly in racks, Senbon needles were bundled together in small cases, while coils of ninja wire hung beside them.
Short swords and tanto blades rested behind the counter, alongside collapsible staffs and reinforced batons used for close combat.
Storage pouches, holsters, and tool belts were stacked in corners for quick purchase.
Explosive tags were kept sealed and out of reach, placed carefully behind the shopkeeper, while smoke bombs and flash pellets sat in small labeled containers nearby.
Mundane tools were also mixed in, kitchen knives, farming blades, and basic utility tools, blurring the line between civilian life and that of a shinobi.
Hideki immediately picked a kunai and felt its weight. "This feels different from the academy ones."
"Because these are actually meant to be used," Sora said, rolling his eyes.
Even he could see that the ones here were of much higher standards than the ones given to them in the academy.
Hideki flipped it once and almost dropped it.
Sora sighed. "Careful."
"I had it under control!"
Murakami ignored them, his eyes moving briefly across the tools before stepping back out. He didn't really desire any. All his ninja tools were custom made.
'Perks of being rich.' he thought smugly to himself.
…
They kept moving and came to the market district in the East side of the village.
A dango stand where the smell of something sweet lingered in the air.
A quieter street where civilians went about their day, completely different from the shinobi areas.
A small bridge where water flowed steadily beneath it, the sound calm compared to the rest of the village.
They didn't stop too long anywhere.
But they saw enough with Sora pointing things out now and then.
"That road loops back to the main street," he muttered once.
Murakami gave a small nod at the observation. "Mm."
Hideki, meanwhile, got distracted every few minutes.
"Hey, did you see that dog?"
"No."
"It was right there!"
"Focus."
"I am focusing!"
Murakami didn't really interfere with them. Just being there with them was fine.
It was all part of the team bonding exercise.
…
By the time they had gone to the village gate and circled back toward a busier part of the village, the sun had shifted.
Hideki slowed down.
"…Hey."
No response.
"…Hey."
Sora glanced back at him. "What?"
Hideki placed a hand on his stomach.
"…I'm hungry."
Sora stared at him. "…Already? We just ate some time aho."
"That was hours ago!"
Murakami glanced up briefly at the sky and then at his shadow.
'It's already past noon,' he noted.
Mitsuki let out a small laugh. "Walking around all day does that."
Hideki looked at Murakami immediately. "Food?"
Sora shook his head. "Of course you'd say that."
Murakami exhaled softly, "…There's a food street nearby," he said.
Hideki's eyes lit up. "Then why are we still standing here?"
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
This may be my last chapter here that'll be free... Help me Vote after reading and y'all are not willing... 🥲
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