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"Alright then, this old woman wishes you all a smooth and safe journey."
Early in the morning, at the entrance of the Wisteria House, the old woman bid them farewell with a kind expression.
Then she took out a flint and struck sparks towards them... "Bastard, old hag, you're looking for death!" The hot-tempered Xiao Zhuzhu Inosuke, thinking she was provoking him, almost kicked her away, but Tanjiro and Zenitsu held him back.
"Baka, you idiot, this is a custom to ward off evil and bless us!" Tanjiro scolded angrily.
Uchiha Nagi: "..."
Tanjiro's garrulous crow was flying in the sky again, repeating impatiently, over and over.
"Caw! North-northeast, Mt. Natagumo!"
"Caw! North-northeast, Mt. Natagumo!"
------
The group walked along the road, heading towards Mt. Natagumo. Uchiha Nagi didn't know the way, so Tanjiro and his companions led them. "Hey, don't run so fast. After reaching your destination, you need to have a certain amount of stamina for battle, so it's best to proceed at a steady pace." Uchiha Nagi called out to the three little ones ahead.
The three little ones whispered something to each other, then started arguing again, and began to compete in speed, each running faster than the last, which left Uchiha Nagi a little speechless.
"They're truly children who haven't experienced a battlefield. Their innocence is almost enviable..." Uchiha Nagi sighed.
There was a time when he also envied such pure, guileless friendships, but unfortunately, he couldn't obtain them... Uchiha Nagi was a little younger than Kakashi and a little older than Shisui, so he wasn't in the same class as any plot characters.
And after growing up, when he went to the battlefield, he would cower if he could, and hide if he could, keeping such a low profile that he didn't have a single friend. There was no Might Guy to challenge him to a fight, nor were there classmates like Obito and Rin.
He remembered that not long after going to the battlefield, due to the shortage of medical personnel, he was transferred to the rear. A few days later, he heard that his squad leader and two companions from his class had all died during a mission.
After that, he continued to hide until the Shinobi World War ended, and through diligent training, he also became a Jonin. However, he then heard even more tragic news: Shisui, who was younger than him, had made a huge name for himself.
He had earned the title of "Shunshin Shisui," and Uchiha Nagi knew that Shisui had also secretly awakened his Mangekyo.
As a Transmigrator, yet without any system or golden finger, he could only tragically keep hiding. This was reality. Uchiha Nagi didn't care about those false reputations; he absolutely wouldn't draw attention to himself unless he reached Kage-level or above. This was a decision he had made himself.
The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be struck by the wind—
Sure enough, the Kage-level Shisui died... The Ninja World had psychological problems, yet no psychologists. This was a serious issue, and the Uchiha Clan's psychological problems were also very severe.
Therefore, upon arriving in this world, Uchiha Nagi decided that he seemed to be slowly recovering to a normal person, returning to the way he was as a modern person in his previous life.
He had to thank that lively girl, Kagome, for helping him regain some human emotions... Uchiha Nagi picked up a bowl-sized instrument and played a song, "Beloved."
The three bickering little ones slowly stopped when they heard Uchiha Nagi's music, especially Inosuke. Having never heard music before, his eyes widened, and he looked adorably dazed, even taking off his boar mask.
The faint melancholy in the music was intoxicating and heartbreaking, full of a sense of vicissitude, as if someone who had lost something and only then learned to cherish it was narrating his emotions.
"So... so beautiful, it's truly wonderful, Nagi-aniki (Nagi, older brother), this song is so beautiful, please teach me!" Zenitsu exclaimed, hugging Uchiha Nagi's leg. "It's really beautiful, Uchiha Nagi, older brother, can you teach all of us? We all want to learn, right Inosuke?" Tanjiro also said, looking enchanted.
"Ah~" Inosuke scratched his head, "Then let's learn, but it doesn't seem useful for combat... Mm mm."
"You want to learn? Of course, I'll teach you!" Uchiha Nagi smiled. He felt a sense of looking at his younger brothers when he saw the three little ones.
Especially their personalities, like lotuses emerging from mud unstained; spending time with them was truly enjoyable.
So the four of them sat under a big tree at noon, enjoying lunch they had brought from the Wisteria House. Uchiha Nagi said to the three of them,
"Wait for me, I'm going to hunt a few rabbits to add to our meal~"
"Oh, oh, I'll go too! Hunting is my specialty; I grew up in the forest," Inosuke said.
"Then I'll go collect some firewood. My family has been charcoal burners for generations, so this is my specialty," Tanjiro volunteered.
"Huh, then what do I do?" Zenitsu asked, looking puzzled. "Then I'll just be responsible for eating well... Ow, that hurts."
Inosuke punched him on the head, "Bastard, you go help Tanjiro!"
In less than half an hour, Uchiha Nagi and Inosuke returned with two rabbits and a few fish. Seeing that Tanjiro and the others hadn't arrived yet, Uchiha Nagi began to process the game.
Under Inosuke's curious gaze, he used Earth Release to create a small pit, and then with Water Release, a small pond appeared.
Next, he gutted and cleaned the animals' internal organs and skins, then took out a storage scroll, releasing a pot and seasonings.
Tanjiro, who had returned with firewood, said enviously, "Sugoi~! Nagi-aniki (Nagi, older brother), your scroll can hold so many things, it's truly enviable."
Uchiha Nagi smiled, "If you can refine Chakra, I'll give you a scroll. This storage scroll requires Chakra to open and store things."
Zenitsu was overjoyed, "Really? Nagi-aniki (Nagi, older brother), I want one too!"
Inosuke was furious, "Bastard, I saw it first, I want it first..."
Tanjiro, meanwhile, yelled at the two of them, "You're being rude!"
Watching the three noisy peers, Uchiha Nagi smiled slightly, recalling his school days and going on outings with classmates... He placed the processed rabbits and fish on the grill, and also cooked a pot of fish soup, constantly sprinkling seasonings and flipping them occasionally.
Before long, the aroma of roasted meat and fish soup wafted through the air.
Grumble~
Xiao Zhuzhu Inosuke was drooling just looking at it.
"It's ready to eat," Uchiha Nagi handed them the roasted fish and rabbit meat.
Inosuke was the first to snatch two grilled fish, and without minding the heat, he began to feast.
"Mmm... so hot... so delicious..."
"Mmm mmm, it's so delicious, Uchiha Nagi, older brother, how are you such a good cook?" Tanjiro asked.
"I've lived alone since I was little, so I cooked for myself, and my cooking skills gradually developed," Uchiha Nagi said.
"Huh, but I also live alone, why is the food I make only just cooked?" Inosuke asked, puzzled.
"..."
Such a question instantly left everyone present at a loss for how to answer.
"Ah, I'm so full, so full, it feels good to be full. Should we leave now? Or rest for a while?" Zenitsu asked.
"Let's go. The sooner we reach Mt. Natagumo, the more casualties we can reduce among ordinary people." After Tanjiro finished speaking, he prepared to pick up his wooden box.
However, the three of them quietly looked at Uchiha Nagi, waiting for him to speak. Unbeknownst to them, both his age and strength had established him as the leader in their hearts.