After wandering around the Land of Water for two days and casually eliminating a few unperceptive Kiri scouts, Sora estimated that enough time had passed. He then set off to return to the Land of Whirlpools.
Along the way, he changed direction multiple times to confirm he wasn't being followed before quietly slipping back to Ascension Island.
However, when he entered the underground laboratory this time, Sora sensed a distinctly different, lived-in atmosphere compared to before.
Nonō had her sleeves rolled up and was sorting wild vegetables collected from the island together with Miyamoto Ichirō. Several very fresh-looking sea fish were placed nearby.
Kabuto was operating a centrifuge on the side, preparing for preliminary cell cloning experiments.
"Sora, you're back."
Nonō was the first to notice the movement. She looked up, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
"Yes, the mission was just a formality. It went smoothly."
Sora nodded, his gaze sweeping over the neatly organized living area. He felt a slight sense of relief inwardly.
He had been worried earlier that Nonō and the others might have difficulty adjusting after suddenly moving from a hidden village like Konoha to this deserted island. It seemed their resilience was stronger than he had imagined.
"Sister Nonō is amazing."
Miyamoto Ichirō chimed in with a simple smile. "She even disguised herself and went to the main island of the Land of Whirlpools this morning, exchanging for quite a few daily necessities and seeds. She said we could try planting something on the island later."
Sora looked at Nonō with some surprise, not expecting Nonō to have such a 'farming' trait.
Nonō wiped her hands and said with a smile, "The Land of Whirlpools is a mixed bag right now, with no unified management. That actually makes it easier for me to move around. Don't worry, I was very careful. I won't be exposed."
Seeing the renewed sparkle and confidence in her eyes, Sora couldn't help but think of the title 'The Walking Witch'.
"That's good, but safety must still come first."
Sora cautioned, then relaxed. "It seems you're adapting well. That puts my mind at ease."
He then settled into the laboratory as well.
This was a good opportunity to guide Kabuto in learning deeper knowledge about cell cloning and genetics, in preparation for creating clones later.
...
In the afternoon, while Sora was explaining some key points to Kabuto, his mind suddenly stirred. An urgent message came through the reverse summoning contract link.
'What's going on?'
Sora frowned slightly. Tenji was usually very sensible and wouldn't lightly use reverse summoning unless it was an emergency.
'Are those monkeys in the Land of Peaceful Bliss who exclude it causing trouble for it again? Or has it encountered some danger?'
Although he thought it unlikely that anything major would happen on the Enma clan's turf, worried that Tenji might be at a disadvantage, Sora decided to go check immediately.
"I'll step out for a moment."
He said this to the people in the laboratory, then ceased resisting the summoning force.
Poof.
A puff of white smoke appeared, and Sora's figure vanished from the laboratory.
...
Arriving in the Land of Peaceful Bliss, Sora immediately entered a state of alert, his gaze sharp as he scanned ahead.
Then, he froze.
The anticipated scene of Tenji being surrounded or in a sorry state did not appear.
Standing opposite Tenji was another person, who was also frozen in place.
That person had a cigarette in his mouth, wore a standard Konoha chunin flak jacket, and had a look of astonishment on his face.
"Asuma?"
"Sora?"
The two humans and one monkey, six eyes meeting, the air seemed to solidify at that moment.
Sora's mind raced. Why was Asuma here?
Judging by the situation, he seemed to be here for Tenji?
To sign a summoning contract?
The expression on Asuma's face was even more dramatic, shifting from initial surprise to confusion, then to realization, and finally turning into a sort of wry, 'wasted trip' amusement.
"Ahem..."
Asuma broke the silence first. "Sora... So, it was you all along?"
Sora also reined in his surprise and nodded. "Asuma, long time no see."
He looked at Tenji and asked, "What's going on?"
Tenji immediately replied, "Master, this person calls himself Sarutobi Asuma. He says he came under orders from the Hokage and the Enma elder, hoping to sign a summoning contract with me. I clearly told him I already have a contractor, but he didn't seem to fully believe me. To avoid unnecessary conflict, I summoned you here."
Hearing this, Sora understood. He said to Asuma, "It seems to be a misunderstanding. Tenji signed a contract with me a long time ago. It is my partner."
Asuma spread his hands.
"I thought so. Those old monkeys in the clan were being all mysterious, saying a gifted little guy had an owner but wouldn't say who. The old man still sent me to try my luck... Turns out it's you, kid."
He walked over and gave Sora's shoulder a playful punch.
"Not bad, Sora! Quietly getting such a powerful summon! My dad and Uncle Enma speak incredibly highly of it!"
Seeing Asuma's attitude, Sora also relaxed.
"Just lucky."
Sora said modestly, then changed the subject. "What brings you here? A mission?"
"Sort of. A special mission from the old man."
Asuma curled his lip. "Since it's your summon, forget it. I'll just go back and report to the old man."
He looked at Sora, then at the lively-eyed Tenji, and sighed.
"Ah, a wasted trip. But it's fine, better than having it signed by some stranger. Sora, train it well. Maybe we can fight side by side in the future."
"Definitely." Sora nodded.
The two chatted briefly about recent events, and then Asuma took his leave.
Watching Asuma's departing back as he left the valley, Sora also felt somewhat speechless. What was this all about?
Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to arrange Tenji for his son, but this 'high-potential stock' was already in his own bowl.
However, this also highlighted Tenji's potential from the side. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was interested. This incident undoubtedly served as a reminder for Sora.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already noticed Tenji's existence and was trying to bring it under the control of the "Hokage faction."
This time, it was easily resolved because the contractor was Asuma's classmate and friend.
But what if it was Danzo or someone else next time?
'It seems Tenji's current strength is probably not far off from Enma's, even if it hasn't caught up completely. I can let Tenji get some battlefield experience later.'
Sora looked Tenji over carefully, estimating it had at least Jonin-level strength. He patted Tenji's shoulder.
"You handled it well. If anything like this happens again, call me directly."
"Understood, Master."
Without lingering further, Sora once again sensed his surroundings, confirming no other prying eyes were present, then had Tenji cancel the reverse summoning.
With a poof, his figure also vanished from the valley of the Land of Peaceful Bliss, returning to the underground laboratory on Ascension Island.
But this unexpected interlude made Sora even more determined to completely break away from Konoha as soon as possible. Only on his own turf could he develop truly at ease, without constantly worrying about schemes from behind.
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