Good-Looking People Always Have Good Luck

"Hey, hey, hey! Aren't you a little too young to be reading that?!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the kid across from him, who pulled a little book from his clothes as if he had found a kindred spirit.

Kakashi, who knew every one of Lord Jiraiya's great works inside and out, recognized the book for what it was at a glance.

"Damn it, it's the latest collector's edition, too! Even I couldn't get my hands on one!!!"

Kakashi's heart jolted, but his right hand moved on instinct, snatching at the treasure as quick as lightning as he said,

"How about I take that as your fare?"

To his surprise, though his strike seemed certain to succeed, his hand closed on empty air.

When he looked again, he saw that the kid had somehow darted over to the gunwale and was carelessly flipping through the treasure.

"What a waste! No, he's fast!" Kakashi's heart tightened. Even without the Sharingan's ability to track movement, he was an elite Jonin, yet the kid's movements had escaped his notice. He really was remarkable.

"The writing's good, but the positions are pretty ordinary!"

Dōmeki tossed the copy of Icha Icha Paradise straight into Kakashi's hands. Watching him scramble to catch it, he smiled and said,

"Now that you've got my fare, let's set sail!"

"Captain!"

Speechless, Kakashi untied the fishing boat's mooring rope, then fumbled with the sail while rowing. Only after the boat caught the wind and got underway did he have a moment to glance at the red-haired boy sprawled in the cabin like he owned the place.

After a moment's thought, Kakashi walked over to the red-haired boy. "Hey, kid, aren't you going to help?"

"Huh?" A squid tentacle dangling from the corner of his mouth, Dōmeki stared at Kakashi in disbelief. "Captain, I already paid!"

Kakashi was at a loss for words and could only change the subject. Looking out over the open sea, he finally asked his question.

"Kid, you seem to know who I really am."

Dōmeki nodded without the slightest attempt to hide it. "The genius ninja of Konohagakure, the Technician of Konoha who's mastered a thousand Ninjutsu, the Copy Ninja, the Sharingan Ninja..."

"You're none other than—the White Yaksha, Gintoki Sakata... ahem, Lord Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi covered his friend's left eye, and his increasingly astonished gaze turned cold. "You know quite a lot!"

Dōmeki simply shrugged. Looking at the now-icy Kakashi, he said with a smile, "Silver hair, a covered face, and a reputation that precedes you, Kakashi-senpai—you’re really easy to recognize!"

"But you're certainly worthy of being a ninja from the strongest shinobi village, Senior. Your outfit has so much style, unlike my companions. Every one of them looks bizarre, and they all think they're so cool."

Dōmeki went on and on with his complaints, looking rather like one of those people who longed for life in a great shinobi village. Kakashi froze for another moment.

Then Kakashi flipped a Kunai in his hand and held it against the boy's throat, intense killing intent surging from him. "You recognized me and still came close to me. What exactly are you after, kid?!!"

"Kakashi-senpai, it's not polite to treat a guest like this!"

Calmly, Dōmeki raised his right hand, covered in a black layer, to block the sharp Kunai. The blade made a grating screech, but the boy's hand was completely unharmed.

The sight startled Kakashi. What kind of Ninjutsu is that? And what about the Hand Seals?

If Dōmeki could have heard Kakashi's thoughts, he would surely have retorted, Sorry, I'm running the latest version. Kakashi-senpai, you're still in S1, where you'll have to obediently go through forty-four Hand Seals in the future!

"Hmph!"

Having probed him briefly, Kakashi withdrew his Kunai. "I don't see why I should be polite to someone who hides his identity and deliberately approaches me!"

"I'm shaking with anger and cold! When will ninja from small shinobi villages finally be able to stand tall? Is it wrong for a ninja from a small village to appear before a ninja from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"

Dōmeki's eyes filled with tears, and his whole body trembled!

The red-haired boy's sudden performance left Kakashi at a loss. "Kid, that's not what I meant."

Before Kakashi could finish, Dōmeki had already pulled out a packet of squid as if nothing had happened. "I'll forgive you, Senior. Want some?"

Kids these days are so hard to deal with!!! Kakashi roared inwardly. He also recalled that the Third Lord seemed to be planning to transfer him out of the Anbu and make him a team leader. He resolved to turn the assignment down as soon as he got back!

Just then, a mysterious smile curled Dōmeki's lips. "Since you insist on knowing who I am, Kakashi-senpai, allow me to introduce myself."

"Dōmeki Shun, from Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields, a small shinobi village that hasn't been around very long!"

"Otogakure?" Although Kakashi was somewhat surprised by the boy's honesty, he committed it firmly to memory.

And so, for the rest of the journey, the atmosphere on the fishing boat became unusually harmonious.

The curious boy asked him quite a few questions about Konoha. Kakashi figured that things like Ichiraku Ramen and glutinous rice dumplings probably didn't involve any of Konoha's secrets, so he told the boy about quite a few interesting places.

"One day, I'm going to visit Konoha. You'd better show me a good time when I do, Senior!"

Dōmeki's words carried a deeper meaning, but Kakashi, noticing nothing unusual about the boy, readily agreed.

Nothing more was said along the way.

The little boat arrived safely in the Land of Water.

Only after Dōmeki casually waved goodbye and disappeared into the mist did Kakashi let out a breath and look in the direction of Kirigakure.

"Hey, Xiaobai, time to get to work!"

Dōmeki tapped the little white snake on the head, prompting the little one to bite his finger in annoyance. Its body then suddenly vanished, carrying the news of the boy's safe arrival in the Land of Water to Orochimaru.

Only then was Dōmeki free to walk across the Land of Water like an ordinary tourist.

The Land of Water was an archipelago surrounded by vast seas. Its isolated environment had given rise to scenery and a culture entirely different from those of other countries.

Buildings of distinctive styles lay shrouded in thick mist. Even the sun could cast only a faint light, lending the place a veil of mystery.

Dōmeki was walking through a sizable town, but an area that should have been bustling seemed somewhat deserted.

The people walking the streets all looked cautious and rarely spoke to one another, seeming ready to flee at the slightest disturbance.

Even the shopkeepers greeted customers with an icy, unwelcoming tone, leaving the boy somewhat uncomfortable.

But when he recalled the turmoil in the Land of Water, especially in Kirigakure, and its nickname, the Bloody Mist Village, Dōmeki understood a little.

Dōmeki looked at the desolate scene with some disappointment. He had hoped to see the prosperity of one of the Five Great Nations, but who would have thought it would be like this?

Still, Dōmeki had always been good at finding beauty in life. His eyes swept over the lightly dressed girls, and he couldn't help marveling.

Sure enough, a land of water was more likely to raise beauties. The girls of this country all had soft, fair, supple skin and tall, slender figures. The long legs beneath their short skirts dazzled the boy until he felt a little dizzy.

Sure enough, good-looking people always had good luck.

This mission was worth it!!!