The man standing in front of the unit headquarters had a square face and a fairly long scar. A black eyepatch covered his right eye, and he looked like a difficult man to get along with.
"I'm Kojima, an Elite Jonin from the Operations Department. I'll lead everyone to the border. If there are no questions, we'll leave now."
After speaking, he glanced at Hoshino Maki, who was smiling warmly at him from among the crowd.
By rank, Hoshino Maki was his superior. He should have been leading the support unit, with Kojima assisting him.
Now Hoshino Maki had voluntarily stepped aside within the unit, letting Kojima take the lead. That was rare in Sunagakure, where everyone knew their place.
When Kojima had returned to the village, he'd also looked into the Medical Ninja who'd recently become so prominent.
With an unremarkable background and talent, Hoshino Maki might never have had the chance to meet a man of Kojima's Great Clan lineage if he hadn't made a name for himself at the hospital.
There was no way someone like him could have been appointed Medical Corps Commander out of the blue without anyone backing him.
But no matter how you looked at it, having an Elite Jonin like himself call a kid like that "Lord" was a little hard to swallow.
Kojima had still been considering how to treat this rising star when Hoshino Maki had directly stepped back and pushed him into the spotlight, choosing to remain behind the scenes.
He didn't know what the other man was planning, but he appreciated the goodwill.
Kojima's rigid face managed to form a smile, and he gave Hoshino Maki a slight nod.
The Land of Wind was vast. It took about a day and a half to travel from Sunagakure, in its center, to the border with the Land of Rain. After a full day on the road, the support unit stopped to rest at a watchtower.
After summoning his Summoning Beast to notify the Frontline Troops, Kojima was about to close his eyes and rest when he faintly heard bursts of laughter. Frowning, he got up and walked to the door. Just as he was about to open it and reprimand them, he heard a young Ninja outside call out:
"Big brother Hoshino, tell us one more!"
Kojima recognized the speaker as Hatta Yota. He was a direct descendant of a Great Clan, with a far more distinguished background than Kojima, who was a branch-family member. He'd only just graduated as a Genin this year and had been assigned to the communications unit. This war was probably little more than a chance for him to earn some prestige.
Still, the boy was usually arrogant. Kojima had no idea how Hoshino Maki had gotten on such good terms with him—good enough for the boy to call him "big brother."
"Yota, it's late. We have to get back on the road early tomorrow."
"It's fine. If you're worried Uncle Kojima will be upset, I'll handle him!"
Yota thumped his chest and spoke with his head held high.
"Yota." Hoshino Maki reached out and ruffled Yota's bristly hair. In a serious tone, he said, "The moment we left the village, we entered a state of war. Cloud Ninja Shuriken don't care about our background or rank. Having an experienced Ninja like Captain Kojima lead us into battle is a valuable asset. He can help us make it back to the village alive. Think about your family and friends, Yota. Don't you want to see your mother and Yami again?"
At the mention of Yami, Yota blushed. He tried to sound defiant as he said, "I-I don't care about seeing her. She just bullies me."
"Haha, Yota's blushing!"
The others teased him good-naturedly.
Hoshino Maki looked around. The mood had lightened again, so he seized the moment and said, "All right, I'll tell one more story, then everyone goes to sleep."
It wasn't just the youngsters gathered around him. Even the Ninjas farther away turned their heads and perked up their ears.
Hoshino Maki cleared his throat.
A Mist Ninja, a Hot Water Ninja, and a Leaf Ninja sat together, discussing the happiest thing in the world.
The Leaf Ninja said, "The happiest thing in the world is sitting on a high cliff, eating dumplings while gazing down at an endless sea of lush forest in the distance."
The Hot Water Ninja shook his head disdainfully. "How dull! The happiest thing in the world is soaking in a hot spring on the first snowy day of winter, drinking freshly brewed green tea, and letting out a satisfied sigh."
That left only the Mist Ninja. He was silent for a while, then said, "The happiest thing in the world is hearing someone knock on your door in the middle of the night. You open it and see a group of tall Ninjas standing outside with stern expressions. 'Don't move, Yamazaki! We're the Chasing Ninja Squad. I'm arresting you. Come with us quietly!'"
"Honorable sir, you've made a mistake. Yamazaki lives next door."
"Haha!"
"More Mist Ninja jokes!"
"One more!"
In Hoshino Maki's telling, the sinister, terrifying Blood Mist Village had become the butt of a stupid joke, leaving the youngsters, hearing this kind of humor for the first time, practically rolling on the floor with laughter.
They didn't call Soviet jokes timeless for nothing.
Hoshino Maki smiled and shook his head. "It's late. Another time, for sure. Everyone, go to sleep."
The people who'd been sitting together just moments before obediently nodded. Some went to rest while others took over the watch. Before long, the watchtower had grown quiet again.
At some point, Kojima had lowered the hand gripping the doorknob. Leaning against the wall, he thought about the Mist Ninja joke, while the youngsters' cheerful laughter echoed in his mind.
That was rare in the strictly disciplined Sunagakure forces. But the one who'd started it was Hoshino Maki, the highest-ranking person in the unit, and Kojima hadn't spoken up against it, so nobody had said anything.
How long had it been since he'd heard children laugh so happily?
Kojima couldn't remember.
He hadn't laughed like that since graduating from the Ninja Academy. His children...
Sigh. He hoped they could have a peaceful, stable, and happy childhood.
That was what drove him to take up his Kunai and fight for the village and his family.
"Lord Hoshino, your bed is ready."
A Medical Ninja made the bed and stood respectfully to one side.
"Thanks, Kazaguruma."
Hoshino Maki took a piece of candy from his pocket and placed it in the hands of the Medical Ninja, who had only just graduated from the Ninja Academy.
"Save it for tomorrow. Eating sweets at night is bad for your teeth."
He was senior enough to have a room to himself, but he'd chosen to sleep with the Medical Corps.
As for why, don't ask. They were practically brothers.
"Lord... may I ask you something?"
In the quiet room, the Medical Ninja called Kazaguruma asked timidly.
"Of course."
Hoshino Maki replied absentmindedly as he took off his jacket.
"What are those dumplings you mentioned earlier?"
Hoshino Maki's hand froze in midair as he was about to take off his clothes. He turned to look at Kazaguruma, whose face was full of curiosity.
Thinking back carefully, he realized that a few of the children hadn't laughed at the stories. He'd assumed his jokes weren't funny, but now it seemed they simply hadn't understood them.
Unless something unexpected happened, most of them would never leave the Land of Wind in their entire lives. They would live, grow old, and die on this land covered in Yellow Sand.
In an age when photographs were a luxury, much of what they knew about the outside world came from hearsay. Some things they'd never even heard of, and could only imagine for themselves.
When Kazaguruma spoke up and wasn't reprimanded, the other children who'd been pretending to sleep also got up and gathered around Hoshino Maki, asking excited questions all at once:
"That's right, Lord. What's snow? The elders in the village say it's a kind of white water that falls from the sky. They say it's been ages since the Land of Wind saw any."
"Lord, what's a forest? Is it just lots and lots of cacti crowded together?"
"Lord..."
When Hoshino Maki didn't answer for a long while, their years of education in Sunagakure made them realize how terribly rude they'd been. They hurriedly knelt and bowed.
"We were out of line. Please forgive us!"
Hoshino Maki silently folded his clothes neatly and set them beside his pillow. Looking at the nervous children with their heads bowed low, he spoke gently. "Get up. You haven't done anything wrong."
"Snow is a kind of crystal. It's chilly to the touch. When enough falls, it can cover the distant mountains in a layer of silver."
"Dumplings are made from rice. Some are sweet and some are savory. You can actually find them in the village. An elderly couple from Konoha runs a shop. When we get back, I'll treat you all."
"A forest is made up of many trees. There are all kinds of shrubs and fruits, as well as little animals you can't find in the Land of Wind. No matter how fiercely the sun beats down, you won't feel hot there."
"..."
"I'll make sure you all get to see these things. When you're older, you can go surfing in the Land of Water in summer and soak in the hot springs in the Land of Hot Springs in winter. In spring, you can take your future children on a walk through the forests of the Land of Fire. In autumn... I haven't decided yet. Anyway, you can go wherever you want."
"By then, there won't be any more wars."
Hoshino Maki spoke softly, as if he were talking to the children, though he might just as well have been talking to himself.
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