Morning Market

A fifteen-minute walk down from Mount Hakodate brings one to the shore, where a massive ship is moored. This is the Tinetta Maru, the largest transport vessel in the history of the Land of Waves. After over a century of service, the ship's hull aged to the point where it was no longer fit for navigation, leading the Land of Waves to retire it. Now, it remains docked here as a memorial for tourists to visit.

Atop this decommissioned hull lies the largest morning market in the Land of Waves, known to the locals as the Tinetta Maru Morning Market. It is filled with countless small vendors operating various stalls across the abandoned ship.

Some sell miscellaneous trinkets, others offer local specialties from Hakodate, but the most abundant are the stalls selling various Hakodate delicacies.

Ishikari Cuisine, Salt Ramen, Octopus Hot Pot, and other such delights.

Having descended from Mount Hakodate, Sakura Mangetsu was already impatient to go explore the morning market on the Tinetta Maru.

As soon as she finished her audience with the Feudal Lord of the Land of Waves, she began clamoring to go shopping. Genma, an old hand at these things, knew all too well that women possess an innate, off-the-charts combat power when it comes to shopping. Finding an excuse, Genma slipped away; he had no intention of accompanying such young girls on a shopping spree!

In truth, Kamizuki wanted to escape as well. As someone from the 21st century, he was a lone wolf who had never gone shopping with a girl, but he had seen plenty of it on television. Thinking of the consequences—that he would inevitably end up as a miserable pack mule—Kamizuki prepared to use the "urination escape" technique to bolt.

Seeing Genma run off, and knowing he was their team leader, Sakura Mangetsu couldn't exactly pester him relentlessly.

However, the moment Sakura Mangetsu laid eyes on Kamizuki, she knew he was planning to flee. There was no way she would let this free laborer off the hook.

In the end, Kamizuki's "urination escape" failed, and he was dragged off by Sakura Mangetsu to accompany her shopping.

As for Kato Taichi, that sissy—though he was a crossdresser, his enthusiasm for shopping truly didn't lose out to Mangetsu, the genuine girl. (Wait, can she even be considered a girl? Whatever, moving on...)

All three of them were essentially leaving the Land of Fire for the first time. When they stepped onto the Tinetta Maru, the three of them were like little country bumpkins, finding everything they saw fresh and novel.

Kato Taichi, the crossdresser, bought many handicrafts from the Land of Waves—the kind that looked particularly cute and adorable, like small, exquisite doll charms and similar trinkets.

Sakura Mangetsu, the tomboy, loved the act of browsing but had little interest in actually buying things. She usually just looked here and there without purchasing anything. Finally, at a shop specializing in samurai swords, she took a fancy to a blade named "Moonlight Night." After some haggling with the owner, Sakura Mangetsu finally bought it.

As for our classmate Kamizuki, he had no interest in handicrafts or samurai swords; he was only interested in food.

Kamizuki, Taichi, and Mangetsu arrived together at a shop specializing in Ishikari Cuisine. It was Kamizuki's first time hearing of "Ishikari Cuisine," and he felt quite curious, so he wanted to try it and see what it was all about.

Just as he walked into the shop, Kamizuki saw a beautiful back. The first impression this back gave was that its owner must be a stunning beauty.

After entering and seeing this back, Kamizuki blurted out, "Beauty, one order of Ishikari Hot Pot, please."

Only after Kamizuki finished speaking did the owner of that beautiful back (the shopkeeper) finally turn around.

Kamizuki was so shocked by the shopkeeper's beauty that he fell flat on his backside.

Looking at the shopkeeper's face, Kamizuki thought to himself, Damn it! Did you have to be so terrifying? Shopkeeper, do you really deserve the "beauty" title I called you? You look even scarier than Sister Feng! The worst part is, why was your back so pretty? Damn it! You really are a back-view assassin!

Mangetsu and Taichi, who had heard Kamizuki call out to a "beauty," had followed his gaze and assumed the person must be a stunner. When she turned around, they were also startled by a face that was even more terrifying than Sister Feng's.

However, less than thirty seconds later, seeing Kamizuki still sitting on the floor in shock and recalling his earlier "beauty" comment, the two of them burst into laughter.

The shopkeeper seemed accustomed to being mocked; without a hint of displeasure, she merely glanced coldly at these idiots before going to prepare the Ishikari Hot Pot.

After a short wait, the shopkeeper brought over a steaming pot of Ishikari Hot Pot.

Ishikari Hot Pot: A local specialty of the Land of Waves, a dish that utilizes everything from the salmon that swim upstream to spawn, including the head.

Kamizuki took a bite and felt that although the shopkeeper was indeed terrifying to look at, the food she made was truly delicious.

The three of them spent over half an hour finishing the entire pot before paying the bill and returning to the inn.

Two o'clock in the afternoon was the departure time set by the Feudal Lord of the Land of Waves for the journey to the Land of Tea. Amidst the farewells of ministers and commoners, the Feudal Lord's motorcade departed from the capital city of Hakodate.

Sitting in his carriage, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Waves recalled the scene from that morning with the ninjas from Konoha.

At the time, the first time the Feudal Lord saw these ninjas from Konoha who had come to protect him, he felt that Konoha was quite unreliable. How could they send such young boys? Could these wet-behind-the-ears children really protect his safety?

The Feudal Lord had voiced his doubts to Genma, and Genma had answered them very solemnly.

Genma's reply: "As ninjas, our first priority is the mission. We will guarantee your safety with our own lives."

After hearing Genma's words, although the Feudal Lord was still not entirely at ease, he had no other choice, so he remained somewhat restless inside the carriage.

Genma Team continued to guard the carriage in a cross formation, while some of the Feudal Lord's guards cleared the path ahead and others provided security from the rear.

The Feudal Lord took the same road that Genma and his team had traveled earlier. However, because they were traveling with the Feudal Lord, the journey from Hakodate to the seaside pier took the entire afternoon before they finally boarded the large ship prepared by the ministers of the Land of Waves.