The Journey Home

That night, just like last time, Shiro used Replacement Magecraft to set up Shiro to confuse the enemy. However, this time, because Shiro's condition had declined, Toyota's Sensory Ninjutsu was also added as an aid.

By disrupting the senses of nearby ninjas, they were able to successfully infiltrate undetected.

After leaving Yugakure, Shiro and his group went into the nearby woods. Although it was a longer route, it was safer.

Now they just want to go back safely, after all, Shiro can't withstand too much interference right now.

Shiro had only used Replacement Magecraft, yet he was already panting heavily, a stark contrast to his previous appearance.

Therefore, Shiro and his companions left the dense forest overnight and rested in an open area.

The others took turns keeping watch around, while Shiro took the opportunity to rest. Although he couldn't fully recover in a short time, being in better condition would be helpful for the next plan.

Therefore, when everyone had rested and was ready to set off, Shiro said, "Let's wait a little longer. Let me recover a bit more. I have a better way to get back to the village."

Given Shiro's consistently demonstrated all-around abilities, while the others were somewhat surprised, they had no objections.

Shiro was deeply moved by their trust, but the most important thing now was to quickly restore his own strength so as not to disappoint them.

A moment later, Shiro opened his eyes.

"Have you recovered?" Nakamura asked from the side.

"Hmm, that's about right."

"Summoning Technique - Giant Bird No. 2!"

As the smoke cleared, a large bird appeared in front of Shiro.

"What's this?"

"Huff... huff..." Shiro took a breath and continued, "You could call them summoning beasts. They're puppets I made, similar to my Dragon Tooth Soldier. They belong to a clan secret technique, different from those of the Sunagakure."

"This is quite remarkable. If this were provided to the village, its strategic value would be extremely high."

"I know, but it's all handmade. Some of it requires my family's secret techniques to complete, and the production volume is too low. I can't give up my cultivation to make this."

"Besides, Professor Sakumo wouldn't agree."

However, Shiro did tell the village about some basic parts. Shiro would be responsible for completing the core and the final assembly. Of course, this wouldn't be for free.

But this Giant Bird No. 2 was assembled by Shiro himself. As for why it's called No. 2...

That's because the first one crashed during its test flight—no, it crashed like a bird, smashing into pieces on the spot, beyond repair. Thus, the Giant Bird No. 2 was born from the wreckage of the first one.

"I see. So, Shiro, does it have a name?"

"Yes, Giant Bird No. 2."

"..."

"Mr. Nakamura, why do you still have confidence in Shiro's naming abilities...?" Taichi asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go up quickly and get back. Shiro needs to recuperate properly." With that, Nakamura led the way upstairs.

Taichi shrugged, took a step, and followed Nakamura.

In the air, Shikaki looked towards the direction of Yugakure and said, "Teacher Nakamura, is everything alright? Give those documents to them."

"I don't know, the Lord Hokage will consider these things."

"I hope so. Those monsters really..." Shikaki still felt nauseous just thinking about that mass grave. Moreover, although Shikaki had never fought those monsters...

But through Shiro and the others' descriptions, Shikaki could already sense their power. If they really got their hands on these weapons, the war that had just ended might start again.

Shiro was also looking in this direction, but unlike Shikaki, Shiro knew that the Yugakure Ninja probably wouldn't be able to cause any trouble, after all, in the future of the original story, this place was known as the "Ninja Village That Forgot War".

In a timeline without Shiro, their plan had clearly failed.

In this timeline, although the appearance of Shiro will certainly bring changes, the final outcome should remain the same, since their experiments have already yielded initial results.

The Five Great Nations cannot stand by and watch him grow stronger. Therefore, even if Shiro and his group don't make a move, it might not be long before the Anbu ninjas appear here.

Therefore, although Nakamura handed the information over to Yugakure, Shiro believed that unless the leader of Yugakure Ninja was a fool, he would never keep the information.

So Shiro only glanced at it before turning his head away.

Overall, this mission was quite fruitful. First, there was the reward money, and second, Shiro also gained an understanding of his current shortcomings.

Unfortunately, Shiro fell into a coma too early and didn't have time to check whether Hidan had already joined the cult.

However, Shiro probably doesn't have it, because Nakamura didn't find any Jashin Ritual during their search. Not to mention Jashin Ritual, they didn't even find a single curse Ninjutsu.

In response, Shiro speculated that either this Jashin Cult was fake, or it was just a branch.

As for which one it is, it doesn't matter, and it's none of Shiro's business. Hidan? Once Shiro gets up, he'll be the youngest of the young!

Therefore, Shiro stopped thinking about it and focused on meditation, making the most of every spare moment to rest.

When I get tired of meditating, I take out the Magecraft Scroll and continue reading to refresh my mind.

Yes, meditation is not daydreaming; it's a mental activity, so it can be tiring. However, when you finish meditating, your brain experiences a brief period of excitement, during which your learning efficiency will greatly improve.

Shiro calls it "Sage Time." (Don't get the wrong idea, it's not what you're thinking.)

When Shiro can enter Sage Time without needing to meditate, he will have already begun to grasp the basics of meditation.

As for now? Not even close. He couldn't last a minute.

However, that less than one minute was equivalent to an hour of study for Shiro, his efficiency was extremely high.

And so, Shiro spent his journey resting, meditating, and studying. Seeing how hard Shiro was working, the others felt a little embarrassed to do nothing.

Therefore, they also followed along the path of cultivation. However, as their first female pilots, it is easy to imagine how unfocused they were, so their efficiency was not high.

Unlike Shiro, Shiro had already flown before and was an experienced pilot, so he calmly continued his training.

In the end Shiro and his group returned to Konoha in just three days.

After returning, Shiro told Nakamura and the Nakamura, and then Taichi Ichigo him home. Nakamura would register their mission records.

"Alright, we're here. This will do. I can handle the rest myself. Thanks, Taichi."

"Ha, we're all on the same team, it's nothing. Don't mention it. Take care of yourself, I'm off now, goodbye."

"Okay, goodbye."