Bai Sui pieced together the memories that had inexplicably appeared in his mind and the situation he was in, gradually making sense of himself.
For some reason, he had come to the world of Naruto. From the looks of things, he was in the Warring States period, before the events of the story.
As for whether he had traveled here or been reincarnated, he had no way of knowing. After all, he hadn't acquired any kind of system, and there was nothing to prove either possibility.
His memories of his previous life were incomplete. They only went as far as his cultivation of The Secret of the Golden Flower, and even then, he had only reached the stage where the golden flower first bloomed.
Bai Sui didn't believe that he had simply died in his previous life. It wasn't some sinister cultivation technique. Even if something had gone wrong, the worst it could have caused was yin deficiency—not consequences this severe.
He had his doubts about the situation. Was he trapped in an illusion, like a lucid dream? It just didn't feel like a dream that he could easily wake from.
But considering the pain in his abdomen and the weakness throughout his body, Bai Sui had to admit that if this was all fake, it was the most realistic dream he had ever had. There wasn't a single flaw.
Still, he remembered reading quite a few ancient texts, many of which recorded cases of earlier practitioners losing themselves in cultivation.
Those people had practiced for who knew how much longer than he had, and every one of them had possessed an unwavering Daoist heart. If even they could become lost, what made him any better? What gave him the right to claim he wouldn't be deceived by the illusions brought on by cultivation?
But even if this was an illusion, he couldn't find any flaws in it. For now, all he could do was carry on as usual.
So Bai Sui leaned against a tree, his eyes unfocused as he tried to gather his thoughts and think things through.
He had no choice. Whenever he became fully aware, he could feel the pain in his body.
In all his memories of his previous life, he had never experienced any great suffering. After all, he had lived in a peaceful country. The world as a whole might not have been peaceful, but at least he had never endured anything particularly harrowing at home.
He tried taking deep breaths to ease the pain, but his breathing tugged at his wounds, making him grimace instead.
But Bai Sui knew he couldn't just stay there. Since they had been intercepted once, another group might come along.
Staying here would be no different from placing his fate in someone else's hands. Given his current condition, it wouldn't take a shinobi to finish him off. Even some random bandit could do it without breaking a sweat.
It was difficult, but Bai Sui still managed to search his entire body.
He had only meant to assess his injuries so he could avoid aggravating them when he left. Instead, he made an unexpected discovery.
There were two things in his clothes that clearly didn't belong to him: a piece of cloth torn from someone's clothing, and a scroll with the character "Seal" written on it.
He unfolded it and saw a short message written in blood.
"Fifth Transport Squad. Intercepted by three Uchiha Clan members in the forest, fifteen li southeast of Sancai Village. All civilians except Bai Sui were killed. As he is severely injured and unable to travel, he will bring back the bodies. I will continue on to the battlefield with the supplies. Signed, Uzumaki Sanjin."
Bai Sui looked again at the scroll bearing the character "Seal." He couldn't help finding it strange, but at least he now knew that his name in this life was Bai Sui as well.
It seems I have two choices. I could use this opportunity to find somewhere deserted and hide deep in the mountains, then see if I can sit out the war.
Or I could dutifully return to the Uzumaki Clan Territory. With my injuries from the job, I should be able to rest for a while and use the opportunity to learn more about this world.
After thinking it over, Bai Sui gave a wry smile. "What am I even thinking? Where could I go in this condition?"
Besides, Bai Sui knew that the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan would ultimately emerge victorious.
He didn't know what year it was or how long the Warring States period had left, but at least he knew he belonged to the winning side.
That didn't guarantee he would survive, of course, but his chances were still better than if he joined some other clan.
The only unfortunate thing is that I have no way to learn ninjutsu. From the memories I have, no clan teaches its techniques to outsiders—not even those born into the household.
I haven't found any special advantage so far, either, and there's no system communicating with me in my mind. Looks like I'd better prepare for an ordinary life.
After resting for another hour or two, he felt a little stronger. The sun was already sinking, and night would fall before long.
The wilderness in this era was full of all kinds of wild beasts. Bai Sui didn't know why the heavy stench of blood hadn't attracted any, but he wasn't about to take his chances.
Using the trees for support, he staggered back the way he had come.
Fortunately, he hadn't gone too far in. After about an hour, Bai Sui reached a dirt road.
"Phew... If I remember right, Sancai Village is just up ahead. Once I get there, I can finally rest."
Unexpectedly, he kept walking until sunset. Fortunately, he reached the village while the last glow of the evening sky still lingered.
A few villagers returning from the fields at that late hour spotted Bai Sui. They noticed his bandages and unsteady steps.
Two of them came forward and stopped about two meters away, asking where he had come from.
When they learned that Bai Sui was a transport worker from the Uzumaki Clan, heading to the Uzumaki Clan Territory with important information to report, they helped him to the village chief's house.
There, he showed the village chief the scroll marked with the character "Seal" and the Uzumaki Clan crest on the cloth. The village chief couldn't be sure of Bai Sui's identity, but didn't dare risk offending him. He cleared out a room for Bai Sui to rest and even provided him with a meal.
It was a bowl of mixed-up ingredients, a colorful-looking soup with sliced vegetables.
After taking a sip, Bai Sui could make out wheat, millet, oats, chopped radish root, and several kinds of greens he didn't recognize. They might have been wild herbs.
The taste was a little bitter, but at least it filled his stomach. He hadn't noticed how hungry he was while traveling, but the moment he smelled the food, his hunger hit him.
The soup was rather thin, but he was injured, so it was probably suitable enough.