The Return Journey

By synthesizing the memories that had inexplicably surfaced in his mind with his current circumstances, Bai Sui gradually began to make sense of his situation.

He had arrived in this world of Naruto for reasons unknown, though it appeared to be the Warring States period, long before the main plot began.

As for whether he had transmigrated or been reincarnated, he had no way of knowing; after all, he had not received any system, nor was there any way to verify such a thing.

His memories of his previous life were actually incomplete, cutting off right at the point where he was practicing the Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi, and only reaching the stage where the "Golden Flower begins to bloom."

Bai Sui did not believe that his previous life had simply ended there; it was not some evil cultivation technique, and even if something had gone wrong, it would have resulted in nothing more than a yin deficiency, certainly not such a catastrophic consequence.

Bai Sui harbored suspicions that he might be trapped in an illusion, much like a lucid dream, only this one was not as easy to escape as a dream should be.

Yet, feeling the pain in his abdomen and the soreness throughout his body, he had to admit that if this were fake, it was the most realistic dream he had ever experienced—there was not a single flaw to be found.

However, he recalled many ancient texts he had read in the past, which indeed recorded cases of predecessors who had become lost within their own cultivation.

Considering that those individuals had practiced far longer than he had and possessed firm Daoist hearts, if even they could fall into such traps, what made him better than them? By what right could he assert that he would not be deceived by the illusions generated during his own practice?

Regardless, even if it were an illusion, since he could find no flaws, he had no choice but to live his life one step at a time.

With that, Bai Sui leaned against a large tree, his eyes unfocused, gathering his thoughts as best he could.

There was no help for it; whenever his consciousness returned, he was met with the pain in his body.

In all his memories of his past life, Bai Sui had never experienced any great suffering. He had lived in a peaceful country; while the world at large was not entirely tranquil, he had at least never encountered anything harrowing within his own borders.

He tried to alleviate the pain through deep breathing, only to find that every breath tugged at his wounds, causing him to wince and grit his teeth.

But Bai Sui knew he could not simply stay here. Since they had been intercepted once, there was a high probability that another wave would come.

Remaining here was no different from handing his fate over to others. Furthermore, in his current state, let alone those ninjas, even a random highwayman could finish him off without the slightest effort.

Though it was difficult, Bai Sui still searched and checked his entire body.

He had intended to assess his injuries so he could avoid aggravating them while moving, but he made an unexpected discovery.

In his embrace were two items that clearly did not belong to him: a piece of cloth torn from a garment, and a scroll with the character "Seal" written on it.

Unfolding it, he saw a short message written in blood as ink.

"The Fifth Transport Squad was intercepted by three Uchiha clansmen in the southern forest, 15 li southeast of Sancai Village. All civilians are dead except for Bai Sui. Due to his severe injuries and inability to move, he will bring the bodies back, while I continue to carry the supplies to the battlefield. Written by Uzumaki Sanjin."

Bai Sui looked at the scroll in his hand marked with the "Seal" character, feeling a sense of novelty, while also realizing that his name in this life was indeed Bai Sui.

It seems I have two choices now. Either I take this opportunity to find an uninhabited place, hide deep in the mountains and forests, and see if I can avoid this war. Or, I return obediently to the Uzumaki Clan's territory; given my work-related injuries, I should be able to rest for a while, and I can take the opportunity to learn about this world.

After a moment of thought, Bai Sui gave a self-deprecating smile. "What am I rambling about? In my current state, where could I even run to?"

Moreover, Bai Sui knew that the ultimate victors would be the Senju and Uzumaki clans.

Although he did not know what year it was or how long remained until the end of the Warring States period, at the very least, he knew he belonged to the winning side.

While this did not guarantee his survival, it at least offered a higher survival rate than joining other clans.

The only pity is that I have no way to practice ninjutsu. Judging from those memories, no clan would teach outsiders their cultivation methods, not even those born into the clan. I haven't discovered any golden finger, nor is there a system communicating with me in my mind. It seems I should prepare for a mediocre life.

After resting for another hour or two, he felt a bit of strength return to his body. The sun in the sky had shifted westward, and it was clear that night would fall before long.

The wilderness in this era was filled with all sorts of beasts. Although he didn't know why the heavy scent of blood hadn't attracted anything yet, Bai Sui didn't want to gamble.

He braced himself against the trees and began to walk back the way he came, swaying unsteadily.

Fortunately, he hadn't ventured too deep before. After walking for about an hour, Bai Sui reached a dirt road.

"Hoo... If I remember correctly, Sancai Village is just ahead. Once I reach there, I can finally rest."

He hadn't expected the walk to last until sunset, but fortunately, Bai Sui caught the last rays of the afterglow and spotted the village.

Several villagers returning from the fields noticed Bai Sui, seeing the bandages on his body and his unsteady gait.

Two of them stepped forward, stopping about two meters away from him, and began to inquire about his origins.

Upon learning that Bai Sui was a transport worker for the Uzumaki Clan and needed to reach their territory to report important information, the group helped him to the village chief's house. He showed the chief the scroll with the "Seal" character and the Uzumaki clan emblem on the cloth.

Though the village chief could not be certain of Bai Sui's identity, he dared not offend him. He cleared out a room for Bai Sui to rest and even provided him with a meal.

It was a bowl of hodgepodge—a bowl of colorful, sliced soup?

Taking a sip, Bai Sui could identify wheat, millet, oats, chopped radish roots, and several types of greens he couldn't name, which might have been wild vegetables.

The taste was somewhat bitter, but it was enough to fill his stomach. He hadn't felt it while traveling, but the moment he smelled the food, he was ravenous.

Although the bowl was quite thin, it was suitable for someone in his injured condition.