Preparation

"You once told me that a ninja must find their own ninja way. I want to become the kind of outstanding ninja I envision. As for what truly counts as outstanding, I'm not entirely sure—but I want to try following my own wishes!"

"Including killing and shedding blood?"

Yukimura nodded heavily.

"It's not that I'll never kill anyone in the future. But I don't want to kill simply because I want to become a ninja. When I feel that I'm prepared to become a killer, I think I'll make up my mind."

"What an arrogant thing to say!"

Mizuki stepped forward and patted Yukimura on the shoulder. The boy had grown quickly and was no longer much shorter than Mizuki. He could no longer affectionately tousle his hair like he used to.

"Though I'm a little disappointed by your indecisiveness, at least you have something that makes people take notice."

Mizuki said with satisfaction, "You're finally starting to look a little like a ninja. Ninjas can't be judged by common sense. Ancient-era ninjas, Warring States-era ninjas, ninjas during the Shinobi World Wars, and ninjas today are all vastly different. The ninja others see is merely their own perception. The pressure of living under other people's gazes and judgments is enough to crush someone. Even I can't decide your future for you!"

No two ninjas were exactly alike. To ordinary people, the group known as ninjas surely came with all sorts of labels. In their eyes, the distinction between different ninjas was actually quite vague. But within the ninja community, everyone could sense the differences between themselves and others. Individuals and the collective slowly changed through this dynamic development.

The mercenary nature of being a ninja had gradually faded over the years. The stable order of one village, one country would