Can You Sign This?

In the vast, boundless borderlands of the Land of Fire, there lay a lush, dense, and deep forest.

Warm, bright sunlight pierced through the thick canopy like golden arrows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow that fell gently upon the ground covered in fallen leaves and grass.

Heimu Wu, captain of the Land of Fire's border guard, stood in the heart of this forest, his posture as straight as a pine and his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.

Not long ago, he had received an important message from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi: today, the Cloud Village would be sending personnel to ransom back the comrades they had captured some days prior.

Heimu Wu fell into deep thought, wondering who exactly would be responsible for bringing those prisoners to the border for the exchange.

Would it be the same man who had left such a deep impression on him last time? At the mere thought of Shi Xiu, the towering, blood-red giant immediately surfaced in Heimu Wu's mind.

Moreover, Heimu Wu felt a kind of innate, powerful aura and an irresistible charisma about Shi Xiu, which filled him with a sense of respect and admiration.

Just as Heimu Wu was lost in his own thoughts, several figures appeared before him without any warning.

This sudden turn of events caught Heimu Wu off guard, and he instinctively shouted, "Who goes there!"

Simultaneously, he reached toward his waist, drawing a razor-sharp kunai in the blink of an eye and gripping it tightly in a defensive stance.

However, when he focused his eyes and recognized the newcomers, his tense nerves instantly relaxed, and he slowly returned the kunai to its place.

Not far ahead, Shi Xiu was looking at him with a smile, and beside him stood Kakashi and several captured Cloud Village ninja.

"My Lord, it's you!" Heimu Wu could not hide his excitement as he hurried forward a step and said respectfully.

At the same time, the other border guard members rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

When they saw Shi Xiu, expressions of surprise and excitement appeared on every one of their faces.

Shi Xiu nodded slightly, signaling for Heimu Wu to take the prisoners.

Heimu Wu looked solemn, not daring to show even a hint of negligence; he quickly turned to wave at his subordinates behind him, shouting orders for them to step forward and receive the captives.

The members ran over as soon as they heard the command.

It was only then that Fusen and the others noticed the strange and peculiar way Samui and her companions were bound, causing them to exchange bewildered glances.

An indescribable look of awkwardness appeared on everyone's face.

Standing to the side, Shi Xiu seemed to notice their strange gazes; he gave a light cough and began to explain in an unhurried tone.

"Everyone, there is no need to be surprised. The reason for this specific binding method is, on one hand, to ensure the physical safety of these prisoners; on the other hand, it is for the sake of our own convenience during the operation. I hope you can all understand."

After hearing this, although Heimu Wu still had some doubts in his heart, he did not dare to ask any further questions.

After all, they were bound this way before they left, and they were still bound this way upon arrival. If he were to believe that Shi Xiu didn't have some hidden motive, he would be a fool.

Men, after all, understand these things!

However, Heimu Wu knew his place; there were things he should not ask about, and he would not utter a single extra word.

Thus, Heimu Wu stopped dwelling on it and quickly directed Fusen and Noma to take the prisoners away and prepare for further negotiations with the Cloud Village.

Just then, Reina took quick, small steps forward, her face flushed with a hint of shyness and nervousness. Stopping before Shi Xiu, she gently raised her hand to offer the handkerchief Shi Xiu had used to bandage her wound last time, saying softly, "Lord Shi Xiu, I have carefully washed the handkerchief you kindly lent me to bandage my wound! I am returning it to you now."

As Shi Xiu heard Reina, his gaze naturally fell upon the handkerchief in her hands. The corners of his mouth curled up into a warm smile, and he shook his head gently, responding in a soft tone, "No need to return it; consider this handkerchief a gift for you."

Upon hearing Shi Xiu's reply, Reina's already slightly red cheeks turned even deeper, like a ripe apple. She appeared somewhat restless, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with a corner of the handkerchief as she whispered, her voice as faint as a mosquito's, "Lord Shi Xiu, that wouldn't be right..."

At this moment, Heimu Wu walked over with a grin. He let out a hearty laugh, then reached out to pat Reina on the shoulder, teasing, "Haha, Reina, since Lord Shi Xiu said he wants to give it to you, you should just accept it gracefully. Besides, I've noticed that for the past two nights while sleeping, you've been clutching this handkerchief tightly and refusing to let go."

"Cap... Captain!" Being called out like that by Heimu Wu, Reina felt incredibly embarrassed. She stomped her feet in a coquettish fit of pique and glared fiercely at Heimu Wu, as if blaming him for his loose tongue. However, after doing so, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Shi Xiu, her face burning red as she asked in a small voice, "Then... Lord Shi Xiu, would you mind... signing your name on the handkerchief for me?"

Shi Xiu clearly hadn't expected such a request; he was stunned for a moment, never imagining that he would one day have a girl actively asking for his autograph.

But soon, Shi Xiu regained his composure and nodded with a smile, signaling his agreement.

Immediately after, Shi Xiu instinctively reached out to search the pockets on his person, but he came up empty-handed.

Shi Xiu scratched his head with a look of apology, wearing a slightly awkward smile as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I don't have a pen on me."

Just as Shi Xiu was in a bind, Reina, standing to the side, seemed to have been prepared all along.

"I have one! I have one!" She was quick as a flash, pulling an exquisite pen from her pocket and holding it high, shouting with excitement.

Seeing this, Shi Xiu couldn't help but be a little surprised, casting a curious look toward Reina.

Reina seemed a bit guilty at this, her eyes darting around as she stuttered an explanation.

"Well... you see, I'm usually responsible for recording the various daily situations here at the border, so it's only natural for me to carry a pen, right?"

She let out a few dry laughs, trying to cover up the panic in her heart.

Just then, Heimu Wu, who was standing beside Shi Xiu, suddenly interjected with a suspicious look.

"Responsible for recording? Isn't that supposed to be Wagiri's..." Before he could finish, Reina rushed forward with lightning speed, stretching out both hands to cover Heimu Wu's mouth, terrified that he might continue.

At the same time, Reina's face was bright red and she looked exceptionally nervous. While forcing a stiff smile at Shi Xiu, she kept her hand over Heimu Wu's mouth and said, "Oh my, Lord Shi Xiu, please don't listen to our captain's nonsense! He's been working too hard lately and his brain is exhausted, so he's been talking gibberish. Hehehe..."