Happy Times Never Last

The distance between the Land of Snow and the Land of Arc was like a white ribbon stretching across the earth, spanning roughly three hundred kilometers.

During the long journey, Hayato and the others, including Sakumo, were nestled comfortably inside a warm train carriage, enjoying this rare peace and quiet.

"This is incredible. I've never seen a mode of transportation like this before." Sakumo's face was lit with childlike wonder and curiosity.

It was the first time in his life he had experienced such a fascinating way to travel. He had never ridden anything so unusual before.

Hayato, by contrast, remained quite calm. His memories of his previous life meant that modern modes of transportation like planes and trains were nothing new to him.

He even found himself thinking, At the rate the Land of Snow's technology is advancing, perhaps planes soaring through the sky really will become a reality before long.

A world where technology and ninjutsu intertwined—just imagining it was enough to make his blood race.

The Land of Snow had thoughtfully arranged comfortable sleeping compartments for them.

So much for what he had just said.

They had only just woken up, and now they were facing another "lying down" challenge.

Sakumo gently pressed down on the soft bed, a satisfied smile curling his lips.

"This bed is really soft. Quite comfortable."

With that, he lay down without hesitation, closed his eyes, and savored this rare chance to rest.

Hayato, meanwhile, was full of energy and not the least bit sleepy.

He thought that instead of wasting time lying around, he might as well go for a walk.

So he quietly said goodbye to Sakumo. "Teacher Sakumo, I'm going to have a look around."

At that, Sakumo simply reminded him, "Be careful."

Pushing open the carriage door, Hayato strolled along the train corridor and soon reached Carriage Three.

A group of promising young people who were about to be traded had gathered there.

Among them, however, Hayato keenly noticed someone who stood out.

A young man was crouching in the corner. He wore black-framed glasses and held a cylindrical object, speaking into it with intense concentration.

Hayato's curiosity was thoroughly piqued. He slowly approached the group and carefully watched what the young man was doing.

A thin string was attached to the bottom of the cylinder, stretching all the way to a carriage some distance away.

Hayato's eyes lit up, and he marveled inwardly, This guy might be a real talent!

Wasn't this a speaking tube? Could he be trying to invent a telephone?

"What are you doing?" Hayato asked softly.

The young man, engrossed in his experiment, was interrupted by Hayato's voice. He looked up at him, surprise showing on his face.

Suddenly, a clear voice came from the cylinder in his hands. "I can hear you! I can hear you over here! Yuki, we were right!" The voice brimmed with barely contained joy and excitement.

Yuki clutched the cylinder tightly, his face breaking into a radiant smile. "That's wonderful!"

Seeing that Hayato was only a child, Yuki felt a desire to share what he knew.

"We're conducting an experiment to see whether sound can be transmitted over a distance to a specific location by other means."

He paused, and, remembering that Hayato was a child, tried to explain it in simpler terms.

"It's..."

But before he could finish, Hayato picked up where he left off. "You're investigating how sound travels, right?"

A flicker of surprise and admiration crossed Yuki's eyes. "That's right."

"Congratulations!" Hayato said sincerely.

"Thank you." Yuki smiled. "I didn't expect anyone else to be interested in this kind of thing."

"I think it's meaningful," Hayato said quietly.

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Uchiha Hayato." Hayato introduced himself.

"Hello. I'm Kazama Yuki," Yuki replied politely.

Although Hayato looked very young, Yuki didn't underestimate him.

After all, the Forehead Protector on his forehead marked him as a ninja.

Just then, the door to a nearby carriage opened, and a young man with grayish-blue hair hurried over.

Noticing Hayato standing nearby, he listened to Yuki's introduction and greeted him warmly. "Hayato, are you interested in what we're researching too?"

From Yuki's introduction, Hayato learned that the young man's name was Kazama Takuya.

It turned out they were brothers.

Then Hayato began discussing his ideas about mobile phones with the two of them.

The three chatted happily, and for the first time, Yuki and Takuya felt understood and supported by someone from outside.

Hayato considered the idea, Perhaps I can persuade these brothers to come to Konoha.

"If we can resolve this matter successfully, would you be willing to move somewhere else, if you had the chance?" Hayato asked tentatively.

At the question, the brothers exchanged a glance. Yuki asked, "Do you mean Konoha?"

Hayato nodded.

If possible, he could ask the Grand Elder to provide them with some financial support.

He understood how important communication was to this world.

"We'll have to think about it." Takuya neither agreed right away nor refused.

Hayato nodded in understanding.

After that, he said goodbye to the two brothers and returned to the compartment he shared with Sakumo.

Time slipped by. Before long, they felt the train shudder and come to a stop—they had arrived.

"We're here already?" Sakumo opened his eyes in surprise.

He had only meant to rest with his eyes closed. He hadn't expected to reach their destination so soon.

Hayato stood up and stretched.

"Happy times never last. From here on, we'll have to make the rest of the journey on foot."

The Land of Snow's envoy was already busy arranging for the accompanying personnel to assemble.

When he spotted Hayato and Sakumo, his pace quickened, and he hurried over to them.

With a sincere expression, the envoy said softly, "We'll be relying on you both for the journey ahead."

Sakumo waved a hand lightly, his smile calm and resolute. "It's our duty."

"Then we'll rest briefly and set out right away." The Land of Snow envoy spoke steadily, his words carrying through the air.

Hayato and Sakumo exchanged a glance and nodded.

A short while later, the group set off once more.

After crossing the indistinct border between the two countries, they soon entered the Land of Arc.

As its name suggested, the Land of Arc's terrain resembled a crescent moon, gently embracing the land.

As the road wound on, Hayato and Sakumo walked side by side at the head of the group.

Fortunately, there were no enemy attacks along the way.

Nor did any foolish bandits come to bother them.

"It's been peaceful all the way. Not bad," Hayato said softly, a feeling of relief rising within him.

When they were only half a day's journey from the agreed meeting place, Hayato made a request of Sakumo.

"Teacher Sakumo, I'd like to go ahead and scout the meeting place."

Sakumo's brows drew together slightly, worry in his voice. "No. It's too risky. We should stay together."

Hayato, however, sounded confident. "Don't worry, Teacher Sakumo. I have a way to keep myself safe."

Then he changed tack. "Besides, I've already mastered the Second's technique."

Sakumo's face instantly filled with disbelief.

He knew Hayato was learning the Flying Thunder God Technique, but he hadn't imagined he could master it so quickly.

"You never stop surprising people. With this, our chances of completing the mission have improved even more."

Seeing his reaction, Hayato pressed his advantage. "So, Teacher Sakumo, does that mean you agree?"

Sakumo nodded slightly, his expression a mix of relief and caution. "I agree, but remember: your safety comes first."

Hayato nodded solemnly. After arranging a final meeting point with Sakumo, he left the group without hesitation.

After a winding journey, he finally reached the crucial meeting place for this mission.

Hidden behind a giant tree, Hayato cautiously surveyed the enemy's deployment.

The situation was more or less as he had learned through interrogation: they had stationed about ten ninjas there.

However, he had no way of knowing how strong these ninjas were individually.

More puzzling still, he couldn't find any sign of the two kidnapped sons of the Feudal Lord.

He had portraits of them, but even after searching the entire meeting place from top to bottom, he couldn't find anywhere they might be held.

It seems they don't intend to hand over the hostages and the goods here at the same time, Hayato thought. He knew this mission was far from as simple as he had imagined.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Hayato decisively used the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished from this perilous place.

The scene flashed before his eyes, and Hayato appeared at the rendezvous point he had agreed on with Sakumo.

Before long, Sakumo and the others arrived as promised.

Sakumo came to Hayato's side and asked urgently, "What's the situation over there?"

Without hesitation, Hayato told Sakumo everything he had discovered.

After listening, Sakumo rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then turned to the Land of Snow envoy.

"Envoy, the hostages aren't at the agreed location. There may be a battle ahead, so we have to stay on our guard at all times." Sakumo's words were grave.

At that, the Land of Snow envoy's expression immediately turned somber. After a moment's thought, he said slowly, "I'll make the necessary arrangements right away."

With that, he turned to brief the accompanying ninjas from the Hidden Snow Village.

In his heart, he would have preferred to complete the exchange peacefully and avoid needless conflict, but reality rarely went as hoped.

Once everything was ready, he returned to Sakumo's side and looked firmly at Hayato. "Are you ready?"

Hayato smiled faintly, confidence and resolve bright on his face. "We're always ready."