Merchant Ninja

The ocean in this Shinobi World seemed no different from the ocean in his previous life—equally boundless as far as the eye could see.

This merchant ship was neither particularly large nor particularly small.

The shipowner assumed the girl was Hiruzen Sarutobi's attendant, so he gave Hiruzen Sarutobi only one room.

"Lord Ninja, my name is Miki Xiaoai. And yours?"

Inside the room, the girl lowered her head, her cheeks flushed red. Being alone in a room with a ninja lord was simply too embarrassing...

"Hiruzen Sarutobi."

That made the girl pause. Why did that name sound so familiar? Perhaps the ninja lord was very famous.

This was the edge of the Land of Fire, so it was perfectly normal for Miki Xiaoai not to know Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Sarutobi, why are you going to Seven Herbs Island?"

"Like you, I'm looking for some medicinal herbs."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. The girl was too lively, brimming with energy in a way that clashed with a detached immortal like him.

"I hope we can both find the herbs we need."

The girl thought of her father and could not help feeling worried.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing and looked out at the turbulent sea. Perhaps because the girl's chest was equally turbulent, he found it somewhat difficult to look at.

They encountered no danger along the way. Hiruzen Sarutobi had actually been somewhat expectant, wanting to see what pirates in this Naruto world were like, yet they did not encounter another ninja throughout the journey.

"Lord Ninja, thank you for protecting us along the way."

Although they had encountered no danger, the shipowner was still deeply grateful to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"I'll be staying on the island for a while. Once you've finished purchasing supplies, you don't need to wait for me."

"Please be careful. There are many Merchant Ninjas on this island, and they prohibit unauthorized picking."

The shipowner offered a kind reminder before turning and leaving.

This was a dock, and quite a few shops along the shore sold medicinal herbs.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took Miki Xiaoai around the area. The herbs sold in the shops were all ordinary. They were sufficient for normal people, but useless to a cultivator like him.

The Seven-Star Flower Miki Xiaoai wanted could not be found in any of these shops either.

"Let's go. We'll take a look in the middle of the island."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and left, choosing to explore deeper into the island.

Miki Xiaoai hurried after Hiruzen Sarutobi, but she felt extremely uneasy. Seven Herbs Island was the territory of the Merchant Ninjas, who were both merchants and ninjas.

They controlled the island's medicinal herbs and earned enormous profits, while their actions were also permitted by Konoha and the Land of Fire.

After all, these Merchant Ninjas paid their taxes obediently and were highly compliant with the Land of Fire. A large portion of the rare herbs was directly offered to the daimyo.

The two had long since been noticed, but Hiruzen Sarutobi did not care.

"Lord Sarutobi, is it really alright for us to enter the island like this?"

Miki Xiaoai was somewhat worried. Wasn't this far too blatant?

"It's fine."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer wearing his Konoha forehead protector on his head. Instead, he had hung it from his arm as an armband, which could spare him a great deal of trouble.

As the two gradually ventured deeper into the forest, the environment grew increasingly harsh. The trees here were not as thick and sturdy as those within the Land of Fire. Instead, there were more thorns and shrubs.

Meanwhile, inside a relatively luxurious house near the dock.

"Sir, a Konoha ninja and a woman have entered the island."

"Oh?"

A richly dressed middle-aged man voiced a soft sound of surprise. There had been no recent notification of a mission involving Konoha ninja.

"Can you confirm that ninja's identity?"

"We can't. He isn't a ninja we recognize, nor is he on the Jonin list."

The middle-aged man lightly tapped the tabletop, looking puzzled.

"As long as they don't cause trouble, pretend we didn't see them. If they enter the core area, take them down."

Whether he was truly a Konoha ninja or not, conflict should be avoided if possible.

"Lord Hiruzen, should we rest for a while?"

Miki Xiaoai was slightly out of breath. She was only an ordinary person and could not quite keep up with Hiruzen Sarutobi's pace.

She had quietly changed how she addressed him from Sarutobi to Hiruzen, trying to bring the two closer together.

"Alright, let's rest. Go gather some firewood."

Although Miki Xiaoai was pleasing to the eye, she truly was somewhat of a burden to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

After Xiaoai gathered the firewood, Hiruzen Sarutobi casually used a Fire Release to ignite it.

Although Fire Release could not burn people, it was quite convenient for everyday use.

As long as these ninjutsu were applied to production, they would be enough to bring about two revolutions in this world's industry and science.

Miki Xiaoai began preparing food, while Hiruzen Sarutobi took out a cigarette and started smoking. The habits left behind by the previous owner of his body were difficult to change. With Hiruzen Sarutobi's current physical condition, even smoking ten cigarettes at once would not harm him.

"After we eat, will you wait here for me?"

Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Miki Xiaoai's expression darkened. She could feel it too—for Hiruzen Sarutobi, she was little more than a burden.

"You've already helped me so much. I'll go look for the Seven-Star Flower myself."

The girl's voice trembled slightly. Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. He truly could not bring himself to play the villain.

The meal ended in silence. Miki Xiaoai kept consoling herself inwardly. Lord Hiruzen had already helped her enough; she could not continue holding him back.

Her father's illness was her own responsibility. It was far too inappropriate to trouble Hiruzen Sarutobi further.

"My lord, I..."

"It's fine. I can take you with me."

Cultivation was about following one's heart. It would not be difficult for Hiruzen Sarutobi to bring Miki Xiaoai along while exploring the island.

More importantly, this girl had the aptitude for cultivation, and it was not poor. At the very least, it was the best aptitude Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen during his journey.

"Ah?" Miki Xiaoai's face instantly turned red, but she immediately agreed. "O-okay!"

With Miki Xiaoai on his back, the two moved much faster.

At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that perhaps because Miki Xiaoai's clothes were rather loose, her actual assets were no smaller than Tsunade's! They were even more upright.

Feeling Hiruzen Sarutobi's sturdy body, Miki Xiaoai had already become somewhat dazed.

A ninja's speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. In less than ten minutes, they had nearly reached the island's core area.

"What is it?"

Miki Xiaoai had been wondering why Lord Hiruzen's muscles could be so hard when she suddenly felt Hiruzen Sarutobi stop.

Looking up, she saw three ninja appear ahead. Their forehead protectors bore the Chinese character for "merchant," and abacuses were slung across their backs. They were the Red Province Merchant Ninjas who controlled this island.