Capital of the Land of Fire

Tanaka Keishi had not been wrong. Once they passed the bend ahead, a towering city wall came into view.

The several-zhang-high wall was built entirely of bluestone. Well-equipped soldiers could occasionally be seen running back and forth atop it. Judging by the spirit they displayed while patrolling, they clearly were not merely for show.

It was winter, and the moat surrounding the city had frozen over. Though dusk had already fallen, children bundled in thick clothes could still be seen running and playing across the ice.

Shivering, Samu Kokaze looked at the sight before him and swallowed hard. Having never truly suffered before, his stomach growled loudly. After freezing outside for several hours, he desperately missed the steaming soups and meals back home.

He glanced at Guy, who had already stopped doing handstands.

"Everyone, pick up the pace. This weather is really cold. I can't wait to soak in a hot spring and eat a bowl of steaming noodle soup."

He rubbed his face, stiff with cold, and quickened his pace as he ran downhill.

Tanaka Keishi, leading the horses behind him, caught up in several large strides. He straightened the cloak wrinkled by the cold wind. "You will have what you want."

Guy, walking at the rear, swallowed at the description as well and hurried after them.

Though he treated physical training as the creed of his life, he did not reject a comfortable life either.

"So this is the Capital of the Land of Fire? It feels even more magnificent than Konoha."

Dusk had fallen, and bustling pedestrians hurried back and forth through the streets, occasionally breaking into cheerful laughter.

Walking along the bluestone-paved road beneath his feet and looking at the streets lined with all kinds of shops, the handsome young face was filled with emotion.

Tanaka Keishi, acting as their guide, led the horses at the front. After passing through the bustling streets, he brought the two of them to a spacious estate.

"This land is property of our Tanaka Clan within the capital. Of course, we also owe much to Master Zuo Mu's full support over the past year."

Tanaka Keishi looked somewhat proud, but as he spoke the latter half, he respectfully bowed slightly toward Samu Kokaze.

"Could we... hurry up?"

Samu Kokaze, whose body was trembling nonstop, softly reminded him. He truly regretted supplying all his chakra to the Nanobugs. Had he known, he would have kept some for himself. Then he would not have had to suffer like this.

Tanaka Keishi looked rather embarrassed. Just as he was about to speak, a sound came from the massive main gate before the estate, and the vermilion gates slowly opened outward.

Hearing the sound, Samu Kokaze turned his head.

A neatly arranged welcoming party came into view. A young man dressed in white aristocratic clothing stood at the front. Excitement flashed through his eyes when he saw Samu Kokaze's small figure, and he slightly opened his arms. But seemingly recalling something, he lowered the arms he had raised halfway, put on a composed expression, and led the welcoming party out.

The servants behind him took the horses from Tanaka Keishi and led them into the estate. Tanaka Yoshikado, who had brought the Tanaka Clan's upper ranks to welcome them, stepped forward and spoke the customary pleasantries expected of a noble. Yet judging from the comical way he kept winking at Samu Kokaze, he clearly disliked these noble rules as well.

Standing beside Samu Kokaze, Tanaka Keishi and Guy clearly saw Tanaka Yoshikado's expression as he spoke. Guy did not care much about any of it and continued looking over the decorations of the estate ahead.

Tanaka Keishi's eye twitched, but after spending a year in his caravan under the old patriarch's orders, he had long known what sort of personality his current clan head had. He could only lower his gaze to the ground, as though it contained the ultimate secret of the world.

Samu Kokaze stood there, enduring Tanaka Yoshikado's pleasantries until he finished. From time to time, he also had to respond according to etiquette. After all, they had come to greet him with the highest level of ceremony, so the proper courtesies still had to be observed.

As for those Long Aotian-style protagonists from novels in his past life who cared about nothing but killing, killing, killing, and pounced on every pretty woman they saw—unless he had used the Great Idiot Technique on everyone in this world, Samu Kokaze felt that was no way to seek death.

Once the welcoming ceremony was over and he had forced himself through meeting every high-ranking member of the Tanaka Clan, Tanaka Keishi, who had been by his side, stepped aside to give the servants instructions. With his extraordinary hearing, Samu Kokaze could clearly make out that he was arranging lodging, food, and baths, making him mentally give the man a thumbs-up.

"Feng! It's been a long time since we last met. Come to my room and let's have a chat!"

A slightly lively yet magnetic voice rang out. After finishing a long string of necessary pleasantries, Tanaka Yoshikado looked at Samu Kokaze with expectant eyes.

Samu Kokaze did not refuse. Being able to leave those elders who valued noble etiquette above all else was a relief to him as well. He nodded and followed behind Tanaka Yoshikado with Guy.

Bang...

The wooden door shut heavily, blocking out the cold air outside. Tanaka Yoshikado let out a long breath as he entered the room, then violently tore off the hairpin on his head and the noble clothing he wore, tossing them onto the floor. With his hair loose, he dropped into a chair in the room.

"I'm sick to death of those old geezers nagging at me all day at home. That year outside was the happiest year of my life! I really want to run away on my own!"

Tanaka Yoshikado stretched in his chair and complained to Samu Kokaze, who stood nearby.

"Heh heh."

Samu Kokaze replied, then found a chair and slumped into it.

"Hey! What do you mean by that, Feng?"

Hearing the mocking laughter, Tanaka Yoshikado sprang up from his chair and ran over to question him.

Drowsiness washed over Samu Kokaze in waves, and he barely opened his eyes. "I'm just annoyed by your complaints. A large part of a person's fate is decided by their birth. You've never suffered any hardship since you were born with food and clothes provided for you. Even when you trained with Uncle Keishi, he prepared everything before handing the problems to you. If you went out alone, Brother Yoshikado, I seriously doubt you could survive three days."

"You don't have to tear me down that badly, do you?" Tanaka Yoshikado said with a bitter smile.

"Fine. Not surviving three days was an exaggeration. With that handsome face of yours, you could still get by quite well as some rich person's pretty boy."

The warmth of the room gradually thawed his thoroughly frozen body. His eyelids felt as though they were fighting each other, but Samu Kokaze forced himself to stay awake and quietly teased him.

Tanaka Yoshikado shook his head as he stood beside Samu Kokaze. Looking at the exhausted young face slumped in the chair, guilt flashed through his eyes.

He glanced at Guy, who had been standing in place and examining the room's decorations ever since entering, then bowed slightly. "Thank you for escorting my little brother to the Tanaka Clan. I appreciate your help."

Guy, who had felt quite uncomfortable ever since entering the gates, was startled by those words. His eyes widened as he pointed at the groggy Samu Kokaze slumped in the chair. "Little brother?"

"From the moment Feng risked his life to come help me, he became my real little brother."

He lowered his head and looked gently at the sleeping Samu Kokaze. "Once he wakes up, I'll ask whether he is willing to take the Tanaka Clan surname."