The Strange Fishbeam Village

Ebisu showed off what he considered gentlemanly conduct by volunteering to keep watch, and Masayo and Kurenai Yuhi accepted without the slightest hesitation.

The three sat around the campfire. Ebisu deliberately looked at Masayo, took out dry rations such as biscuits, and said in a lecturing tone, "When ninjas go out on missions, besides carrying necessary Soldier Pills, they should also bring easily preserved foods like biscuits."

Masayo did not answer. He took out a storage scroll, and as the seal came undone, it revealed over twenty large cups of instant noodles and a kettle. The noodle cups bore the Ichiraku Ramen logo.

"These are instant noodles released by Ichiraku Ramen. They taste exactly like Ichiraku Ramen. It's nice to be able to have a steaming bowl of Ichiraku Ramen while traveling outside sometimes, Red Sis, Senior Ebisu."

Seeing Ebisu and Kurenai Yuhi looking as though their jaws were about to drop, Masayo put the remaining instant noodles back into the scroll.

"Thank you, Masayo. Let me boil the water!"

Kurenai Yuhi grabbed the kettle and vanished in a Body Flicker.

Ebisu came back to his senses and said, "Thanks. I never thought we could eat Ichiraku Ramen out in the wilderness. Masayo, stay here and keep watch. I'll go gather some more firewood."

"Okay!"

Masayo nodded with a smile. Before long, Kurenai Yuhi and Ebisu returned. Once the water boiled and the noodles had soaked for three minutes, the flavor—nearly identical to Ichiraku Ramen—left all three of them looking thoroughly satisfied.

"Senior Ebisu, I heard that Special Jonin excel in particular fields. Red Sis is especially accomplished in genjutsu, so what are you particularly good at, Senior Ebisu?"

Masayo silently added in his heart, Except for certain Uchiha Sharingan Kekkei Genkai.

Ebisu smugly pushed up his sunglasses, swallowed the noodles in his mouth, and said proudly, "Of course. I am an outstanding teacher. Not only that, I am also the private tutor of Lord Hokage's grandson, Young Master Konohamaru. Aside from my exceptional teaching ability, I can recite Konoha's ninja code and all the Ninja Academy textbook knowledge backward. If you don't believe me, test me."

Masayo raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "You're really that impressive, Senior Ebisu? You can recite all the Ninja Academy knowledge backward?"

Ebisu said with great pride, "That's right. Test me. I'm an excellent teacher, unlike those Chunin at the academy who only know how to repeat the textbooks word for word."

Masayo wore a friendly smile and looked full of thirst for knowledge as he asked, "Then, Senior Ebisu, recite pi backward."

Pfft...

Kurenai Yuhi, who had been silently eating her ramen beside them, heard that and instantly sprayed the noodles from her mouth. Some even came out through her nose. She hurriedly turned away to compose herself.

Ebisu's jaw nearly dropped to the ground in shock. He looked petrified, his mind filled with nothing but the five words: recite pi backward. Masayo's innocent expression in particular made his head buzz.

On the morning of the third day, Masayo, Ebisu, and Kurenai Yuhi arrived at Fishbeam Village. Reciting pi backward had practically become a dark chapter in Ebisu's life. From then on, he understood and stopped showing off.

Fishbeam Village was huge. Before the haunting began, its daily visitor count could exceed ten thousand. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and Fishbeam Forest lay on the mountain directly behind the village. But now, it was not only desolate and devoid of people, but the air was also filled with the stench of blood. Countless houses looked as though they had been scattered by a violent gale.

Inside the Fishbeam Village chief's home, Kurenai Yuhi and Ebisu were sitting formally on their knees. Masayo was not used to that posture. Even though the true origins of this kneeling etiquette came from the ancient times of his homeland in his previous life, and who knew how many people still knew that, Masayo was still unaccustomed to it. So he sat cross-legged instead.

"Honored ninja, Fishbeam Village has finally been waiting for you as if waiting for the stars and moon."

The Fishbeam Village chief had tears and snot running down his face. He looked weathered, with gray-white hair and skin like withered wood, already covered in age spots. He appeared quite old, yet he cried to Masayo and the others like a child.

"Chief, stop crying. What happened here? Tell us quickly!"

Masayo comforted the Fishbeam Village chief. The village's condition looked miserable, and the lingering smell of blood made it hard to imagine what had happened here.

"Ghosts! There are ghosts! Honored ninja, the Fishbeam Trees have come alive. All those Fishbeam Trees have come alive! Fishbeam Village originally had over a thousand residents, but the night before last, many people were eaten by the Fishbeam Trees! Ahh... honored ninja, even my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were eaten. Only this old wreck remains."

The chief's broken sobs did not change Masayo, Kurenai Yuhi, or Ebisu's expressions in the slightest. They had seen too many people like this and had become somewhat numb. It would not stir sympathy in them. More importantly, something was strange.

Masayo said, "Chief, did you personally see those Fishbeam Trees come alive? The mission you submitted to Konoha said that every night, a fierce wind would emerge from Fishbeam Forest, carrying bleak and mournful cries. Have they started eating people now?"

"Yes, honored ninja. Please, even if you have to burn down Fishbeam Forest, do it. I beg you, save our village."

The Fishbeam Village chief heavily slammed his head to the floor. Masayo frowned slightly. The chief wanted them to burn the Fishbeam Trees? What exactly was going on? Something did not feel right.

"What about the other surviving villagers? Where are they now?"

Masayo questioned the chief, while Kurenai Yuhi and Ebisu discreetly went on guard.

The chief raised his head and explained, "The other villagers are all in a safe place now. I came here specifically today to welcome you honored ninja."

"Today?! But we arrived at Fishbeam Village at seven in the morning. That's far too fake, isn't it?"

Masayo could not help muttering inwardly. An old man who appeared to be sixty or seventy had come alone from a supposedly very safe place. Under circumstances that defied both reason and common sense, there was only one possibility.

"Chief, if that's the case, could you take us to Fishbeam Forest so we can have a look?"

At Masayo's words, the chief, who was bowing with his head to the floor, showed a slight change in expression. But outwardly, he said, "Of course, honored ninja. Please follow me."

The chief stood, gently wiped away his tears, and led Masayo, Kurenai Yuhi, and Ebisu toward the mountain behind Fishbeam Village. Even while leading the three of them up the mountain, he did not blush or pant. For an ordinary old man, that was simply unbelievable.

Masayo, Kurenai Yuhi, and Ebisu exchanged glances without saying a word. They had felt that Fishbeam Village was strange from the moment they entered it, but what made them even more wary was this chief who defied all common sense.