After roaming the Land of Water for two days and casually disposing of a few Kirigakure scouts who did not know better, Lin Ze figured it was about time and set off back to the Land of Whirlpools.
He changed direction several times along the way, only slipping quietly back onto Ascension Island after confirming no one was following him.
But when he entered the underground laboratory this time, Lin Ze sensed a homey atmosphere completely different from before.
With her sleeves rolled up, Nonō was sorting wild vegetables gathered on the island alongside Miyamoto Ichirō. A few very fresh-looking sea fish lay nearby.
Kabuto was operating a centrifuge off to one side, preparing to conduct a preliminary cell-cloning experiment.
"Lin Ze, you're back!"
Nonō noticed him first and looked up, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
"Yes. The mission was just a formality. It went smoothly."
Lin Ze nodded, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged living area as he felt a little relieved.
He had worried that Nonō and the others would struggle to adjust after suddenly moving from a ninja village like Konoha to this deserted island. Now, it seemed they were even more resilient than he had imagined.
"Big Sister Nonō is amazing!"
Miyamoto Ichirō chimed in with a guileless grin. "She even went to the main island of the Land of Whirlpools in disguise this morning and traded for plenty of daily necessities and seeds! She also said we could try growing things on the island later."
Lin Ze looked at Nonō in surprise. He had not expected her to have a knack for "farming" too.
Nonō wiped her hands and said with a smile:
"The Land of Whirlpools is a mixed bag these days, with no unified administration. That actually makes it easier