The perspective returns to Land of Water Kirigakure.
In an open space on the edge of the village, seven or eight civilian children were crawling and rolling in the mud, practicing the most basic Taijutsu and Shuriken throwing.
"Drink! Ha!"
Chōjūrō held a wooden knife with a curved blade tightly in his hands, chopping the wooden stake in front of him over and over again. Sweat slid down his baby-fat cheeks and hit the muddy water. Although this child was shy and introverted, even a little cowardly, he had an unyielding spirit in his bones.
Chōjūrō glanced at their instructor, Mr. Gonbei, between swings of the knife. The result was such a look that made him pause in his movements of swinging the knife, and even blinked hard in disbelief.
The half-man who wears a worn-out gray ninja uniform all year round and holds a patched oil-paper umbrella in his hand. That weather-beaten, stubble-covered face has always shown the signs of dullness, vicissitudes of life, and the tiredness that cannot be concealed.
But at that moment, Chōjūrō actually saw a rare "smile" on the other party's face!
And... how should I put it, there seems to be a hint of... obscenity and fanaticism in that smile?
"Quan... Teacher Gonbei?" Chōjūrō swallowed and boldly asked in a low voice, "Did you... happen to something happy?"
Hearing Chōjūrō's voice, Senju Chen (Gonbei) came back to his senses instantly. The corner of his mouth that was almost grinning from ear to ear twitched sharply, stopped his smile at lightning speed, and put on his lifeless Sima face again, as if he had just finished a funeral at home.
"Nothing, I just remembered some past events." Senju Chen said perfunctorily in a hoarse voice, waving his hand, "Chōjūrō, the action of swinging the knife is not standard enough! Use your wrists hard, don't just rely on your shoulders! Keep practicing, if you can't chop a thousand times, you are not allowed to go back today!"
"Yes! Teacher!" Chōjūrō was startled, turned around quickly, and continued to output madly at the wooden stakes.
Looking at these sweaty little kids, Senju Chen looks as stable as an old dog on the surface, but inside he has set off huge waves, and countless alpacas are running wildly in his spiritual world.
"Damn, the main body and Orochimaru, Amado and those crazy guys are too imaginative!" Senju Chen complained crazily in his heart, "I worked hard as an undercover agent in Kirigakure, Take care of the children and poach. You are hiding in the laboratory and you are all directly studying how to 'kill gods and become gods'? Isn't this a big step? Hey! Where is the Naruto that was agreed upon? Are you trying to forcibly change the painting style into A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality?!"
However, complaints are complaints, and Senju Chen has to admit that Amado's conjecture really makes people's blood boil.
"Forget it, the main body is holding up the sky when it falls. What do I, a working clone, have to worry about?" The clone shook his head and temporarily suppressed the crazy thoughts about "gods" in his mind. His first priority now is to deceive the future Sixth Mizukage in front of him and the future Fifth Mizukage in the Hot Spring Mountain cave, and then pack them away.
In the evening, after the "compulsory education" for civilian children ended, Senju Chen held a broken umbrella and walked through several hidden lanes with familiarity and arrived at Genji's mansion.
Today's Genji Mansion is even more dilapidated and depressed than a month ago. The vermilion paint on the door is peeling off, the fallen leaves are piled up in the yard, and there are even fewer old servants to clean. The entire mansion is filled with a desolate atmosphere like a fallen tree and scattered animals.
Senju Chen As usual, he fried the herbs without any "medicinal effect" and then opened the door of the quiet room without sunlight.
"Cough cough cough... cough cough..."
Before he even entered the door, the heartbreaking coughing sound came like a broken bellows. Genji was half lying on the tatami, his face was as gray as dirt, his eye sockets were sunken, and he was so thin that he lost his appearance.
"Master Genji." Senju Chen walked forward quickly and handed over a porcelain bowl filled with warm herbal soup. His face showed just three parts of worry, three parts of grief and anger, and four parts of helpless loyalty. For our acting skills, Senju Chen himself felt that if he had been in his previous life, he would have won an Oscar.
Genji took the medicine bowl tremblingly and took two sips, barely suppressing the sweetness in his throat. He looked at Senju Chen with his cloudy eyes and asked weakly, "Gonbei... how is that girl... how is it?"
"Don't worry, sir, Miss Mei Terumi is extremely talented." Senju Chen lowered his voice with some relief in his tone, "This month, my subordinates have conducted high-intensity practical training for her. Although she has a hot temper. Some, but both her control over the double Kekkei Genkai and her adaptability in battle are improving at a speed visible to the naked eye. In time, she will become the strongest blade to pierce this Kirigakure darkness!"
Senju Chen said these words loud and clear, but he was secretly laughing in his heart, "Can we not improve it? Tenten was pressed to the ground and rubbed by me. That little Chili Pepper is probably going to have a psychological shadow now that he sees me. But this girl's figure is indeed getting better and better..."
After hearing the progress of Mei Terumi, a sickly blush finally appeared on Genji's ashen face. "Okay... good... you are indeed the kindling that I like..."
However, Senju Chen's expression did not relax, but became more solemn. He knelt down on one knee with a plop, his voice filled with uncontrollable anxiety and grief.
"But sir, the current situation... is too dangerous!" Senju Chen suddenly raised his head, his eyes "red", "Ever since Lord Haneda next door was taken away by Anbu a month ago and labeled as colluding with the remnants of the blood heirs, the purge of our faction in the village has gone completely crazy. Yes! A week ago, Aoki, who was in charge of intelligence, disappeared; even this morning, Takeda, who was guarding the east gate, was found dead at home. Those old subordinates who used to follow you were caught and killed, and some could not withstand the pressure and directly rebelled and took refuge with Karatachi Yagura..."
Senju Chen gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, "If this situation continues, Karatachi Yagura will probably take action against you soon! Sir, we can't sit still and wait for death any longer!"
Listening to this tearful report, Genji fell silent. He had no anger or fear, only a deep sense of powerlessness.
"Cough cough cough..." Genji coughed violently again, even coughing up blood foam. He waved his hand to signal Senju Chen to calm down.
"So what if I don't sit still and wait for death. My body... I know it myself." Genji's voice was as weak as a mosquito's hum. "I may not have a few days to live with this old bone. Karatachi Yagura I haven't yet. He directly sent Anbu to kill me, not because he was merciful, but because he was waiting for me to die. He didn't want to bear the infamy of murdering the village elders, so he used this method of cutting my flesh with a blunt knife to cut off my wings bit by bit, leaving me to die of illness in despair."
Having said this, Genji's eyes flashed with determination. He grabbed Senju Chen's arm tightly, his skinny fingers like iron pliers.
"Gonbei, listen carefully." Genji stared at him and said word by word, "You must promise me to protect the Mei Terumi child and teach her well. She is our Kirigakure hope!"
"I promise to protect that child well, but sir, you..." Senju Chen's face was filled with "shock" and "reluctance".
"Okay!" Genji shouted, interrupting him, followed by another violent gasp, "After today, you should not come here again. After I die, Karatachi Yagura will definitely search for you. While I can still hold on for a few days and attract some of their attention, you take the child and move it to a safe place quickly. You must not let her be found by Karatachi Yagura's people!"
Looking at the old man in front of him who was dying but still planning the future for the village, Senju Chen felt a rare respect in his heart.
He sacrificed his own life in exchange for Kirigakure's future. Putting aside his hostile stance, the old man in front of him said that Genji is indeed a politician worthy of respect.