"Intelligent agent?"
Komushi?
Isn't that your old nickname?
Since returning from his injury in the Land of Rain, Sasori has never called Mukai that nickname.
From the perspective of a sensitive and meticulous person like Scorpion, one can sense Mukai's resistance to this nickname.
Hearing that Mukai had named the soon-to-awaken intelligent entity " Komushi," he asked, somewhat puzzled.
Mukai could only explain it from another perspective:
"Although I used to be at the bottom of the class at the Ninja Academy,
People call him your little follower, and he's called Komushi.
But these are all parts of my past that I cannot sever ties with.
Those painful memories are also a part of me.
As the path I came from, I want to use an intelligent agent to remember it.
Let's just consider him as two sides of the same coin!
Scorpion accepted this explanation, and the two continued their journey quickly.
They returned to the inn just before dawn.
Shisō, fully armed, who was guarding the room, was relieved to see Mukai and Xie return safely.
The next morning, Pakura saw that Mukai and the other person hadn't slept well, but didn't ask any questions.
She just snorted and went about taking care of the little girl she had rescued.
Mukai initiated the conversation:
" Teacher Pakura, do you have a cold? Your nose seems stuffy."
Seeing Pakura brandish her fist in a defiant manner, she then turned her attention to the little girl:
Little sister, what's your name?
Before the little girl could speak, Pakura made a disgusted expression and said:
"That's so cheesy! Kari is the same age as you, who's your little sister?!"
It is now Konoha Year 42, Mukai is already ten years old.
He still clings to his past life's ideas, so of course he'll think of this girl named Kari as a little sister!
Luckily, he's thick-skinned enough not to care about the embarrassment.
" Kari, that's a very interesting name!"
Where are your family members?
At this point, tears welled up in the little girl's eyes again. Mukai, through his own abilities, received a slap on the forehead:
If you can't speak properly, then speak less.
Anyway, we're almost at Konoha, so I don't want to go out this morning.
Let's rest at the hotel for half a day and set off in the afternoon!
With that, Pakura took some food and was about to take Kari's hand to go back to the room.
At this moment, Kari suddenly wiped away her tears and solemnly bowed to Mukai:
"Smith Marseille, it's because I'm too fragile."
My family was murdered by nobles, and I almost did too...
Thank you for saving me.
I know you are not only a skilled ninja, but also a very good person.
Thank you."
After saying that, he followed Pakura back to his room.
Mukai was somewhat confused and turned to look at Shisō.
Shisō then said, somewhat embarrassed:
"After you two set off yesterday, Teacher Pakura came with Kari to wait for you."
Later, after Kari fell asleep, Teacher Pakura carried her back to her room.
Teacher Pakura guessed everything.
I see.
But it doesn't matter, Mukai Xiang never intended to hide it from his own people.
He simply didn't want to indiscriminately kill off the other guards just because of one scumbag nobleman.
Even if others are guilty, it's not a capital offense.
It seems that Teacher Pakura deliberately delayed their departure by half a day so that the two of them could catch up on their sleep!
Teacher Pakura, I didn't expect you to be such a nice person!
Since Kari is already an orphan, Pakura decided to take her with her and return to the Land of Wind together after the Chunin Tournament.
Mukai and the other two naturally had no objections.
Even with an extra burden, the group still moved very quickly.
We arrived at the gate of Konoha around dusk.
The bustling Konoha is indeed different from other places.
Perhaps due to the popularity of the Chunin Tournament, many vendors have set up their stalls outside the gate.
Pakura, as the team Jonin, went to deliver the diplomatic documents and the participation certificate.
The verification process was straightforward, and they were quickly allowed to enter the village.
The prosperity of Konoha is naturally incomparable to the barren Land of Wind and Sunagakure.
The streets and alleys are filled with a dazzling array of goods and bustling crowds.
And the sense of security that abundant produce brings to ordinary people,
These are things that are rarely seen in Sunagakure.
Even the well-traveled Pakura couldn't help but look around with envy.
" Mukai, when do you think our Sunagakure will ever be this prosperous?"
For the villagers of Sunagakure, who had never seen the world, the bustling scene in Konoha was truly awe-inspiring.
For Mukai, who has experienced modern society, it was merely the size of a rural town market.
It's just passable, to say the least.
He shook his head and said:
" Teacher Pakura, what's the big deal!"
I'm only a Chunin now, and I can't even offer opinions on village affairs. How can there be any progress?
However, trust me, you'll soon see a significant change in the area around Oasis Workshop!
Pakura was one of the few people who had witnessed Mukai's amazing abilities, so naturally she didn't think Mukai was bragging.
Just as she was about to make her usual sarcastic remark about Mukai, she smelled a peculiar fragrance.
Looking up, I saw the sound coming from a nearby eatery.
Ichiraku Ramen Shop? It smells so good!
Come on, let me take you to try it. It's my treat today!
Like a big sister, Pakura took Kari's hand and led Mukai into the shop by lifting the curtain.
Tonkotsu ramen?
Okay, boss, one bowl of tonkotsu ramen for each of us!
This was the first time Mukai had ever seen the real Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku in this world.
The amiable Ichiraku invited the group to sit down and began working in the kitchen.
With nothing to do, Mukai sat on a stool and looked around.
The ramen shop wasn't very big; a ninja of about the same age as them sat at a bar-style table.
This ninja exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay; he had a full head of white hair and wore a mask.
The boy with a short sword slung diagonally across his back was engrossed in eating noodles.
Could this hair color and outfit be the legendary Kakashi Hatake?
Mukai even had the idea of going over and taking off the mask to see what her face looked like underneath.
Fortunately, he wasn't a die-hard Kakashi fan and restrained himself from doing something wrong, otherwise it would definitely have caused a dispute.
There were several square tables nearby, with their backs to them, and the people dressed as Konoha Ninja were also there.
Those people were eating noodles and chatting:
"I never imagined that Lord Sakumo would commit suicide."
Kaisō Tanaka to the side, whispered a dissuasion:
"Silence! Didn't the village issue a strict order?"
No one is allowed to discuss Lord Sakumo's suicide.
Have you forgotten?
Shinsuke Yamada, who was speaking, said with dissatisfaction:
Why can't we talk about it?
When the rumors were flying everywhere, why didn't the village issue any orders to stop them?
They even said it was Lord Sakumo's fault that caused the mission to fail and resulted in huge losses for the village.
What mission? Do you know?
What mission is so important?
During the Shinobi World War, that elder's reckless command and greed for personal gain led to the deaths of countless people!
The Nobunaka was only eight years old when he was surrounded and died on the battlefield. Such a heavy loss—how come he wasn't blamed?
Why was Lord Sakumo wronged?
Before the words were finished, two loud bangs were heard as the table was slammed.
Sasori and Kakashi roared in unison:
"That's a coward!"