The sky was shrouded in a misty rain, much like when Hayami Reina first arrived in this world.
Reina and the man in the bck robe walked in silence through the rainy night.
"May I ask, what should I call you?" Reina broke the silence.
"Kō 13. No need for formalities." The voice of the man, the "bck-robed stranger" Kō 13, was cold, carrying an undertone of murderous intent, yet his tone remained oddly gentle. "And what is your name?"
Kō 13 had gone elsewhere when the four parted ways, so he hadn't heard Reina’s name.
"Hayami Reina," Reina answered without hesitation.
The air fell silent once again.
"Kō 13 doesn’t sound like a name, more like a code," Reina remarked, trying to make conversation. The night had grown te, and with everything that had happened today, the stillness around them was beginning to make him drowsy.
"When a name is no longer remembered, it loses its meaning. A code is all that's left." Kō 13's voice was ft, revealing the truth that he was completely alone now.
The silence returned.
Reina wasn’t great at talking to people, and Kō 13 clearly wasn’t the talkative type, so Reina didn’t bother to keep up the conversation. Instead, he struggled to keep his eyes open.
"If you're tired, just say so. You can rest," Kō 13’s cold yet gentle voice spoke again.
"No, I’m fine." Reina didn’t intend to rest. He still wanted to test whether pushing himself to the limit of exhaustion would trigger his evolution ability, allowing him to acquire the power to reduce his sleep requirements.
He hadn’t given up on the idea. From the circumstances before, he guessed that perhaps he had reached the brink of death due to extreme hunger, and the wounds on his body might have killed him by pain alone—only then did he evolve his ability.
"Our destination is the Land of Rivers," Kō 13 suddenly spoke.
"The Land of Rivers?" Reina had no memory of this country.
"It’s a small country between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. Our organization is based there," Kō 13 expined.
"...Can you tell me more about the organization?" Reina realized that Kō 13 didn’t pn to teach him ninja techniques directly. Instead, he was about to bring him into a ninja organization.
"The organization is called 'Ryou'," Kō 13 continued. "It originated from the unfinished River Ninja Vilge in the Land of Rivers. The daimyo of the Land of Rivers tried to establish a ninja vilge, imitating the five great countries, but no ninja cns were willing to join."
"So, the daimyo of the Land of Rivers purchased ninja techniques with rge sums of money and hired wandering ninjas, but eventually, due to financial difficulties, he had to give up. The ninja vilge that had been partially built ended up being taken over by others."
"...That’s it?" Reina asked, confused. He was asking about the organization, not its history.
"You’ll learn more when you get there," Kō 13 responded, offering no further details.
"Then, do you have any advice on how I can become a ninja?" Reina pressed on.
All of Reina’s knowledge of ninjas came from the anime, but the anime only told part of the story of this world. He didn’t believe that such a vast world could only involve a handful of people and events.
Everything he had experienced after transmigrating was proof of that.
"Unless necessary, don’t get involved with ninjas from the five great countries, unless you want to die," Kō 13 said, narrowing his eyes as though he had firsthand experience.
"Because of the retaliation afterward?" Reina guessed based on what he knew from the original story.
"Not just that. Ninjas have a hierarchy, and the ninjas from the five great countries are at the top of the pyramid."
"They have the best education, an endless inheritance of ninja techniques, and superior ninja tools thanks to their financial advantages. This gives ninjas from the big vilges a natural strength over other ninjas."
"Big ninja vilges look down on those from small ninja vilges, and those from small vilges despise wandering ninjas. This is the hierarchy of disdain among ninjas." Kō 13 spoke calmly, ying out the cruel reality of how css distinctions shaped the ninja world.
"What about us?" Reina asked, noticing that Kō 13 hadn’t mentioned where their ninja organization fit in all of this.
"Normally, a ninja organization is somewhere between wandering ninjas and small ninja vilges, but we’re an exception," Kō 13 looked up at the falling rain, his face hidden behind the mask, revealing nothing of his expression.
Reina understood the implication. Even ninja organizations had varying strengths, and the Akatsuki was a prime example.
"So, what else should I be aware of?" Reina continued asking, sensing that Kō 13 had patience. He was eager to learn all the knowledge necessary to survive in this ninja world.
"Humility and caution. These are the essential tenets for any ninja who wants to survive," Kō 13 paused before adding, "As for the rest, once you’re in the organization, there will be others to teach you. But no amount of teaching compares to firsthand experience."
With that, Kō 13 raised a hand to stop Reina from walking ahead.
With a confused look, Reina watched as Kō 13 moved toward a tree, disarming a trap made of fine wire, kunai, and explosive tags.
"A trap set by ninjas for mutual sughter, but those who die in such traps are mostly civilians."
Kō 13 stored the explosive tags and kunai under his cloak, then handed one of the kunai to Reina. "This is a bck steel kunai, a standard for wealthy ninjas. It’s two tiers above the best ninja tools we provide in the organization."
Reina took the kunai, gently running his fingers over its surface, noticing the faint markings. This must be the signature of "bck steel" ninja tools.
"Be more careful from now on. There are ninjas around," Kō 13 warned.
"But I heard the war is over?" Reina questioned, not because he had heard it, but because of what he remembered from the original story—Hanzo's words to the three Sannin.
Kō 13 suddenly smiled, then extended his arm to pat Reina's head from two steps away. "It’s only over when a peace treaty is signed. Until then, no one would hesitate to kill a few enemy ninjas to avenge their fallen comrades."
Upon hearing this, Reina couldn’t help but worry for the trio from the Land of Rain. Their path had already diverged from the original story, and if they encountered enemy ninjas... they would have to rely on Nagato's Rinnegan.
...
As the night grew deeper, Reina became more and more drowsy.
"Are you sure you don’t want to rest for a bit?" Kō 13 asked, seeing how close Reina was to falling asleep.
"No, I’m fine." Earlier, Reina didn’t want to sleep, but now that he knew the area might still be a battleground for ninjas, he couldn’t afford to sleep so easily.
Suddenly, Kō 13 bent his body slightly, and a short sword, looking expensive, slid out from his right sleeve into his palm. With his left hand, he grabbed Reina by the back of his colr, pulling him behind him.
Cng! The sound of metal cshing rang out as a kunai in the enemy ninja’s hand was blocked by Kō 13.
"Definitely a ninja!" The enemy ninja leapt backward, distancing himself from Kō 13.
Kō 13 gnced at the ninja's headband, his voice cold. "Konoha ninja. I’m not your enemy. Why not just leave it here?"
"Tch. The ninjas from the Land of Rain killed so many of our comrades, and you dare say you're not our enemy?" the Konoha ninja spat angrily.
"We’re not from the Land of Rain," Kō 13 said, but before he could finish, his face changed. With a swift motion, he pulled Reina into his arms, shifting his position to block a kunai aimed at Reina.
There was more than one enemy ninja; another one was nearby, waiting for the right moment.
"Hold on tight to me," Kō 13’s voice, cold as a chill wind, whispered in Reina's ear.
Even though his face was hidden by a mask, Reina could tell Kō 13’s expression had turned extremely cold. An intense murderous aura surrounded them, like a serpent winding around the two Konoha ninjas.
The battle was about to begin.
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