A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-[ ]
-Lord_Clamiral
-Cain
-Shahzaam
-Goha21
-Jacob Mooe
-Nathan king
-Mp Gaming
-Paul Panzer
-Austin Levy
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The young man raised his brows slightly. Initially, he had intended to ignore the person outside, but since they had already reached the door, there was a risk they might disturb the elderly man lying on the bed. Suppressing his irritation, he turned to Midorima and said, "Mr. Yoshida, answer me first—can the old man still be saved?"
Midorima glanced around, forcing a strained smile. "Well... how do you expect me to answer that? After you return, I'll explain the root cause of his illness. Then you can decide for yourself."
The young man nodded. "I hope you're not lying to me. Otherwise, I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish."
Just as he was about to open the door, it was suddenly kicked in. The crew member who had gone out earlier to search for a doctor was sprawled on the floor, his face covered in blood.
The young man's expression darkened as his gaze fixed on the figures outside. "Who are you?"
"That's my line… We're searching for a fugitive. Why haven't you disembarked?" Igawa Bu stepped forward from the crowd, striding into the room.
"Kirigakure?" The young man's eyes flickered to the symbol on Igawa's forehead protector, but he showed no sign of surprise. "Didn't you see our merchant ship's insignia at the bow? We're a trading vessel from the Land of Fire, conducting business with the Land of Water. Here's an official document from the Land of Water's ruler, guaranteeing our safe passage. Are you saying he lied?"
He pulled out a letter bearing the Land of Water's crest from his pocket.
"Don't try to intimidate me." Igawa ignored the document, his eyes instead scanning the room—an elderly man lying on the bed, an apothecary, several maids, and a bearded young man. "And these people are…?"
"The man on the bed is my father. The others are doctors, an apothecary, and maids. My father fell unconscious, and the ship's physician was helpless. I had no choice but to seek help in town."
"Is that so? Then show me your hands. All of you."
Midorima felt a chill run down his spine.
To make a name for themselves, ninjas had to undergo rigorous training—whether in ninjutsu, swordsmanship, or shurikenjutsu. Years of practice inevitably left calluses on their hands, and Igawa would certainly know where those marks would be.
The hands were also the hardest to disguise.
Midorima clenched his fists, considering how to make a break for it.
The young man raised a hand, stopping Igawa.
"This is my father's sickroom. My physicians need to tend to him. If you insist on causing trouble here, I'll have no choice but to suspect that Kirigakure is behind his illness. It seems the lesson we taught you years ago wasn't enough. Now I'm starting to wonder if Kirigakure even deserves its place among the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"You little brat, you've got a death wish?!" Igawa's face burned with humiliation.
The war between Konoha and Kirigakure was a shame every Kiri-nin carried.
"Kill me, and you'll be responsible for severing ties between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Let's see how much weight a single Kiri-nin holds when an entire nation has to answer for your actions." The young man smirked.
Midorima blinked. Had he stumbled upon something valuable?
A single death leading to severed diplomatic relations between two nations? That was absurd.
But merchants were like that—mixing truth with lies. If the young man dared to say it, he must have some leverage.
Igawa tightened his fists, his eyes darting around the room. Even the maids flanking the bed had subtly moved their hands behind their backs, as if preparing to strike.
These people might not be ninjas, but they likely had some combat skills. His plan to identify the shinobi by their hands was ruined.
Moreover, the young man's tone made it clear he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
For a moment, Igawa was caught in a dilemma.
Just then, the harbor master scrambled over and whispered something into his ear. Igawa's expression shifted to hesitation as he looked back at the young man.
"Are you serious?" Igawa asked skeptically.
"Dead serious," the harbor master muttered. "It's best to let this ship leave as soon as possible. If the old man dies in the Land of Water, we'll have a mess on our hands."
Igawa glared at the young man. "You're lucky this time. Move out—search the other ships thoroughly."
"Wait." The young man, however, wasn't satisfied. "You beat my man and kicked my door in, and now you think you can just walk away? It's not that easy."
"What do you want?" Igawa snarled.
He had never met someone so shameless.
Did this brat really think he was afraid?
"Ten million ryo." The young man held up a finger.
"Ten million ryo?!" Igawa nearly jumped out of his skin.
Midorima's bounty was only ten million ryo, and now, just for hitting a man and kicking a door, he had to pay the same amount?
Since when was money this easy to extort?
"Fine, you can leave. I'll discuss this… compensation with the Land of Water's ruler." The young man pointed at the door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."
Igawa's eyes bulged in fury, but the harbor master yanked his sleeve, forcibly dragging him outside.
"What the hell was that? Who is he?" Igawa fumed, his anger simmering.
"That's the Iwasaki family—one of the Land of Fire's wealthiest merchant clans. They're here to negotiate an investment. You know how much funding Kirigakure gets from the Land of Water every year, right? A big chunk of that comes from foreign investors like them. After finalizing the deal, they stopped by Suiyou Town. But then the old man fell ill yesterday. If he dies here, forget the investment—we'll be blamed for his death."
"So they're nothing but bad news."
Igawa glanced back at the room just as the door slammed shut. His eyes then swept over the crew.
They didn't look like ordinary sailors, but their skills were, at best, on par with chunin from minor villages—nowhere near Kirigakure's elite.
This ship could hold its own against common threats, but not against a serious opponent.
As much as it galled him, his mission was to capture Midorima.
If the target wasn't here, there was no point lingering.
With a final glare, Igawa stormed off the ship.
Once he was gone, the young man motioned for the injured crewman to leave, then fixed Midorima with a stare. "You saw how aggressive that man was, didn't you?"
"I did," Midorima admitted.
"I don't want to be deceived. Tell me the truth—can my father be saved?"
"First, send everyone else out. Then I'll explain the old man's condition."
"Young master, he's a stranger. How can you trust him alone with you and your father?" the apothecary protested.
The young man waved him off.
"If he can save my father, what does it matter if we're alone? Everyone, out."
The apothecary opened his mouth but sighed in resignation, ushering the others out before closing the door behind them.
"Speak. What's wrong with my father?"
"He's been poisoned. And for quite some time."
The young man scoffed. "Is that all? My father has been with us the entire time. There's no way—" Suddenly, his face paled.
"Now you see why I asked them to leave?" Midorima smiled. "The poisoner is on this ship. It's either you… or someone close to you."