Whether driven by emotion or rational judgment, Yujin could not stand by and watch his clansmen suffer.
This wasn't just about his personal preferences or will—it was also tied to the collective consciousness of his people.
Although Yujin had hidden the surname "Hanemiya," that didn't mean he had severed the blood ties between himself and his clan. Nor did he ever intend to.
What had changed on the surface was merely superficial. Internally, he remained the same as always. A person's essence can't be altered by a single decision or statement.
Even though the distress signal came from Hanemiya Chihori, it didn't necessarily mean she was the only one in trouble. It could well have been a plea for help from several—possibly even dozens—of clan members.
When Yujin announced his decision to carry out the rescue, the clansmen around him maintained their serious expressions, but he could clearly sense a wave of relief among them.
"Of course, the rescue is imperative. But just like before, I'll be going alone."
He raised a hand to stop those about to object and continued:
"Solo action allows for greater flexibility. If I run into trouble, I can advance or retreat freely. If too many people are involved, it becomes harder to make quick decisions."
To be honest, the others didn't have the capability to handle such a complex mission that involved reconnaissance, infiltration, and rescue.
"Deadweight" might be a harsh word, but in this case, their involvement would likely cause more problems than it would solve.
"So here's the plan—due to the complexity of this mission, I'll go in first to scout. You all stay on standby and be ready to act. If I need support, I'll call for it right away."
Yujin rephrased his point in a more palatable way.
"But if the captain goes alone and runs into danger, with no backup…" someone started, "the consequences could be dire."
Yujin responded by once again demonstrating his signature technique: phasing barehanded through a large tree.
"Unless I get caught in an airtight sealing jutsu, it's nearly impossible to trap me."
The display was highly convincing.
In the end, there was no changing Yujin's mind. Everyone quietly accepted the decision.
Some couldn't help but think, If only that Senju ninja were still around. Maybe we could've gotten some help from him.
"It's settled, then. I'll go in for preliminary reconnaissance. Given the urgency, there's no time to waste," Yujin said.
Even if he didn't intend to involve the others directly in the rescue, he knew he had to give them a sense of participation and purpose.
Everyone needed to feel that they were contributing to the effort to save their people. Otherwise, if some worked while others just watched, what kind of unity was that? After all, the value of their fellow clansmen weighed equally on everyone's hearts.
Truthfully, whether during the earlier days as expendable cannon fodder, or now as higher-level cannon fodder, Yujin had never been comfortable working with others. He was more used to operating alone.
After making some basic arrangements at the camp, Yujin packed his ninja tools and soldier pills, then set off... Thanks to the Sarutobi clan's generosity, he was no longer short on weapons and wartime supplies.
The past month or two had been a period of rapid growth for him.
Though he still lagged far behind the strongest, he had more than enough power compared to the average.
He might not be the best at fighting, but when it came to running—he was second to none.
…
After leaving camp and passing through the forest to the outside world, Yujin didn't rush forward at top speed.
A fight could break out at any moment, and he needed to conserve his chakra.
To avoid drawing attention, he draped a tattered blanket over himself to hide the ninja tools at his waist. This made him look less like a shinobi and more like either a modern avant-garde artist or a classical-era refugee.
It took him about three days to reach the coordinates listed in the distress message—a small town that looked entirely unremarkable.
Shrouded in the misty gray of early morning, the town appeared dilapidated, with buildings of various heights and styles all showing signs of decay. The people living there seemed devoid of life.
It didn't seem suspicious—at least not at first glance. Most of the shinobi world was in this kind of state now.
According to modern geography, this area would be at the border of the Land of Fire, Land of Rivers, and Land of Rain—a well-known no-man's-land.
Yujin observed for a while but didn't notice anything unusual, so he stepped into the town.
It was only after entering that he realized something was off.
Logically, when a stranger appears in a closed-off town like this, the locals should look at him with wariness or suspicion. But here, people barely gave him a glance, as if outsiders were a common sight.
Even though Yujin's clothing was deliberately plain, his face was unmistakably unfamiliar.
"Something's definitely not right…"
After circling the main crossroads, Yujin sensed that he was being watched.
Could clan members really be hiding—or held prisoner—in a place like this? Yujin didn't have an answer yet. The only lead he had was the coordinate, so he had no choice but to start his search from this town.
After another circuit around the area, Yujin quietly lifted a money pouch off a well-dressed individual. To ordinary people, ninja were essentially professional thieves, and their pickpocketing skills were top-tier.
This was the first time in months that Yujin had touched actual money.
Currency in the shinobi world was still denominated in ryō, but unlike the paper bills of the ninja village era, the current wartime standard was metal coinage, minted by various local daimyos.
Metal coins had different purchasing power compared to paper money.
Yujin opened the pouch and found about five gold coins. They looked similar to the Edo-period koban he had seen in old illustrations.
The front was stamped with a value of "1 ryō." Judging by the weight—about 15 grams—Yujin guessed this was a high-value currency.
In the old ninja village era, 1 ryō was roughly equivalent to 10 yen, but it was obvious that this new "1 ryō" was worth much more—definitely a large-denomination coin.
After a quick calculation, he estimated that one gold ryō was worth at least 5,000 modern yuan.
With money in hand, he approached the town's only inn.
He had already scoped out the area and confirmed this was the only place offering lodging.
Yujin entered and found a thin, middle-aged man seated behind the counter directly across from the entrance. He walked up and slapped one gold coin on the desk.
"I'll stay for now. Let me know when I need to pay more."
The innkeeper picked up the coin, held it up to the light, blew on it, then vigorously wiped it with his sleeve before saying:
"Minted by the Enshi clan—pure gold through and through. This'll cover your stay until the end of time."
As he spoke, he tucked the coin into his sleeve and tossed Yujin a set of keys.
Yujin raised an eyebrow. This man wasn't simple. He hadn't even seen the guy's movements when he pocketed the coin. Could this innkeeper be a hidden master, like a "sweeping monk"?
Still, Yujin refrained from asking about his clansmen. He was new to town and needed to proceed with caution.
He headed up to a room on the second floor.
After locking the door behind him, Yujin carefully examined the room. Once he confirmed there was nothing unusual, he finally relaxed a little.
Next, he would quietly observe this town.
If something was wrong here, it would eventually show itself. Sooner or later, he would uncover the truth.