2 – Episode 2. Corrupted Ninja Village (1)
“Watch out!”
I swung my dagger, imbued with the spirit of a ninja. The wooden barrel was cut in one stroke.
“You son of a b*tch. I told you not to put that sh*tty aura in me!”
A sudden strike that came to my brain.
“Ogak!”
The body screamed in agony, or rather, the vocal cords screamed in agony.
“If you hadn’t succeeded, your head would have been split like a log. Do you understand?”
Every time he spoke, the angry biceps of the bald instructor flexed unevenly.
“Make a mistake just once. I’ll tear you to shreds.”
“Nin nin.”
‘Inefficiently pumped muscles, you’re a failed ninja candidate.’
It’s clear that this guy has grown his muscles to destroy the head of an unwelcome ninja trainee.
“Nevertheless, your precision and understanding of the techniques are the best ever. I think it’s just a side effect of rapid growth, so if we correct it slowly, it should be fine.”
The female instructor, who had been silently watching, gently stroked the cut surface of the log with her gloved hand.
A woman who possesses the traits of a true ninja: sharp eyes, formal speech, gloves, a dignified posture, and attire.
She is the true mentor of the ninja.
“Nin nin!”
In this corrupted ninja village, she is the only person I consider as my master.
She might not be Kakashi, but she’s close enough.
“But something feels unnatural. It was cleanly cut, but it feels like the speed was intentionally controlled. Am I right?”
Kakashi cautiously sets down the log and asks me directly.
Her movements are as stealthy and calm as a skilled assassination weapon.
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Her eyes are small, but she’s quick-witted, which gives me a headache.
“I’ve been pondering how to become faster in the middle of the training. In real combat, one mistake can be fatal.”
But I’m a master of deception. I’ve been imitating an ordinary person for over ten years in order to become a ninja.
When caught using ninja techniques or similar skills by fellow trainees, the effort to avoid suspicion and lie like breathing was put to use here.
My younger sister thinks of me as a crazy psychopath otaku who’s gone mad from reading too many comics.
Naturally, it’s a disguise.
“Well, I guess that could be true. If I were to give you some advice, it would be to focus on retrieving your weapon faster rather than drawing it in your current state. Keep in mind that if the target moves differently from cutting through wood, you can’t kill them with a single strike. The follow-up attack is what matters most for now. The swift cutting comes in the next stage.”
“Nin-nin.”
I appreciate the thoughtful feedback, but I don’t listen to advice from those weaker than me. Now, I am stronger than Kakashi.
“Nin-nin, you crazy bastard, 567, I’ll keep an eye on you. What are you doing? Get ready for the meal!”
At the shout of the bald instructor, the ones designated as today’s search team (meal duty) began to prepare the beasts they had captured outside the mine.
“Is this a food police story?”
As soon as I see it, a sigh escapes me. One must not think of rabbits, deer, or wild boars when hearing the word “beast.” This is a world ruled by savagery and madness.
Even the mother insect queen naturally faded away, and today’s lunch is the visually stunning series of caterpillars.
The ninja trainees placed a tablecloth on the rocks and sat on a suitable stone.
Today’s side dish is a green and blue meat soup. It’s been five months since I came to this world, but I still can’t get used to it.
If I get used to this kind of thing, I’ll become a monster.
“Enjoy your meal.”
The trainees eat their food without a word. They are the ones who have lost even their sociability with their parents. No one responds to my lunch greetings.
Their dull pupils show no sign of ninja spirit.
It’s the reality of a completely corrupted ninja village that has forsaken the path of the ninja.
“Hey, you glutton.”
“…What?”
I approached 568, who had been designated as my sparring partner, and started a conversation.
Her pale skin and enormous dark circles remind me of a child who lost her parents to the Yakuza and can no longer find comfort in sleep.
“How is your shadow training going?”
In this world, there exists a mysterious energy called mana. While some people are naturally able to manifest mana, the majority acquire it through acquired learning.
Shadow techniques are highly valued in this corrupt ninja village and have been taught for a long time. It’s like some kind of ninja secret technique.
It helps you blend into your surroundings like an invisible power, allowing you to walk silently in the dark night.
Unfortunately, status windows do not exist in this world. Just in case, I tried shouting with all my might, but all I got was a punch from the bald instructor.
The main method of mana manifestation that Sagar relies on is torture and interrogation, an extreme choice between awakening within a certain period or death.
As if it were a cruel twist of fate, as soon as 567 manifested mana, it feels like they took away my physical body.
“I’m still not used to it.”
568 hesitated and spoke. Even so, they will be my next top student.
As a candidate with the potential of a super ninja, I mastered shadow techniques long before the other kids started playing around, but they are still stuck at just muffling their breath.
Although 568 cannot walk, they have succeeded in harmonizing with objects.
“You truly have a rare talent.”
I deliberately said it with a condescending tone. 568’s eyes slightly furrowed as they casually stirred their soup.
But I didn’t say it to make her angry. Even though she has endured such painful training, she still has emotions.
It’s intentional trolling to bring out those emotions.
“But what if I help you?”
A ninja without emotions is a trash ninja.
The other candidates have lost themselves in countless beatings and torture, losing their joy and sorrow.
The ninja, who had lost their ability to empathize, became a mechanical being unable to deal with the unpredictable variables created by mediocre and unorganized people.
The ninja created by Sagal’s tail is nothing more than a third-rate relic that cannot calculate human foolishness.
A first-rate ninja is one who can read the flow of society and people’s actions while holding both joy and sorrow, and becomes completely detached only at decisive moments.
Therefore, unlike the ninja candidates here, she still has the potential to become a super ninja.
As someone who has fought the difficult battle of the world alone, I never underestimate her potential.
“…Then I should be grateful.”
As if she knew my heart, the dark lady immediately agreed.
“Follow me in two hours.”
She coolly said and left without hesitation. It was cool, but I no longer wanted to eat this terrible food.
***
While pretending to train lazily, I was lost in thought when the dark lady approached me.
“All the instructors have gone inside the tent.”
Those damn instructors only teach until lunchtime and spend the rest of the time in their comfortable makeshift accommodations near the entrance of the abandoned mine.
I have already reached a stage where training is meaningless, but the ninja masters have an obligation to teach the candidates to the best of their abilities.
A ninja society that has lost its duty and responsibility.
In this regard, the bald instructors are no different from the greedy miners at the mine entrance.
I briefly awakened my ninja senses and looked around, and the other candidates seemed busy and distracted with their own training.
“Watch closely.”
I gracefully crawled on all fours and spread out a shadow between the rocks.
This place is optimized for shadows that are easy to cast.
“Ninja Chameleon Mode.”
With that, I didn’t even flinch.
“How… how can you do that better than the instructors?”
It’s satisfying to see such a surprised reaction. It’s more fun when there’s someone nearby exclaiming in awe.
While she was trying to keep up with my movements, I quietly approached her from behind.
I was about to poke her cheek with my finger, but it seemed too obvious, so I lightly tapped the back of her head instead.
“Ow!”
I must have misjudged the strength because it visibly hurt her.
“Didn’t see that coming, did you? The performance is quite impressive.”
I tried to ignore it and struck a cool pose in front of her.
“Now, try to imitate me.”
I didn’t even give her time to object and immediately went into practical training. It’s tiring to nitpick every little detail in life, so I hope we can just move on.
“Just by watching that? Can’t you explain it in more detail?”
She rubbed the back of her head and pouted.
More detail? Honestly, I’ve never taught anyone anything before, so I don’t know any tricks.
“Just watch and feel it again.”
This time, I stuck to the wall, used the shadow, and crawled up to hang from the ceiling. The perfect posture of a ninja bat.
“I’ve shown you enough as necessary.”
For showmanship, I revealed myself right above her head.
“I must admit, you’re really good at it, but I still don’t understand.”
“You’re slow. Slow to even grasp it.”
“…Don’t you need more explanation?”
“Ah, this is so frustrating. Just try it once.”
The frustrated girl glanced at me and then went between the rocks to create a silhouette.
I could see her position clearly, but unless she was a supervisor, it would be difficult for her to notice.
“Now, move.”
The hesitant girl moved cautiously. If there was even a slight sound or a sense of unfamiliarity in the space, she would be disqualified immediately.
I enhanced my vision and hearing with mana to follow her movements.
She smoothly climbed between the rocks, then onto the rock, and stuck to the wall before moving to the right. It was clumsy, but she was moving surely.
“Good. You’re doing well. It’s all about feeling.”
Her movements were slow, so she still had a lot to improve. Maybe I have some talent as a ninja master?
“Phew.”
The girl released the silhouette and sat down on the floor. It seemed like she was running low on mana.
“Thank you.”
“That’s enough. I’m leaving now.”
I said solemnly and turned around immediately. It’s starting to get boring, so I should get some sleep.
It’s getting tiresome to spend time in the state of the silhouette when the material is exhausted.
“Just a moment.”
“It’s a waste of time. It’s troublesome.”
The promiscuous woman quickly scanned her surroundings, rolling her eyes.
“I’ll give you some advice. You’ve become so strong, but I don’t understand why you’re still here. It would be better for you to leave as soon as possible. Candidates have been disappearing one by one every night for the past few days.”
“What? Is that really true?”
I didn’t realize it had been a while since I stopped paying attention to the third-rate, useless candidates who didn’t even greet me.
There are roughly 5 to 60 trainees, but it feels like their numbers have decreased when the promiscuous woman says so.
The instructors said that the education process hasn’t finished yet, so why are they taking the kids away?
Is it my turn to step up?