Chapter 270. Everything Feels Strange
---
The weather in the Land of Rain was, as always, rainy.
Of course—
Today's rain wasn't too heavy.
Biwa Juzo stood at the entrance of the Land of Rain's prison, gazing at the drizzle outside with a deep sigh.
The surroundings were quiet, the only sound being the crisp drip, drip of the falling rain.
How long had it been?
How long had he been locked up here?
It must have been years by now.
He still remembered—when he first arrived, this place was nothing but dirt roads and small groves of trees. Now, it had all been paved over with concrete?!
Thinking back…
He had betrayed Kirigakure because he was unhappy with Suikazan Fuguki's promotion and had attempted to assassinate him. But after being discovered, he had no choice but to defect from the village.
Afterward, he had joined forces with another ninja to assassinate a high-profile target in Konoha but failed once again. His identity was exposed, forcing him to flee.
And unexpectedly, after escaping to the Land of Rain…
He ended up getting captured by a red-haired monster and thrown into prison—until now, when his sentence was finally over.
Of course—
He had tried to escape a few times, but every attempt had failed.
What surprised him most, though, was that Amegakure even had a system for releasing prisoners.
He still remembered the utter confusion he felt when Roshi was granted early release for good behavior and hard work.
That's not how ninjas operate!
You have to understand—when other ninja villages capture ninjas from rival villages, they either hand them over to their enemies or lock them up and torture them for information. How could they just let them go like that?
And yet—
Amegakure had kept him locked up for so long, only to release him without a second thought?
This was really beyond a ninja's comprehension!
Did they not fear retaliation?
But now, standing outside in the rain, he found himself feeling oddly emotional.
As for that Sunagakure ninja who played a big role in reforming the prison… would he ever get out?
Juzo weighed the salary he had just received and sighed. "The way this country operates is beyond me."
Not only was he set free, but they even gave him money?
And a new set of clothes too!
The only problem was…
The clothes were too tight—restricting his movements. But at least the underpants were high quality—he tried pulling them hard, but they wouldn't tear.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to sleep outdoors tonight. But he wondered if Roshi was still in the Land of Rain.
Back in prison, even though their reputation took a hit because of their escape attempts, the two of them had actually gotten along well.
After all… they were partners who had escaped together, mined together, and even made dolls together.
But Roshi had probably left by now.
After being imprisoned for so long for no reason, suffering in a foreign land, why would an outsider ninja from another village choose to stay in this place?
What would be the point?
To keep suffering?
Juzo wondered if Roshi had ever received that boredom-induced letter he had written a while ago.
Strangely enough, Roshi had never leaked any information about this place to Iwagakure. Nor had he exposed the situation to the outside world, which made Juzo a little confused.
If he had—
Iwagakure would have already confronted the Land of Rain about their actions. Other villages would have demanded their ninjas be released or returned to them.
But instead—
Years had passed…
And nothing happened!
"First, I'll find a place to rest. Then, I'll get something to eat and investigate the situation in the Land of Rain and Kirigakure."
Biwa Juzo sneered. "With such treacherous bastards around, Kirigakure is probably in complete chaos. What a bunch of idiots."
Then, he fell silent.
With a long sigh, he looked at the falling rain and shook his head.
He wasn't trying to avoid the rain—a mere drizzle like this was nothing. Even a violent storm wouldn't faze someone who had once been a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
But—
Suddenly being set free left him feeling lost.
After so many years behind bars…
Now what?
He didn't know what to do next.
Biwa Juzo wandered through the light rain, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings.
It had been a long time since his last escape attempt. He didn't expect that the small Land of Rain had changed so much in that time.
The area he was in was quite remote, and there were no people in sight. He planned to explore and find a more crowded place.
As a ninja, he couldn't afford to act recklessly.
The current situation was unclear, so gathering information had to be his top priority.
Besides, the Ame ninjas wouldn't go through the trouble of releasing him just to capture him again, right?
What would be the point?
Did they have nothing better to do?
As long as he didn't encounter Konoha or Kirigakure ninjas, he should be safe for now.
Juzo quickly analyzed his situation, preparing for his next steps when—
"Honk! Honk!"
A strange, noisy sound rang out.
Of course, at that moment—
Juzo, lost in thought, ignored it and continued walking through the drizzle, deep in contemplation.
But then—
"Honk! Honk! Honk!"
The irritating noise persisted, grating on his nerves.
Especially while he was trying to think—the sounds coming from the side were absolutely infuriating.
Finally, Juzo whipped around, eyes locked onto a strange metal box on the roadside. With a furious roar, he shouted, "Make another sound, and I'll kill you!"
As soon as the words fell—
The noise disappeared.
Juzo had just shouted, and seeing that it had quieted down, he decided to ignore it and continue walking forward.
Just then—
The car window slowly rolled down, and a head with neatly combed red hair and a rugged beard emerged.
"?!"
Juzo froze on the spot, staring blankly at the head.
"You…"
Before he could finish his sentence—
"Kill someone? Are you planning to go straight back inside after just getting out?" Roshi let out a hearty laugh and grinned. "Congratulations on your release, Biwa Juzo!"
"You… you… you…"
"What are you stammering for?! Hurry up and get in the car! I came here specially to pick you up!"
…
A short while later.
Sitting inside the strange metal box, Juzo still looked completely dumbfounded, staring at Roshi, who was fiddling with a strange round object in front of him.
This Roshi…
He looked nothing like the man Juzo had last seen in prison.
His hair was no longer messy—it had been cut short, and his bushy beard was neatly groomed. He wore a strange outfit—
A short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and a matching set in light red. On the back of his outfit was an emblem… Was that the Four-Tails?!
"You…"
"No rush. I was just as confused as you when I first got out." Roshi cut him off, still grinning. "We'll talk more later. I reserved a table at Yuto Restaurant to welcome you back."
He sighed dramatically.
"Too bad, though—" his voice carried a hint of regret. "This is the Land of Rain. Right now, it's just you and me here. Otherwise, I would've invited more people."
Then, glancing at Juzo through the rearview mirror, he smirked. Juzo was frowning, shifting uncomfortably inside the car, his expression full of confusion.
"This is a car. The entire Ninja World has changed a lot in the past few years. I'll drive—take a look around for yourself."
When he had first gotten out—
It had taken him a long time to adjust. He had even spent all his money before finally resorting to fishing to fill his stomach.
Not long after that—
Even fishing without a permit had been banned!
As he spoke—
"A… car?"
Juzo furrowed his brow as he watched Roshi effortlessly turn the steering wheel and maneuver into a narrow side street.
[Could this be some new kind of puppet from Sunagakure?]
His mind was full of questions, but seeing Roshi seriously focusing on driving this strange contraption, Juzo remained silent. He turned his head, gazing out the window…
What he saw shocked him!
There were countless other metal boxes, also called cars, moving in all directions. The streets were bustling with people. Some of them held strange rectangular devices in their hands.
What… are those?
Juzo's eyes widened.
His inner turmoil and confusion only deepened.
Was this really… the poor, desolate Land of Rain?
Or in other words…
Is this even the Ninja World he once knew?
At that moment—
As he sat there in dazed confusion, the metal box came to a stop.
Roshi's voice rang in his ears once more.
"We're here. Let's get out."
===
Read upto [Chapter 310] in advance! - patreon.com/kurato6180