Chapter 271. You'll Get Used To It
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"Hello, do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, I made a reservation this morning under 'Roshi.'"
"Roshi… Please, this way."
At this moment—
Biwa Juzo still hadn't recovered from his shock.
Staring at the magnificently decorated restaurant, he felt as if he didn't belong here at all.
His eyes were filled with confusion and melancholy, and deep inside, he had the urge to turn around and run.
Maybe only after gathering enough intelligence would he feel comfortable stepping into a place like this.
But—
For now, he could only follow Roshi mechanically, trailing behind him into an equally luxurious private room.
[Roshi… has changed.]
Or perhaps—
This place has changed.
Juzo looked at Roshi's back, and for a moment, he felt a sense of strangeness.
And then—
"Why are you just standing there? Sit down!" Roshi grinned. "I already ordered the food. It'll be here soon—today, we're going to have a proper feast!" Seeing Juzo still standing in silence, he added with a chuckle, "Don't overthink it! When I first got out, I was even more lost than you! Finding a job back then was a nightmare!"
As the words sank in—
Juzo stared at Roshi's bright, hearty smile, and gradually, his heart began to settle. After all, he was once a well-known ninja of the Ninja World. He was just too stunned to adjust—he simply hadn't snapped out of it yet.
A faint, familiar smile reappeared on his face as he finally sat down. But after hesitating for a moment, he still asked, "Is this… really still the Ninja World?"
This is too scary!
I was only locked up for a few years—how come I can't even recognize a single thing?!
"Yes, this is still the Ninja World."
Roshi didn't mock Juzo's question. He simply sighed, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and offered it to him. "Want one?"
"No. Smoking? I don't even recognize this cigarette brand anymore."
"Yeah… It feels like everything is unrecognizable." Roshi lit his cigarette, took a drag, and nodded in agreement. His face carried the same look of nostalgia. "When I first got out, I was just as lost as you."
Especially when he saw the Third Hokage starring in a commercial on TV—he had been so shocked that he almost thought he was trapped in an illusion!
Of course, back then, he didn't even know what a TV was, or that it was an advertisement, or that the game the Third Hokage was promoting was a computer game. He only learned all that much later.
"Although I had a little money when I got out of prison, even finding a place to stay was nerve-wracking. Everything was so unfamiliar, and I didn't know anything. But after spending some time here and constantly gathering information, I gradually got used to it… though I did run out of money."
At this point, his expression was filled with reminiscence and helplessness.
"Even finding a job back then was difficult for me. The moment I told people I had no skills other than ninjutsu and that I had served time in prison, they immediately rejected me. So I had no choice but to fish in the river to survive. I figured, hell, as a ninja, I was used to living off the land anyway."
Roshi flicked the ash off his cigarette, grumbling bitterly, "But guess what? Those bastards banned fishing too! I was so pissed off I nearly released the Four-Tails just to ask them if they'd let me fish or not." He smirked. "But if I had actually done that, I'd probably have ended up back in prison, becoming your partner again."
Now looking back… it was actually kind of funny.
Watching Juzo's shocked expression turn to disbelief, followed by a deepening frown, Roshi guessed exactly what he was about to ask and chuckled. "I bet you're wondering why I never left the Land of Rain."
He paused.
Then—
"At first, I did think about leaving, traveling the world. If I hadn't been captured by that red-haired monster, I would've gone on a journey across the Ninja World as planned. But… I found a job. I worked for a while before quitting, but by then, I had already grown used to life here. So I stayed and started my own business. And things just kept getting better and better."
Roshi grinned. "Later, I'll take you to see my factory."
"You got used to life in the Land of Rain?"
"You had no choice but to! The times have changed! Just recently, Iwagakure made a complete fool of itself because it refused to embrace change." Roshi let out a sigh, shook his head, and flicked his finished cigarette into the ashtray.
"For example, that metal box I was driving earlier is called a car. It moves incredibly fast on smooth roads. And then there's this…"
He pulled out his phone. "This is called a smartphone. As long as you insert your SIM card and recharge your balance, you can talk to your friends in Kirigakure from here—or even video call them! Oh, right, Kirigakure got internet access too a few years back. They even made a movie called [Bloody Mist Ninja Academy], and it was a huge hit. It's pretty interesting—I'll show you later."
As he finished speaking—
Biwa Juzo remained silent, his face unreadable. It seemed like he understood something, yet at the same time, nothing made sense at all.
After all, how could the changes of an entire era be explained in just a few words?
But…
"Smartphone? Movie? Bloody Mist Ninja Academy?" He stared at the strange little box in Roshi's hand. He'd seen many people holding similar devices on the way here.
But still—
"You're saying this thing lets you communicate with people far away?" Juzo gave Roshi a skeptical look. "You sure you haven't fallen into a Genjutsu?"
"It's hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true. I spent a lot of money just to buy this thing and learn how to use it!" Roshi chuckled helplessly. "Of course, it only works where there's network coverage. Kirigakure got connected a few years ago, but as for Iwagakure… thanks to a bunch of stubborn old men, they still don't have access!"
"Network coverage?"
"Don't worry about that—you'll understand with time." Roshi shook his head as if recalling something. He unlocked his phone and pulled up the internet browser. "Since we've got some time, you can try looking things up online. It'll help you get familiar with everything."
Seeing Juzo's utterly lost expression, Roshi simply taught him step by step. "Like this—see this search bar? You can read, right? Just type in anything you're curious about, and you'll find answers. Of course, not everything is searchable, but… you'll get it eventually."
And so, Roshi explained while demonstrating. Watching his old friend's expression shift from confusion to complete shock, he suddenly felt like—
He was looking at his past self.
Except his luck had been worse when he first got out. He'd almost ended up back in prison just for stealing a fish.
At that moment—
The food arrived.
"Here's your order—please enjoy!"
"Let's eat first!" Roshi called out to Juzo, who was still frowning as he scrolled through his phone. He grinned. "You've got plenty of time to get used to all this! No need to rush!"
"By the way, do you want to check out the Konoha Chunin Exams? The changes there are even bigger. I already bought tickets! Also, the first-ever Ninja Grand Prix is coming up in autumn. It should be really fun! I bought tickets for that too. I even thought about entering myself, but if my car gets wrecked, I'd be heartbroken." He sighed dramatically. "Back when they held the Mahjong God Cup, we were still locked up. It's a pity that we missed it! Just from watching the footage online, you can tell… Damn, that was intense! I'll take you out to explore—it'll help you get used to everything faster!"
As he finished speaking—
Juzo finally put his phone down. His eyes landed on the beautifully plated dishes before him. Even the food looks better now?
But…
What did Roshi just say?
"We can actually go watch the Chunin Exams?"
"Of course! I bought the tickets already, but you might need a disguise."
"???"
So… what the hell is a ticket?
But under Roshi's urging, Juzo decided not to dwell on it. Maybe, just like Roshi said, he'd figure it all out in a few days!
Feeling somewhat melancholic, Juzo picked up a piece of tender fish with his chopsticks. After a brief hesitation, he slowly placed it in his mouth, savoring a flavor he had never experienced before.
Then, recalling everything he had read online and everything he had seen along the way, he shook his head in amazement.
"The times… really have changed!"
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