The city is called Kotariko, and Touki estimates it can easily accommodate over ten thousand inhabitants. The architecture is similar to that of Konoha, with its characteristic medieval oriental touch and excessive use of curves and cylindrical buildings. The streets are narrow, and the density is higher than in the ninja village, implying the difference in purpose compared to Konoha, which literally houses an army.
Touki's first impression of the city is one of backwardness, much more so than he expected. Perhaps it's the post-war economy, but there's much more poverty than he was used to in his previous life, at least in the country where he lived. The presence of vagrants, beggars, and orphaned children, while not extreme, is very noticeable, especially in the poorer neighborhoods and commercial areas. Society is clearly defined by class, with absolute authority and rigid enforcement of the law by the samurai, dangerous and renowned warriors known for their ability to stand up to ninjas, although most of the time at a disadvantage.
The world of Naruto is something of a paradox for Touki, as it seems to be set in an eternal medieval era, yet at the same time, there's supposed to be a wealth of technology and advanced communication methods, considering the existence of electric light. Perhaps it's a cultural issue, where people simply ignore most technological advances in favor of anything chakra-related. Although it makes sense in a world of ninjas not to rely on communication methods that are too easy to infiltrate and intercept, considering the infrastructure they need to operate. It would be a nightmare to have to protect thousands of relay antennas and millions of kilometers of cables.
Maintaining a low profile, Touki proceeded to explore the city in depth, searching for materials and trying to find information about chakra and its applications. Unfortunately, the available material regarding chakra applications is completely monopolized by the authorities, since outside of ninja villages, only samurai and a few monks are capable of utilizing the power without being persecuted; the rest are considered renegades and have bounties on their heads.
Touki finds himself in a difficult situation, as he doesn't belong to any organization capable of providing him with research material; worse yet, he doesn't even have the qualifications to join one. The truth is that the young man can't obtain the material "legally" without the support of an authority, and the only way to do so is by revealing his language to someone he trusts, but unfortunately, that someone doesn't exist at the moment. In the end, his only option is to decipher everything himself, or delve into the dark world of the black market, which requires strength, money, or both.
Touki's stay in the city stretched to two weeks, during which time he tried to form a more accurate picture of the possibilities ahead of him in this world. He came to several conclusions, but the ones that stand out above all are the fact that he's too weak to start a practical relationship with any organization, without the very real possibility of ending up screwed. Then there's the fact that, despite having a ton of knowledge about what's going to happen in the ninja world, he's truly ignorant of the rest, not to mention his constant struggle to socialize and trust others.
For Touki, the customs are very different from his old world, and despite having spent several years trying to get used to it, he still can't seem to feel comfortable with the way this reality works, which is one of the main reasons for his isolation and reserved attitude.
After some thought, Touki had to admit that he could no longer hide from the world and from himself. Reality is terrifying, death is around every corner, and there are villains with a level of evil that borders on the cartoonish, so no one is safe. But that doesn't mean all is lost for him. His mind holds information about the future that no one else has. Furthermore, his seal language has infinite potential. Touki isn't going to take the short or easy route; he's going to create his own force, his own organization, and he's going to implement his own ideals.
With a much clearer mind, Touki mustered up his courage and set a specific goal for himself: to obtain money, which he intends to do no matter what, though perhaps with exceptions related to taboos and some moral issues. It just so happens that there is a group of people who meet all the requirements to give Touki what he needs: money, information, and jutsu manuals. It's also a group of people no one will miss: the bandits and renegade ninjas.
What one wants and what one can do are usually separated by a great distance. Touki is aware that being too ambitious can be lethal, so he decides to start from the bottom, with bandits like the ones he recently encountered. To do this, the first thing he must do is gather information about criminal activity in the area.
As the young man recalls, based on his knowledge of Naruto's history and the little he learned in Konoha, bandits in this world are almost like a force of nature, appearing seasonally and bringing disaster. From a certain point of view, it's almost ironic, but the economy of large ninja villages depends largely on missions commissioned by the different nations, most of which are either the direct extermination of criminals and bandits, or the protection of individuals threatened by them. It's an almost insane contradiction that ninjas depend on bandits for their subsistence, so when there's a shortage of criminals, it's the ninjas themselves who fill the gaps out of desperation.
It's impossible to know where individual bandits and criminals are, as they constantly emerge and disappear, but what we can know is where they usually operate. Touki turns to several public institutions with the intention of finding out where bandits usually operate, but it is in the commercial guild where he truly finds the information he was looking for, specifically the routes that merchants should try to avoid.
Touki didn't charge headlong into equally unfamiliar territory against unfamiliar enemies. First, he acquired every map he could access of the dangerous territories, paying special attention to details such as mountains, forests, rivers, and any other significant geographical features. Second, he bought several weeks' worth of supplies, prioritizing compact items and long-lasting food. Finally, he crafted a pair of weapons that, given the experience gained from the previous encounter with bandits, he believed were necessary to improve his combat capabilities.
Two months after setting foot in the city for the first time, Touki resumed his journey to the east of the Land of Fire, this time, instead of following the route towards the capital, he headed towards other more distant cities, deliberately using the most dangerous routes in existence.
Touki knows full well that his plans are full of holes and that they approach the issue in a very simplistic and passive manner, but for him there are few options in this regard. Despite having great combat prowess with his weapons and tools, he has zero speed and stealth skills, typical of a ninja or even bandits familiar with life in the woods. Touki has no choice but to pretend to be a victim, a moderately wealthy, innocent, and resourceful traveler.
-Courage, courage, courage... Determination- Touki says to himself, as he walks along the roads with the fewest pedestrians he has seen so far, where only carts escorted by guards and samurai pass by, only very occasionally.
The roads become monotonous for Touki, but the solitude slowly begins to relax him, becoming a strange therapy as each step calms his doubts one by one. Soon, the young man begins to observe his surroundings in a more relaxed manner, though never letting his guard down. He proceeds to avoid cities and concentrates on analyzing the topography, beginning to make his own maps of the area, highlighting everything he finds that will eventually prove useful.
Time passes, but Touki never loses his motivation, as he believes it's only a matter of time before someone takes the bait, something that ends up happening exactly one month after he began this crazy search.
----------------------------------
To read 20 advanced chapters you can visit my Patreon:"https://patreon.com/MankindsEmperio"