In fact, there was nothing special about meeting Pain. Once the main points were discussed, Logan's business was concluded. Speaking of which, he was quite familiar with most things about Naruto, so meeting important figures had lost its novelty for him.
Afterward, he followed White Zetsu to collect his cloak. He picked two that fit well and checked himself out in the mirror, 'Sure enough, I am very handsome.'
"Is it really that fun to do that? You've been at it for a while." White Zetsu sat on the side with his arms crossed. He had been watching Logan doing various poses for several minutes. He really couldn't find anything interesting about this ordinary thing.
"You wouldn't understand." Logan replied. This wasn't a cosplay people do in his world, this was a legitimate, real-life scenario that had its own sense of cool...
Logan coughed to clear his throat, then folded his cloak and set aside a spare for future use.
"Okay, by the way, are you really not going to stay here for a while?" White Zetsu asked nonchalantly, picking at his fingers out of boredom.
"No." Logan rubbed the 'Void' ring on the little finger of his left hand, turned around to face White Zetsu, and finished admiring it.
"You are so diligent." White Zetsu teased, "I remember you were in charge of the Land of Snow and the Land of Bears, right? That's pretty far."
"Haha." Logan was noncommittal. He could take his time to complete the amount requested by Akatsuki. And what he needed was a space where no one could monitor him from the outside world. He didn't want anyone to know about his basic training and learning of Forbidden Techniques.
In addition, there seems to be a Ninja Village called Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears, and the meteorite that appeared in the anime...
Logan had some ideas about that, as he was in need of a quality weapon. Standard kunai didn't do justice to the impressive Hatake Swordsmanship. Now that he was free, forging a short sword was a must. So he wondered if the meteorite would be suitable for forging such a weapon.
As for who would forge it? Doesn't Akatsuki already have an excellent craftsman in their ranks?
Having had enough rest time in Konoha, Logan clapped his hands and said to White Zetsu: "So, come and tell me the relevant information about these two small countries."
White Zetsu glanced at Logan before jumping off the pile of miscellaneous items he was sitting on.
…
The next day, Logan left Amegakure and headed west.
After leaving the Land of Rain, Logan slowed down and walked towards the Land of Bears at a speed close to that of ordinary people, officially starting his path of training.
Sitting at the back of a donkey cart he had shamelessly hitched a ride on, Logan leaned against the straw. The farmer driving the old donkey created a peaceful rhythm with the jingle of the bell, which Logan ignored as he reviewed his notes.
'The preparation hadn't been in vain. I had gathered a lot of theoretical knowledge.' Logan touched his chin and mused, 'Hatake Swordsmanship... or White Fang's swordsmanship, isn't vastly different from the way traditional shinobi use kunai, but there are some nuances with the short sword that require different techniques... I'll have to put that on hold for now.'
Konoha's White Fang had made his mark in the Ninja World with this swordsmanship long ago. It was passed down a long time ago and has many branches. It is not ruled out that there are many applications that can be used today, but although Logan is optimistic about it, it does not mean that he will learn them all. He chose techniques from the preserved parts of the Scroll of Seals that suited him best.
Silver Flash. That was the name of one of the secret techniques.
It was one of White Fang's signature moves, akin to the Iaido (quick draw) slash that Logan was familiar with, capable of taking down enemies in an instant.
Adapting the technique from a long sword to a short sword presented a challenge that intrigued him. Paired with the enhancement of Lightning Release, Logan drooled at the imagined power, but he decided to focus on other techniques first.
The donkey cart rocked gently, and time seemed to slow as he continued his journey.
In a certain inn in the Land of Birds.
Paper and other light objects in the room began to move without any wind, and a blue Chakra vortex spun. Logan looked at the ball that had stabilized in his hand. Well, it was a sphere, and dispersed the Chakra with a wave of his hand.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Logan's ears twitched, as he heard a faint creak from the beams in the adjacent room.
'They finally couldn't hold back anymore.' Logan sneered and stood up silently.
He had suspected he was being tailed by Konoha since he left the Land of Rain. This was discovered intermittently by Logan after he left the Land of Rain. The other party was very careful, and Logan was not completely sure, so he pretended not to know, and waited until the other party couldn't help but take the bait.
In fact, he has to thank the other party for following him all the way, as it kept his ANBU's skills sharp and improved his Chakra control and mental focus under constant pressure.
"Excuse me." A man stepped out from the room next door, wiping his hands, and then stopped when passing Logan's room. But before he could make any move, there was a warm touch on his neck, and a swift cut silenced him.
The man's eyes widened as he fell, and the gurgling sound from his throat was also suppressed into his mouth.
"Whether you're ANBU or Root, I will not show mercy." Logan said to the fallen body.
Logan cleaned up the scene. At this moment, another tail waited outside the window for a signal from his partner. But instead, he was greeted by a kunai piercing his heart, ending his vigilance.
Having dealt with this round of pursuers, Logan knew more would likely come. He shook his head. With no evidence left behind, there was nothing he could do about Konoha's deteriorating trust in him.
Logan continued his routine, eating downstairs in the inn, wandering outside in the evening, drinking, and returning to sleep as if he were an ordinary person.
Growing tired of this cycle, he moved on to the next location. Though Logan had never lived like this before, it was quite exciting to practice quietly while walking and wading through the world despite being under pressure.
It wasn't until Pain's urging message came from 'Void' ring that Logan quickened his pace to reach the remote Land of Bears.
'The Daimyo of the Land of Bears and the Land of Snow have a bit of a scandalous history, but the conservative and isolated Land of Demons lies between them. How should I stir things up?' Logan sat on the hillside outside the small town of the Land of Bear, looking at the distant scenery, while thinking about some dangerous ideas.
'Let's go with the most old-fashioned method.' Logan decided. For a Ninja with various techniques at his disposal, sowing discord was relatively straightforward and hard to detect.
Hatred is easily sparked. And within a week, the once peaceful town below the hill erupted into chaos.
Tensions bypassed the Land of Demons, and with the tacit approval of the malicious Land of Earth, arms were raised for conflict.
Perhaps it could be said that the first blood shed was due to him. As the first life was snuffed out in the unknown plains, Logan calmly clapped his hands, "Let's get to work."
His goal was to push one small country into an advantageous position, then earn a lot of commissions from the weaker side.
The red clouds on his cloak are stained with blood and become even brighter. The black fabric fluttered as he moved, and the scythe of the Grim Reaper harvesting on the battlefield. Lightning flashed, knocking down a spent man whose collapse might simultaneously ruin a family. Such was the life of a Ninja.
Now, he was merely more blatant about it.
Logan charged into a denser crowd, the banner raised high. Such seemingly pointless battles would continue long after today.
This was Logan's reality.
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