Logan made his way back to Salted Fish Village. When Mai opened the door and saw the assortment of colorful candies, her eyes widened with delight.
"Wow!"
"Stop wow-ing and take them."
Having little means being easily satisfied. Logan watched as Mai's small figure bounced around the tiny room, thinking of her brother still sweating under the sun. He hoped they could manage to live on, at least better than when he had first encountered them in their bleak, downtrodden state.
Compassion occasionally flickered within Logan, a Ninja with a modern consciousness. Whether it was in the past, during the Ninja World War or as ANBU in the shadows, and in recent years while traveling, he had witnessed a lot of things.
Helping others, turning a cold shoulder, and then helping again, Logan understood the value of small acts of kindness. But he also knew that sometimes, excessive help could foster greed, and distinguishing between the deserving and the undeserving was often challenging.
Logan returned to his hut and sat in the shade, meticulously cleaning Clear Spring Sword.
Treating one's weapon as a lover might sound fanciful, but maintaining a weapon's feel through constant practice made a difference.
As he wiped away the grime, Clear Spring Sword shone brightly, its surface smooth as a mirror, reflecting sunlight and the crashing waves.
"Uncle!"
After playing for a while, Mai came running to talk to him. Logan knew he had no choice but to deal with it.
Days passed uneventfully, flowing in a monotonous rhythm. A small nation, nestled below the Land of Lightning, not acting as a buffer, is simply a place of calm.
The little girl leaned closer, Logan frowned and raised his left hand, and the other party slipped into his arms.
"Uncle, it seems the festival is coming up at the end of the month."
Hearing the quiet voice under his shoulder, Logan thought for a moment before placing his hand gently on her shoulder.
"I heard it's very lively in the city during that time, but I've never been there to see it."
A child cooped up indoors weaving things would eventually get bored. Now, she was talking about something that would only happen nearly a month away.
"Well, you've seen the 'aurora'. When you have the money, you can go to the city to see it."
Logan muttered without confidence, recalling that the festival is a custom of the Land of the Moon, and it is a common festival celebrated by the locals. As for the 'aurora' Mai had mentioned several times, Logan wondered if she had somehow seen his nightly training sessions.
In this secluded fishing village, everyone stayed home. At this moment, he held a little girl, listening to her dreams. Though they were physically close, her words felt distant to him. Her brother, the entire village… her world felt vast to her, but small to him.
Despite their differences, they sat together, "Uncle, didn't you say you were leaving in a month? My brother said he wants to treat you to dinner during the festival."
Logan nodded and stroked his chin, "Your brother wants to treat me to dinner? Forget it."
"It's true!" Mai pouted unhappily.
"I'm very busy. When the time comes, I have to go. I've told you I'm on a secret mission..." Logan said, ruffling the little girl's hair with a smile.
Mai slapped away the coaxing hand, "Uncle, you're lying again!"
Logan felt helpless, rolled up his sleeves and struck a pose, "I'm very strong, you don't believe it?"
Mai was unimpressed, "Uncle, your muscles are as big as my brother's at most. You're such a big man, yet..."
"What do kids know? So shallow."
The conversation was about to turn into a pleasant quarrel, but suddenly, many people came to the entrance of the quiet fishing village. The strange excitement quickly diverted Mai's attention. Curious villagers also emerged to see what was happening.
It turned out to be another group of visitors, lured by the urban legend of the 'Aurora'. These thrill-seekers often came to the village, much to the amusement of the locals who had never witnessed the phenomenon themselves.
These visitors usually had some money, and their stay in the village helped boost the local economy, though the village chief never saw it as an opportunity for growth. Mai ran over to join the excitement, leaving Logan to his own devices.
He just watched another group of well-fed fat sheep noisily looking for accommodations in Salted Fishes Village and preparing for their night expedition to uncover the truth behind the legend.
The days continued to pass monotonously like this, and Logan maintained contact with Konoha's ANBU. He also sent back the news that he was determined to return to the village. The news reportedly made Hiruzen quite pleased, and he promised that he would give Logan a cushy position upon his return.
Since the mission in Otogakure three years ago, Logan's prowess had been recognized as near-Kage level. Now, no one believes that his strength has regressed after so long. After all, he is someone who could effortlessly evade the ANBU's messengers sent to check on him, only to surprise them by appearing out of nowhere.
As a Hokage who is already conservative and focused on the internal affairs of the village, Hiruzen still hoped that a powerful Ninja like Logan would stay in the village to bolster their defenses.
As the day of Logan's departure approached, the enthusiasm of the visitors seeking 'Aurora' also started fading. After a fortnight of futile searching, the disheartened group finally left, with the village chief seeing them off warmly.
Logan's nightly training continued uninterrupted. Whenever someone tried to find the special effects of his skills, he would simply take a detour via the sea to a secluded spot.
Kazuya was still working at the dock, working exhaustedly every day. Ten days had passed since those visitors left, and Logan woke up early in the morning to find that the unchanged Salted Fish Village had changed.
People made more trips to the city, and the village itself seemed livelier. When decorations were gradually hung at the door, the atmosphere of lights and colorful lights made Logan realize that the festival that Mai once mentioned was coming.
It seems to be a big festival, as even Salted Fish Village would be so festive. Kazuya also hesitantly came to Logan's house to invite him. Despite their modest circumstances, the villagers didn't feel the need to put on airs, and Logan was seen as a solitary figure in their midst.
It seemed Kazuya was working even harder to fulfill his promise of treating Logan to dinner that he barely have time to return home in the days leading up to the festival.
'It looks like the hardworking brother is putting in extra effort, not even coming home to rest.' Logan thought, realizing his babysitting duties had increased.
Everything seemed normal, and he didn't take it to heart as the festival was approaching. Just when Logan thought that he would get together with the brothers and sisters in such an ordinary way and leave in an ordinary way, a gentle ripple was about to disturb the monotonous calm of his life.