Sam was already far from the Hidden Leaf Village, walking along a narrow path near the forest. He didn't know where to go or what to do for the next three weeks. But he knew exactly what would happen when he met him...
The rain had finally stopped. Yesterday had been very rainy, and Sam was soaked to the bone. A cart pulled by a horse drove by. The cart stopped, and the driver, with a voice hoarse from age, asked: Do you need a ride somewhere?
Sam looked over the old man in a straw hat and asked: Can you take me to Tanzaku Quarter? If it's not too much trouble, and do you happen to have any spare clothes?
The old driver first looked Sam over carefully, frowned, sighed, and then slightly smiled: Alright, sit next to me. There are already passengers inside the cart, and they won't be happy with an uninvited guest. - Sam climbed up and sat next to the old man, who handed him a blue towel.
The old driver said: I'll give you some clothes when we stop at the next rest area. - Suddenly, a voice from inside the covered cart shouted: Hey, old man! Why did we stop? - A rough female voice pierced the silence.
The driver politely replied: We're moving now - With those words, he whipped the horses, and the cart started moving.
Sam: Who was that? - Sam asked, drying his hair with the towel.
Driver: Uninvited guests, like you, - the old man smirked, noticing Sam's nod. He took out a pipe and started smoking.
After a few minutes of silence, unable to contain his curiosity, the old man asked: I see you have a good build. Are you a shinobi of Konoha? Were you in the war? - he said, eyeing Sam through his torn clothes and noticing an unhealed scratch near his mouth.
Sam: You could say that, - Sam replied.
The old driver continued: Can see from your eyes that you've suffered a lot. War always brings suffering. I can't understand why they always fight... - he trailed off, thoughtfully watching the road.
Sam: War has been, and always will be, for a simple reason – War is the craft of humankind, - Sam said, looking at the sky.
The old driver fell silent for a few minutes, contemplating the man's words. In all his years, he had never heard such an absurd thing, yet he couldn't deny it. War in Konoha was always seen as self-defense. Since the village's founding, its residents believed that Konoha never attacked first. This belief was deeply rooted in their minds: war was seen as a necessary protection.
They fiercely sent their children to ninja training, believing they served a noble cause and patriotism. The children thought of shinobi as heroes, not soldiers, and the younger generation died believing this. For them, war became a craft...
The old driver had no choice but to accept these words.
Half an hour later, they stopped by a flower field. Sam noticed people getting out of the covered cart. Sam and the old man climbed down and headed to the back of the cart. The first thing Sam saw was unexpected.
In front of him stood a woman with long blonde hair tied into two ponytails. She was wearing blue breeches, a light gray tunic with a large cutout at the chest, and a light green cloak.
Sam passed by her, noticing he was taller than her. The woman was stretching, inhaling the scents of the flowers. Suddenly, a young girl of about twelve or thirteen jumped out in front of the driver and Sam.
The old man handed Sam a black T-shirt, loose white pants with a black belt, and shoes. Sam couldn't express his gratitude to this man. He quickly changed on the other side of the cart, putting his old clothes into his inventory.
Feeling human again with dry hair and dry clothes, Sam felt a sense of freedom. Now he just needed to have lunch and get some sleep. Sleep was what Sam craved most, as he had been deprived of it for a long time and had endured moral and physical torture.
Sam never regretted what he did to that psycho Uchiha, a sadist devoid of common sense. The memory sent shivers down his spine, and he even touched his restored fingers that had been severed. Gathering his thoughts, he patted his cheeks and approached the old man, who was talking to the blonde woman.
Sam knew these people. In front of him stood one of the Sannin of the Hidden Leaf, Tsunade Senju, and her apprentice, Shizune. He approached the old man and said: How can I thank you for the clothes and the ride? - bowing at a 90-degree angle for the first time.
Sam wasn't sure how to do it correctly, but in his past life, he had the impression that a bow was a sign of respect in Japanese culture. The old man gasped, his eyes wide open: No need, young man, a simple thank you is enough.
Suddenly, the blonde girl objected: Hey, we paid 1000 ryo, so you should pay too! - she frowned.
Sam frowned slightly at her rudeness but understood: it was wartime, and everyone was struggling to make a living. If something needed to be done, it had to be done with integrity. The system didn't allow buying local currency, so Sam decided to check the shop for accessories without strong positive effects to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
The most suitable item for this situation was a silver ring from the world of [World of Warcraft]. Sam chose the most beautiful and cheapest one for 1 system point. The ring had no effects, which was perfect.
Sam took the ring out of his pocket: The only thing I can give you is this ring, - he said, showing the ring in his palm and then handing it to the old man.
Sam: This silver ring is priceless to me, but I don't know its value for sale. I hope it will pay for your help.
The old driver, taking the ring, said: This is a piece of jewelry, incredibly beautiful. Thank you, but you didn't have to. It's human nature to help each other. But... I will accept this gift from you.
The blonde girl, seeing all this, smiled arrogantly. Sam sighed, sat back next to the driver, and enjoyed the fresh air after the rain and the peace. He waited only ten minutes for Tsunade and her apprentice to get back into the covered cart.
Sam had a small meal of coffee along with sweet chocolate and cherry donuts. It all cost 1 point, as the food was included in a single portion priced at 1 system point.
Sam expected a long journey, about four hours' drive. So he fell asleep, despite the cart rocking with every uneven movement of the road. Four hours of sleep was pure bliss for him, and it seemed time slowed down for his rest.
When they reached Tanzaku Quarter, the old driver shook Sam by the shoulder, waking him up. Sam, as if suddenly filled with all his lost energy, jumped out of the cart and took a deep breath, stretching his back.
Now Sam had to occupy himself for these three long weeks. The first thing that came to his mind was to enter the city quickly and hide from that monster named Tsunade. She was so strong that she could easily break the tall wall standing right in front of Sam.
Sam stood by the gate and swiftly slipped between the guards, entering the city. He wasn't worried about the shinobi of Tanzaku, as they didn't know him personally. He dressed in the most inconspicuous, ordinary clothes and wasn't afraid of being discovered.
Tanzaku Quarter was a rich and gambling city, with a unique character that set it apart from other cities in the Land of Fire. Though Sam was penniless, he didn't need money to survive these three weeks. He set out to enjoy the scenery and explore the city.
Sam differed from the inhabitants of the Naruto world - he was of a different nationality. Even working hard in the FBI, he was familiar with basic knowledge about Japan. But the mentality of Americans was always different. Polite and quiet Japanese, and Americans? They were quick-tempered, nimble, and confident, and they were loved for that. The atmosphere of America was pleasant - endless highways, your own car, and cold beer, that's what associated with America.
Sam tensed the muscles in his legs and with one jump landed on the roof of a three-story building, his actions unnoticed by passersby. Soon he found a comfortable spot on the roof and settled there.
There, on the roof, Sam had dinner with chicken legs and drank cold beer bought with system points, watching the evening sunset. He enjoyed the last rays of the sun, taking bites of juicy fried chicken legs.
After descending from the roof, Sam headed to the forested part of the city to spend the night under the shade of a tree. He wasn't afraid of insects or ticks, as his body was protected from such small creatures. So he slept on the grass under the shade of a tree.
On the way to the forest part, suddenly, a blonde woman jumped out from around the corner of a house. Sam almost collided with her but skillfully dodged and frowned at her, but recognized her as the great Sannin Tsunade. Sam's eyes widened, and he was about to leave quickly when she formed hand signs and transformed into a girl no older than 13.
Suddenly, many men burst from around the corner, all looking furious and enraged, and the girl clung to Sam's arm. The enraged group looked at Sam and the blonde girl. They examined Sam closely, his broad shoulders and his eyes…
Sam: What do you want? - he asked them, and they exchanged glances before answering.
Man: Haven't you seen a blonde woman running by? She owes us 10 million ryo! Her hair is just like this girl's, - one of them said, moving closer to the girl, but Sam blocked his way.
Sam: No, I haven't seen her. I gave you my answer, now be on your way, - Sam said, and the girl hid behind him.
The men continued their search, leaving them alone on the deserted street, and then the girl transformed back into a woman.
Tsunade: Thank you, but don't ask me for any reward, I don't have a penny, - she said, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking arrogantly.
Sam: If you have nothing more to say, I'll be going.
Tsunade: Hey, do you have any money to lend? - she asked, turning sharply, and her chest bounced with each movement, catching Sam's attention.
Sam: Find someone else to help you with money. I don't have spare funds to lend to a stranger.
Tsunade snorted but then noticed Sam's gaze on her chest and got angry: Hey... Aren't you looking a bit too long at something you shouldn't?! - she said, clearly in a very furious tone.
Sam: If you're born that way, don't ask everyone to apologize for their looks, but still, excuse my rudeness. I'm leaving. - he said in an indifferent tone.
As Sam walked away, Shizune, her apprentice, ran up to Tsunade, noticing Sam's back as he walked down the street toward the forest. She looked at her mentor: Lady Tsunade, - she said, looking at Tsunade, who snorted and started to leave.
Tsunade and Shizune headed to the nearest bar. There, Tsunade began drinking on the money brought by Shizune, who, in turn, took the lost funds from wealthy nobles. Tsunade distracted them, and Shizune managed to leave in the opposite direction with all the money. Tsunade was pleased that her apprentice completed the task, and she drank several bottles of sake.
In the bar, one of the men loudly discussed the feats of the Snake Sannin and Konoha's commander, Orochimaru. Tsunade heard everything and felt uneasy. She was about to leave when something suddenly happened.
A tremor!
FEAR
Tsunade: What was that? - she said, frowning, and in her anxiety, she squeezed her hand so hard that she broke the sake cup. For a moment, she felt a barely noticeable feeling... an aura that emanated from all directions. She looked around and noticed that no one paid attention except for a few armed men sitting and drinking alcohol. They also tensed and grabbed the handles of their swords, without drawing them.
Tsunade: Did you feel that? - she asked Shizune, but she was puzzled and didn't understand what her mentor was talking about.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Sam sat by a tree, leaning against the trunk, and in front of him was the system screen.
[Access Unlocked]
Serial Killing Event – [Activate]
Description: None.
Sam looked at the system window, surprised by the lack of description. He guessed what it meant and was ready for it. Pressing the button, he summoned a bright white light that swept through the entire city of Tanzaku, as if notifying everyone of the killer's arrival.
A system window appeared before Sam with an astonishing message.
The system owner must kill one person and not be identified as the killer – [Tanzaku City]
Sam stood up and headed towards the city. Tonight, he would commit murder under the cover of dusk.