The day in Kawa-no-Sato dawned with a subdued, tense atmosphere. Ryan, emerged from the inn. But as he gazed upon the ascending sun, a keen, piercing insight cut through the residual cloudiness of his former existence.
"Ryan Reynolds does not exist..." he mused, the name strange, a shed husk. "I am in another world, a world of shinobi and discord. I need a name that acknowledges this new reality, a name that conveys the hope which I desire to introduce."
He hesitated, the still street a backdrop for his mental deliberations. "Raizen," he whispered, the syllables flowing from his lips. "Raizen Seiten." Clear sky. It sounded proper, a statement of purpose, a vow to cut a trail of tranquility across the stormy skies of the Warring States era.
"I am now Raizen Seiten, the leader of Ten'igakure" Ryan—no, Raizen smiled and walk away from the inn.
As soon as he reach the town square, he found the group of weathered men he'd spoken to the previous day huddled together, their faces etched with a grim worry that deepened the lines already there. He approached, his footsteps quiet on the dusty path.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice low.
One of the men, a grizzled farmer named Kenzo, looked up, his eyes filled with a weary resignation. "Bandits." he said, his voice rough. "They hit our farms last night. Took what little we had left. Burned the rest."
"They're getting bolder," another man, Hiro, added, his jaw clenched. "They know we're weak."
Raizen felt a surge of anger, a cold fury that resonated with the injustice of their plight. He'd seen enough of suffering in his previous life, and he wasn't about to stand by and watch it repeat.
"Where are they now?" he asked, his voice sharp.
Kenzo looked at him, a flicker of hope battling with skepticism. "They're holed up in an old shrine, a few hours north. But..." he trailed off, his gaze dropping to the ground. "They're too many. And they have a ninja with them."
Raizen nodded, his mind already calculating. "I'll go." he said, his voice firm. "I'll deal with them."
The men stared at him, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and desperate hope. "You?" Kenzo asked, his voice incredulous. "You'd risk yourself for us?"
"I've seen enough suffering," Raizen said, his gaze sweeping over their faces. "And I believe in something better. A place where people don't have to live in fear."
He turned and began walking, the men leading him towards the abandoned shrine far from the town, his senses sharpened, his chakra flowing.
As they approached the shrine, Raizen could feel the presence of the bandits, a ragged group of desperate souls, their fear and hunger palpable. He also sensed the ninja, a chunin-level shinobi, his chakra signature a crude, unrefined energy.
"They're inside." Raizen said, stopping at the edge of the clearing. "Mostly civilians, driven to desperation. But there's a ninja. We'll need a plan."
He outlined his strategy, a simple but effective plan that relied on his speed and skill. He would create a diversion, drawing the ninja's attention, while the men secured the stolen goods and apprehended the remaining bandits.
"You're going to fight a ninja?" Hiro asked, his voice filled with worry.
"I'll be fine." Raizen said, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Just trust me."
He moved forward, his footsteps light and silent. He approached the shrine, his chakra flaring, and unleashed a 'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough', the gust of wind tearing through the shrine's entrance, scattering debris and startling the bandits inside.
Panic spread among the bandit, which forced the ninja emerged, his face twisted in a snarl. "Who dares?" he shouted, his hand reaching for a kunai.
Seeing that the ninja boldly comes out, Raizen didn't answer but merely smirk. He quickly formed a string of seals, icicles forming around him. "Ice Release: Frostbite Needles." The icicles quickly flew towards the chunin targeting different spots of his body.
The chunin caught off guard couldn't block all the senbons, as such while some were blocked a greater amount still hit him. Raizen seeing that he hit his target quickly follow-up with another frostbite needles.
While Raizen kept the ninja occupied, the bandits gather behind the ninja awaiting for order to attack. Seeing the bandits focused on the battle, Kenzo and Hiro moved in, their fear replaced by a surge of adrenaline. They secured the stolen goods, their faces grim, and apprehended the remaining bandits, who offered little resistance.
Raizen ended the fight with a another great breakthrough, sending the ninja sprawling to the ground, unconscious. He turned to the other bandits, his gaze sweeping over their faces.
"Aren't you going to avenge him?" He asked while slowly forming some icicles around him. The bandits quickly shakes their head, after all they aren't ninjas—merely civilians. Raizen looking at them quickly cuff their hands using his bloodline limit, showcasing some results from his past training.
Kenzo and Hiro came back a few minutes later. Carrying bags of wheat and other foods. "It's done," he said, his voice calm.
The men looked at him, their expressions a mixture of awe and gratitude. "You saved us," Kenzo said, his voice choked with emotion. "We owe you everything."
"You owe me nothing," Raizen said, his voice firm. "But I have a proposition for you." He paused, his gaze sweeping over their faces.
"I'm building a village." he said, his voice ringing with conviction. "A place where people can live without fear, without suffering. A place where everyone is equal, where everyone has a chance to build a better life."
He stepped forward, his eyes shining with a fervent passion. "I call it Ten'igakure, the Village Hidden by Heavenly Might. And I want you to join me."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "I know you've suffered," he said, his voice soft. "I know you've lost everything. But I believe in you. I believe in your strength, your resilience. And I believe that together, we can build something extraordinary."
The two men looked at each other, their faces filled with a newfound hope. "We'll follow you." Kenzo said, his voice firm. "If what you says is really true, then we'll help you achieve your dreams."
[Gatherer Sub-Mission: Progress - 0 -> 2]
Raizen smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Then let's go." he said. "Let's build our future."
Kenzo and Hiro smiled and goes back to the town with Raizen leading a dozen of bandits. He plans to give them to the town, thus not dirtying his hands. Their lives will be decided there.
As they prepared to leave, the system's notification chimed in Raizen's mind.
[A mission is available!]
[Sub Mission: A Hidden Talent]
[Description: A individual harbor a unique talent that will benefit the village. Recruit the talented individual within the village of Kawa-no-Sato. The individual has a unique eyes.]
[Reward: Talent Scan, Custom Elemental Jutsu ×2]
Raizen paused, his gaze sweeping over the men. "We'll meet at the front of town" he said, his voice thoughtful. "There's someone I need to find in Kami-no-Sato."
He explained the system's mission, and the men nodded, their trust in him unwavering. They gathered their belongings, the stolen goods now reclaimed, and set off towards Kami-no-Sato, their steps filled with a newfound purpose.
The journey was long, but the men's spirits were high, buoyed by the hope of a better future. Raizen shared his vision of Ten'igakure, painting a picture of a village where everyone was valued, where everyone had a voice. The men listened, their eyes shining with a fervent belief in his words.
As they approach the town, he thought about his mission. He knew that finding the talented individual would not be easy, but he was determined to succeed. Ten'igakure needed strong individuals, and he would find them.
He entered the village, he dismissed Kenzo and Hiro, and began to plan his search, his senses sharpened, his gaze scanning the crowds, searching for the spark of talent that would ignite the future of Ten'igakure. He knew that the clear skies he envisioned were within reach, and that he would build them, one recruit at a time.
"This will be tough." Raizen sighed as this mission will be difficult. He decided to look for clues by asking someone.
Paya was cleaning the front of her tea stall when someone appeared. That someone is Raizen. "What are you doing here young man?" She asked, voice still raspy.
"I'm here to pay for my tea yesterday, and I need your help old Paya." Raizen said as he took a sit and place a coin in the table. Paya looked at him and took the money, she slide it on her pocket before taking a sit opposite to Raizen.
"Okay, what do you need?"
"Um, is there someone around here with weird eyes?" Raizen asked. He can't really come up with a question aside from this, after all he preferred quick transaction than lengthy one.
"The Uchiha clan is in the Land of Fire." She chuckled. Didn't he already learned about this because Paya talked to him about the Senju and Uchiha clan yesterday.
"No, that's not what I mean. I knew that, I mean someone from this town." Raizen shakes his head as his question wasn't received correctly.
Paya scratch her grey hair as she thinks. "Ah!" She clasp her hands as someone came from her mind. She looked at Raizen before saying something.
"I know a family just at the outskirts of the town in the northern side, disaster seems to happen around them. As such that area is partly secluded... or should I say isolated?" Raizen frowned upon hearing that. "Why though?" He asked.
"If I remember, their family was said to be crazy. Ghost this, death that were all what they say, especially that child called Hanami. That child likes to say someone's about to die or is color black." Paya remembered as that child was always shunned by the townsfolk.
'Ghost huh? Is it something like third eye?' Raizen frowned, while he isn't entirely scared of ghost he didn't like them. After all, his previous life depicted ghost as something scary and negative. This seems like a serious matter.
"Anyway, why do you asked?" Raizen stands up and thanked Paya for the information. "I just need something from them." He then left.
Paya looked at his departing figure, before going back to the counter. 'What a strange ninja.' She thought.