Aoki ran tirelessly, weaving through the towering trees with light leaps between their branches. The night air began to feel cooler, and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind was faintly heard around him. The aroma of the wet earth from the rain that had fallen earlier in the day still lingered in the air.
A moment later, Aoki decided to stop. His feet firmly planted on a large tree branch, Aoki's body remained in a vigilant position. He lifted his head, gazing at the sky that was starting to fill with twinkling stars. However, in just a fraction of a second, Aoki's head moved to the side—scanning every corner around him.
Aoki's sharp eyes swept forward, backward, then left and right. There were no signs of danger. Even so, Aoki never lowered his guard. With a nearly silent movement, Aoki jumped down from the tree and landed lightly on the ground. Once again, Aoki surveyed the surrounding area from below. Silent. Too silent.
"There's no good place to spend the night," Aoki murmured softly.
Aoki let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. He resumed his steps, running through the stillness of the night. Every movement of Aoki was so light and swift, almost like a shadow darting between the trees.
However, after a while, Aoki's pace slowed. In the distance, he spotted something—a small village. It was located near the border between Amegakure and Konohagakure.
Aoki squinted. He didn't remember there being a village in this location. Previously, Aoki had passed through the main route connecting Amegakure and Konohagakure, not this path.
Why had Aoki never known about this village before?
Most likely, the village was not listed as a bounty exchange point, nor was it one of the branches of the black market. Aoki had no information whatsoever regarding the existence of this village.
Aoki stood still, observing the village carefully. There were no lights or torches lit, no signs of life. The silence enveloping the village felt strange, as if the place had been abandoned or… something had happened there.
Curiosity began to stir in Aoki's mind. He finally stepped closer, walking casually yet still alert. When he reached the entrance of the village, Aoki's eyes swept across the entire area again.
The buildings inside were merely simple wooden shacks, some appeared dilapidated and nearly collapsed.
Aoki then walked along the main road of the village, which looked more like a muddy path without stepping stones. Along the way, Aoki did not see a single person outside their homes. Almost all the doors were tightly shut, but there were a few houses with their doors left ajar, swinging slowly due to the night breeze.
Aoki stopped in front of one of the houses with an open door. He stood at the threshold, waiting for a few seconds. No sound. No movement. Only the wind blowing gently, carrying the scent of damp old wood.
With light steps, Aoki entered the wooden shack. As soon as he stepped inside, Aoki immediately realized that the place was completely empty. There was no decent furniture. Only an old wooden bed in the corner of the room, with wood that was already rotting and creaking softly as the wind blew. The wooden floor beneath was covered in dust, indicating that this place had not been inhabited for a long time.
Aoki smiled wryly.
He could have used a summoning technique to call one of the Kuchiyose creatures that had signed a contract with him. That way, Aoki could ask the creature to perform a reverse summoning—instantly transporting Aoki to the Jumo-shi territory.
However, there was one problem.
Those adorable, furry creatures turned out to be very greedy. And at the moment, none of them were at the branch headquarters or the main headquarters. This meant they couldn't directly transport Aoki to the desired location.
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[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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