There was no way to hide it. And no need to hide it.
Ryosuke carrying the corpse of Fuguki Suikazan, with over four hundred people following behind in mighty procession through the firelight, this image was etched into the hearts of the people of Mist Village.
They leaned against their windows, hid behind door cracks, and carefully observed.
Compared to other countries, the Land of Water was indeed small, and with sea transport being more convenient than land, the cities were fairly interconnected.
The citizens of Mist Village gradually began to recognize familiar faces in the crowd.
"Tanaka! Why are you here?"
"Uesugi bro? What happened to your injuries?"
"Aiyo! Sister Matsudaira, you… hurry in, hurry in, I'll bandage you!"
Some came out of their houses, wanting to pull their familiar friends and relatives inside for treatment and healing.
But the recently freed survivors did not go.
Having been through torment, they were more clear-headed than others, if they went, they would be bringing disaster to the friends and relatives who offered help.
So the group continued to follow Ryosuke's footsteps. As they moved forward, the citizens of Mist Village and the spies from other organizations constantly asked about the cause and story behind the event.
Cries of astonishment came from the line from time to time.
By the time the four-hundred-strong group reached the port, nearly half the city had learned what the Fourth Mizukage and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had done, and how Ryosuke, like a god, had taken down Fuguki Suikazan.
Ryosuke found a ship docked at the port belonging to the official government of the Land of Water.
It was a boat over thirty meters long, specially used to receive daimyo and leaders of various countries.
Ryosuke kicked open the railing and led the people aboard.
"You're not allowed to board! Stop! Ah!"
Seven or eight samurai tried to stop them, but Ryosuke kicked each one into the sea.
The Land of Water had sold its own citizens as cargo, giving them a ship now as compensation… Wasn't exactly too much, was it?
With over 400 people, people who had been at sea and around ships all their lives, starting the ship was as natural as breathing. After some brief fiddling, they activated this overly luxurious passenger vessel.
The steam whistle sounded.
"Don't go!"
The officials of Mist Village finally rushed over in a panic. Their shirt buttons weren't even fastened, their large bellies shaking, and their faces flushed red as they shouted,
"Don't go! Come back here!"
Watching the ship slowly move farther and farther away, the man in charge of Mist Village collapsed to the ground and wailed.
Such a huge incident had occurred in the city under his jurisdiction, his political career was basically finished.
———
Aerosmith hovered in the air.
At first, a few ships followed sneakily behind, but after Ryosuke ordered Aerosmith to blow up one of them, no one dared to pursue anymore.
After a night of sailing, everyone finally began to feel at ease.
They had really escaped.
Ding-ling-ling!
A bell rang.
A young man ran up, beaming with joy, a bit of oil still on the corner of his mouth.
"The food is ready! Come eat!"
Over 400 people entered the cafeteria. In front of them were several large buckets filled with dishes they had never seen before.
"This must be the food prepared for noble lords, right?"
Someone laughed, "To eat what the daimyo eats in this lifetime, even if I die, it's worth it."
The moment he said that, he was slapped by the person next to him.
"Don't say unlucky things."
The man realized his mistake, gave a silly laugh, and drooled at the food.
Everyone was very hungry. But seeing Ryosuke standing at the window, all of them quietly lined up.
The first person in line swallowed hard. Driven by hunger, he wanted to devour the food immediately, but he held back.
He carefully walked over to Ryosuke. "My lord, please eat first."
Ryosuke looked at him.
He understood the offering wasn't from flattery or deference, it came from gratitude for the events of the previous night.
Ryosuke didn't reject this kindness. He smiled, nodded, took the food, and walked over to the corner where Sasuke and Rei were sitting, handing the meal to Rei.
"Eat a little."
"Brother Ryosuke, I'm not hungry…"
Ryosuke nodded and said, "I know you're not hungry. But whether you want revenge, want to investigate, or haven't yet figured out what to do, you need time to think… and you still have to stay alive first."
Rei silently lowered her head.
Ryosuke handed the meal to Sasuke. Sasuke patted his chest and gave Ryosuke a reassuring look.
The meals were handed out one by one. People began to eat heartily. Some even shed tears, wiping them away while carefully, earnestly savoring each bite.
"Look!"
Suddenly someone shouted in surprise.
Following his finger, everyone saw, from the edge of the sea, the rising morning sun was shining.
The cruise ship had excellent lighting. The sunlight reflected on the glass, giving off a faint, rainbow-like glow.
'So beautiful.'
'Was sunlight really this wonderful?'
They hadn't seen sunlight in so long.
Ever since they were locked in cages, they had lived with darkness, filth, and stench. They thought they would never again sit under sunlight and feel the warmth of light in peace.
And they were able to enjoy this moment, because of that man.
Everyone looked toward Ryosuke's back, their eyes full of longing.
After everyone finished eating, Ryosuke turned around, pulled over a chair, sat down facing them, and said, "Regarding your future paths, I'll share my thoughts."
When they heard it was about the future, everyone sat on their knees, straightening their backs.
"The first path is to go home."
Ryosuke said, "Some of you are residents of the Land of Water. Some are outsiders visiting relatives. If you want to return home, I can dock the ship at the shore."
A small group of people in the crowd nodded.
Even if the Land of Water was cruel, if they returned to the Land of Fire or Earth, it was unlikely that anyone would go to great lengths to hunt a few refugees down.
"The second path is to go to Konoha and seek political asylum."
"Konoha… political asylum?"
Many voiced doubt. This term was too foreign to them.
Ryosuke nodded slightly.
All the countries and ninja villages openly and secretly opposed each other. Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, conflicts occurred often.
If he sent them to Konoha, whether through the Third Hokage or Danzo's methods, they would likely be treated as a political example of rescuing talent and attacking the Mist Village.
They would be able to live safely, at the cost of some freedom.
After hearing Ryosuke's explanation, many people were tempted.
"The third path is to establish your own small village."
There were still vast jungles and wilderness in the world of Naruto. As long as a group worked hard and had the right tools, they could build a small village in a few months.
When Ryosuke left Konoha and headed to the Land of Water, he saw many suitable locations.
Once the land was cultivated, after a year or two, life would stabilize.
Three paths, for three different futures.
The crowd was silent for a moment. Then a man raised his hand.
"My lord, I want to follow you."
Hearing that, many lifted their heads and said together, "My lord, please allow us to follow you."
"No."
Ryosuke said, "After killing Fuguki Suikazan, the Mist Village and the Land of Water definitely won't let me go. If you continue to stay by my side, it's dangerous, for both you and me."
Ryosuke wasn't yet strong enough to protect a group.
"But my lord… it was clearly them who did wrong. You saved us. You corrected that wrong. Why are they the ones coming after you?"
Hearing that question, Ryosuke fell silent.
After a long time, he looked out the window at the rising morning sun and sighed softly, "Yeah… why is that?"
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