CTS TIME: RE250.05.27 – 2:15 PM (Hikarashi Village Local Time)
LOCATION: Kamizuki Village – The Coastal Trading Hub
First Glimpse of Kamizuki Village
The scent of saltwater and grilled seafood filled the air as the group stepped onto the stone-paved streets of Kamizuki Village.
The village was bustling with activity.
Fishermen hauled in massive nets of exotic fish, their skin glistening under the bright afternoon sun.
Merchants called out in lively voices, selling rare herbs, spices, and handcrafted weapons.
Bright red and gold paper lanterns swayed in the wind, decorating the wooden stalls and bridges that stretched across canals.
In the distance, the Kamizuki Bridge loomed—an enormous stone-and-metal structure connecting the mainland to the Kasai Clan's domain.
"Wow…" Aiko breathed, her blue eyes wide with wonder.
"This place is amazing!"
Ryuji, already excited, ran ahead, his sandals kicking up dust.
"I smell grilled squid! Let's eat!"
Kenshiro sighed.
"We're not here to sightsee. Stay focused."
"Yeah, yeah, sensei," Ryuji called back, already digging into his coin pouch to buy food.
While everyone was absorbing the lively atmosphere, Sienna had a different priority.
She stood near the village entrance, her silver eyes scanning everything, her wristwatch projecting holographic notes.
She muttered to herself as she typed:
"Kamizuki Village… A coastal trade hub in the Land of Blaze. Population: approximately 14,000. Major exports: seafood, handcrafted weapons, medicinal herbs. Primary occupation: fishing, mercenary trade…"
Jasper, who was walking beside her, completely ignored her.
Even when Sienna pointed out unique cultural aspects, Jasper didn't respond.
Instead—
He turned to Ryuji and spoke only to him.
"Hey, kid, you see that vendor over there? They're selling kunai with energy-infused blades. You should check it out."
Ryuji nodded excitedly.
"Really? Let's go!"
Sienna blinked.
"…Jasper?"
Silence.
Jasper pretended not to hear her.
Sienna tried again, her tone light.
"Did you see that merchant selling custom blade coatings? It could be useful for your sword."
Jasper, without looking at her, spoke to Ryuji again.
"Oi, Ryu, what do you think? Should I get some dried meat for the road?"
Ryuji grinned.
"Yeah! That jerky looks amazing!"
Sienna's eye twitched.
She wasn't stupid.
Jasper was deliberately ignoring her.
Serena, who had been walking beside them, was absolutely enjoying this.
She leaned toward Aiko and whispered, "Oh, he's trying so hard."
Aiko giggled.
"She's totally gonna break him."
While Ryuji was being his usual hyperactive self and Jasper was acting like an idiot, Kai remained silent, his sharp red eyes carefully observing the village.
He watched the people closely.
The way the merchants interacted.
The way guards patrolled the village borders.
The way certain figures in the crowd subtly kept their distance from them.
"Something's off," Kai thought.
Aiko, meanwhile, was watching Kai.
She didn't say anything—she just… stared.
The way he walked, the way his hair slightly moved in the sea breeze, the way his Yamigan eyes glowed subtly in the light.
"He's so cool…" she thought, completely unaware of her dreamy expression.
Serena caught it immediately.
She smirked.
Leaning down to Aiko's ear, she whispered, "You like him, don't you?"
Aiko's face instantly turned red.
"W-WHAT?!" she sputtered.
Serena grinned mischievously.
"Ohhh, don't even try to deny it. You've been staring at him for, like, five minutes straight."
Aiko tried to look away, but it was too late.
Serena had won.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Aiko hissed, covering her face.
Serena just laughed.
"Relax, Ai. I'm just saying—Kai does have that mysterious 'lone wolf' charm."
Aiko groaned.
"Ugh, I hate you."
"No, you don't," Serena teased.
Kai, still unaware of this conversation, kept his eyes on the crowd.
"Something's not right," he thought again.
And he was absolutely correct.
Because someone was already watching them.
The group had only been in Kamizuki Village for an hour when Kenshiro received troubling news.
A local merchant, his face pale with fear, pulled Kenshiro aside near a tea stall.
"Sensei, something's wrong," he whispered urgently.
Kenshiro's eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
The merchant glanced around nervously before continuing.
"The Kamizuki Bridge—it's been taken over by the Daimyo's forces. No one is allowed to cross. Anyone who tries..." he swallowed hard, "...is never seen again."
Kenshiro's expression darkened.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Two weeks," the merchant replied. "At first, they only stopped outsiders. But now... even our people aren't allowed to pass. They say it's 'official business.' But we all know the truth."
Kenshiro understood immediately.
This wasn't just about the bridge.
Something much bigger was happening.
He turned back to the group.
"Change of plans. We'll stay here for the night."
Jasper sighed.
"Great. More delays."
Kenshiro ignored him.
"We'll stay at an inn and gather more information. No one is to go near the bridge until we understand what we're up against."
Kai smirked.
"I'm going to the bridge."
Kenshiro's eyes snapped toward him.
"No, you're not."
Kai's smirk didn't fade.
"I want to test my Yamigan. If there are strong people there, I'll challenge them."
Kenshiro exhaled slowly, trying to stay patient.
"Kai. No. This is not a game."
Kai shrugged.
"It's not a game. It's a test."
Kenshiro rubbed his temples.
"Just… don't do anything reckless."
Kai's smirk widened.
"No promises."
The group checked into a modest inn near the village center.
The rooms were simple but comfortable—tatami flooring, wooden furniture, and warm lighting.
As they settled in:
Sienna sat at a small desk, collecting data on the village and bridge situation, typing away on her holographic panel.
Jasper sat on the futon, arms crossed, still ignoring Sienna whenever she spoke.
Kai stood near the window, observing the streets below, sensing the presence of strong fighters.
Serena and Aiko were resting on their futons, chatting quietly.
Ryuji sat near Kenshiro, eagerly waiting for training.
As the sun began to set, Kenshiro clapped his hands.
"Alright. Training time."
Ryuji jumped up immediately.
"Finally! I'll learn to walk on water!"
Kai rolled his eyes.
"You can't even walk on trees properly, loser."
Ryuji gritted his teeth.
"Shut up, Kai!"
Jasper stretched his arms.
"I want to train too."
Kenshiro nodded.
"Fine. Let's go."
Sienna looked up from her research.
"I'll observe."
Jasper ignored her.
Sienna's eye twitched.
"This idiot is pushing it," she thought.
Serena, of course, was loving every second of it.
"Ohhh, he's gonna regret this."
Aiko giggled.
"Definitely."
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the training field near Kamizuki Inn.
Kenshiro stood at the center, his arms crossed.
"Alright. Today's training is chakra control—learning to walk on trees and water."
Ryuji practically vibrated with excitement.
"I'm gonna be a water-walking master!"
Kai rolled his eyes.
"You'll drown first, loser."
Jasper stretched his arms.
"So, what's the trick? Just stick to the surface?"
Kenshiro smirked slightly.
"It's about precise chakra flow—too little and you'll fall, too much and you'll repel yourself off."
Jasper nodded.
"Sounds easy enough."
It was not easy.
Jasper stepped onto the tree trunk and took a confident step up.
Immediately—
WHAM!
He slipped and landed flat on his back.
Serena, sitting on a nearby rock, burst into laughter.
"Oh, that was perfect!"
Jasper groaned.
"Tch. Miscalculated."
Kai, arms crossed, watched with amusement.
"Miscalculated? You looked like a fish flopping out of water."
Ryuji tried next—and managed two steps before slipping.
"Ahhh—!"
THUD.
"Ow."
Kai sighed.
"Idiots."
Serena grinned.
"Jasper, want me to record this so Sienna can see later?"
Jasper ignored her.
"I'm gonna get this."
Serena smirked.
"I bet you'll fail five more times."
Jasper scoffed.
"Make it ten."
Serena laughed harder.
"At least you know yourself."
Kenshiro observed them, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Sienna's been gone a while," he thought.
Sienna walked through the dimly lit alleys of Kamizuki Village, her wristwatch projecting notes as she listened to whispers in the marketplace.
The village felt different.
The air was tense.
Conversations were hushed, guarded.
Then—
She heard it.
"…Daimyo's Court killed the Feudal Lord of the Yamigawa Clan…"
Sienna's eyes narrowed.
She slowed her steps, pretending to browse a fabric stall as she listened.
"…those rogue shinobi now control the bridge…"
"…the killings haven't stopped. Anyone who resists—gone."
Sienna typed quickly, noting everything.
"So that's why the bridge is closed… This is worse than I thought."
She moved to another stall, buying a small scroll to avoid suspicion.
But—
She didn't notice.
Some shopkeepers were watching her.
Whispering.
"Is that the outsider? The intelligent one from Hikarashi Village?"
"They say she's studying everything…"
"She could be a problem."
Sienna felt a shiver down her spine.
She glanced around—her instincts flaring.
"I need to get back."
Meanwhile, Kenshiro browsed the market, gathering supplies.
Or at least, trying to.
He frowned as he saw almost no vegetables available.
Most stalls sold only marine food—squid, octopus, salt-dried fish.
Kenshiro approached an old woman selling seaweed.
"Why are there no fresh vegetables?"
The woman sighed.
"The bridge… It supplied us from the mainland. Since it was taken, the supply routes are dead. All we have now is what we can catch."
Kenshiro's jaw tightened.
"This is getting out of control."
As Sienna turned a corner, she felt it.
Eyes watching her.
She didn't react—yet.
But she knew.
She was being followed.
Sienna walked at a steady pace, her silver eyes scanning the narrow alleys. The whispers behind her had turned into footsteps—multiple men following her.
She knew how this played out.
Step one: They'd corner her in a quiet place.
Step two: They'd try to intimidate her.
Step three: They'd regret it.
The moment one of them reached for her arm—
CRACK!
Sienna twisted on her heel, delivering a brutal elbow strike to the man's jaw.
Another lunged—she sidestepped, hooked his leg, and slammed him into the stone wall.
"Tch—she's fast!" one of them grunted.
"Shut up and grab her!"
Two more rushed in.
Sienna's eyes flickered coldly.
With a swift movement, she ducked, swept their legs, and landed a spinning kick—sending one crashing into a fruit stall.
The last idiot tried to punch her.
Big mistake.
Sienna caught his wrist, twisted it painfully, then slammed her knee into his stomach.
All four men were on the ground, groaning in pain.
She brushed dust off her uniform, unimpressed.
"Amateurs."
Glancing around, she saw a few onlookers. Some villagers quickly turned away, pretending they saw nothing.
Sienna adjusted her wristwatch, calmly recorded the faces of the fallen men, and then walked away like nothing had happened.
Her mission was done.
Now, it was time to return.
When Sienna arrived at the training field, most of the group was there.
Serena and Aiko were sitting on a log, drinking tea.
Jasper was sitting a short distance away, arms crossed, still ignoring her.
Kenshiro stood nearby, watching Ryuji and Kai continue their training.
Sienna took a breath, collected herself, and walked forward.
"Oh, you're back," Kenshiro said, looking up.
"You were gone for a while."
Sienna kept her expression neutral.
"Just a little task. Nothing major."
Serena raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea.
"Huh. That's funny. Because you look like someone who just beat up a group of men."
Sienna smiled slightly.
"Oh, did I?"
Serena smirked.
"You did. Your knuckles are red."
Sienna glanced down—Serena was right. Her fists still carried faint bruises from how fast she had taken them down.
She shrugged.
"Must've been a rough negotiation."
Jasper, still sitting on the log, didn't react.
Didn't even look at her.
Sienna felt the irritation bubbling inside her.
"Fine. If he wants to keep this act up, I'll play along."
She walked up to him and casually sat beside him—just close enough for him to notice.
"So, Jasper, how was your training?" she asked lightly.
Silence.
Jasper looked toward the horizon, pretending she wasn't there.
Sienna's eye twitched.
"Ignoring me again?"
Nothing.
Serena and Aiko exchanged amused looks.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Serena whispered.
Sienna leaned in slightly.
"Jasper, did you fall in the water?"
No response.
Serena grinned.
"Oh, he did. Multiple times. It was beautiful."
Sienna smirked slightly.
"That so? Must've been entertaining."
Serena nodded.
"Best thing I've seen all day."
Jasper exhaled sharply.
"I can hear you, you know."
Sienna smiled innocently.
"Oh? So you can talk?"
Jasper clenched his jaw but still didn't look at her.
Serena chuckled.
"Damn, Jasper, you're trying so hard."
Jasper stood up, brushing dirt off his pants.
"I'm going for a walk."
Sienna stood up as well, stretching her arms.
"Oh, what a coincidence. Me too."
Jasper's eye twitched.
"Alone."
Sienna smiled sweetly.
"Nope."
Serena burst out laughing.
"Ohhh, he's so screwed."
Aiko giggled.
"She's not letting him escape."
Sienna just kept walking beside him, completely ignoring his frustration.
Jasper sighed, knowing there was no winning.
Sienna glanced at him, smirking.
"You should've just confessed, Jasper. Now I'm gonna make your life hell."
Jasper muttered under his breath.
"I hate my life."
Serena grinned.
"Love is suffering, buddy."