Chapter 234: Childhood Friends Trio
Less than three days later, all the intelligence records concerning those close to Kusanagi were laid out in front of Ryosuke.
In the quiet room,
he sat at his desk and slowly unrolled the scroll. Familiar names were written clearly across the parchment.
Mikasa, female, Chunin of the Hidden Rain Village.
Over ten years ago, under Kusanagi's recommendation, she participated in the entrance examination for the Hidden Rain Village and passed successfully.
Thanks to her exceptional talent, she graduated within half a year and became a Genin.
Over the past decade, she had completed 97 A-level missions, 287 B-level missions, 34 C-level missions, and 4 D-level missions.
Though only ranked as a Chunin, she had the strength to carry out A-level missions alone. If not for her insufficient qualifications, her combat power alone would have been enough to promote her to Jonin of Amegakure.
When the Hidden Rain Village was destroyed more than ten years ago, she survived due to being on a mission and became one of the few remaining battle-ready forces in the Land of Rain.
Afterwards, Mikasa ignored all objections and nominated Kusanagi, a mere village chief, as the new king.
Despite her young age and lack of political experience, her formidable strength granted her considerable influence among the remaining Rain Ninjas.
Kusanagi, living up to her recommendation, quickly earned the trust of other Rain Ninjas with his eloquence and vision, arguing that only by joining the Allied Nations could they protect their homeland.
Later, when Kusanagi formed a diplomatic negotiation team, Mikasa was appointed as his bodyguard.
Allen, male.
More than a decade ago, he too joined the Hidden Rain Village's entrance exam at Kusanagi Ake's recommendation, but failed due to his inability to extract chakra.
Still, the boy did not give up. Relying on Mikasa's connections, he earned the right to study kenjutsu, became a samurai, and even built a large samurai faction.
A year ago, when chaos broke out across the Rain Country, he unconditionally led his samurai to support Kusanagi's ascension to monarch.
Currently, he also serves as one of Kusanagi's personal guards, though due to limited combat ability, he often appears more as a groom than a warrior.
"Orphans from the same village, recommending each other out of loyalty... rising together, repaying each other's kindness?"
Ryosuke flipped through the documents with an expressionless face. As he reviewed Kusanagi's background, the scattered puzzle pieces began to align.
Previously, when there were suspicions surrounding Kusanagi's true identity, the clan's intelligence mentioned this:
More than a decade ago, the world was still at war.
In a remote and nameless village, the Kusanagi's family—one of the wealthier households—was attacked by wandering shinobi.
All four family members were killed, except for one: the "grass shirt" boy.
The boy, Kusanagi, inherited what remained of the family's assets and attempted to enroll in the Hidden Rain Village to become a ninja and protect his homeland.
Unfortunately, two years into his efforts, he failed to become a shinobi and returned home.
This report aligned precisely with the story Kusanagi had shared about his past.
On the surface, it was the tale of a powerless young man, born of tragedy, seeking strength in a world torn by war.
But when Mikasa and Eren entered the equation, the narrative grew suspicious.
"Eren, Mikasa, Armin…"
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, Kusanagi's features playing back in his mind.
The village of Kusanagi's origin was remote, and records were sparse.
Even Hyuga's advanced intelligence network could only recover fragmented details based on oral accounts from local elders.
Perhaps… the war-torn village did exist. Perhaps the Kusanagi's family really did perish in the chaos.
But Ryosuke now believed no survivors were left behind.
Whoever inherited the Kusanagi's wealth and fled to study in the Rain Village wasn't a native.
It was Armin—a stranger wearing a local's skin.
Based on time and age, only Armin fit the timeline. Only he could have arrived in this world with Eren and Mikasa.
They were all around the same age and shared similar physical features, particularly their blonde hair.
Children change quickly. If you left a village without showing your face and returned two years later, very few would recognize you.
Add in some preparation—birthmarks, forged documents—and in a chaotic era like that, slipping into someone else's identity wouldn't be difficult.
Especially not for someone with Armin's intelligence and foresight.
"Time minus their stated ages…"
The outlines of the truth began to take shape in Ryosuke's mind.
More than ten years ago,
three teenagers from another world landed here—strangers to everything around them. At first, they likely survived like beggars.
But unlike the average civilian, they came equipped with the education and knowledge of an entirely different world.
That gave them a critical advantage. They quickly understood the structure of this new world—especially the role of ninja.
Naturally, becoming one became their goal.
Luckily for them, the Hidden Rain Village wasn't like the Five Great Shinobi Nations. It didn't rely heavily on long-established ninja clans.
Its founding had been a result of fortune, and its most famous shinobi—Hanzo the Salamander—had risen from obscurity.
Because of this, their ninja academy didn't restrict enrollment to the village.
Anyone in the country with a clean background and sufficient talent could enroll.
That clean background, however, was their first obstacle.
"First, the cat replaces the prince. Once stability is achieved, remove all traces of the past."
"As for my invitations—he kept making excuses. Probably afraid something on his body would give him away. After all, the Byakugan isn't a secret technique."
Ryosuke closed the scroll gently, eyes glinting with certainty.
"They come from another world. They can't be sure whether their physiology differs from ours. What if a bloodline detector exposed them? What if a medical exam uncovered something off?"
He didn't need conclusive proof.
He only needed to bring up their original world.
If they weren't from there, they'd have no reaction.
But if they were, even the calmest mask would crack.
And Ryosuke would be watching.
After all, he was a time traveler too.
From the moment he heard the name Mikasa, he had doubts.
Even if everything about their birth records and village identities was forged—backed by an entire village ready to testify—their past couldn't be erased.
Ryosuke had the advantage of foreknowledge.
He didn't need to expose them immediately. But the next meeting with the trio would be telling.
---
"Is Ryosuke finally going to put things in motion? But… why didn't Mr. Saki Yu come?"
Less than a week after their previous encounter, Armin found himself once again summoned to the inner city of the Land of Rain by Ryosuke.
Following closely beside him, of course, was the short-haired, capable female ninja—Mikasa.
Beside her, Ryosuke also spotted Eren this time.
He was no longer left in the outer city as a coachman but had followed the two into the inner city. Perhaps Armin intended to find a good position for Eren as well, which was why he brought him along.
"We are indeed planning to take some action."
Ryosuke chuckled and nodded. "But for now, this isn't something the Saki family should get involved in."
"In fact, you should already know—although this country is in chaos, not everyone welcomes Hyuga's arrival and protection."
"Some still yearn for the old days… still long for the rule of Hidden Rain."
His tone was calm, cutting straight to the point as he brought up the purpose of their meeting.
Originally, Ryosuke had no intention of intervening. But since the opportunity presented itself, he wasn't going to let it slip by.
"…"
Armin's smile froze, though he quickly recovered.
"Lord Ryosuke, are you saying… to eliminate all those who don't stand with us?"
By saying us, he deliberately excluded the three of them from the Hidden Rain Village's forces.
"It will be fine."
Ryosuke responded casually, "If they don't stand with us, they shouldn't be in this country, period."
"You can exile them… or kill them. But I need the three of you to help me identify these people. After all… you grew up during the time of the Hidden Rain's rule."
"And it just so happens that the three major classes of power—ninja, officials, and samurai—are all represented among you."
As he spoke, Ryosuke pulled out three forehead protectors and placed them on the table.
"Wear these, and Hyuga's forces will cooperate with you."
The forehead protectors bore the crest of the Hyuga clan. They were custom-made after the clan left Konoha, given to outsiders working for them.
For Hyuga clan members, the bloodline and Byakugan were proof enough of identity.
"The future Hyuga envisions is one where this country is restored—where peace and stability return. But before that, we need to cut out the rot."
"I want this cleaned up quickly. The chaos has dragged on long enough."
"...I understand."
Armin showed no surprise at Ryosuke's knowledge of their identities and past. In silence, he reached for one of the forehead protectors.
Beside him, Mikasa and Eren also took theirs.
"Please arrange to act on this immediately."
Once they accepted the protectors, Ryosuke continued,
"You aren't natives of this country anyway, so I believe… you won't go easy on them, right?"
"I want this handled cleanly. I don't want to see these termites crawling out one by one, polluting my sight and disturbing my peace."
Armin and the others didn't panic. Instead, their expressions remained unreadable—nearly emotionless.
Then Ryosuke added casually,
"And another thing… drop the fake names. Stop pretending. Even if he's dead, you're still using his name to do dirty work, aren't you… Armin?"
Silence fell.
Suddenly, he felt it. The killing intent radiating from Mikasa and Eren was sharp and undeniable.
Even Armin—usually calm and calculating—was now visibly tense, his breath unsteady.
"As expected. No matter how well you've hidden over the years, just hearing your past is enough to shake you."
Ryosuke was pleased. Their reactions confirmed everything.
"Don't move, you two."
Placing both palms on the table, Armin stared at Ryosuke. "Who are you? Have you… met others like us?"
They were in the inner city, Hyuga territory.
The man before them was the young master of the Hyuga clan—his strength immeasurable.
Even with all three of them, their chances of winning were slim.
"That doesn't matter."
"I'll only share what I choose to share. I may not answer your questions at all."
Ryosuke's posture remained unchanged, his voice steady despite the hostility in the room.
"Take the forehead protectors. From this moment on, you belong to Hyuga."
"I don't care if you're from another world or something else entirely. As long as you don't betray Hyuga… and as long as we walk the same path, I'll give you the support you deserve."
"Strength, influence… even a way home. The Hyuga clan can provide all of it."
They hadn't fully mastered the space-time gate yet, but that didn't mean Ryosuke couldn't promise the possibility.
He was confident. It was only a matter of time.
"Go… home?"
Eren, silent until now, finally muttered under his breath.
Mikasa and Armin looked dazed, as if the word itself was foreign.
Once, it had meant everything to them.
In the early days, they clung to the dream of returning. They imagined the reunion, the stories they'd tell, the closure they'd find.
But as time passed…
Survival became the only focus.
The dream of going home faded, like a memory left in the rain.
Now, the word felt distant—unreachable.
"I'll be honest with you." Ryosuke's voice softened. "There are many people like you in this world. People from other worlds who entered through that gate. But most are not from the same world as you."
"But they too chose to cooperate with Hyuga. You're not alone in this."
He paused, then added with intent:
"In fact, I've met someone from your world."
The three froze, attention snapping back to him.
"It was a giant. Mindless. It had no thoughts—only the instinct to eat."
He didn't pause for dramatic effect.
"But now that you've seen what ninja power truly is… you're no longer afraid of those nightmares, are you?"
"To a ninja, killing something like that—an unintelligent animal—is simple. We don't even need to aim for the neck. We have many ways to bring them down."
Ryosuke looked at them, his gaze firm.
"Become part of Hyuga. Even if you have no talent as a ninja, I can help you refine chakra and walk the ninja path."
"Think about it—what if the path home really opens? And you return with the strength of a shinobi."
"The nightmares of your past… would be nothing but ants before you. You could rescue those still suffering. You could annihilate every last giant that once brought you pain."
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