Phi-Fic Chapter 31 Reporting to the Village
Chapter 31 Reporting to the Village
Below the waterfall, the water crashes against the stone pool, and a moist mist hits you, mixed with the fragrance of earth and grass.
Aburame Shisei walked to the barrier of the great waterfall, formed a hand seal, and quietly merged his body into the waterfall.
Passing through the rushing water curtain, the view suddenly opens up. The fields stretch out in a crisscross pattern below, dotted with a few scattered houses, and further away, the outline of the village appears and disappears in the misty water vapor.
Quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaotic world outside.
He gazed at the village in the distance, feeling a sense of openness and expansiveness in his heart.
The scheming and infighting among ninjas were no longer relevant to him; this was the idyllic life he truly desired.
"This truly is a paradise on earth. Takigakure Village, here I come!"
He called out in his heart, as if he were the truly gentle and sunny Takikawa Hide.
He then headed straight for the inconspicuous building in the center of the village—the mission handover point.
He pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit, with only two Chunin leaning against the counter, talking quietly. When they saw him enter, they merely raised their eyelids lazily.
Relaxed and lazy—that was my first impression of him when he entered.
Compared to Konoha, this place is far too rudimentary.
If this were in Konoha, the mission auditing department would be a powerful department, and the person in charge would be at least a strong special jonin.
In Takigakure, however, they were just two ordinary Chunin, the kind who had no fighting spirit whatsoever.
It turns out that Squad Leader Sato Yoshisuke's reputation as an elite was not just empty boasting; these two truly had no will to dedicate themselves to the village.
He placed the reel on the worn-out wooden counter and greeted people with a smile.
"I am Hideaki Takikawa, from the ... squad. I am requesting to submit the mission completion report and report on the situation."
The person in charge of taking notes was a middle-aged man with a stubble beard and heavy eye bags. He yawned and slowly unrolled the reel.
"Takikawa Hide... Oh, I heard he's been missing for a long time? I thought he wouldn't come back. Tell me about him."
Aburame Shisei sat down opposite the two men and began to narrate calmly.
"We were ambushed by an unknown force on the border of the Land of Grass. They were very strong, at least Jonin level... Our group was scattered, and I escaped into the dense forest and hid for a long time... Later, I encountered a caravan heading to the Land of Earth and managed to cross the border by blending in with them..."
He then described in detail how he met the village squad, how they worked together on the guard mission, and the squad leader's heroic sacrifice. The time, place, and people were all meticulously detailed.
The chunin listened while scribbling on the scroll with his pen, occasionally letting out a soft "hmm."
Suddenly, another Chunin chimed in, "What a pity about Yoshisuke Sato. He has such a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter at home. But you're really lucky to have come back alive."
You Nu Zhicheng didn't detect much genuine regret in his tone; it sounded more like a habitual sigh.
"Are there any witnesses?" the recorder interrupted his colleague, asking as a symbolic request, as if following protocol.
"The caravan leader, Ryuji Ida, and his fellow caravan member, Naoto, can confirm what happened after I encountered the team. As for before that..." Shisei Aburame gave a bitter smile, "I was all alone."
The man waved his hand, seemingly too lazy to investigate further.
"Alright, the period of disappearance counts as a mission interruption. For the part of the mission you participate in after returning to the team, your reward and points will be calculated based on your contribution. I will submit Naoto's mission application report."
After saying that, he stamped the file, looked at Aburame Shicheng, and forced a smile that didn't quite look like a smile.
"There's nothing to check right now. Welcome home. Go pick up your ID badge and update your information. There aren't any urgent tasks lately, so get some rest."
Indeed, the procedures were completely compliant, and there was even a smiling service. However, the process was too simple, with no questioning of details or contradictions, and no doubts about the survivor's strength. The efficiency was far higher than that of Konoha.
"By the way, how's your strength? I just checked, and after this long mission, your merits are sufficient. The village has suffered quite a few Chunin losses recently. If you'd like, I can help you apply for an assessment form."
"Then I'll trouble you." Aburame Shisei replied with a smile, then turned and left the simple house.
Along the way, he encountered several ninjas waiting to receive or report on their missions.
They chatted idly with each other:
"Should we apply more pesticide to the insects in the paddy fields to the east...?"
"When will we get paid for cleaning the river last time...?"
"The roof needs patching..."
Yu Nu Zhicheng walked past them, shaking his head slightly.
It seems that most lower- and mid-level ninjas are only concerned with their immediate livelihood and safety. Passion, loyalty, and the pursuit of truth? For them, those are too luxuries, too dangerous.
He took the updated nameplate, nodded slightly, and turned to leave.
Pushing open the door to the mission area, the setting sun bathed Takigakure Village in its warm glow. The gravel road was slightly warm from the sun, and the distant waterfall murmured softly.
Based on the intelligence he had gathered, he walked toward the small house in the corner of the village.
The house was lower than I remembered, but it was remarkably well-maintained. The wooden doors were spotless, and there was even a decoration made of dried flower branches hanging above the door.
Pushing open the door, a refreshing scent, a blend of sunshine and a faint fragrance of soap, greeted me. The windows and floors were gleaming, and the room was spotless.
The only low table had cushions neatly arranged, and the folded quilts in the corner were fluffy and clean. On the windowsill, a few fresh flowers were stuck in a rough pottery vase.
No need to guess, this must be thanks to Takikawa Hide's fiancée, Chiho.
Even when he was away, the girl continued to take care of his household chores. Except for not living there anymore, it was practically the same as if she had married into the family.
Yu Nu Zhicheng stood quietly at the door for a moment before entering the house and gently closing the door.
He put down his simple luggage and fetched water to wash up. The water was slightly cool, washing away the dust of his journey and his fatigue.
As night fell, he lay in clean bedding, the first time he had slept soundly since leaving the small wooden hut in Konoha.
In Konoha Village, more than seven days had passed since Shisei Aburame's defection, and the insect pheromones that enveloped the Aburame clan were gradually fading, finally dissipating completely on this day.
Many clan elders also gradually recalled some details that they had subconsciously overlooked—they did not believe they had been suggested or hypnotized, but were convinced that Aburame Shicheng was too cunning and too good at hiding.
"Chieftain, this morning I remembered something unusual, so I went to the clan's treasury to check. I found that many of the treasured secret techniques had been disturbed for a long time, and several precious insect species were also missing."
"If that's the case, he's probably already mastered all the clan's secret techniques. Oh no, I must see the Hokage immediately!"
On that day, Shisei Aburame's rogue ninja rank was raised from A-rank to S-rank.