[Hokage] Summer Festival

A man and a woman in their 30s entered the ward. They nodded towards Miki and walked between the two beds.

The woman looked at me not as tenderly and lovingly as Xia Zi's two elder brothers, but she also showed deep concern from the corners of her brows and eyes.

Miki called her Teacher Xiaochun.

This is probably what Shinichi said, Mr. Xiaochun who came to visit me when I was in a coma.

"According to what I said before, from now on you will be Junin."

The man called Teacher Menyan said slowly.

"Since you can survive the siege of sand ninja, it also proves that your strength has reached the level of jounin."

"Heal your wounds, Konoha still needs you a lot."

"Yes! Teacher Menyan."

Miki's eyes were full of excitement and excitement, and she looked up at him with burning eyes.

I was stunned for a while.

Onin.

Shinichi also said something when he woke up before—congratulations on becoming a Jonin.

Now Menyan said that surviving proves that he has the strength of Jonin.

But Xia Zi did not survive, her soul may have dissipated or may have drifted to an unknown world like me.

Strength is something like that, if you have it, you have it, if you don't, you don't have it, there is no ambiguity at all.

Maybe Natsuko's strength is not at the level of Jonin.

Let alone me.

My initial acquaintance with ninjas began with a cartoon "Ninja Rantaro" many years ago. When I was studying, I knew more or less about the history of ninjas in history class, but there was nothing more , not to mention performing missions using ninjutsu.

These days, I have been taken care of so well by Ah Duan and Shinichi that I actually forgot that I am not familiar with the rules of survival in this world.

After the injury is healed, am I going to return to Xia Zi's original life track?

Ninjas are employed by others, and swords and swords are born and died. What can I use to fight against unpredictable opponents in the future?

"Xia Zi."

"Xia Zi?"

There was a female voice calling "Xia Zi" above my head. I recovered from the sudden and chaotic thoughts, and when I looked up, I saw the woman's puzzled and worried face with soft eyes.

Such concern must have a lot to do with Xia Zi.

I don't know if I will see some clues in the future.

"I see." I said.

Her lips moved, she seemed to hesitate to speak, she exchanged a glance with Men Yan, then turned her head to look at me and said:

"The fate of a ninja is to fight for the country and the village. Koji and Zongsuke died on the battlefield, and they died well. You are too sad for no reason."

Naturally, I don't know who Koji and Sosuke are, but judging from her tone, they are probably companions who performed missions with Natsuko but failed to come back.

For ninjas, maybe mourning the sacrificed companions is also superfluous?

This is not incomprehensible.The teacher who taught me Japanese history back then said that the mission of ninjas is paramount, and when they are captured, they commit suicide without leaving a body.

This is of course at odds with the education and moral code I have been receiving.Although sociologists have been saying how indifferent and selfish our society has become, how indifferent the world is.But any elder will teach children to respect and cherish life.

But if this is the rule of this world, then I have no choice but to disobey it.Nor am I a princess who grew up in a honey jar and thinks the world is supposed to run according to my own preferences.

"Isn't the teacher also sad for them?"

When I blurted out such a sentence, I was more shocked than stunned.

How could I say such sad words as a stranger.

It's Xia Zi.

It was the instinct left by Xia Zi in this body that dominated the language ability at that moment.

She will remember her companions until she dies.

The woman named Xiaochun in front of me was not angry when she was questioned by the students like this, but said calmly:

"I don't know how long this war will last. There are many more important things waiting for us than sadness."

Her expression was extremely serious, even with some kind of unshakable persistence and faith.

"I remember I taught you, ninja experience No. 70, don't indulge your emotions because of anything."

"Xia Zi, you are a smart girl, you should know what is the most important right now."

The next words are clear and clear, word for word.

"At this moment, everyone, there is only one thing we have to do, which is to protect Konoha."

For me, the most important thing right now is to learn to settle down in this strange world.

For Xia Zi, it is to protect her home in the flames of war.

This war, perhaps like many wars, large and small, in history, was triggered by a word and thought of the ruler.

But Natsuko is a ninja.To put it bluntly, ninjas exist as tools for rulers.

Because they don't know when their lives will be terminated, they are people who have no right to dream about the future.

As for me, who has taken over Xia Zi's body, am I not able to dream about the future?

Guard the leaves.

If you want me to replace Natsuko to love her village, her family and companions, I can't do it.

After all, this is not the place where I was born and raised, and they are not the people with whom I have countless happy or sad memories. I cannot love a place without a sense of belonging.

But if I had to fight and die for this village, if I had the ability, I would do it.But whatever Xia Zi should do, I will be willing to do it for her.

Besides, whether it is Xia Zi or me, in such an environment, there is no room for choice.

People cannot live only for themselves and by themselves.The so-called living recklessly requires great courage and extremely generous capital, which must overcome the fearful human words and incomprehensible loneliness.

In the original world, I still couldn't live by my own temperament, let alone in this world that doesn't belong to me, I still use someone else's identity.

I looked at Xiaochun, also very seriously, and repeated the same words as before:

"I understand."

She finally showed a smile, her brows seemed to stretch out all of a sudden, she looked quite heroic.

Only then did I realize that she looked very much like the actress who played Mu Guiying in a Chinese drama I had watched before.

Maybe it is also a woman who is also rational and strong and can stand alone.

"You can understand, and I'm relieved," she said.

***

From then on until I could get out of bed and walk, I never saw her and Men Yan again, even Ah Duan was rare.

From what Shinichi and the nurse said, the war that started at the beginning of this year has become more and more fierce, and more and more countries and ninja villages are participating in the war.

The sun is shining brightly outside the window, and the leaves of the big tree that grows to three stories high are dripping.

The front line is obviously tense, but the village is as peaceful and peaceful as a paradise.

It's an illusion.

With the flames of war, no country or village has ever been spared.

In the history I have learned, even if it is as neutral and rich as Switzerland, there was an era of mercenaries that was devastated by war.

Miki is a good talking partner, and there will never be a dull time in the same ward with her.

When she speaks, she likes to raise the ending sound slightly upwards, with the unique anger and playfulness of girls of this age.

It seems that her life as a ninja has not taken away her innocence.But this kind of thing has always been different from person to person.Even if the circumstances are the same, the temperaments tempered by them will be different from each other.

I don't know what kind of girl Xia Zi is.Will she be as optimistic and lively as Miki?Or am I as dumb as I am now?

When I was a teenager, my life was simple and peaceful. The troubles I had were just the nervousness before the big and small exams. I didn’t confess to the boy I liked, and the boy who confessed didn’t like him.

What Natsuko and Miki went through was obviously much crueler than mine.War and death, the former was far away from me, and the latter I have experienced the death of my parents and my own death.

From Miki's words, I know that she and the other two sacrificed companions are Kadoyan's students, while Natsuko, Koji, and Zongsuke are Koharu's students.

The country of fire, the country where I am now is called the country of fire, and the last war in the country of wind was a month ago. All the Chunin of Natsuko’s class went deep into the sand ninja village of the country of wind as forwards, with the purpose of disturbing each other position.

Konoha's superior said that this is also a Jōnin assessment test, and those who can come back alive will be promoted to Jōnin.

The so-called striker is actually just a decoy used to disturb the enemy's line of sight.The real combat power should be the group of Jnin who are backing up.

I remember the three people I met when I first woke up, the woman with the twin ponytails said:

"We are the Konoha ninjas who came to support, and I am the medical ninja Tsunade..."

Natsuko, Miki and their companions, those children knew from the beginning that their chances of surviving were slim.And their last impression of this world is probably the red blood splashed from themselves, companions, or enemies, and faces that are familiar or unfamiliar but will never have the chance to see them again.

Mei Shu leaned against the bed and read a book, I tore a piece of paper from my notebook and folded the paper crane.

When I was a teenager, the girls in my class suddenly had a craze for origami cranes and lucky stars. I always kept a large bottle of lucky stars folded with great interest in the study at home.

The window sill of the hospital was empty, and I put the paper crane on it, which looked very small and lonely against the blue sky outside.

There is an eagle passing by in the distance, will this little paper crane also look forward to flying high one day?

Thinking this way, a wind came blowing, the hem of the curtain lifted slightly, and the paper crane really flew out.

I poked my head out from the window sill, and below was the gate of the hospital. Some people went out and some people came in.

The August sun was drowsy, and the shadows of the branches of the trees fell to the ground, intertwined with light and shadow.

The paper crane flew to nowhere and disappeared without a trace.

I sat back on the hospital bed, Miki had already closed the book, looked at my actions curiously, and asked:

"Do you want to go down for a walk?"

***

This is the first time that I use Xia Zi's eyes to actively observe the world.

Unlike the previous passive acceptance of every bit about Xia Zi, this time I was completely free to use my own will to memorize the scenery I saw in my heart.

It’s not a matter of longing, I just want to take a good look at everything around me.

The hospital is not big, and most of the people who come and go are ninjas wearing the same forehead.Perhaps because of the early days of the war, there were not many wounded, or rather, not many.

The layout and facilities of the entire hospital are very modern, and there are even some treatment methods beyond my common sense.

Take chakra healing for example.

During these days, Shinichi has been treating me with chakra. It is a light blue light cluster that lingers around the entire palm. It is warm and soft when it touches the skin, as if a warm current spreads from the wound. .

And what I know about chakra in my previous life is related to a kind of Indian philosophy.

The world is full of unpredictable surprises.

When I went down to the second floor, Miki said that she was going to visit a distant relative who was also in the hospital. I thought about it and said:

"Then I'll take a walk."

She nodded:

"Okay, I'll find you later."

I walked slowly towards the corridor in the opposite direction from her, the wound on my body was aching.It should be fortunate that this is the right to be alive.

When I passed a room, a nurse pushed the door out. I saw a man sitting in front of the doctor. His upper body was naked. There was a long scar on his back extending from his shoulders to his waist. It was very horrifying.

The doctor said reproachfully:

"Even you are too messy."

He seemed to be smiling, and suddenly turned his head to look outside the door, the faint smile on his lips did not fade.

Is a very handsome man.

The facial features seem to be properly portrayed by the creator, and the face is beautiful and clear.

Especially, under the thin lips, the curvature of his chin is extremely beautiful.

I looked back and continued to move forward.

It is said that thin lips are sexy, but my friend Linnai from the previous life only loves men with thick lips.But I think, whether you are intoxicated or not when kissing depends on how much you love the man, not whether the shape of his lips is thin or thick.

Downstairs in the yard, there are flowers and plants that I can't name. Ladybugs are motionless on the stems, and snails are slowly wriggling on the edge of the flower bed.

Two or three patients, supported by their family members, squinted their eyes and basked in the sun.

I walked around the flower bed and walked under a big tree, with chicks chirping overhead.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but I felt someone following behind me.

Before he could figure out what to do, Xia Zi's body reacted first.There seemed to be a surge of energy in the veins, and the body passed through the tree trunk and went around the man's back, and his right hand involuntarily waved towards his back.

My, or Xia Zi's palm was firmly blocked by a powerful big hand in mid-air.

The man turned around, narrowed his eyes, and said:

"Spiritualization? Are you from the Kato family?"

I still don't know the surnames of Xia Zi and Ah Duan, so I just pursed my lips and remained silent.

He let go of his hand with a smile, and said half-seriously and half-jokingly:

"In the future, you can't casually attack your companions."

I also withdrew my hand, not recovering from the surprise that this body can use ninjutsu autonomously.

His eyes were calm and calm, it seemed that he didn't know Xia Zi.

After thinking about it, I said:

"I have never met a companion who sneaks behind others."

He froze for a moment, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, then stretched out his other hand, spread it out in front of me, and said:

"Your paper crane."

I saw the paper crane that flew away just now standing quietly in his palm.