The very next day, Rosinante summoned all the commanders back to the General's Residence.
Then, in front of everyone, he formally appointed Musashi and six other soldiers, men who had performed well in training and also possessed decent combat ability, as the new commanders.
At the same time, he transferred Uchida and the remaining old commanders back into the city to assist Captain Muto in maintaining order within the capital.
Finally, he gave the order for Musashi and the other six to continue overseeing the army's training.
And he issued one more command:
If unrest broke out in the city, Musashi and the others were authorized to bring troops back at once to suppress it.
Once everything had been arranged, Rosinante set out alone.
With only a single blade at his side, he began walking in the direction of General Fujimitsu's territory.
Swish!
A figure flashed rapidly through the woods, carefully scanning the surroundings.
The man frowned.
"Strange... why are there no traces at all nearby? Don't tell me he can actually fly?"
Hatake Ikko looked around in confusion.
"Forget it. Since Saito Tsubasa said he's going to take General Fujimitsu's head, then I'll just wait for him in Fujimitsu's territory."
With that thought, Hatake Ikko kicked off the ground.
In the next instant, he shot forward at high speed, darting through the forest and vanishing among the trees.
And to be fair...
Hatake Ikko really wasn't wrong.
Rosinante actually had flown.
After a full month of training, and after steadily cultivating chakra, Rosinante had gradually accumulated chakra reserves at roughly the level of a genin.
And now that he possessed chakra, he could finally use a small portion of the power of Silence.
By using the Silent-Silent Fruit to silence gravity itself, he could move rapidly through the air and travel at great speed.
Of course, Rosinante's physical condition was still too weak.
After running through the air for a while, he inevitably began to feel tired and had no choice but to descend and rest.
His body simply wasn't strong enough yet.
He couldn't yet achieve true aerial movement like Sky Walk from the One Piece world.
At the moment, he could only manage a crude version, simple running in the air.
So his speed was still far from truly terrifying.
After half a day of traveling, Rosinante started to feel hungry.
So he stopped by a small river, caught a few fish, and started roasting them.
Back in his previous life in the One Piece world, Rosinante had often needed to fend for himself just to fill his stomach.
There were many things he might not have been great at...
But his grilled fish?
That was absolutely a specialty.
Using whatever materials were available on the spot, he quickly got a fire going.
Before long, a rich and savory aroma began drifting through the area.
Still...
Rosinante felt like something was missing.
After thinking for a moment, he got up and went looking nearby for some wild seasonings.
But when he returned to the riverside...
Rosinante froze.
At some unknown point, two boys had appeared by the river.
And those two boys were currently devouring his grilled fish in big mouthfuls, eating as if it all belonged to them.
But that wasn't what made Rosinante stop in his tracks.
The real reason he froze...
Was because he recognized them.
Rosinante calmly walked over and sat down beside the two boys.
"Want some?" one of them asked, a flat-headed boy, casually holding out a skewer. "This grilled fish is really good."
"Of course I know it's good," Rosinante said as he accepted the skewer. "I'm the one who cooked it."
As he spoke, he took out the seasonings he had just gathered and sprinkled them over the fish.
Instantly, the aroma became even more irresistible.
"Ohhh, so you're the one who grilled it?" the flat-headed boy said, blinking in surprise. "I was wondering why there was grilled fish here. But don't sweat the details! If there's good food, then of course we should all eat it together!"
Hearing that, Rosinante was momentarily speechless.
He suddenly realized...
He might have underestimated just how thick-skinned this kid was.
"How do you prove the fish is yours?" the other boy, who had spiky hair, said with a disdainful click of his tongue.
"It's just a few grilled fish," Rosinante said with a smile. "If you want to eat them, then eat them. There's no need to prove anything. Besides... my word is proof enough."
As he said that, a calm but unquestionable pressure spread from him.
It was a presence that naturally made people want to believe him.
As if whatever he said...
Simply was the truth.
The two boys both froze for a moment.
"Sorry... for eating your fish."
The flat-headed boy suddenly deflated, all his previous carefree energy vanishing as he apologized in a strangely dejected tone.
"Was it good?" Rosinante asked.
"Yes!" the flat-headed boy nodded immediately.
Rosinante then turned to look at the spiky-haired boy.
"...It was alright," the spiky-haired boy said after a moment, trying to sound aloof. "This grilled fish was... pretty decent, I guess."
Rosinante chuckled.
"It's just a few fish. If you enjoyed them, then saying thanks is enough."
As he spoke, he picked up a skewer and started eating as well.
"Then thanks!"
The flat-headed boy instantly brightened again, all traces of his earlier gloom gone in a flash.
Then he grabbed another skewer and started stuffing his face again.
Seeing the way he ate, the spiky-haired boy couldn't help rolling his eyes and turning his head away, as if he couldn't bear to look.
But after watching the flat-headed boy eat so enthusiastically...
In the end, the spiky-haired boy quietly muttered a soft "Thanks" as well, then picked up another skewer and started eating too.
After they finished off all the grilled fish Rosinante had already made, the two boys were still not satisfied.
So they ran to the river themselves, caught more fish, and brought them back, asking Rosinante to keep grilling for them.
Rosinante didn't mind.
He wasn't in any particular hurry anyway.
After all, he could silence gravity and race through the air whenever he wanted, so there was no need to worry about losing time.
He grilled batch after batch.
Only after several rounds did the two boys finally become too full to continue.
At last, they looked completely satisfied.
"Your grilled fish really is amazing," the flat-headed boy said, lying on the ground with his stomach puffed up in contentment. "Oh, right, we still don't know your name."
He grinned.
"My name's Hashirama. And his is Madara. What's yours?"