Chapter 34: The Ghost Country
In his sleep, Ryouma vaguely heard someone calling him 'uncle.' He muttered a few annoyed words under his breath but still didn't open his eyes.
"Hmph, you lazybones! Did you sneak away from plowing the fields to nap here? That won't do!" The little girl's purple eyes sparkled mischievously. A smile played on her lips as she turned and ran off.
A short while later, she returned, holding a bamboo stick with a piece of dog-tail grass tied to the end.
She carefully raised the stick high but still couldn't reach the sleeping figure. Discouraged, she pouted. Then, an idea struck her. She took the dog-tail grass off the stick, held it in her mouth, a bright, innocent smile spreading across her face, and began to climb the tree, wrapping her arms and legs around the trunk.
Fortunately, the tree had a slight incline, and the bark was thick with ridges, allowing the little girl to climb up without too much difficulty.
"Hee hee, I'm such a good climber!" Triumphantly kneeling on the branch, she supported herself with both hands and looked at the sleeping Ryouma, a sly grin appearing on her face.
She crawled forward cautiously. Though the branch was thick, she was still very careful. She feared nothing, but she was terribly afraid of pain.
"If I fall, it'll definitely hurt..." She glanced down, shuddered, and continued her crawl toward Ryouma.
When she was less than two meters away, she finally got a clear look at Ryouma's face.
Though he had defected and fled the village, Ryouma was not haggard. His expression was one of freedom, his spirit was high, and he seemed... very well.
"Huh... so he's not an uncle... but he looks familiar. I haven't seen him before, though... Oh well." A playful look crossed her cute little face as she determinedly continued her approach.
When she was just one meter away, Ryouma's eyes snapped open. "Who's there?!" he shouted.
He had been sleeping soundly when a sudden sense of alarm jolted him awake. Every cell in his body screamed to life. His hand shot out, the silver-white long sword flying from its sheath into his grip as he stared warily ahead.
Startled by his sudden movement, the little girl paled. She instinctively turned to retreat, but in her panic, she lost her footing.
"Waaah!!!"
Her foot slipped into empty air. In an instant, she was falling. A terrified scream ripped from her throat. Suddenly, a figure blurred past. A warm, large hand caught her.
Ryouma looked at the cute, beautiful little girl in his arms—her eyes squeezed shut, her face a mask of anticipated doom—and couldn't help but chuckle. He landed firmly on the ground.
He looked at the girl. Though she was young, she was about the same size as Hinata. He couldn't very well keep holding her. Amused, he set her down gently on the grass, then crossed his arms and looked at her.
Though terrified, the little girl remained surprisingly composed. Feeling the warm object that had caught her, and now finding herself on solid ground, she tentatively opened her eyes.
The sun was a bit dazzling. She squinted, looking up at the tall figure silhouetted against the light.
"Mister, are you a bad person?"
The tall figure gradually overlapped with the man she'd seen on the branch. Realizing he had saved her, her expression brightened. "You saved me just now, so you must be a good person, right?"
Her childish, milky voice and innocent words finally made Ryouma feel that this world still held some beauty. However, her form of address pained him slightly. "Yes, I'm a good person," he said. "And are you a good girl?"
"Yes!" The little girl's large eyes sparkled.
She studied him for a moment. "Mister, are you a ninja?"
"Yes, I am," Ryouma replied.
"That's great! Mommy seems to be troubled by something lately. Since you're a ninja, you can definitely help her! Mister, will you come home with me?"
"Oh?" Ryouma frowned. Considering he had nowhere else to go, and looking at the girl's innocent expression, he finally nodded. "Alright. Where is your home?"
"Ah, it's just behind the next mountain!"
Ryouma looked at the towering peak and nodded. "Let's go, then."
Not long after Ryouma and the little girl departed, two men wearing bamboo hats arrived at the spot where they had been.
One of them, his face stern beneath his hat, looked at the trampled grass. His expression didn't change. "Look at the traces," he said softly to his companion. "The wrinkles, the way the grass is pressed down... It's not an animal. It was a person. No more than fifteen minutes ago."
"Oh." The other man responded. He lifted his bamboo hat slightly, revealing an ugly smile. His blue-tinged face was wrinkled on one side, his small, dark eyes narrowed to slits, matching his slender, small head—a horrifying sight.
"There should be a small nation called the Land of Demons nearby. They might be from that village."
"Let's go," the first man said, leading the way forward.
The blue-skinned man watched him go, couldn't help but smile again, flicked the black-cloud-patterned cloak he wore, and followed at a leisurely pace.
"Itachi, if you're interested in the Land of Demons, we can go there after we finish this mission."
West of the Land of Demons, outside the main gate.
"Huh? A country?" Ryouma was a bit surprised. When he'd looked down from the mountain, he'd thought it was just a village. But up close, the words "Land of Demons" were clearly inscribed above the gate.
"Mister, what's wrong?" The little girl was puzzled by his reaction.
Ryouma shook his head and moved to enter, but two guards suddenly blocked his path.
"This country forbids entry to foreign ninja," one of them stated, eyeing Ryouma warishly, afraid he might force his way in.
Ninjas were generally far stronger than ordinary people. Samurai of the same level typically stood no chance against a ninja of equivalent rank. As the two guards debated whether to call for reinforcements, the little girl approached. Recognizing her, they immediately bowed respectfully. "Lady Shion."
"Oh?" Ryouma glanced at the little girl in surprise. It was the first time he'd learned her name. This little girl, Shion, seemed to hold a high status!
"Mhm, hello, uncles," little Shion greeted the guards. She then pointed at Ryouma. "This mister is the ninja I invited to help my mother. Please let him in."
"This..." The two guards exchanged an uneasy look. "But... Lady Shion, outsiders require special permission to enter the city... Even if he was brought by you, we can't guarantee he isn't taking advantage of you... that he isn't a dangerous individual trying to infiltrate the Land of Demons..."
As they spoke to Shion, they shot distrustful glares at Ryouma.
Their looks irritated Ryouma. He turned to Shion. "Shion, your country must have many powerful people. You don't need my help."
He was speaking the truth. He had originally thought Shion lived in a small village, where any troubles would be minor. Solving them would be a simple matter, and it would conveniently solve his temporary lodging problem.
But this was a country. The nature of a village and a nation were vastly different