Logan stopped on a tree.
This was a forest past the northern side of the Capital, lush and green, with afternoon sunlight streaming down in beams.
…
When he returned, he naturally reappeared in Sumika's room. However, after so many years, everything was already in the past. Luckily, there was no one around when he emerged from thin air.
Carefully, Logan climbed over the courtyard wall. The old estate was still the residence of the ceremonial envoy, but the staff had clearly changed.
Standing on the street outside, he sighed with emotion. Back then, Sumika had held a middling official position and was about to be married into a minister's family.
He knew her sudden disappearance from the Capital overnight must have caused a great uproar.
But regardless of how chaotic things had been back then, no matter how violently the court and the common folk had debated his crude actions, time had now settled everything.
People, streets, estates, everything in this city had smoothed over like waves washing away marks on the shore. There was no trace of the past left.
Logan only stayed in the Capital for a short while. His main concern was how Sumika had handled the mess left behind after his departure.
After making some discreet inquiries, he learned that the position of ceremonial envoy had been taken over by Hanazawa Kana, who seemed to be doing well.
After finding a place, Logan perched on a nearby rooftop and observed from afar. His luck was good, as he spotted the proud little girl, who is now much taller, calmly conversing with others in the courtyard.
She wore elegant robes, her posture poised as she spoke while walking. An older woman, likely a subordinate, nodded along, while a maid behind her tidied up small details.
Outside the wall, an attendant ran out to fetch a carriage, pulling the reins as if preparing for a trip.
'She had matured quite a bit.' Watching her from a distance, Logan felt an unexpected sense of ease. He lay flat against the roof tiles, dappled by scattered sunlight through the green canopy.
He didn't go down to greet her. There was no need to discuss the past, as each had their own journey of growth. He hadn't even planned on leaving a message that Sumika was safe.
With a vast distance between them, it was better to leave things as they were rather than disrupt her life.
He watched intently as Hanazawa, supported by her maid, gracefully boarded the carriage. Her small face remained composed, her gaze fixed ahead until the carriage disappeared from sight.
Only then did Logan exhale, slip off the rooftop, and wander into the market to buy a cloak before leaving the Capital.
Once he stepped into the forest, he leaped between the branches again, the scent of grass and wood filling the vast world around him.
After living in the modern world for so long, returning here stirred the same jolt of emotions he had felt when he first arrived. A strange sense of exhilaration coursed through him.
Zzzzt…
A sudden crackle of electricity erupted from his foot. The surge of Chakra instantly scorched the rough bark beneath him. Logan shot forward at high speed, tearing through the treetops.
Thin branches snapped under his steps, leaves grazed his skin, causing faint stings, sensations he barely registered. Wind and earth blurred past as his figure became a fleeting shadow.
The cool wind under the dense foliage eventually calmed his mind, and Logan gradually slowed down. He focused inward, sensing his remaining Chakra, which was less than half.
His proficiency with Lightning Release was at its peak, far more efficient than the average Ninja. Skills ingrained in instinct didn't fade with time, but Flying Thunder God Technique was a different matter.
"At this rate, I can only manage one round trip at most." Logan muttered, gripping a branch and swinging himself forward, "Good thing I was patient enough to gather my Chakra before coming back."
The improved version of the Flying Thunder God Technique, as developed by the Fourth Hokage, didn't consume much Chakra for regular use. However, Logan's case was different, as he was teleporting between two worlds, which required an enormous amount of energy. Even achieving this much was already an impressive feat.
Before returning, Logan had made a rough plan. The Land of Fire was not a place he should linger. As an S-Rank Missing-nin, he knew better than to underestimate Konoha's ANBU, even if he had been 'behaving' for a long time.
His first stop after crossing the border would be the black market to gather intelligence on the current state of the world.
Although he relied on the original work as a reference, his own presence had likely altered events. Information was his top priority, as running around blindly would be foolish.
Black markets were everywhere, varying in level and secrecy. However, with his past experience working in the Akatsuki, Logan had no trouble securing a reliable source of intel.
Estimating his remaining Chakra again, Logan curled his lips and said, "Fortunately, I still got a decent amount left. Otherwise, it'd be a disaster if I ran into trouble right after coming back."
Stockpiling chakra in the modern world had been an absolute nightmare… like saving pennies as a kid, only worse. But Logan was nothing if not persistent.
Then, trouble found him.
Raising flags really was asking for trouble.
From deep in the forest ahead, Logan sensed a disturbance. It was still some distance away, but it definitely wasn't a good sign. Birds burst from the trees in a frantic scatter, their feathers drifting through the air. The distant shouts, it had been a long time, but their meaning was all too familiar.
Not long after returning, and he was already stumbling into a scene of bloodshed and violence.
Out here, in the lawless wilds of an unstable era, nothing was surprising. Logan had no interest in investigating and wisely chose to avoid the area, continuing on his way. Unexpectedly, however, the commotion didn't last long and quickly faded into silence.
Frowning, Logan hesitated before coming to a stop.
He suppressed his presence cautiously, intending to wait for the group to finish their business and leave before moving on.
With his level of stealth...
…
"The other party has stopped moving!" Mai suddenly called out.
The relaxed atmosphere shattered in an instant.
Arata, who was resting on the spot, sat up straight, while Yuta, who had been cleaning a kunai, slowly stood. The two exchanged glances before Gensaku spoke up, "What's going on?"
Mai tilted her head slightly in the direction she was sensing and said: "Five or six miles southwest. They were moving fast, but now, it seems they've noticed us."
"Friend or foe?"
"Unclear. Nothing obvious."
Gensaku pondered the situation. Yuta put the kunai back into his ninja bag, looked at the corpses of the dead bandits on the ground, and the remaining frightened bandits who were tied together, and said, "Could they be their reinforcements?"
"A Ninja ally? With that kind of speed?" Arata questioned skeptically.
The two Genin turned their gazes toward the captured bandits. The ragged men frantically shook their heads, "We don't know them! Nothing to do with us, we swear!"
The Genin looked at their Jonin Instructor, their expressions showing clear doubt.
Gensaku ran a finger over the scar on his neck, his tone was cold and emotionless, "The intel was already wrong once. It's said that there were two Rogue Ninja, but it turned out to be three. This time..."
He paused for a moment, and added, "Just to be cautious, we'll go investigate."
…
Logan's face darkened. He had stopped moving, yet not long after, the group started heading straight toward him.
'What the hell? I just got here!'
Trying to stay optimistic, he reasoned that they were simply passing through and their path just happened to intersect with his. Being the reasonable person he was, he took a few steps back, which can be inferred as, 'You guys go ahead. I'll wait.'
However, the other party didn't take the hint. Instead, they changed direction, coming directly toward him.
'Well, that made their intentions pretty damn clear.'
Logan could no longer lie to himself. Hearing the rustling sounds growing closer through the trees, he stretched, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his cloak.
He wasn't the type to run from a fight.
'Shit, it's been a while since I've had a real battle. I'm actually nervous.'