After leaving the area and returning to my owl form, I continued toward the village to discover which part of the ninja world I had arrived in and how the timeline had developed. The good thing about having the powers of a ROB is that you can do anything — including knowing the development of the world even if you've never read the original work — and, of course, freely altering destiny. But still, knowing the end takes away much of the meaning… besides, I still remembered some things from when I was human.
The city resembled any other one you could find in Earth's Sengoku era. Though somewhat poor overall, its moderate population, port, and red-light district kept it lively. The ninjas of this era only bore the insignia of their clan, which meant the villages had not yet been founded. The question now was how long it would take before they did. To find out, I first adopted a common appearance, inventing a clan emblem to blend in with the crowd, and made my way into one of the city's taverns. After sitting down, I ordered a bottle of sake and the day's special, which turned out to be fish in something resembling green sauce — though poorly made.
The innkeeper, after I paid him more than necessary, found a few minutes to share some information. First, I was in the southern part of the Land of Fire, close to the Land of Whirlpools. Recently, the city had seen a mass exodus of certain clans moving toward the Land of Water. Apparently, the daimyo there was gathering forces for something, though the details were unknown. The Senju and Uchiha clans had resumed hostilities after a winter truce, and more clans seemed to be joining the dispute on either side. Rumors had also spread that the daimyo of the Land of Lightning had contracted an apparently incurable disease that even monks could not heal. Meanwhile, in the Land of Iron, several samurai clans were urging their lord to launch a campaign against the pirates of Uefugi Cove in the Land of Earth. The only land without conflict was the Land of Wind, where a famous bounty hunter had established his base, becoming the ruler of several key cities. The daimyo there sought to eliminate him, but none of those sent returned — not even bodies to bury.
With this knowledge, I stayed two more days in the city, enjoying what it offered, until on the third day a commotion caught my attention. Two ninjas bearing a fan emblem, offended by their treatment, cut off the tavern keeper's hand. The problem arose because the innkeeper had sold them false information at a high price, and when they returned for their money, he had already spent it. As punishment, they took his hand and left a threat behind: This is the price of offending the Uchiha clan.
To me, of course, it was nothing more than comedy. I could see the details: the age difference between the two Uchiha, the trembling of the younger upon seeing the hand fall, and the older guiding him in the clan's ways. Naturally, I wasn't the only one amused, though the reason differed — that same night, five ninjas with a mountain-like symbol mocked and ridiculed them, boasting in front of women and townsfolk that they alone were more than enough to kill the two.
The next day, I set off toward the Land of Lightning, hoping to meet the daimyo and heal him in exchange for compensation. The journey lasted a week, flying and admiring the scenery. Along the way, I saw smaller settlements, caravans attacked by bandits, and even random fights between ninjas for no apparent reason. I also discovered that the current leaders of the Senju and Uchiha clans were Butsuma and Tajima, respectively.
Once in the Land of Lightning, I changed my appearance again — this time donning a mask to add flair to the character I intended to play. To make it more convincing, I brought forth two puppets I had created during bouts of boredom. They were modeled after Tiona and Tione from the Danmachi universe, serving as my bodyguards, much like a certain dragon from another universe I hope to visit someday. Of course, they were nothing more than human-shaped dolls, though with certain bonuses that placed them on par with a level 6 adventurer in their original world — or a ninja near Kage level in this one.
The closer we got to the palace, the more attention we attracted due to our unusual appearance. The puppets wore the outfits of their real counterparts, while I dressed like a traveler from the Land of Wind, with a turban and mask concealing my face. At the gates, we were stopped and asked our purpose and whether we had an invitation. Naturally, the answer was no — but with my powers, I created an invitation supposedly written by the daimyo of the Land of Wind, guaranteeing us entry.
The palace was what one would expect of a lord of this time: long hallways, patrolling guards, but not a single ninja in the complex — showing the lord's lack of trust in them.
In the lord's chamber, he lay in bed, looking terrible: struggling to breathe, shivering constantly, his complexion pale. To put on a show, I took out needles, simulating acupuncture, though I reinforced it with chakra possessing healing properties. The daimyo had contracted tuberculosis, but on top of that, he was being poisoned in small doses, worsening his condition. Of course, I cured him instantly, but induced an artificial sleep to simulate a slow recovery. To use the time wisely, I commanded my puppets to find the poisoner and bring them in three days — just when the sleep would lift naturally. I also monitored everything the daimyo consumed to prevent setbacks.
Three days later, he awoke, and his servants rejoiced at his recovery. The daimyo himself was neither good nor evil, mediating clan disputes while also using them for his own political intrigues. The poisoner was caught and charged with treason. If he revealed his backer, he'd be granted a swift death. He confessed: the true culprit was the son of the third concubine, who, colluding with a clan from the Land of Water, had plotted to seize the throne after the lord's death. Unfortunately for them, they were all captured and executed. The clan that aided them was not spared either — the lord hired two clans from the Land of Lightning to destroy their sources of income.
As for me, I was offered the position of royal physician — which I refused throughout my stay. The lord, seeing that his offers of land, money, and women had no effect on me, tried instead to buy the loyalty of my supposed bodyguards — which, of course, also failed. After all, they were only dolls without consciousness. Still, the experience helped me better understand the capabilities of my own creations. After a month of living the high life, I departed — this time toward the Land of Wind, seeking that so-called superpowered ninja.