(How are you doing now, Jin?)

It was a sunny day.

On the vast open ocean, a medium-sized ship was drifting along. The ship was simple, just an ordinary cargo ship, but against the backdrop of the beautiful blue seawater, it looked exceptionally beautiful.

However, this beautiful scene was greatly diminished by the occasional sound of vomiting.

Outside the half-open bathroom door, a tall, sturdy man looked doubtful and impatient: “Hey, can you do it or not? What kind of hunter gets seasick?”

“Blargh! Seasick... Seasick is normal! Who said hunters can’t get seasick! I... I’m the one who will find the legendary Fantasy Scroll! Something as trivial as seasickness...”

The burly man had his arms crossed, his rugged and fierce face full of disdain. “Humph! I’ve seen plenty of people like you. Why do I have to be assigned to this goddamn place to carry two—”

He paused, and his fierce eyes swept over the black-haired boy standing at the bow. He swallowed the unspoken words and just gave a cold snort before turning around and entering the cabin. Behind him, the sound of vomiting continued.

The boy standing at the bow scanning the distance wore black clothes. He had a thin, tall physique, neat, short black hair, and stood leisurely with his hands propped on the railing. His pair of dark eyes were gazing quietly at the horizon where the sky met the sea, with undercurrents surging deep within.

Just then, Hanzo finally finished throwing up. His face green, he stumbled over as if about to collapse and plopped down behind the boy, “You seem to be in pretty good spirits, Chitose. Have you been staring out there this whole time? Do you like the ocean?”

He eyed the fan crest on the boy’s back, then heard his cool voice, “No. But this sea is a bit different.”

Hanzo blinked blankly, just about to ask, when he suddenly heard that annoying voice he disliked: “Ha, you do have good eyes, brat!”

The two of them looked towards the man who had poked half his body out from the cabin. He looked rather delighted, the arrogant expression on his rugged face much more relaxed than before.

“What do you mean?” Hanzo instantly forgot his unpleasantness from earlier. His interest piqued, he pressed the man for more.

Chitose removed his hands from the railing. His eyes never left the man.

Seeing that both of them were very interested, the man was clearly even happier. He came out onto the deck, looked down at the sea below, “Can you see what’s different between this sea and a normal one?”

He tilted his head at Chitose, a hint of excitement flashing through his eyes.

Without any hesitation, Chitose answered, “More blue.”

“That’s right!” The man looked even more delighted. The corners of his lips were already stretched into a smile, his expression much gentler. “This sea is always a little bluer than the others. The sea breeze feels warmer too, always puts people in high spirits. Only those who carefully observe the sea can feel the difference! And more importantly—”

He deliberately drew out his words, satisfied to see Hanzo’s widened eyes and impatient expression. Unfortunately, Chitose’s face remained expressionless, causing him to feel a little frustrated. But seeing that the boy could sense the difference of this sea, he decided not to mind.

“Legend has it that people who truly love the ocean can use this sea to reach a world that leads to the most wonderful dreams.”

As the man talked about this, when he gazed at the ocean, his expression had already softened completely, clearly showing his deep affection towards the sea.

“Ha... What a pity.” Hanzo instantly lost interest.

—Of course, those who truly loved the sea definitely didn’t include him!

However, at this moment when neither of them noticed, Chitose’s pupils contracted swiftly before quickly returning to normal. Then the look in his eyes as he gazed at the seawater transformed in an instant, hotter by several degrees than before. But to Hanzo, it seemed like there was no change at all.

“Ah! Time for you boys to show your stuff.” The uncle who had been enjoying the sea breeze on deck suddenly piped up. At the same moment, Chitose’s eyes shifted before looking at the man with some surprise.

—Quite sharp senses for a normal person. And the way he addressed us changed because he talked about the ocean.

“Huh? Show what?” Only Hanzo still looked blank.

The man turned around, muttering to himself, “Pretty fast... A sea king beast?” Then looked at Hanzo who was still sitting on deck, his previously amiable expression reverting to arrogance and disdain, “Humph. Didn’t you want to become a seasick hunter? Time for your test. Go defeat that thing.”

“Huh? What are you mumbling about, whatever it is, I, Han—” Before Hanzo could finish speaking, his expression froze abruptly.

He stared at the huge snake-like marine creature that had just surged out of the sea, its skin slippery smooth as it reared high above the water. Its eyes glinted fiercely, while their ship was only the size of its eyeball.

"The disparity between ants and humans... What's going on with this sea?!" Hanzo went crazy. He jumped up from his sitting position, seasickness gone without a trace as his expression turned grave. He focused intently on the sea monster’s eyes and movements. The instant it moved to lunge down, he leapt from the deck and in a flash, landed right on top of the sea monster’s head!

“Oh, pretty quick!” The man watched Hanzo do a stylish backflip back onto the deck and promptly turned green. One hand over his mouth, he made a beeline for the bathroom, helplessly shaking his head.

“Shut up!” Hanzo yelled loudly at him. Then he swiftly drew out a kunai dagger from inside his clothes and nimbly stabbed it into the sea monster’s eye. Taking advantage of its furious, agonized thrashing, he leapt high into the air. His hands rapidly formed seals, “Wind Style: Wind Cutter Jutsu!!”

Chitose watched him with some surprise.

—A rare wind attribute.

Several sharp blades of wind took shape around Hanzo’s body and swiftly, fiercely slashed the sea monster. Leaving several deep gashes along its long body as bright red blood gushed out. The sea monster plunged straight down until Hanzo gave it a kick backwards.

The man watched Hanzo do a casual backflip to land back on deck, then his complexion instantly turned ashen. One hand over his mouth, he made a beeline back to the bathroom, helplessly shaking his head again.

“I guess he passed the first phase of the Hunter Exam,” Chitose’s voice suddenly rang out behind him. The man was startled for a moment before turning to the boy. Shock filled his eyes.

Chitose's expression was indifferent as he looked at the other sea monsters attracted by the smell of blood, continuously popping out from below the water surface—their gigantic bodies already blocking out the sunlight— “I’ll take care of the rest.”

The air seemed to freeze in that instant. Whether it was the man whose brows hadn’t even risen yet, the restless sea monsters’ bodies, the rippling sea surface, the swaying ship.

Only that boy remained cold and aloof as always. Yet his short hair was suddenly fluttering without any wind, an overbearing aura swirling around him. With him at the center, an intense air current burst out wildly to all sides, blowing hard enough for one to be unable to open their eyes! And at the same time as this astonishing scene, the boy’s signature cool voice rang out with a cruel coldness—

“[Ice]!”

The air instantly grew frigid. The shrill crackling sound of swift freezing, like ice crystals striking glass, continuously rang by the man’s ears. He felt an intense, bone-chilling gale mixed with ice pellets and quickly raised a hand to shield his eyes, protecting his head. But because of that, he didn’t see the sudden materialization in midair of a gigantic, intricate yet solid and exceptionally magnificent circular Transmutation Circle. He didn’t know how much time had passed before the wind finally died down and he slowly opened his eyes. Then his jaw dropped speechlessly at the sight of the towering icy sculptures before him and the boy whose expression hadn’t changed one bit from start to finish.

“Shall we continue onwards now?”

Chitose’s voice finally jolted the man out of his shocked stupor. He lowered his head to meet the fathomless dark eyes of the boy and mumbled haltingly, “Ah... Of course we can.”

Then he watched the boy who had gotten the answer he wanted and was heading towards the cabin. He pondered for a long time before muttering again to himself, “Not bad for someone Mr. Jin specially asked me to pick up... Too strong, Mr. Jin!”

***

When Chitose returned to his room on the ship, the first thing he saw was the little white dog perched on the window sill gazing outside at the freshly made ice sculptures.

Upon seeing him enter, the little white dog nimbly leapt down from the sill onto Chitose's bed. It then squatted in the middle and fixed its lifeless eyes on Chitose.

Chitose halted in his tracks, the corners of his lips involuntarily curving up slightly.

—Teacher Kakashi turned into a little dog is so obvious. His whole face screams "Explain yourself!"

So Kakashi raised a furry brow at Chitose, who clearly understood what he meant yet stubbornly pretended ignorance. He sat down on the sofa and started reading a book. Kakashi nearly spit out a mouthful of old blood that got stuck in his throat, not going up or down.

Of course, he could roughly guess what had happened earlier was probably a form of alchemy. It was just... according to what Chitose said, alchemy followed the Law of Equivalent Exchange. The source of that ice was clearly seawater, easy enough to deduce. The key was the form it took...

Kakashi eyed Chitose, deep in thought.

In ninjutsu, it was absolutely impossible for ordinary Water Style to instantly turn into Ice Style. The former simply manipulated existing water sources to alter its shape. The latter already touched upon deeper layers, definitely not something that could be easily accomplished.

—His understanding towards the essential nature of matter, the wondrous microscopic world, has already reached a terrifying height.

While Kakashi was still analyzing Chitose over there, the subject of his scrutiny was engrossed in learning about the occupation of "Hunter".

[Protecting the order of humanity and nature is a Hunter's most important duty. When a truly outstanding Hunter discovers precious cultural relics or rare animals, their first consideration must be how to protect them. Additionally, capturing wanted criminals and unlicensed illegal poachers is also an important Hunter's responsibility.

To complete this work requires extensive knowledge, physical and mental fortitude, as well as unshakeable convictions! Although the tasks are difficult, a Hunter's work gives one tremendous sense of accomplishment. It is one of the noblest professions in the world! Only by passing the stringent Hunter Exam can one qualify as a licensed Hunter and be granted a Hunter License distributed by the Hunter Association.]

[A licensed Hunter possessing a Hunter License can travel unimpeded nationwide and enjoy free usage of most public facilities.]

Chitose read this and heaved a deep sigh.

A Hunter License's capabilities went far beyond just these.

He put the book down and walked to the window. On the horizon, one could already glimpse the top of the famous World Tree.

Gazing at that tree that looked identical to his memories, still towering high into the clouds, his mind flashed back to the scene of leaving that country with his mother back then.

[“Minako, with this card you can freely access any region prohibited to civilians worldwide. If you get bank financing, you can also attain the same status as a world-class business. And my card allows you four entries into the Hunter world. It also holds extremely high clearance for some special prisons. Anyway, don't stand on ceremony and use it however you want! Or you can even just hand it to little Chitose to play with, huh? How 'bout it, Chitose? Hahaha...”]

He could vividly recall the sloppy man's unrestrained laughter then. He had casually handed over such an important license to his mother. No matter how they declined, he stubbornly insisted. And when he saw his mother relent, he directly slipped away.

Who could have expected that to be your last conversation with Mother... Jin.

The boy's grip on the window sill abruptly tightened, and he ripped off a chunk with brute force. As if jolted awake, he blankly looked at the piece of wood in his hand for a good while before closing his eyes. What roiled beneath those eyes was obscured as he slowly put the damaged wood back in its original spot then swiped a hand over it. The window instantly reverted to its undamaged state.

"Go ahead and erase that chalk scribble, young man." Right then, the man who happened to be passing by the window said lightly.

Chitose opened his eyes. Under Kakashi's probing gaze, he didn't say anything.

***

"We're here."

The brawny man held a map and looked up at the nondescript little shop before them.

Chitose surveyed the surroundings. Ignoring Hanzo 's disappointed grumbles, he followed the man into the shop and watched him exchange codewords with the boss before a server came to lead them away.

He walked two steps then abruptly looked back at the man still standing there with arms crossed, sending them off. His refined brows remained aloof while complicating emotions flashed through his profound eyes.

"How are you now... Jin?"

The man's pupils sharply contracted.

Chitose quietly awaited his reply.

Guessing the identity of this man wasn't difficult at all. Afraid they wouldn't make it in time to register, he and Hanzo had previously submitted their Hunter Exam application cards via carrier pigeon from the seaside. They were worrying over how to get across the sea when this unnamed man suddenly appeared, captaining a ship.

That sea really was charming, but conversely, its danger coefficient was at least one level above an average sea. With this man sailing over alone to fetch them, he surely wasn't ordinary.

Moreover, his timing was too perfect. Their pigeon probably hadn't even reached the nearest registration point before he showed up. The only explanation was Jin.

But how did Jin know he had already escaped from "that place" and was in the ninja world preparing to take the Hunter Exam?

Seeing the man nod, giving him a thumbs up and shouting "Do your best!" before leaving, Chitose thought for a bit then said thanks. Only then did he turn around to join Hanzo who wasn't far away.

Suddenly, the little dog on his shoulder tensed all over. Chitose's expression chilled, but in the next second, his figure vanished from his original spot in a flash. Hanzo only managed to catch a glimpse of a black blur zipping past before Chitose disappeared from sight. His previously relaxed expression instantly turned grave.

At the same time, in a run-down little bar tucked away on the street. A slovenly man wearing a dusty cloak wrapped around his head stared at the boy before him with a pair of bright eyes despite his untidy appearance, smiling, "Long time no see, Chitose!"

***

Konoha Village.

"You want to learn swordsmanship?"

On a quiet street, a red-haired boy with ice-blue eyes looked down at the blond boy bowing ninety degrees in front of him, his voice tinged with faint puzzlement.

Boruto gritted his teeth, lifted his head, his gaze sincere and urgent. "That's right! I'm really sorry for impersonating you on the mission before! I will make it up to you! But now—"

He clenched his fist, and a brilliant determination flashed in his eyes, deeper than the other's blue eyes. "Right now, I must become stronger as soon as possible! No matter what, I want to become much, much stronger! So—"

He lowered his head again, bowing even deeper, his voice loud and sincere. "Please teach me swordsmanship!"

The echo of his shout lingered in the quiet street, reaching the ears of the boy across, who looked at him with slightly widened eyes, a hint of complex emotions flickering in his seemingly lifeless eyes.

After a while, he spoke lightly.

"It's nice to have such a strong desire to become stronger."

"Huh?" Boruto raised his head, looking at the boy with eyes that seemed scattered and puzzled, not knowing what the other was thinking.

"No, nothing."

The boy closed his eyes, then looked at the boy still bowing in front of him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Stand up straight. It would trouble me if others saw the Seventh's son bowing to a Genin like me."

Boruto's gaze darkened.

—What does this have to do with that bastard of a dad! I'll do whatever I want, without worrying about him!

But then, he widened his eyes and straightened up suddenly. "You! Do you mean you agree?"

The boy, who was stared at with such urgency, smiled faintly, but the smile faded slightly, unnoticed by the ecstatic Boruto.

"Well, something like that."

"Great! Thank you so much! If you need anything in the future, or need my help, just tell me, I will do my best to help you!" Boruto almost jumped up, then looked seriously at the boy across from him, making a solemn promise.

However, the boy opposite him didn't react as he had imagined. His ice-blue eyes looked away, and the curve of his lips disappeared at some point.

Then, the bewildered Boruto heard his pleasant yet icy voice.

"No... I should thank you instead. The last mission I was ordered to carry out by the Seventh actually troubled me quite a bit."

Boruto stiffened all over. His eyes held a trace of confusion, looking at the boy across from him, whose gaze was hidden behind his red bangs.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the air, lifting Boruto's clothes and revealing the boy's cold, lifeless eyes.

"Because, everyone I've teamed up with, all of them, have died."

 

 

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