The Second Girls journey in Naruto

The entrance to the town was a hidden forest path.

Towering trees formed a dense canopy overhead, allowing only scattered rays of sunlight to filter through. The golden specks shimmered on the ground, dancing as the breeze swayed the leaves. Walking along the deep, shaded trail, one couldn't help but feel a sense of mystery about where it might lead.

Sakiya Kihana raised a hand, letting the dappled sunlight touch her palm. She savored the fleeting warmth, but her mind was far more intrigued by the town ahead.

The path stretched on for what felt like ages until, at last, a small light appeared in the distance.

As they walked closer, the light grew, and the faint sound of voices reached their ears.

Excited, Sakiya quickened her pace, darting ahead toward the opening.

In an instant, the forest parted—revealing a thriving town bustling with activity.

But before they could take in the sights, a group of villagers quickly surrounded them.

They looked like a militia, each one armed with simple weapons—spears, pitchforks, machetes, bows.

Before tension could rise, Ochiaisuke stepped forward.

"It's me!" he called out.

Recognition flashed across the villagers' faces.

"It's Ochiaisuke-sama!"

"Master Ochiaisuke has returned!"

The group visibly relaxed, lowering their weapons.

Ochiaisuke greeted them with a smile.

"These four are shinobi from Konoha. They escorted me back safely and will be responsible for escorting Lord Tokumoto Kyutoshi to Konoha tomorrow. Please treat them well."

It was clear that Ochiaisuke carried considerable influence in this town.

With their concerns eased, the villagers warmly welcomed Chihiro and her team, leading them into the heart of Luoying Town.

—

As they ventured deeper into the town, it became clear just how unique this place was.

Nestled in a low valley, surrounded by towering mountains and dense jungle, the town flourished in harmony with nature.

Vines curled along wooden walkways, trees intertwined with buildings, and flowers bloomed at every corner.

Even some of the structures were built directly into the massive trees.

For Sakiya, who had never traveled outside her village before, the sight was breathtaking.

Ochiaisuke enthusiastically introduced them to various landmarks, sharing stories about the town's customs and history.

Eventually, they arrived at an elegantly decorated house.

Ochiaisuke gestured toward it with a smile.

"This is the residence of Lord Tokumoto Kyutoshi. We've prepared rooms for you inside. Please, come in."

Chihiro nodded, leading the team inside.

—

In the center of the main hall, a plump, middle-aged man with a kind expression stood waiting.

The moment he saw them, he beamed.

"Miss Chihiro, we meet again."

At his words, Tsuchiya and Sakuragi instinctively turned to Chihiro.

Tsuchiya raised an eyebrow. "Miss Chihiro, you know him?"

Chihiro scoffed. "Tch. I handled a few missions for him before. That's all."

Tokumoto Kyutoshi didn't seem fazed by her bluntness. Instead, he laughed heartily.

"Miss Chihiro has saved my life on multiple occasions. I could never forget such a great debt."

Tsuchiya let out an impressed whistle, glancing at Chihiro.

Sakiya, meanwhile, studied Tokumoto Kyutoshi carefully.

He certainly looked the part of a wealthy merchant—amiable, harmless even.

But Sakiya had seen enough to know better.

The man had the aura of someone who devoured others whole—without leaving a trace.

Not that she cared much.

Sakiya wasn't interested in getting involved in these kinds of matters.

She just wanted to explore the town.

After all, she had already lost hope in this mission turning into something exciting.

A standard C-rank mission suddenly upgrading to A-rank? Unlikely.

—

"For today, allow me to treat you all to a proper welcome," Tokumoto Kyutoshi said warmly. "Enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow, we leave early."

"That sounds good to me," Chihiro replied, completely unapologetic.

With that, the team settled into their rooms and soon ventured out to explore the town.

Luoying Town's harmony between nature and human life was fascinating.

But for Sakiya, there was only one thing that truly mattered.

The food.

—

Among the many specialties of the town, one stood out: a small, delicate cake called Shiyueliang.

Made from a combination of local herbs and wheat flour, it was renowned for its unique taste and rumored to have minor strengthening effects.

Sakiya took a bite.

The moment it melted on her tongue, a sweet yet subtly herbal flavor filled her mouth.

Her eyes fluttered shut in bliss.

She took another small bite, completely absorbed in the taste.

This was amazing.

Unfortunately, the moment of enjoyment was short-lived.

Just as she was about to take another bite, someone bumped into her—

The precious pastry slipped from her grasp.

And fell straight to the ground.

Sakiya Kihana was stunned for a moment. Then, anger flared in her eyes as she turned toward the person who had bumped into her.

The figure in front of her was young, clad in a black robe, and seemed to be up to something suspicious.

Sakiya raised an eyebrow. Interesting.

Without hesitation, she decided to follow.

The black-robed figure weaved through the crowd before slipping into a dark alley.

Sakiya trailed behind, stepping into the shadows without a second thought.

But as soon as she entered—

The figure was gone.

Frowning, Sakiya scanned the alleyway. It wasn't just a dead-end passage; it branched off in multiple directions, forming a hidden maze within the town.

A secret network of paths? In a place like this?

Though she had lost sight of the figure, she had other ways to track them.

Forming a few hand seals, she activated a chakra-sensing technique—

Before she could complete it, a small hand suddenly grabbed her and yanked her into a hidden corner.

Her instincts screamed at her to react. She was ready to strike—until she caught sight of the hand's owner.

A child?

They were younger than her.

She stopped resisting, allowing the kid to pull her further into the shadows.

Then, the black-robed figure tore off their hood, revealing a little girl with bright eyes and a confident smirk.

"Are you really a ninja?" the girl asked playfully.

Sakiya straightened, crossing her arms.

"Of course! And I'm not just any ninja—I possess the Eye of Death."

The girl blinked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

Still, she played along. "Oh~? Sounds impressive. But from what I saw earlier, you didn't really move like a ninja."

Sakiya's expression darkened.

"Are you… trying to provoke me?"

The girl waved her hands frantically. "No, no! I don't mean it like that, Lord Ninja! It's just… you seem close to my age, so I thought we might have something in common."

Her voice trailed off toward the end, and she shifted awkwardly, gripping the edges of her robe.

Sakiya wasn't buying the innocent act.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked bluntly.

The little girl's face turned serious.

"I wanted to warn you. Don't trust Tokumoto Kyutoshi."

Sakiya narrowed her eyes. "Warn me?"

The girl nodded. "He's a terrible man. He can't be trusted."

She spoke quickly, her words tumbling out in a rush.

"He lied to the townspeople, promising that his business would bring prosperity. But after just a few months, bandits started attacking the town. They killed people. Burned homes. Before he came along, things like that never happened here."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"And… Reiko's family. Their deaths weren't an accident. I'm sure of it. Everything bad started after he left town."

Sakiya listened carefully, her expression unreadable.

Then, she muttered under her breath, "So he's truly rotten… I knew it the moment I saw him. There's an evil aura clinging to him."

The girl tilted her head. "Huh?"

Sakiya didn't elaborate. Instead, she gave a small, confident smirk.

"Don't worry. My comrades and I won't let someone like him run free."

The girl didn't fully understand what Sakiya meant, but she still nodded in admiration.

"Yeah! Take down the great villain!"

Sakiya raised a hand and ruffled the girl's hair with an unreadable expression.

"Just wait. I'll deal with him soon."

The girl beamed, nodding eagerly.

Sakiya turned and walked away, her pace steady and calm.

As she disappeared down the alley, the girl raised a hand and waved.

"Good luck, big sister!"

Sakiya hesitated for the briefest moment—but she didn't look back.

—

Once Sakiya was gone, another black-robed figure stepped out from the shadows.

"She's out of earshot. You can drop the act now."

The girl turned, her cheerful expression vanishing in an instant.

Her gaze was cold.

"You're reckless. If she had any tracking jutsu active, she would've caught on."

The black-robed figure shrugged. "Relax. Our people have been shadowing her since she arrived. If she tried anything, we'd know."

He hesitated. "Besides… that girl. There's something off about her. None of us dared to get too close."

The girl frowned, crossing her arms.

"Hmph. Keep underestimating people like that, and one day, it'll cost you."

—

As Sakiya walked back, her face remained unreadable.

Inside, however, she was fuming.

"What was that?! Do I really look that gullible? That whole performance was full of holes…"

Despite how unconvincing the girl's act was, Sakiya couldn't ignore one thing—

That kid had been far too mature for her age.

Whatever she'd been through, it wasn't normal.

And for some reason, that made Sakiya uneasy.

"I'll need to look into this more."

Her fingers curled into a fist.

No matter what, she wasn't letting this slide.

_____________

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