Strange Village

"Chief, this is Suzume, she will be joining us as an apprentice."

After resolving the situation outside, Yori and the others went back into the village with Natsume. The village was a lot more developed than Natsume first assumed. They had evenly spaced homes and wide roads between them. There was even a bath house and inn. The other samurai split off from Yori and Natsume to go back to their rooms in the inn, while Yori had brought Natsume to see the chief and explain her new status.

"It's good to see a budding young talent." The chief was an old man, but Natsume could tell he was once a strong warrior. His sleeve hung lifelessly at the side of his body, without an arm to support it. However, he still made a fist with his other hand and gave Natsume a respectful salute. She returned a bow to him and caught up with Yori.

"The chief is a good man. Try to maintain a good relationship with him." Yori said once Natsume caught up to him.

"Was he also a samurai?" Natsume asked curiously.

"Yes. He was known as the Mad Blade in his prime and could be ranked in the top 10 of all time."

"How did he lose his arm?"

"Heh, he was born with only one arm." Yori smiled when he saw Natsume's expression. Her eyes were wide in shock.

"Wow, so powerful." But she had a confused look on her face. Such a figure was practically unknown to her. Although she wouldn't claim to be all knowing, the Uchiha clan would certainly have kept tabs on such a character.

"The world doesn't end outside the shinobi continent. There are many factions and powers beyond the sea. They are chaotic and brutal, but not gifted with the same skills as those shinobi on the mainland. It is normal the shinobi would not pay any attention to our situation." Yori saw her confused expression and deduced what she was thinking. Actually, it wasn't because he was good at reading people, but it wasn't the first time he encountered a refugee from the shinobi continent that didn't understand the world beyond.

When they arrived at the entrance of the inn, the owner was already waiting outside. She had a mild temperament and exuded a cool aura. She wore a plain white kimono with wooden clogs. Her black hair was tied up in a bun and she held a long pipe to her lips. Once the two were a few steps away, she sucked in a deep breath and blew out a mouthful of smoke.

"Owner-sama, this is Suzume. She will be joining us in the subjugation." Yori was very polite with the owner of the inn, and even directly put himself lower than her. Natsume didn't want to be rude, so she also bowed her head.

"There's a room in the east wing." After being silent for a while and causing the atmosphere to become tense, the owner finally said something. Natsume wasn't sure what the situation was with this inn owner but didn't care to pry. Once the owner left, an errand boy led Natsume to her room and let her settle down. After memorizing the way, she returned to the lobby where the other samurai were discussing the subjugation.

"This time we are facing Giant Crabs. The fishermen spotted several shark carcasses picked clean on this sandbar here." The man had a detailed map of the ocean area and pointed to a spot off the coast. Natsume observed from the side and tried to learn as much as possible. "A week ago, there were some traces of crab migration far north on this uninhabited island. The strategists believe the Giant Grabs will arrive here in two days at the earliest and five days at the latest."

"I see. Noboru, take three people to guard the fishery. Hideo, take two people to patrol the coast. I will take the rest to the seaweed farms. Understood?" Yori quickly broke the group up into teams and delegated tasks. The samurai simply shouted 'Yes!' without disagreements. Once the plans were laid out, everyone returned to their rooms or ordered some food. The errand boy from earlier ran around the tables and took peoples' orders.

"Boy, come here." Yori called to the errand boy who was silently reciting everyone's orders to himself. Hearing this, he ran over.

"Sir?" he asked with a bow.

"Warm up a basin and bring it to her room."

"Yes sir!" He nodded and started walking to the back to tell the chef the orders when Natsume stopped him. He paused for a second but then saw her hand open with a handful of coins. He cupped his hand and accepted the money politely while thanking her. Yori looked over at her while she did this and nodded in satisfaction. You could teach a wolf to heel, but you can't change its nature.

"You've traveled a long distance to get here. Take the night to rest. Your training begins tomorrow." Natsume was thankful for his consideration, and hearing that she would start training right away made her very happy.

"Thank you, sensei, I will excuse myself then." She bowed deeply and ran off back to her room. Yori chuckled as he had seen that expression in previous apprentices before. Inside her room, she didn't have to wait long for the basin of hot water to arrive. She expected someone else to deliver it, but the errand boy carried the large, heavy basin all on his own. After bidding her a good night, he left without breaking a sweat.

Natsume went over and tested the weight of the basin and confirmed that it was very heavy. It was at least a hundred pounds, and the small boy carried it with ease. She looked back at the doorway and realized that she had underestimated the youth. Since he could work here for the mysterious owner, he must have something special about him.

Natsume stifled her thoughts, undressed, and slowly entered the water. The temperature was a bit high, but it made it more comfortable. It was as if she was wrapped in a thick blanket. This was her first warm bath in over a year since on Mount Kakazan, she just quickly bathed in cold water without much thought. Feeling the tension leave her, she let out a sigh and thought that she missed taking hot baths. But really, she missed home.