The Man Who Wields Lightning

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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Kurosuki Raiga had a base in the Land of Rivers according to the anime. I didn't believe the information from the anime entirely, so I asked Jiraiya to gather some information about it. His perverseness aside, he was a truly good spy. Not only did he confirm Kurosuki Raiga's whereabouts but also provided me his pictures. Therefore, I went to the Land of Rivers.

The specific location of his whereabouts was Katabami Goldmine, a small mining village located somewhere on the outskirts of the Land of Rivers. Just like in the anime, Raiga took over the village after freeing it from a tyrant. The villagers didn't suffer from absurdly high taxes, but they couldn't show any hint of opposition. Doing so would cause them to be buried alive.

It was not that bad compared to the regime they had obeyed previously. However, no one wants anyone to control their lives.

I arrived at the village after a day of travel. The Land of Rivers was located in the middle of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, so it was not that far from Konoha. On top of that, I maintained my top speed as long as I could. I only rested for a few minutes, so my time of arrival was expected.

"Hm… the security is very lax."

Looking around the village, I found punks lurking around. The people wisely avoided them, but some were unfortunate enough to get involved with them. Regardless of how careful they were, they would still catch the attention of these punks, unfortunately. These punks were the type of people who bullied weaklings.

Thud!

An old lady bumped into one of the punks. He immediately turned around and glared at her murderously.

"Ah, sorry, young man."

"Have your eyes gone rotten, old hag!?"

Given her age, the punk should be spot on. It was quite amusing that an idiot like him managed to assess the situation unintentionally.

"I am sorry. I can make you a curry as an apology."

"Curry?"

As the punk made a weird face, I quirked an eyebrow curiously. For some reason, I felt like I was about to receive a revelation.

"Yes. I am quite famous around here for my curry."

"…what kind of curry?"

"Curry of Life!"

Colors drained from the punk's face. As he imagined the agony that he would go through if he consumed the curry, I was reminded of the significance of the curry. It was created by the old lady's son who played punks with the Kurosuki Family. Although he was not that important overall, he would be my bridge to Raiga. I needed to approach the old lady.

"Ah, you know what? Forget it! Just look at where you are going next time," the punk said before stomping away irately.

"I will, young man," the old lady said with a smile. "Oya? Did I somehow offend you too, young man?"

The old lady turned to face me still with a faint smile. I guessed that was her default expression. I shook my head faintly and explained myself.

"I am quite hungry, so hearing you talk about curry piqued my interest."

"Oh, a customer! What a great day today!" The old woman smiled. "Come with me, young man. I will feed you the best curry you have ever had."

Humming in response, I followed the old lady. She sounded giddy but walked at a snail's pace. I guess that was only expected given her age. As I silently followed her, I looked around. Depression was palpable in the air. Except for some, the buildings were run down. Being a mining village, that was the opposite state of what you expected. Still, that was something expected from a village ruled by a tyrant.

Before long, we arrived at the Curry of Life Shop. It was a barn-like, run-down red building. The old lady opened the shop and I was immediately assaulted by the smell of spices. Despite its unappealing look, it was a legitimate curry shop.

"Come sit on one of the stools. I will prepare your curry," the old lady gestured at the stools before the counter. "My name is Sanshō by the way. What is yours, young man?"

"Bruce," I answered curtly.

"Bruce? That is a strange one."

"My village was a small one."

"Ah, sorry to hear that, young man."

I waved Sanshō off and she immediately disappeared into the kitchen. I sat on the stool and silently mused. I had left some clones back in Konoha. Some of them were practicing Iryō Jutsu and the rest received Tsunade's tutoring. My stay in Katabami would be decided by how long my clones—I could master surgery.

Nohara Rin could already do it while being a 12-year-old Genin. Kakashi was the living proof of her ability. I was far from stupid, so I should be able to do it too. I wouldn't let a child beat me.

Clack.

"Here you go, young man." Sanshō put down the plate of curry on the table along with a glass of water. "I hope you didn't wait for long."

"It was fairly quick," I responded as I picked up my spoon.

"Everything feels quick when you are so caught up with your mind."

I ignored the old lady and spooned the curry. As soon as the curry entered my mouth, I felt heat assaulted my body. I could imagine smoke coming out of my nose. The anime was not exaggerating. This curry was indeed spicy.

"Do you like the taste?"

"It makes me feel alive."

"See! That is the magic of the Curry of Life."

Sanshō chuckled, causing me to also give out a small one. I ate the curry in silence and finished it with a satisfied sigh. The curry was bad for my stomach but good for my awareness. Sanshō must have used some herb that caused Chakra to run into my brain. Otherwise, simple spiciness wouldn't have caused this reaction.

"Just know that I won't teach you the recipe," Sanshō said while wiping a glass. "Unless you become my son."

"Are you living alone?" I inquired.

"I have a son." A frown marred her face. "But he's too busy being a bandit."

"Did you abuse him at home?"

"Hmph! That child has everything handed to him on a silver platter. He changed one day. He spouted about how being strong is everything and…"

"That's why he became a bandit."

Sanshō put down the glass and smiled thinly. I stood up and put down 10,000 ryo on the table. Before she could call me, I left the vicinity. The next thing I did was look for an inn. There were some decent inns, but they were filled with punks. I didn't want to be in the same space as low-lives. I found a quiet inn not long after. It was quite run down but free from punks.

I got my keys and immediately went to my room. The best room the inn had to offer was not luxurious but was cozy enough to sleep peacefully. I created a Kage Bunshin and told him to keep guard. Although I could sleep while being aware of my surroundings, I still wanted to properly rest.

Morning came in the blink of an eye. After cleaning myself, I walked around the village looking for a decent meal. The inn offered some food, but I wanted to explore, so I refused the offer. As usual, the punks littered the street. They watched the streets like hawks and harassed anyone who caught their attention.

An interesting fact that I managed to catch was that Katabami didn't have many young people, especially females. It was understandable since it was a mining village—women generally don't mine—but I concluded it was because of how these punks treated women. They ran around the village like animals in heat. I wouldn't want to be here too if I were a woman.

"They also don't have brothels here, so these animals have little to no way to vent their frustration. Some of them might have turned gay."

My eyes caught a mother begging in front of a bunch of punks. Her daughter was crying beside her. I would normally not care about it, but someone was piquing my interest. Among the group, someone unsuitable for a bandit stood out. He tried his hardest to look tough, but I could smell his guilt. That must be Sanshō's son.

"Your daughter bumped into me. Is that not enough explanation?"

"Please, sir. I won't have enough money to survive for this week if you take that much."

"Huh? Shouldn't have taught your daughter better then."

"M- Mommy…"

"Hush… everything will be alright. Just leave it to Mommy."

I sighed in exasperation as I listened to the conversation. I rarely sympathize, but I hate it when I see someone bullying a parent.

"You could pay another way, you know, lady," Sanshō's son suggested.

"Ah, right. Why didn't I think of that? That is a good idea, Karashi! In return, I would let you have a go after me."

"I am happy for being useful."

The group of punks giggled while Karashi smiled uncomfortably. A sympathizing glance was sent toward the poor mother, but it disappeared quickly.

"Is there a chance for me to also have a go?"

The giggle stopped and everyone turned to me. The leader of the pack frowned before spitting, "Who the fuck are you?"

I kept my face stoic as I cut his arms.