Arriving unnoticed in the Land of Waves, I did not rush to the port, which was located almost on the opposite side of the island, according to my well-memorized map, but found a secluded spot and, using kage bunshin, applied a small but useful seal to my right temple, changing the color of all my hair to black.
I could have done this myself with iryōjutsu, but this way was much faster and more convenient, especially since all I had to do was pour chakra into it again and the process would be reversed, returning my hair to its natural color.
And no, this is not genjutsu, but a fusion of iryō and fuin that I developed myself, so no one will be able to detect the discrepancy even upon the most careful inspection. But I didn't stop there with the disguise — the snow-white skin of my face now had a long-standing scar from a kunai blow that ran across my left cheek and down to my chin, and my nose became slightly fatter and wider.
Several moles appeared and a goatee with a short, dandy mustache grew, changing my face almost beyond recognition. Now anyone who has seen my photo in the Wanted book can say with confidence that Ryo Nara has never been anywhere near me, even when I'm standing right in front of them.
It is very easy for an iryonin to concoct a new appearance for himself, but the thing is that shinobi are too proud and, when necessary, act secretly, simply using faceless masks rather than resorting to such radical measures. Mentality and trading on one's looks, I suppose.
Naturally, I didn't forget to lower the mask to my neck and remove the hitai-te with the leaf symbol from my neck, instead tying a handkerchief with a clean plate to my forehead, which signified my affiliation with the free fighters.
Even after two world wars, there were still a decent number of them in all countries, and they earned better than ordinary shinobi from the villages, although they were paid at a reduced rate — a decent portion of the mission pay went to the village and the clan, if there was one. Akira mainly preferred to hire such people rather than use the services of nukenin exclusively.
As soon as I finished disguising myself, I headed for the port, avoiding the main roads and preferring to move along forest paths long trodden by the locals. The trees here were not particularly strong or large, and with my recently increased weight, using them for upper paths was simply exhausting.
I entered the city when the edge of the sun appeared above the horizon and the streets were still deserted, but the closer I got to the port, the livelier it became around me, with the noise and bustle of crowds signaling the start of the working day.
Once I reached the pier and looked at the five ships of various sizes moored at the wooden docks, I turned my head and, instead of running around to find out which one was right for me, I walked over to a middle-aged man standing nearby, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. Judging by his sturdy build, he was one of the workers who carried cargo for merchants and should know who was who.
"Hey, man, what ships are leaving today?" I asked him, tossing a couple of coins into his hand.
"Three are finishing loading," the worker grunted, 'and where are you headed, kind sir?' With his last words, his gaze swept doubtfully over the scar and my openly roguish face.
"To the other side of Kanzoku, as quickly as possible."
"Then you need that ship over there," the man pointed to a sailboat that differed from the pot-bellied ships with its smooth, almost predatory lines. "Captain Ieru is not afraid to sail past the islands of Mizu no Kuni with their pirates and on through Kanzoku to the Land of the Wolf, The other two will first follow along the islands to Lightning and then through the Kasumo Strait.
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