Forget it, I'll make do with it.
The Winter Storm Chariot flew out from under Pig Helper's clothes, enveloped him, and then froze, taking Pig Helper back to the Insects nest via reverse summoning.
There's no time to study this now.
There are more important things to do.
At this moment, the entire Flower Street was almost engulfed in flames; those who could escape had already fled.
Under the surveillance of the aerial swarm, most of the Flower Prostitutes had already escaped to outside the city, but the journey out of the River Country was not easy.
Moreover, most of the Flower Prostitutes seemed to have no sense of direction.
They couldn't distinguish north, south, east, or west.
Many were heading north.
North was in the direction of the Land of Rain, and in the future, that place would not be a good destination.
Not to mention the Shinobi World War that was destined to begin soon.
Shinobi battles were frequent there, with Shinobi from the three Great Nations of Wind, Earth, and Fire often engaging in small-scale Shinobi wars, disregarding the wishes and safety of the Land of Rain's civilians. They could easily be caught in the crossfire of Shinobi wars and die casually from merciful techniques like the Great Fireball Technique, losing their lives.
Further north was the Land of Earth, with its harsh environment; that barren and poor place was not a good destination.
Even further north was the Land of Snow, where the seasons were unchanging and the severe cold was unbearable for most people.
Heading west was the Land of Wind; the place was large enough, and it was easy to hide in its vast lands, but the problem was that the Sand Shinobi of the Land of Wind themselves didn't want to live in this desolate desert.
Much less the ordinary people who struggled to survive.
Heading south meant going out to sea.
The Tea Country, separated by a sea, had no Shinobi Villages and was rich in fishery resources, making it a good place to live in seclusion.
And this country was rarely affected by war.
It was subtly far from the Uzumaki of the Shinobi World War.
However, the neighboring Uzumaki Country was a bit conspicuous.
And heading east was the Land of Fire.
No need to mention its resources; the place was large enough, with distinct seasons and a pleasant climate.
As war refugees, it was not easy to enter Shinobi Villages, but entering ordinary cities was no problem, and it was even easier to blend into some remote small Villages.
It wasn't hard to survive with some craftsmanship, and very few of these Flower Prostitutes lacked any talent.
With this thought, Miki made a decision.
These Flower Prostitutes, some hundreds gathered together, others in groups of a few, scattered and fled outside the city.
Immediately, swarms of Summer Red Soldiers swooped down from the sky and landed above the heads of the Flower Prostitutes in each escape direction.
Although they knew these dragonflies had saved them, fear was still fear, and the Flower Prostitutes, terrified, covered their heads and squatted down one by one.
A few, curious and brave, watched the Summer Red Soldiers.
The swarm of Insects flew above the Flower Prostitutes' heads, forming an arrow, pointing the direction of escape.
East, to the Land of Fire.
Although the Tea Country was suitable, going south and crossing the sea was troublesome. After entering the Land of Fire, they could then turn to the Tea Country.
Seeing the Summer Red Soldiers' guidance, many Flower Prostitutes knelt on the ground, bowing and thanking the swarm above their heads, their expressions reverent as if to a deity.
No, why are you bowing? Hurry up and go!
Miki rubbed her temples, directing the swarm to disperse.
Now, seeing that there was nothing left to bow to, the Flower Prostitutes got up one by one from the ground, fleeing with a mix of panic and composure.
The panic was for the unknown future.
The composure was from the belief that Lord Insects was secretly protecting them.
Miki continuously guided these Flower Prostitutes who had fled outside the city.
At this moment, with a groan, Sakumo slowly regained consciousness.
The moment he woke up, he glanced at Miki, understood the situation, and struggled to get up.
The Insects gathered at the hole in his abdomen trembled.
Half of his stomach was gone, and several sections of his intestines were missing. Although it was a fatal injury, it wasn't a major problem.
Fortunately, Sakumo instinctively dodged, preventing his entire stomach from being destroyed.
And no vital organs were injured, though a few missing parts in the human body weren't a big deal.
"If you want to die, you can keep dancing," Miki said.
Meaning, it was best for Sakumo to lie down.
He should wait for Naori or Hitomi to arrive for treatment.
Miki wasn't particularly keen on the laborious and technically demanding task of organ regeneration.
Once treatment began, she wouldn't have time to monitor the situation with the Flower Prostitutes; she needed to concentrate fully during the surgery.
Sakumo didn't stop; he endured the pain and stood up, trembling.
Then, he lightly put his fingers to his mouth and blew a whistle.
A moment later, a dog emerged from underground, ran to Sakumo's side, and whined softly with worry.
"Nice, take me to her."
With a bark, Nice turned and led the way, and Sakumo limped slowly after him.
Miki watched Sakumo's figure, neither stopping him nor following him.
To uphold a man's dignity is a woman's reserve.
Therefore, if he wants to be strong, let him be as strong as he wishes.
When the pain comes, it won't be Miki who suffers.
…
Miki turned and left.
Sakumo walked slowly through the city, memories flashing before his eyes one by one.
They had only known each other for half a month, yet why could he never forget her?
Is this love?
Probably not.
It was likely a feeling of pity.
All this time, Sakumo had regarded her as a younger sister, just as he regarded Miki and the others.
He would indulge her, play with her, but he wouldn't fall in love.
"Brother Sakumo…"
"Being a Shinobi must be tough, right? Aren't you afraid?"
"No!"
"You're amazing, Brother Sakumo."
A bright yet melancholic smile appeared before his eyes; in his memory, she had always been like this, only smiling foolishly, silently enduring pain.
"Brother Sakumo, if one day you're no longer a Shinobi, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know."
"As for me, Shanzi, I want to have a farm in the countryside, a husband who loves me, and a cute child. The child will be named Kakashi."
"Kakashi? What a common name."
"It's not common at all! Kakashi means'scarecrow,' signifying a guardian."
"Is that so? How interesting."
"I want a scarecrow that can always be with me."
"Aren't there many in the fields? Buy one."
"That's not the kind of scarecrow I mean!"
"As for a scarecrow, I'll give you one later."
"I'll make one with my own hands, as repayment for saving my life."
"I don't want it."
Blushing, the girl only whispered softly.
The boy back then was naive and didn't understand the girl's feelings.
He just said foolish, nonsensical things.
When he finally understood, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness and pain.
He couldn't do anything.
So he hated, then became numb, deceiving himself.
I have more important things to do!
I must protect the Village!
I must protect everyone!
I must protect my comrades!
I must protect…
So…
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry…"
I'm such a good-for-nothing…
Muttering to himself all the way, Sakumo walked mechanically, dazed.
His vision blurred, as if he couldn't see anything, and he felt he could faint again at any moment, but a single breath held him on.
He was unwilling.
His gaze followed his dog closely.
Finally, miraculously, the world before him suddenly brightened.
Sakumo walked slowly.
In a corner of the ruins, a lovely figure in a kimono, covering her mouth, looked with disbelief and tear-streaked eyes at the person approaching.
The boy from before.
"My name is Sakumo, meaning 'cloud.' I've come to take you away, Shanzi."
The cloud stayed on the mountain.
He wanted to take the mountain with him, to float freely in the sky together.
This time, he wouldn't drift away alone again.
This section fills in the blank of the backstory for Sakumo's death.
It also explains why he committed suicide due to psychological fragility.
Compared to a collapse of faith, I believe Sakumo was a man of deep affection. The original reason was too flimsy, so I'm adding this last straw that broke the camel's back.
Of course, the current Sakumo cannot die.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"