NOVEL NEXT Chapter 138: Ninja Village
The decision to visit the ninja village was made as quickly as roasting beans on a flash of lightning.
“Aren’t you wandering around too much these days?”
When I said I’d go somewhere with a school senior over the weekend, my mother expressed concern, but I reassured her by saying I was going to the countryside to help with farm work.
Anyway, after barely convincing my mother, I spent a few days at the gym to make up for the missed exercises.
Finally, the day of the promise arrived.
“Kim Yu-seong! Over here!”
I met Senior Fuma at Shibuya’s express bus terminal, a place I had recently visited.
“Oh.”
I turned my head at the familiar voice and was momentarily lost for words.
“What’s the matter?”
“No, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you with your hair down.”
It felt different, maybe because I had only ever seen her with a ponytail.
Senior Fuma then laughed softly and said proudly,
“I tried an different look for a change. It’s been half a year since I went to my hometown, so I want to show them that I’m living healthily.”
“I see.”
My eyes dropped to Senior Fuma’s healthy thighs, exposed due to her short, hot pants, but I was grateful that I wore sunglasses today.
“By the way, Yu-seong, you seem to have tanned quite a bit. Did you go to the beach during the holidays?”
“Yes? Oh, yes. I went there recently.”
“It’s good to have fun when you’re young. When you get older, you want to play but can’t.”
Despite being only a year older, Senior Fuma spoke as if she had a deep understanding of life and handed me a ticket.
“What’s this?”
“I bought the tickets in advance before you arrived. You just have to show up.”
“But you usually don’t have money…”
“When inviting someone to the village for personal matters, it’s on me. Of course, I should at least pay for this. And I earn money for occasions like this.”
Rumble!
As Senior Fuma was in the midst of showing off, her stomach growled, turning her face red.
“This, this is!”
Holding the ticket in my hand, I checked the boarding time and patted Senior Fuma’s shoulder.
“There’s still time before the bus leaves, let’s eat something. Since you bought the tickets, I’ll pay for the food.”
“…Thank you.”
We filled our stomachs at a restaurant near the terminal and then boarded the express bus on time.
It takes almost 7-8 hours to get to Fuma Senior’s hometown from Tokyo.
When I asked if it was that far, she said it was not only far but also required several bus transfers, and the village itself was deep in the mountains, making it even more difficult to access.
We departed from Shibuya Express Terminal at 10 am and arrived at Minamiashigarashi in Kanagawa Prefecture around 1 p.m.
Kanagawa Prefecture, located at the edge of the Kanto region, was mostly mountainous, unlike Chiba, which was mostly plains.
A Google search revealed there was a national park nearby.
Anyway, after arriving in Minamiashigarashi, we got off, had udon for lunch, and then took a village bus.
Even here, most of the buildings around were low, exuding a rural atmosphere, but it seemed we had to go deeper.
After about two hours of travel on the village bus, we got off in front of an old station.
The bus stop sign read “Yamakita.”
I looked around the landscape, which was no different from a rural village, and asked,
“Is this your hometown, Senior?”
A sharp answer came back,
“No.”
“What?”
“Our village is further in, deeper from here.”
Senior Fuma pointed to the mountains behind the village as she said this.
The trees were so dense that you couldn’t see an inch ahead.
“…Don’t tell me, we have to climb the mountain?”
“Yes.”
…This was crazy.
Even though I loved exercise, this was a bit much.
The saying “hardship begins when you leave home” was certainly not for nothing.
“Just a little more to go, and we’ll reach the village. Hang in there.”
“…I feel like I’ve heard that phrase almost five times now.”
I grumbled but didn’t stop moving my feet.
The untamed mountain path was clearly not meant for frequent travel.
But Senior Fuma ascended the mountain as if she was out for a casual walk.
Thankfully, I wore comfortable shoes, expecting a long walk. If I’d worn tight shoes, I would have definitely ended up with blisters.
Following Senior Fuma silently, I realized that this was the longest I had hiked since my military service days. Noticing that she had stopped, I tilted my head in curiosity.
“Senior Fuma?”
Startled, Senior Fumaturned her head and said with an emotional look,
“We’ve finally arrived.”
Hearing that, I quickly moved beside her.
Just moments ago, the view was obstructed by trees, but now it opened up as if by magic.
“Wow…”
I couldn’t help but marvel at the scenery unfolding before me.
And for good reason, as Senior Fuma’s hometown village appeared as if time had stood still.
From the profusely blooming summer flowers and green pine trees to the winding stream encircling the village and barley sprouts in the fields.
It was like seeing an idyllic paradise described in a novel.
My tired feet from moments ago felt refreshed as if washed clean upon seeing the actual village.
“Let’s go, Kim Yu-seong.”
“Ah, yes.”
I hesitantly followed down the slope, trailing behind the small figure of Senior Fuma leading the way to the village.
Excitedly, I asked Senior Fuma, who was walking briskly ahead,
“Is this your hometown, Senior Fuma?”
“Yes, it’s the place our ancestors built long ago.”
“Ancestors?”
“In the Sengoku period, our village’s ancestors served the Hojo Clan, a daimyo of the Kanto region. After being betrayed by a man named ‘Kousaka Jinnai’ and their base being discovered, leading to the execution of most villagers by the shogunate, the few survivors fled deep into the mountains to establish a new village, hidden from all.”
“I see.”
It felt exactly like the vague image of a ninja village I had imagined.
Anyway, as we entered the village with Senior Fuma, I could feel eyes watching us from all directions.
At first, I couldn’t identify them, but I soon realized who they were.
“Sister Yukika!”
“Older sister Yukika!”
Children emerged from behind buildings, bushes, or trees, calling Senior Fuma’s name as they ran towards her.
“Kids!!”
Even the usually stern-faced Senior Fuma couldn’t resist smiling brightly in front of the children.
“Have you finally returned to the village?!”
“What about the other sisters?!”
“What about gifts?!”
Hearing this, Senior Fuma chuckled and opened her backpack to reveal its contents.
The children’s faces lit up instantly upon seeing it.
“Wow! Toys!”
“There are tops and dolls too!”
Unlike the children of the current generation, who had lost the innocence of the analog era due to the rapid development of digital culture, the village kids were overjoyed with small toy gifts, as if they had the world.
Thinking it must be satisfying to give gifts like this, I quietly watched from behind.
Then, one of the children, hands full of toys and laughing merrily, looked at me and asked with curiosity,
“Sister Yukika, who is this man?”
Senior Fuma glanced at me and gently patted the child’s head as she answered,
“He’s an important guest of our village.”
“An important guest? Could he be… Sister Yukika’s husband?!”
“Wow! Sister Yukika brought a man from Tokyo!”
“That’s not it!”
Senior Fuma showed a noticeably flustered expression.
Regardless, the girls ran off shouting excitedly, leaving a flustered Senior Fuma behind.
“…Sorry, Kim Yu-seong. The kids didn’t mean any harm.”
“I know. It was just a joke.”
But the expression ‘brought a man’ suggested they weren’t entirely innocent, right?
Despite these thoughts, I quietly followed behind Senior Fuma.
Had it been about 10 minutes since we started walking through the village?
The place where Senior Fuma stopped was the largest mansion in the village.
It was smaller than Karen’s house, but its old-fashioned charm was second to none.
“Let’s go in.”
“Ah, yes.”
Creak!
The door, not barred, opened easily, and upon entering, a vast courtyard came into view.
In the middle of the courtyard, ninjas of all ages, dressed in black, were engaged in a realistic sparring session.
It was like a scene from a movie.
The old man at the front, seemingly their instructor, struck the ground with his cane and shouted,
“Stop!”
The people stopped in unison.
Then, the old man approached slowly and spoke to Senior Fuma in a kind voice,
“It’s been a long time, Yukika.”
Senior Fuma slightly bowed her head and responded,
“I just returned from Tokyo, Grandfather.”
Apparently, they were related as grandparent and grandchild.
“Hello.”
Standing behind, I awkwardly greeted, following Senior Fuma’s lead.
The old man stroked his long beard and said,
“Welcome to the village of our Kazama Clan.”