(A/N: From now on, Let's rename the [Phantom Delay] as [Phantom Decoy] and also limit my words to 1500 above. )
"Aaahhh. Akashic, What time is it?"
[4:34 AM, Master.]
The protagonist, Murakami Yoichi woke up and glanced at the beautiful night orange glow of the sky as well as the refreshing winds and crystal clear sounds of river water nearby, giving him profound energy for a good and productive morning.
Yoichi slept well for over 12 hours. No disturbances or problems happened during his slumber. Not even mosquitoes could bother him due to Yoichi's unique physique.
*Growl*
"Find some food, disguise as a common civilian, and then go look for towns nearby."
After stretching up, Yoichi patted his stomach and began looking for a potential meal for his breakfast. For the body of an 18-year-old, food nutrition was the best source of energy. Especially in the morning times.
Noticing a big fat rabbit near his vicinity, Yoichi swapped near the rabbit and killed it instantly, ending the rabbit's life without any look of fear or remorse.
With his basic tools for hunting, He began procedures such as skinning, cleaning, putting up spices, and grilling in a much more efficient way.
"Hmmm... Still has the classic gamey but with a bit of sweetness like chicken taste."
With a comment on his delicious food, Yoichi started packing his tools up.
"Now that I'm near the river, let's wash up!"
Undressing his clothes leaving only boxer underwear, Yoichi simply went to the water and washed up fast to conserve some time.
"Woo! Now that's done! I have to dry my underwear through Ki and change my appearance to a muscular, ripped lumberjack! It's gonna be a plausible alibi."
"Shit, after all of that. I felt a little bit sluggish. Nah, as long as there's a goal in mind, I should endure. This is within my tolerance range."
Getting himself out of the water, Yoichi used his Ki with precise control to dry his underwear and droplets of water on his body.
Subsequently, he controlled his Ki around his body, transforming his bone and muscle settings into a 6'1 muscular man with slightly tanned skin and long bangs that conceal his golden-yellow eyes from being seen.
Muscle and Bone Transfiguration was one of the high-level martial arts techniques designed to disguise and conceal themselves in plain sight.
(A/N: It's one of the best techniques from the Martial Artists troupes like Murim Fantasy manhwa or manhua out there.)
"Akashic, produce a wooden log carrier and an axe. Also, give me the [Shadow Warrior Jade] with 50 warriors in it as well as lumberjack clothes. You know, some peasant-looking clothes. Lastly, space pouch for all of these things... I shouldn't carry these foreign things without any way of concealing them. It might raise suspicion and greed."
[Understood.]
[Generating...]
After a bunch of item requests from the Akashic, Yoichi began thinking about the steps regarding his agendas and plans while the book was producing his needs.
'I want to create an information clan for the sake of common knowledge surrounding this world... After all, the more common knowledge I have inside of this world, the more I can witness whether it's true or not. As for the uncovered secrets in this world, I will discover them at a later time.'
Although the world Yoichi descended from was the Naruto World, he is still earlier in the show and doesn't have the basic knowledge and history of this world.
Information has always been a building block for comprehension and learning about the world, history, and its inhabitants.
After all, Murakami Yoichi has all the tools and equipment as well as power.
So why not do it?
As for the [Shadow Warrior Jade] mentioned earlier, it was an heirloom that summons shadow warriors meant for protection and slaying enemies.
(A/N: Arise.)
Each warrior had their own experiences and masteries embedded inside them, giving them absolute prowess on battlefields.
Also, they are unkillable which means that they will be a frightening deterrence against ordinary people and their enemies.
"With all of the things done, let's go! Akashic, transform into a bracelet."
*THWACK!* X3
Chopping Tree with his muscular frame was a minuscule effort for him.
When all the things were produced, Yoichi began packing all of his things inside the space pouch and carried the wooden log carrier with his axe in hand.
Humming with satisfaction, he started his journey to the town nearby.
'As soon as I get to a town, I will look for successors for my plans to proceed. Then, I will study some of the chakra techniques and experiments with the local herbs. I mean, shadow clones are the pinnacle of min-maxing.'
After walking for around 30 minutes, Yoichi noticed the silhouettes of houses and people in the distance.
"Hey kid, I've never seen you before. Where did you come from? Where are your parents?"
Arrived at the entrance of the town, he was blocked by a man scantily dressed with a katana at his side, looking at the "kid" up and down with suspicion and interest.
"Good morning, sir. I am living in the woods and wander through nearby towns to sell my firewood for some food supplies. As for my parents... Haaa... My mother died due to her sickness and my father died protecting me from the frequent fighting between bandits and mighty warriors..."
After hearing Yoichi's explanation, the man was filled with sympathy and condolence flickered in his eyes for a moment and shook his head, instantly recovering from the earlier feeling.
Medicine and protection are some of the things only the rich and powerful can afford.
In his mind, peasants with no power or influence like him and Yoichi had no control over their lives, every day struggling just to live for another day of yearning for elusive hope.
"I am sorry, kid... You can go inside now. Be careful though, some people would kill and beat someone just to live here, kid. And we have few people patrolling so..."
Briefly reminding Yoichi, the man went to his guarding post and did his job well while Yoichi walked inside the town and examined the place.
'The adults are doing the adult things... As for the kids... They are in their worlds looking happy but houses man... It's made out of thatch, wooden walls, and foundations... Heck, some of these houses are incomplete and even got burns on the sides... I assume this place has been ransacked for resources many times.'
House architecture was also one of the things peasants couldn't afford.
After all, why even meticulously build such beautiful and comfortable housing when they couldn't even protect it in the first place?
'Let's make this place our successor's base and improve the quality of life here. I am here to make a bang! Nevertheless, I am still early for the main show.'
"Sir, may I know what's the name of this town?"
Thoughtfully, Yoichi asked the guard standing earlier to which he responded.
"The elderly called it Suzaku Town due to the constant ransacking and burning of the mountain bandits. Whenever I was a child, I didn't know what's the intention of naming it like that but after living for decades here..."
"Suzaku Town huh... Thank you, sir! I am on my way now."
Yoichi smiled and slightly bowed as he walked towards the center of the town.
'What a polite kid.'
The guard barely smiled and shook his head, concentrating on a task at hand.
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"It is within my expectations that this will be a rundown town but I need to find my successors inside of this town... It will be hard to find someone with huge ambitions... Well, all of these people are optimistic and ambitious to some extent but the characteristics of a good one..."
After wandering around the town, Yoichi concluded his initial findings while sitting outside a supply store at the center of town. The currency was the classic gold, silver, and copper coins circulated by the daimyo and shoguns.
The roads were just pure dirt with some muddy places. Stores were built with some foundations and good materials, looking pretty strong and sturdy. The bathrooms were separated and shared throughout nearby houses like a public excrement room. Cleaning all of that waste must be...excruciating.
The village was bustling with people from kids to elderly walking and doing jobs that provided sustenance and needs.
"HELP! Can someone help us?!!!"
"Sir, please help us!"
"Help us, please!"
"Tch. Get away from me, kid!"
Daydreaming as the people went left and right of his eyesight, Yoichi glanced at the kids begging on the main road and discerned the faint fluctuations of intangible energy that seemed to be strings of fate tied between Yoichi and the kids.
"Akashic, did you see that?"
[Yes, Master. It looked like Master has karmic ties with those three kids nearby.]
'Coincidence? Probably...not.'
"Isn't this the classic (help us and I will do you a favor then the girl becomes immortal troupe)? Looks like there's a twist with three children."
The situation looked eerily familiar with Yoichi's memories and experiences throughout his lifetime.
"Let us help, then. Maybe these are the successors I've been searching for."