I'm Inside Naruto Manga

No matter how much they talked, the conversation had to come to an end at some point.

A candlestick in the corner shed tears of wax, and the occasional sound of nighttime insects floated in from outside. The entire residence grew increasingly quiet. Most people had already gone to sleep, and Logan realized it was time for him to leave.

As the night deepened, Sumika was also aware of this situation. She clutched the hem of her garment under the table, her eyes wandering hesitantly for a moment.

"Hattori-san."

"Hmm? What is it?" Logan was thinking about how to phrase his words. If they say goodbye today, it would be difficult to have a reason to meet again. Then, he noticed the look on Sumika's face, struggling to say something...

Logan's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but clench his fists, 'Could this be that one situation?!'

"Tomorrow, I have to go to the shrine on the mountain for my monthly ritual. It's just a very simple ceremony, and I won't bring many people with me..."

'A shrine visit? This thing...' Logan sighed with some disappointment.

Sumika's snow-white and delicate face, free of makeup, turned a shade of pink, "The scenery there is quite beautiful. Do you want to... go and see it together?"

After saying that, Sumika lowered her head, her eyes reflecting her autumn-like shyness. However, after waiting for a few seconds, she didn't hear any response. She couldn't help but raised her head and saw that Logan was still there with inexplicable disappointed expression.

"Hattori-san, don't you want to?" The hopeful tone in her gentle voice weakened.

Logan came back to his senses, "No, it's not that. You said to visit the shrine?"

'Sure enough, those novels and Anime had hurt me too much.' Logan looked at Sumika, ​​and the other person's beautiful eyes looked at him bravely.

After some thought, Logan thought that the task he had to do shouldn't be very difficult, 'It would only take a few days to observe the patrol route at the Minister of Finance's house. Alright, the task can wait.'

"Sure, let's go together."

And so, Logan postponed his mission, agreeing to a day trip to the shrine with Sumika. After that, nothing interesting happened. Logan left the residence without alerting the guards and slept at the inn.

That night at the inn, Logan thought about many things, tossing and turning in bed. Thoughts about women, battles, and the mysteries of his crossing over intertwined.

The next day, Logan woke up from a restless sleep and went to wait outside the city as promised.

'Not at the main gate but outside, likely due to the officials' surveillance, to avoid unnecessary trouble.' Seeing the once 17 or 18-year-old girl had learned the ways of the world, driven by life, Logan found this universal change quite amusing.

The meeting place wasn't the main city gate, and the flow of people here was much sparser than what Logan had seen yesterday. A After a quarter of an hour, he saw a simply decorated carriage approaching, recognizing Sumika's head peeking out.

Logan walked over, and with the leader, Sumika's cooperation, he smoothly joined the group as a 'friend'.

Sumika had told him that the shrine they would go to is called Ogoma Shrine. Because it is close to the Capital, it has gained fame and has become a place where people came to worship Located on a small mountain, the main temple was not large, but the surrounding area was well-developed, bustling with activity during festivals.

The religion of the Land of Fire resembled that of Japanese's culture, with shrines dedicated to Shinto Deities. As the Ceremonial Envoy, Sumika will come to the shrine every once in a while to pray for good weather and good harvest. Logan didn't know who the Chief Deity of Ogoma Shrine was, and he wasn't interested in knowing it. After all, there were so many Deities in Japanese's culture, so this one might not be more powerful than him.

After leaving the wide main road, there were fewer and fewer pedestrians. The tall trees overhead echoed with the calls of insects and birds. Logan walked beside the carriage, looking up at the drifting white clouds. It reminded him of the escort mission in the past. There were fewer people now, the journey wasn't as long, but the most important people were still there.

Slid!

The carriage window was lifted, revealing a noble-looking girl, "Hey, why are you here again?"

'It would have been perfect if this girl named Hanazawa, Sumika's successor, wasn't here...'

Logan hadn't expected Hanazawa to accompany Sumika to the shrine, but upon reflection, it made sense. After all, she is Sumika's successor. Logan replied in a friendly manner, "I am Sumika's friend..."

Hearing this, Hanazawa glared at him, "How dare you call Hoshino-sama so casually…"

However, before she could finish speaking, Sumika pulled her back inside to reprimand her.

'It sure feels great to have a backing.' Logan couldn't help but think.

After spending half a day traveling, the carriage arrived at a small town at the foot of the mountain. Hanazawa, having been scolded, dared not say anything to Logan despite her anger. They got off the carriage and made their way up the mountain.

There were very few people around, only a handful of civilians and the shrine staff. The sound of bells and chanting filled the air as Sumika and Hanazawa began the ritual. Logan watched from in front of the shrine. The ceremony was indeed simple. Sumika performed a dance, more graceful than ever, and even the usually aloof Hanazawa showed impressive skill while dancing alongside her.

"You danced beautifully." After the ritual, Sumika came to him, slightly out of breath, and Logan sincerely praised her.

Sumika smiled softly without saying much and dismissed the attendants. The two of them then wandered along the mountain path, enjoying the scenery.

Besides recognizing the torii gates, Logan couldn't name many of the structures, but the picturesque scenery was undeniable. Trees flanked the path, streams trickled by, and simple constructions like the bamboo water spouts added a serene charm. The tranquility highlighted these small details, making them stand out.

As the day wore on, Sumika's smile became more frequent and seemed purer. Sometimes she would jump ahead to a corner and suddenly turn back to surprise him. Although Logan was never startled, he found himself infected by her beautiful smile, and he started feeling more relaxed.

At the highest platform of the shrine, the mountain opened up to a vast expanse of sky and land. Sumika, who seemed to have returned to her carefree youth, gazed out and sighed, "If only every day could be as simple and uncomplicated as today."

Logan stood behind her, looking at her beautiful profile. He thought about the life she wanted, one of learning and experiencing culture, but such a simple modern world student's life was hard to achieve due to the limitations of the times and political constraints. This pure figure seemed out of place in the Ninja World. Logan deeply felt she would have been better off being born in modern society.

"If only you didn't belong to this world."

Sumika turned around, suppressing a laugh, "How could you say that? How could I not belong to this world? Where else would I belong to, the underworld?"

"Not the underworld..." Logan said awkwardly, "It's just that, even if I tell you, you won't understand."

Sumika gazed at Logan, and a curiosity and exploration rising in her eyes beneath her playful demeanor.

"What is it?" She stepped closer, and their faces suddenly became very near with each other.

Logan could smell her fragrance and stammered, "I-It's nothing..."

The atmosphere paused.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, with sunlight reflecting off the mountaintop, the woman's lips suddenly met his.