Chapter 105: The First Day of Drinking Sand

I have tasted the wind and swallowed the sand,
Wandering beneath drifting clouds across the world’s end,
Sighing at fleeting years like withered chrysanthemums,
Questioned the heavens, yet no one answers.
I have tasted the wind and swallowed the sand,
A vagabond penniless, roaming from tavern to tavern...

The melodious song echoed across the vast desert.

It was the seventh day since Bai Mu had stepped into the desert. Endless seas of sand stretched around him, no landmarks, no clear direction—everything depended solely on faith to guide the way.

In their group were only three men and one devoted mother: Bai Mu, Jiao Du, and Ye Noyu.

The rest had refused to continue upon hearing of the journey to the Land of Wind, immediately shaking their heads and wanting to disband. That cursed place was so barren that not even birds would defecate there; even dogs couldn’t find a tree to relieve themselves. Bai Mu, angered, handed out severance pay and sent them all back to the Godless Town. After all, they did nothing but eat and drink, and after a trip to Iwagakure, each had gained over ten pounds.

Tomorrow Asuka needed rest to care for her child, so Bai Mu let Xiang Ji stay behind to look after his goddaughter, little Xiang Lin. Han remained in Godless Town to begin constructing his great vessel, the Yamato.

As for funding... Bai Mu had his own way of persuading Jiao Du.

“Once the Uchiha treasure is unearthed, with all that gold and silver, surely you wouldn’t just keep it in a bank, right? In those war-torn lands, banks aren’t safe, and counting checks is no fun.”

“You need to build a safe to store the money.”

“It can’t be too small—what if the Uchiha treasure won’t fit?”

“And the defense can’t be too weak, either. What if it gets stolen? A meter-thick armor is not too much, right?”

“With a meter-thick armor and dozens of cannons, that wouldn’t be abnormal.”

“Maybe in the end, it’ll be a safe worth billions of ryo, protecting tens of thousands in cash...”

“Isn’t that the funding source for the Yamato?”

As for Ye Noyu, wasn’t there still a son named Dou waiting for her in the Land of Wind? Besides, she was accustomed to handling gunmen. Shimura Danzo had asked her to ghostwrite a black dossier—kind of like sending a spy to spy on other spies. This nesting doll of intrigue was thrilling.

The system had grown wiser too, denying Bai Mu a double-win chance and giving a binary choice mission:

“Mission: Assist Konoha or Sunagakure to victory.”
“Reward: Unknown.”

This wasn’t the only mission. From the very first step into the desert, a shout rang in his ears:

“Shurima, your emperor has returned!”

No mission hints followed—like a puzzle game presenting a riddle.

...

Afei lay listlessly inside Bai Mu’s hood, gulping water noisily. The desert was a hostile domain for plants; once able to sustain himself through photosynthesis, now the sun’s blaze wilted him.

“This guy... such spirit—singing and dancing all the way. How does he keep such enthusiasm? I wonder how much further we have to go...” Ye Noyu also hid in the hood, the battering sand stinging her skin.

“Who knows when we’ll get out of this hellhole? Today’s article is on you—Shimura Danzo’s foul breath has dried up the Land of Wind for miles.” Bai Mu spoke offhandedly.

“That’s a stretch... the Land of Wind has been desertified for thousands of years...” Ye Noyu twisted a corner of her mouth.

“Then write that Shimura Danzo’s ancestors farted first; blacken his lineage first. Ha ha... ha ha...” Bai Mu chuckled dryly.

“Stop it—the sandstorm’s coming again.” Jiao Du glanced toward the far distance, where a sea of sand surged like waves—a sandstorm for the third time.

“Hold tight, everyone. This one feels worse than the last.” Bai Mu’s expression turned serious. Donning goggles and a mask, with no nearby obstacles for his parasitic ancient god tendrils to cling to, he had to rely on Jiao Du.

Jiao Du rooted the Earth Grudge Fear tendrils firmly into the ground, his two massive hands gripping the belts on Bai Mu and Ye Noyu. The three crouched low, bracing for the sandstorm.

The fierce hurricane hurled fine sand like hail against their goggles. Even under cloaks and hoods, the sand stung painfully.

This was a natural marvel of the desert—a deadly storm far beyond ninjutsu’s power, a natural defense shield for Sunagakure. As long as it raged, no one but Sunagakure dared venture in; they only went out to strike others. No one wanted to bite into this dry, tough, and worthless bone.

The violent storm nearly lifted them off the ground. Even the desert bandits, familiar with the terrain, sensed the approaching death storm and fled early to the stone forest in the Gobi. To face it head-on in the desert was certain death.

Bai Mu was grateful for Jiao Du’s grip on his belt; otherwise, he might have been blown away...

No, no...

Suddenly, through the sands under his goggles, golden glimmers flashed. Jiao Du’s gaze followed the shimmering specks.

“No, no, no, Master Jiao Du... don’t be impulsive... Think carefully—there must be something in your life more important than money... friendship!” Bai Mu turned to Jiao Du, whose eyes resembled those of a greedy starving ghost.

“No, it’s placer gold...” Jiao Du released his grip! He was going after the wind-blown gold!

“Damn!!!” Bai Mu cried out, swept into the air by the hurricane, clutching Afei tightly and surrendering to fate.

“Wuhu~ The little guy can fly now~” Afei was still delighted.

...

Bang!

After an unknown flight, the sandstorm neared a heavily weathered rocky valley. The wind weakened, no longer able to support a person’s weight, and Bai Mu fell headfirst into a thick sand pit.

“Pthh, pthh, pthh!” Bai Mu pulled his head from the sand, spitting out grit, shaking off the sand like a dog shakes off water.

“Oh my... look at what little cutie sister has found~ So fresh and tender, just like a strawberry~” a coquettish female voice called from beside him.

Bai Mu turned to see a young beauty with dark red hair, a charming beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, wearing a Sunagakure forehead protector. She lightly licked her lips with her tongue, her expression like one savoring a delicious dessert.

“So... beautiful...” Bai Mu was stunned by her dazzling beauty, staring blankly.

“Hee hee hee~ Such praise makes sister very happy. I’ll savor you slowly~” the Sunagakure woman smiled with seductive charm.

“Sister... what’s your name?” Bai Mu felt she wasn’t just a minor character.

“I’m Bufeng, dear brother~ You’re so cute, I can’t wait to devour you, hehe~” Bufeng covered her mouth with a light laugh.

Bufeng... one of the original four tomb robbers formed with Ma Bulitu, a former elite Jonin of Sunagakure, the woman who stole Naruto’s first kiss... As for her combat info, when Bai Mu watched the anime, his attention was fixed entirely on the pink safety shorts she wore, ignoring everything else.

“Have you heard of sister before?” Bufeng smiled faintly.

“No... no. How old are you this year, sister?” Bai Mu only remembered her kiss with Naruto, thinking she was about twenty then. How had ten-plus years passed, and she was still about twenty?

“Asking a lady’s age isn’t polite~ You naughty brother~ But since you asked sincerely, I’ll be merciful and tell you~ Sister’s eighteen~” Bufeng squinted seductively.

A woman’s words are like a deceiving ghost; all women are forever eighteen. If Bai Mu dared to ask her weight next, she’d surely claim ninety pounds.

“So~ how does sister plan to devour brother?” Bai Mu returned a mischievous smile in kind.