Survive in Azure Files

Page 121

Now I’m in an awkward situation. Due to my unexpected busyness and fatigue yesterday, I haven’t prepared any plans for the so-called ninja training yet.

On the way here, I took the time to look up some relevant information, but I soon realized that cramming at the last minute is useless.

After all, the person I have to deal with is Izuna, who is extremely fascinated by ninjas.

Although Izunai is naive and can fool people with some empty theories, when it comes to specific practice, God knows how much of it Izunai has actually put into practice.

If I say something too outrageous, there is a risk of attracting Izuna's suspicion. Besides, as a senior practitioner's mentor, I have to demonstrate it myself to be convincing, right?

In short, I realized that if I didn't spend a lot of time trying to perfect a reasonable system that could convince Izumi, who had rich experience in ninja training, my plan would have to be changed or even completely updated.

For example, I could pull Izuna into a field where I might be relatively good at, and defeat her with my experience, which is not rich but at least not zero.

I looked at the lively and lovely girl in front of me and invited her warmly: "Would you like to go to the festival with me?"

According to my broad definition that everything can be considered as ninja, why can't dating be a form of ninja practice?

Anyway, what I need from the beginning is just to win the favor of Izuna. As long as I don't use any tricks, the means are not important, the result is the most important.

Rather, participating in festivals together can naturally enhance relationships better than boring training.

You can just make up a random excuse afterwards and force a connection between it and Ninja Way.

It's obvious that Izuna has no experience of going out with someone of the opposite sex of the same age, which means that the right of interpretation is entirely in my hands.

Feeling like I can succeed!

"It's my honor~"

Izumi Nai just smiled and agreed subconsciously, but suddenly realized something was wrong:

"No! Didn't the master ask Izuna to come for the agreed ninja training today? Why did it turn into a festival? Ah! Could it be that the master didn't intend to help Izuna with her training at all? Is this the master's plan to lure the fox away from the mountain?"

Why are you suddenly so sharp at this time?

At times like this, you should not rush to explain anything, but instead should divert the other person's attention and regain the initiative.

My face darkened slightly, and I said in a sad tone: "Could it be that... Izuna hates being with me?"

“Uh, of course not… eh, eh…?”

The little fox denied it in panic, and although he still felt something was wrong, he was still just confused.

Even if she accidentally discovered the fact that I had ulterior motives, Izuna was still the easy-to-deal-with Izuna.

When I thought about how I had deceived such a gullible person like Izuna, I couldn't help but feel guilty, and then it turned into hostility towards the Smiling Professor who was most likely the mastermind behind the incident.

If it weren't for Professor Niyaniyya, whom I had never met, how could I have fallen to the point of playing with the pure heart of a girl?

It's all the Smiling Professor's fault!

In order to make up for my inevitable plot against Izuna, I can only feel guilty and covetous, and do my best to make her have more fun in the next festival.

This happens to complement my original purpose, so it is a win-win situation.

Regardless, I had already decided to temporarily change the ninjutsu training into a date, and I was certain that Izuna would not refuse, so I smiled slightly:

"Well, if you like it, then let's go."

“Eh? Oh, oh…”

Listening to my diode speech, the little fox seemed to want to refute, but because he was kind-hearted and gentle, and because of his qualities as a professional ninja, he did not raise any objections and followed me obediently.

At first, Izumi had a conflicted expression, as if she was still thinking about the ninja training that she had originally planned.

But soon, she put the matter completely out of her mind and completely immersed herself in the atmosphere of the festival, enjoying it wholeheartedly.

"Master! Look, there are special sakura-flavored tri-color dumplings over there!"

Izumi pulled my sleeve and excitedly pointed to a roadside stall that was doing a booming business.

As the climax of the Sakura Festival approaches, more and more people are participating in the festival. It is only morning now, but it feels obviously more lively than yesterday.

One can imagine what a crowded scene the fireworks display will be, and can roughly understand the concerns of the festival management committee.

After all, the Sakura Festival is one of the most famous festivals of the One Hundred Demons Night Parade United Academy since ancient times. If it was really destroyed by the demon demon, I wonder how many people would condemn Shizuko and the others.

As an accomplice of the demon, Izumi might also be wanted, or even treated as an example for not knowing how to hide her identity. It is not impossible for her to be suspended from school like Ruozao.

Thinking about it this way, Izuna is in danger that she is not aware of. I must get her out of it, even if I have to be a villain.

Therefore, the most important thing right now is to enjoy the festival with Izuna.

I put aside my slightly heavy heart and looked in the direction of the dumpling stall again, thinking that with this number of customers, I wonder how long I would have to wait in line if I wanted to buy a string of dumplings.

Just at this moment, I saw a familiar red figure struggling to squeeze out from the crowd surrounding the dumpling stall.

After leaving the crowd, the girl patted her flat chest and breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and opened her little mouth, wanting to taste the dumplings she had bought with great difficulty.

However, a wild cat suddenly jumped out from the side and rubbed against the calf of the red-haired girl with twin ponytails. The girl seemed to be frightened and her hand loosened, and the dumpling fell to the ground and rolled a few times. The surface was covered with dust and it seemed that it was no longer edible.

Junko Akashi from the Food Research Society stood there in a daze, looking at the three-color dumplings being stepped on by passers-by, feeling like crying but unable to cry.

Junko gritted her teeth and once again struggled to squeeze into the crowd of people buying dumplings. The whole time, she didn't notice me watching and trying to hold back my laughter.

While I was feeling a subtle sense of gloating, I also became alert and thought, since Junko was here, were the other three people here too?

Recalling the amazing action and destructive power of the Food Research Club, in order to prevent my own actions from being affected, I randomly found an excuse and took the enthusiastic Izuna to another neighborhood.

And Izunai soon discovered the next popular snack worth trying.

"Master! Look, there's Inari sushi over there!"

I looked at the familiar-looking dining car and the familiar-looking people busy on it, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Isn't SRT a closed school? Yukino didn't tell me she had a day off. What about this pink fox?

Looking from afar at the girl with pink hair and blue eyes, with a natural and gentle smile on her face, warmly entertaining every customer, whose true identity is totally unknown, she is the elite among the elites of the SRT Special Academy. I instinctively wondered why she was here.

Did she sneak out? Did she come here just for me? Then where are her other two gossip captains’ love life companions?

A series of doubts emerged in my mind, and then I came up with a simple and effective solution that could solve all problems at once.

How about asking Ms. Shiranui to strengthen the management of SRT...?

Never mind. That would be really despicable.

Nicole, the vice-captain of the FOX team, seemed to be simply enjoying the festival and didn't notice me at all. I guess she was probably here on vacation and it should have nothing to do with me.

But to be on the safe side, I took Izuna with me to transfer again.

I didn't run into any acquaintances this time.

And Izuna's excited voice was not absent this time:

"Ah! This sweet and fragrant smell is cotton candy!"

...Why do I feel like Izuna’s attention is focused on food?

Just as I was complaining in my heart, the little fox had already run over quickly, bought one, opened his little mouth, and took a bite of the snow-white fluffy candy thread.

Then, he squinted his eyes due to the sweet taste:

"Mmm~ So sweet~"

As Izumi said this, she suddenly thought of something and passed the marshmallow to my mouth, expectantly saying, "Master, have a bite too~"

Facing Izuna who was smiling at me without any defense, I suddenly felt that I was narrow-minded.

A ninja should be like this, keenly aware of the supplies around him and efficiently absorb energy in case of emergency.

As expected of Izuna!

After all, I couldn't bear to let down my disciple's kindness, and at the same time, I naturally understood the principle of avoiding suspicion, so I took another bite at the place where he had bitten, to prove that I was open-minded and had no other thoughts.

Obviously, only if you deliberately avoid it, you really have something to hide, right?

This should be the second time that I have shown Izuna my noble character in this regard.

I sincerely said to the cute little fox: "It's really sweet, Izuna."

It feels much sweeter than ordinary marshmallows. Izuna must have used some ninjutsu on it. Water escape or something like that.

Izuna replied happily: "Yeah~right? It's really sweet~"

The sweet little fox, holding sweet marshmallows, smiled sweetly at me.

I suddenly felt my heart beating violently.

I think I might have fallen in love with Izuna.

At this time, Izuna looked at the only gap on the marshmallow and realized what had happened.

As her smile faded, embarrassment and nervousness appeared on her cheeks. She lowered her head and glanced at me secretly. Seeing that I seemed to be indifferent on the surface, she relaxed, but for some reason she felt subtly lost.

Izuna didn't know what was wrong with her.

The two of us, with different thoughts, continued to enjoy the festival.

Before I knew it, I suddenly realized that we had already reached the observation deck that we visited yesterday and that Izuna said was her favorite, where you can overlook the street and the sacred tree at the same time.

"Ah~ Master, please open your mouth~"

I opened my mouth obediently, and then a chopstick of noodles was put into my mouth.

Then Izumi bought another box of fried noodles from a roadside stall, and said that the TV series recorded that disciples should do the hard work for them, and she offered to feed me.

I had the illusion that it was not Izuna but me who was enjoying the festival more.

I swallowed the fried noodles in my mouth, looked at the smiling little fox, and asked:

"Izuna, are you happy?"

"Yeah! Izuna really likes the cherry blossom festival of the Hundred Nights Spring the most~ and..."

Izuna paused for a moment and said, "I'm so happy that I can still be with my master now!"

In that case, that couldn't be better.

I suddenly thought, if Izumi, who loves the Sakura Festival the most, knew that the real purpose of her employer is to destroy the Sakura Festival, how would she feel?

She would probably be shocked. No matter how innocent she is, she would doubt my real purpose in approaching her.

After all, Izuna and I have only known each other for a little over a day, and we haven't established a deep and unshakable bond, nor do we even have a very deep understanding of each other.

The relationship between us now is based entirely on goodwill towards each other, and it could collapse at any time if a crisis of trust arises.

But this is the worst case scenario.

Thinking from another angle, if I tell Izuna this information, she might temporarily put aside her principles as a ninja for the sake of justice, switch sides and tell me the identity of her employer...

Assuming that Izumi's obsession with ninjas wasn't far beyond my imagination, this might be how things would develop.

Just then, my cell phone rang.

After talking to the little fox beside me, I switched to momotalk. It was a message from Shizuko, who was planning to search for the Demon Seat with the training club.

Shizuko: Teacher, where are you now? Have you spotted anyone on the road?

Me: No, I’m in… and I just walked around a few nearby blocks, and at least when I was there, no evil spirits showed up.

Me: What’s wrong?

Shizuko: It’s the same here.

Shizuko: Ah! It keeps popping up even though I don't want to see it normally! Now I want to find it but I can't find it no matter how hard I try!

Shizuko: They must be causing trouble somewhere right now...

Me: Calm down, Shizuko.

Me: If we can’t find him anywhere, then he might just be hiding in the dark, planning some large-scale operation.

Shizuko: ...

Shizuka: Now that you say that, I'm even less able to calm down!

Shizuko: I didn’t expect that my plan would be thwarted at the very first step…

Shizuko: Uh…