ch421-ch440 · 430-ch430

Chapter 430: Ninjutsu: The Earth Escape Jutsu

"Nin-nin!"

The Earth Escape Jutsu.

"What's this? You came back ahead of them?"

"Nin-nin."

"The leaders will be back by afternoon, then."

"Nin-nin."

"Change of clothes? Well, we have some, but...... You came back alone?"

"Nin-nin."

"A taxi? Seriously...... Do you even have money?"

Flawless communication.

Yes—the Earth Escape Jutsu's final secret art is writing characters in the dirt.

Ah—and please lend me some money.

"Nin-nin?"

Hm?

There's someone strange over there......

Hmm.

Face hidden, presence NOT hidden.

He might notice me too, so—should I play the stranger?

"Oh, him? That's a staffer the Association sent over. He's wearing a mask because of an injury to his face, apparently. I'm neighbors with the Holy Maidens, you know—should I ask them to treat him?"

A surprise opportunity, indeed. I understand completely.

If the next survey picks a dungeon where the monsters carry venom, we might just lure him out.

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"I'm hooome."

Home, for now.

I did borrow clothes, but I changed into my own before heading to the Chiba branch.

Afterwards they called a taxi for me and I got away from the new dungeon, but a direct ride to Chiba would have cost nearly thirty thousand yen, so I got off at some random station.

I kept the mask on until the moment I stepped out of the taxi, so there shouldn't be any identity-leak worries.

Getting caught in the morning commuter rush, though—that was rough.

I regretted not just getting a ride in the 'Blue Ocean' team's car after all.

But if I had, everyone would have left the dungeon before the car made it back.

That dungeon is outside the twenty-three wards, plenty far, and I figured the round trip would be brutal on the driver, so I'd declined.

"Hm? You're back early. What about breakfast?"

"Hmm, I'm heading out again soon anyway."

My university's in Tokyo, so the commute is genuinely rough.

I'd love to rent a room nearby, but then my mother would be alone in the house.

Kasumi-san opposes it too.

Soushi's mother opposes it as well, so he commutes from home.

Now then—bicycle, bicycle. Maybe I should get a license?

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"Welcome back. That was fast."

Over to the Chiba branch, into the new place—and Kasumi-san greets me.

Did she stay up waiting?

"Morning. Where's Aikawa?"

"Still resting, I'm afraid."

She went to SLEEP?! What happened to "dreams are scary"?

Well, all-nighters are bad for you anyway.

Maybe I could have taken it a little slower.

"Ah, morning, Haruki-kun. So you really did come in from the far side. Shall we wake the others? Watanabe-san, you take the ladies."

Ao-san's up too.

"Aikawa-san went back to her room out of consideration—she felt she ought to be the one awake—so it's one room at a time from here. Everyone stayed up until late last night, so this morning runs a little late."

Is that really it?

Well, no complaints here.

"Kasumi-san, you waited up for me, then."

"'Waited' makes it sound noble. I simply couldn't sleep for worrying. I'll go wake those two. Let's all have breakfast together."

Right—running nonstop works up an appetite.

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"I'll say this much: that was comfortable. Makes every dungeon crawl before it look pointless, I swear."

Hot meals every meal, a proper night's sleep.

The new place even has a bath—and honestly, a dungeon crawl where the enemy never leaves its fortress and you just laze around between shoots.

"The camera's what makes it hard, really."

Posting night watches, having to film every movement—that was the annoying part.

Well, this time WAS a survey, so it can't be helped.

"Eat fast and get back in the dungeon! The moment MP's back, leveling!"

The gung-ho faction is exactly one member strong today.

"No, let's rest just for today."

"Quite. Haruki-san and the others have university, after all."

"Hmm... when will everyone be free at the same time next, I wonder?"

"Understood. Then leave the 'Hand Gates' behind. You want armor, don't you? I'll gather some up."

Way too motivated.