Although the Old Man Third had sent him out, he really hadn't lied.
A logistical supply station like Aqua Blue Island indeed wouldn't encounter any disasters. Even in wartime, at most, the exchange of supplies would be slightly more frequent.
Karatachi Makoto adapted very quickly.
He lived in a small two-story building by the island's edge, furnished incredibly comfortably.
A soft bed, exquisite tea sets, and even a small ice cellar specifically used to chill fruits and liquor.
Sleeping until he woke up naturally every day, then basking in the sun on the balcony, tasting the fresh fish and sake that were specialties of the island, and occasionally flipping through a few leisure books brought from the village—his life was indescribably pleasant.
As for the specific affairs on the island, he basically dumped them all on the previous Deputy Captain of the Guard, Aoki, and... Hōzuki Mangetsu.
In his words:
"Professional matters should be left to professional people. Captain Aoki is experienced, and Mangetsu, you are a genius. You guys just handle these small matters. This Captain is responsible for grasping the general direction and coordinating the overall situation!"
Aoki had no objections.
For a place like a logistics station, what was needed most was stability.
Compared to those guys who liked to mess around blindly and start three fires when taking office, he actually really liked someone like Karatachi Makoto.
Hōzuki Mangetsu, however, felt a bit uncomfortable.
This genius boy of the Hōzuki Clan came to Aqua Blue Island with blood boiling, thinking he could display his skills in an important post.
On the way there, he was even fantasizing about fighting against enemy troops launching sneak attacks or killing guys looting supplies!
But the reality?
Well, facing mountains of material lists, transportation schedules, and the island's daily patrol rosters every day.
These trivial matters made his head swell like a bucket, but his honest inner nature still drove him to work hard to learn and handle them.
What made him even more stifled was...
Whenever he was busy until late at night, or got up before dawn to train in swordsmanship and Water Style Ninjutsu, he could always see that Captain Makoto either leisurely tasting tea and watching the sea on the balcony or simply not having gotten out of bed yet!
This morning, Hōzuki Mangetsu finished a set of high-intensity swordsmanship practice and returned, steaming all over.
He happened to see Karatachi Makoto walking over from outside as well.
"Yo, Dalang, practicing with the sword so early again."
Karatachi Makoto looked at the sweat-soaked Hōzuki Mangetsu, shook the wooden bucket in his hand containing a few sea fish, and grinned: "The early bird gets the worm; the early fisherman gets the fish. Good harvest today; let's eat grilled fish together later!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at the bucket of lively fish, then looked at Karatachi Makoto's clean and fresh casual clothes with no trace of training. He wanted to say something but stopped, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask.
"Captain Makoto, do you... not need to train?"
"Train?"
Karatachi Makoto acted as if he had heard something strange. He leaned the fishing rod against the wall, carried the bucket towards the kitchen, and said as he walked.
"Of course I'm training. How can I become stronger without training?"
"It's just that my training is different from yours. My training emphasizes 'moistening things in silence' and the 'Unity of Heaven and Man'."
"Huh?"
Karatachi Makoto fished out a plump sea bass from the bucket and skillfully scaled and gutted it.
"Look, Dalang. Your kind of sweating-buckets bitter training is certainly effective, but it easily damages the body and consumes the spirit."
"As for me, I emphasize perceiving Chakra in daily life and tempering the mind in a relaxed state."
"Take this fishing for example."
"Fishing requires a quiet mind, focus, and sensing the movement of the water flow and the fish. This is excellent exercise for Chakra control and perception."
"Take drinking tea and watching the sea as another example. Perhaps in your eyes, I might be dazing off, yawning, and wasting time, but in reality, I am settling my thoughts, sorting out myself, and reflecting on my deficiencies."
"This is called Introspective Cultivation."
Hōzuki Mangetsu was stunned listening to this.
It sounds so reasonable...
No!
Reasonable my ass! Do you think I haven't gone to school? There's no such training!
"Captain, a ninja's foundation is strength after all. In case an enemy attacks..."
"You think too much, great genius."
Karatachi Makoto interrupted him with an expression saying 'you are too naive'.
"Think about what kind of place Aqua Blue Island is. This is just a logistical transit station. If we really talk about how much supplies there are, there's actually not much. Konoha's main forces are all dragged into the frontal battlefield; where would they find the time to bother with our small island?"
He put his arm around Hōzuki Mangetsu's shoulder, lowered his voice, and spoke as if confiding in him.
"Take a piece of advice from your brother: keep your mindset balanced."
"Train when you should train, but don't push yourself too hard. When you should enjoy life, you must enjoy it properly. Look at your age; it should be a time of youth and liveliness. Keeping a straight face all day, dancing with swords and guns—how boring, how dangerous!"
"Live a good life, and then in two years, leave an heir, so you don't die without even leaving a seed."
"But..."
"No buts. Go take a shower quickly; you smell of sweat. I'll call you when the grilled fish is ready. Taste this Captain's cooking; I guarantee it's much more interesting than you gnawing on Soldier Pills all day."
Hōzuki Mangetsu stood in place, watching Karatachi Makoto's back disappear at the stairwell, messy in the wind alone. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Such a guy can actually become his captain and even manage the entire Aqua Blue Island?!
What exactly is Lord Third thinking!
An indescribable stifling feeling and unconvinced defiance surged in Hōzuki Mangetsu's heart.
He, Hōzuki Mangetsu, a genius of the Hōzuki Clan rarely seen in a century, proficient in Water Style and swordsmanship, one of the future candidates for the Ninja Swordsmen, was actually sent to be a deputy to a silk-pants rich kid who only knew how to fish, drink tea, and sleep in late all day?
However...
Seeming to think of something, Hōzuki Mangetsu's eyes suddenly became sharp.
According to the battle reports sent back from the front lines, Shisui of the Body Flicker was extremely fast and his Genjutsu was extremely strong. Once encountered, unless the mission was abandoned immediately to retreat, escape was basically impossible.
This guy could escape from the hands of that rising [Shisui of the Body Flicker]; it definitely wasn't just luck!
Moreover, the Karatachi Clan was also a major clan in Kirigakure.
Would they really allow a pure piece of trash to occupy so many resources, serve as a squad leader in the Police Force, and even be the person in charge of Aqua Blue Island now?
Kirigakure is not Konoha.
From the moment this village was founded, it has only followed one rule.
Survival of the fittest!
Karatachi Makoto is definitely not as trashy as he looks on the surface!
"There must be something wrong somewhere."
A sharp light flashed in Hōzuki Mangetsu's eyes: "Is it a disguise?"
At the same time.
Karatachi Makoto arrived on the spacious balcony on the second floor of the command post.
This guy lay comfortably in a rocking chair, facing the sea. While leisurely basking in the sun, he turned the grilled fish on the small charcoal stove, occasionally sprinkling some salt grains and spices made by the islanders.
On the back of his slender finger, a diamond-shaped mark was shining brightly in the faint light.