The young chuunin Genko walked through the streets of the coastal village with a slight smile on his face, savoring the peaceful atmosphere that, after so long, finally seemed to be around him. He felt the salty wind from the sea and heard the sound of the waves crashing in the distance, almost as if the war had never touched that little piece of Tierra del Fuego, even though he knows it was a wrong thought. The marks on the walls were a pretty clear revelation that even such an isolated place had suffered at the hands of the enemies.
With the mission complete I can finally return home. It was a comforting thought that kept him alert.
With the peace accords having been signed and things seeming to have finally stabilized, after the end of the Second World War, the Hokage sent several ninjas for more common missions such as escort, delivery, (not so) community aid, anything that would boost morale. of the population after so long of conflict. It was a combined effort with the Daimyo, but it was working.
Unfortunately, Chuunins were being sent to these services in droves. And it was certainly boring doing these jobs, but Genko was happy to serve his village at this time. Mainly because he was not one of those who went to battle, being only a genin at the time, now, as a chuunin, he made a point of carrying out every mission with the utmost care.
It was this thought that led him on this banal mission, and which his colleagues did not want to participate in.
The land of fire is vast, with small settlements appearing and disappearing. The Daimyo needed to maintain control over these places and their development potential, so it was common to send some shinobi every few years to survey the territory. For Konoha, it was good to try and observe what the public image and general demographics were like.
It was, unfortunately, impractical to send continuous patrols, or worse, spies. So the information was up to these common missions and from genins outside the villages. Civilians tended to be nicer to younger ninja, or at least not as suspicious, and this helped with collection. Which leads to Genko, and his surprisingly childish face. It was boring, but he knew that his appearance made him go unnoticed more than most other shinobi.
That was why he ignored his irritation and accepted the mission when the Sounder summoned him. Not that there was any other option, of course, Genko was a leaf ninja. A loyal ninja. Not accepting was not an alternative. But even so, he likes to think he was doing a good thing given the nature of the task at hand.
It was an extensive mission, requiring him to spend months away, going from village to village and making complete reports. It was problematic and unhealthy, especially given the quality of life of a large part of the rural population. He also needed to maintain a certain level of discretion, so he couldn't simply introduce himself as a Konoha ninja. A shame.
Fortunately, this torture was ending and there was only one last coastal village left to the south, before being able to leave this behind and see Konoha again.
Genko actually didn't even know that this place was standing, having obtained this information in another village. It was common knowledge that coastal villages were the first places attacked by Kumo, being completely looted as soon as the war began.
The fishermen must have returned as soon as they could. It was hard to imagine that any fire citizens would simply leave their homes.
This theory solidified as Genko analyzed the buildings. The small houses and cabins around them told detailed stories of the war. The walls still had scratch marks, probably from kunais, in addition to part of the floor and stones that were still scorched. Kumo ninjas had a habit of using Raiton to start fires or destroy entire buildings. It was a quick way to destroy important places, food or just complicate the restructuring of the population, or crowd other places to sow discord.
Genko still remembered the time of war and how Konoha was filled with refugees. Most of them didn't even have a place to work or live. Food prices also rose significantly, even with the Hokage sending a large part of this population to the fields around the walls to produce more food.
He continued with that thought as he got closer to where people had redone some houses. This was probably a large village, but now it has been reduced to a few dozen people.
However, contrary to what he expected, the villagers seemed prosperous. He noticed that many homes had household appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, and radios — rare items even in Konoha.
This is certainly strange. These technologies were not new, far from it, but due to the general poor conditions in which they were produced, these were luxury items, and consequently, too expensive for a fishing village.
Genko was mildly curious. After all, this was the most interesting thing he had seen in months. If he was lucky, it might come in handy.
Curious, he asked a passing fisherman how the village had access to these items. The fisherman, a friendly older man, laughed at Genko's surprise.
"Oh, this is all thanks to a foreigner who ended up here. A shipwreck a few months ago. He and his little daughter stayed here." The fisherman nodded toward a workshop up ahead. "He's a genius with machines, you know? He managed to put all this together with old parts he found around the village. He even built radios and TVs out of nothing but scrap metal. A real miracle!"
Genko was intrigued. It was rare to find someone with such mechanical skill, especially in times of war. It was rather suspicious, actually. Still, he wondered how many times this knowledge could come in handy for the Hidden Leaf Village. Having someone capable of manufacturing such advanced technology could be a huge advantage for Konoha, especially now that the war was over and Kumo had become so advanced. The Hokage would no doubt appreciate that kind of talent.
And if he was a spy, surely it would only take one Yamanaka to be discovered? He thought with amusement.
"Where can I find him?" Genko asked.
"He has a workshop near the pier, just over there." The fisherman smiled.
Genko thanked him and headed toward the workshop. The place was modest on the outside, but as soon as he entered, he noticed how meticulously organized it was. Tools, gears, and radio parts were neatly stacked, and the smell of oil and metal permeated the air. In the back, a middle-aged man with dark, disheveled hair and tanned skin was working on a project with intense focus.
"Excuse me," Genko called, making the man look up.
"Oh, hello!" the man replied, smiling slightly. "Can I help you with something?"
Genko approached, looking at the tools around him and the pieces of machinery he had never seen before. The man didn't seem to care about looking familiar either. Maybe it was his eyes, which seemed less slanted than usual, or that strangely symmetrical beard, as well as his tanned skin, but he certainly didn't look like he was from the Land of Fire.
In fact, despite the superficial appearance, he didn't look like he was from Kumo either. His mustache might be somewhat reminiscent of the fashion there, but the general features of his face aren't. Maybe he's the son of someone from there?
"I was told you're the one responsible for bringing these… technologies to the village. I'm impressed. Where are you from?"
The man hesitated for a moment, as if pondering his answer.
"I come from very far away, from another continent, actually. I ended up here by chance, after our ship was destroyed. My daughter and I had nowhere to go, so the village took us in. I help them with what I can, and they offer us shelter and food. It's a fair exchange."
Genko nodded. He wasn't trying to sound like a local, but saying he was from another continent was strange. But maybe he was afraid of the reception for being a foreigner, especially in these times. He thought about it for a while.
"Have you ever considered…" Genko began, choosing his words. "Working in Konoha? The Hidden Leaf Village values people with skills like yours. Imagine what you could do with the resources of a ninja village."
The man seemed to think about the proposal, his eyes slightly lost. He looked around, as if seeing the peaceful life they had built there. Genko searched for anything in his expression that denoted loyalty to Kumo, but the man only seemed lost. Either he was a great actor, or he was just a refugee. Either way, Konoha's gain.
"I'm not someone who understands wars or battles, I'm just a mechanic." Now that seemed like a lie. Genko thought, slightly amused. "But if you can guarantee that my daughter will be safe, maybe I could consider it."
"That's good to hear." The ninja comments softly. "My name is Genko, by the way."
"Call me Tony. Tony Stark."