Chapter 211: Chapter 211: I’m Sick, I’m Sick
Chapter 211: I’m Sick, I’m Sick
"When does a person feel that everything in front of them is like a dream?"
Lying alone in bed,
Ryosuke stared blankly through the skylight, gazing at the starry sky that resembled the Milky Way.
It must be during moments of overwhelming ecstasy, disbelief, or even terror when emotions are stretched to their limits, creating that fragile feeling where illusion and reality blur.
As the question surfaced in his mind, he instinctively answered it himself.
But sometimes, there are simpler triggers. Like drinking too much water at night and reminding yourself before bed that you’ll need to get up later.
Then, the next morning, sitting on the toilet, you’d suddenly wonder Wait, am I dreaming? Am I really here right now?
That’s when people resort to different tricks to test their reality.
The most basic one? Bite yourself. Feel pain. Prove you’re awake.
Ryosuke had done that too. He’d had those moments in his previous life confusing dreams with reality, waking himself through pain.
Unfortunately...
That method doesn’t work anymore.
In front of him,
The endless, star-studded sky so vast yet deceptively close drew his hand up. He bit the middle of his index finger, harder than before.
Blood welled from the wound and filled his mouth with the sharp, metallic taste of iron.
But it still didn’t feel real.
He couldn’t tell if the sky above was naturally formed or man-made. Maybe the twinkling stars were just ultra-high-definition cameras. Or floodlights. Maybe they were recording everything and broadcasting it to some distant observers...
Late at night, alone,
When unnecessary thoughts fade and the mind tries to drift into sleep, that’s when the twisted ones emerge from the depths. No longer driven by emotion, they come on their own.
Maybe this is like that movie... The Truman Show?
Or... a hacker from another dimension?
All the strange films and series he’d watched came echoing back. Ryosuke tried to shut the thoughts down, but it was useless.
His brain, always too active, could recall every memory with perfect clarity.
That gift, once his pride had become a torment, constantly pounding his heart.
This world is fake.
Thoughts like that...
Thoughts that maybe he was fake...
They crept in like poison, slowly eating away at his sanity. Not because he wanted them but because his experiences demanded them.
"Never mind..."
With a tired sigh, Ryosuke sat up in bed.
His once-sharp thinking now felt like a flaw. One he couldn’t fix yet. The only choice left was to escape.
There were two ways.
One, keep himself constantly occupied never give the mind time to wander into forbidden territory.
But that wasn’t possible right now.
His body and mind, though refined and strengthened countless times, still couldn’t escape the basic consumption of all living things.
He needed food. He needed sleep.
And those needs brought downtime, downtime that let the chaos in.
So the other way...
Boom boom boom.
In the quiet night within the Hyuga inner compound, the soft knock on a door echoed clearly.
Ryosuke wasn’t the type to sneak into a girl’s room uninvited.
He walked straight, sat tall, and had no fear of shadows even at night.
But just as he lifted his hand to knock again, Hinata’s door cracked open.
A small arm reached out and yanked him inside.
He didn’t resist. The familiar floral scent stronger tonight floated into his nose, and he twitched it slightly without realizing.
"Didn’t I tell you not to knock anymore?"
Inside, the yellow light of a small desk lamp glowed dimly.
But Ryosuke’s vision was sharp. He saw her clearly, Hinata her cheeks flushed, clutching his arm.
Blushing, she whispered with mild annoyance, "What if Father or someone else finds out?"
Ryosuke looked at her helplessly. "You’re my wife. Even if they find out, it doesn’t matter."
Hinata’s room had the same structure as his, but the interior was completely different.
Where his was simple and minimal, hers felt alive—scrolls and documents scattered everywhere, but still warm and lived-in.
She pouted, puffing up her cheeks.
How could this guy be so shameless?
Still, she turned away and muttered, "Why can’t you sleep again?"
"Mm."
Ryosuke nodded. "Lately, I’ve just been... suffering from insomnia."
His gaze lingered on her—
And just like that, all those maddening thoughts from before vanished.
Or maybe it was the habit
Her presence, her gentle massage, her calm voice always brought him peace.
Beside her, his mind no longer spiraled.
"Excuse~!" Hinata mumbled with a slight huff, then turned and walked into the inner room.
Ryosuke followed behind her.
Inside, the large soft bed looked as inviting as ever.
Two pillows rested quietly at the head, begging for someone to collapse on them.
One of them his usual spot, looked slightly dented, like it had just been fluffed or used.
He didn’t dwell on it.
Hinata had already kicked off her slippers and crawled under the covers, yawning.
"I’m so sleepy... Can you not come this late next time? Every time I finally fall asleep, you show up and wake me up again."
Ryosuke didn’t ask why she’d answered the door so fast if she was already asleep.
Instead, he climbed into bed beside her with practiced ease.
"Then next time, I’ll come earlier," he teased.
"Forget it..." she mumbled, pulling the blanket over half her face. "You still have to wait till Father and the others are asleep..."
As she spoke, she scooted closer to him.
Though they hadn’t officially married yetand the Hyuga family was still bound by its traditional customs they hadn’t crossed that final line.
Still, under the same blanket, wearing thin pajamas, the warmth from their bodies passed through the fabric with ease.
Their arms brushed. Their hands, thighs, shoulders all occasionally touched.
Each soft contact sent a wave of heat through them both.
An instinctual warmth began to rise quietly in their hearts.
Turning sideways, Ryosuke shifted his gaze to where Hinata lay.
"Why don’t we get married earlier? There are plenty of people in the village who marry at our age. As for my father..."
Before he could finish, Hinata turned as well and swiftly covered his mouth with her hand.
She stared at him, eyes wide. "Sleep."
"Okay."
Ryosuke obediently closed his eyes.
Though his eyes were shut, his hands gently moved forward, pressing against her shoulders to pull her closer.
Only after adjusting her into a comfortable position did he relax, finally at ease.
He hadn’t told his family what had happened to him recently, he didn’t want them to worry.
In front of them, he acted like nothing had changed.
But with Hinata beside him, he could keep his unstable mental state in check.
It was as if, just because she existed in this world, he could believe it wasn’t fake.
---
A quiet week passed, but Shanks still didn’t show up as promised.
Not only had he missed the scheduled time, but the delay was also unusually long.
Still, Shanks had sent someone to deliver a message to Konoha explaining the situation.
The reason? He had failed to reach an agreement with the Saki family or the nobles of the Land of Fire.
Apparently, they didn’t trust that he would return to them after leaving, and so, the Land of Fire nobles refused to let him go.
Their strategy was clever—tailored to Shanks’ personality.
Once they learned he was a man who valued promises, they used that as leverage to keep him.
Rather than using force or threats, they appealed to him humbly, even pleading with him to fulfill his vow, to pass on his sword techniques before departing.
Against aggressive enemies, Shanks never hesitated to strike.
Faced with coercion, he could retaliate decisively.
But when met with a seemingly reasonable, humble request, he found himself unable to refuse even if he knew deep down that their humility was only a façade.
Since his agreement with the Land of Fire nobles came before the meeting with Ryosuke, he had no choice but to send a message explaining the delay.
The new meeting time, he said, would have to be discussed further.
---
"Those nobles are too ambitious," Ryosuke muttered. "Even if another world’s training system opens a new path, it’s not an easy one to walk."
While Ryosuke remained patient, Hiashi was visibly frustrated.
He had hoped to use Shanks’ perspective to help categorize the devil fruits collected by the clan so they could be distributed wisely, enhancing the tribe’s strength.
Now, however, the plan was delayed again, with no clear date in sight.
---
"The Navy Six Styles that Blueno mastered are only mid-tier in that world’s system," Hiashi said in the ceremonial hall, his expression cold. "Even so, many in our clan can’t reach that level. They still need to train their physical strength."
"And those nobles?" He scoffed. "They expect their samurai to master abilities above the Six Styles? Are they dreaming?"
The contrast between Blueno and Shanks wasn’t just about strength—it reflected the gap in their potential.
Blueno’s techniques were already impressive, but anything Shanks taught would be on another level entirely and even harder to learn.
---
"Not necessarily," said the white-haired elder, seated at one side of the long table. "From what I’ve heard from Hoshicai and the others, the nobles are interested in swordsmanship."
"If it’s truly about the sword," he continued, "then even warriors who are mediocre by our world’s standards might possess the talent to grasp something new."
The most senior elder in the clan, seated beside Hiashi, spoke up calmly.
"Hiashi, don’t underestimate the people of this world."
His voice was slow and steady.
"I heard Ryosuke holds Shanks in high regard. When it comes to learning, the student matters but so does the teacher."
"If Shanks has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, then even a glimpse of his insight might revolutionize the samurai system in our world."
---
"Apologies. I was too impulsive."
Hiashi bowed his head slightly. As the younger one among the elders—only Ryosuke and Hinata were younger, he admitted his mistake without resistance.
---
"Actually... I have a suggestion."
Ryosuke, seated with Hinata at the far end of the long table, raised a hand.
"If Shanks can’t leave the Saki family right now, then... why don’t I go to Saki Castle myself?"
---
"That’s too dangerous!"
An elder immediately objected. "Ryosuke, we all know your strength has surpassed the standard definition of a ninja, but..."
"He’s from another world. There’s no guarantee he intends to keep the meeting. It might be a trap."
"Exactly!"
Another elder, Hinata Nai, suddenly nodded. "He could be pretending to give us the power to choose the time and place—acting generous to lull us into lowering our guard."
"But in truth, he never meant to come. This could all be a ploy to lure us out using the Land of Fire nobles as bait."
The more she spoke, the more convinced she became.
"Yes, yes, that’s very possible."
"Ryosuke, let’s just wait for him to come to Hyuga."
A chorus of agreement echoed around the table.
Even Hiashi, seated at the head, frowned in thought.
To them, someone with Shanks’ power surely wouldn’t be this generous.
In the ninja world, those in high places were rarely kind they were usually cunning, always playing the long game.
---
"Don’t worry," Ryosuke said, smiling lightly. "I’m confident about this."
He chuckled, shaking his head at the cautious chorus.
He loved Hyuga. He protected Hyuga. He wanted Hyuga to grow alongside him.
But that didn’t mean he would let Hyuga hold him back.
Though there was no written rule, in truth, Ryosuke’s authority in the clan was second to none—even higher than Hyuga Hiashi’s.
If he wished, he could veto any proposal brought to the table.
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