CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 343 FUJIMAKI CHIDORI_2

This is about completing the task.

But Miss Sakihara just said her father went out, and no one knows where he went.

Possibly Kansai, maybe Hokkaido, or perhaps in the mountains near Tokyo City.

"So nobody knows."

"Junior Brother," Fujimaki Chidori said, "Your sudden involvement surprised me a bit, but I don’t think your participation will change the final result. Today marks the third year, the One-Mind One-Sword Style’s 18th national championship, the first three consecutive wins, and I will definitely continue to secure these three consecutive wins myself."

After saying that, he turned around and left directly.

Just like when he came, he left swiftly.

Leaving with him was a Senior Brother named Higuchi.

He seemed to be talking to Fujimaki, but Fujimaki just glanced at him, then refocused straight ahead without responding.

...

"Ahaha, I thought Fujimaki came to pick a fight."

Kusunoki Kubomaru, with one arm around Uesugi Sakura’s neck, laughed heartily as he spoke.

Despite his height only reaching Uesugi Sakura’s chest, the motion of raising his hand to pat his shoulder looked somewhat comical.

Fujimaki had left.

The dojo’s apprentices felt it was rather boring as no fight broke out, so under Senior Sister Tachibana Youko’s supervision, they resumed their training.

"Hey, Kagami, didn’t you say Fujimaki came to trouble the little Junior Brother?"

"Don’t call me that," Koshin Kagami waved off his attempt to pat his shoulder, "and I must remind you, I only said it was possible, possible! I never said he would definitely come after Uesugi."

"So does that mean he just issued a threat and left?" Kusunoki Kubomaru said, "How boring, I thought with someone like him, he would act without hesitation."

"You can ask Senior Brother about that."

"If I could ask him, would I be asking you!? That guy never acknowledges me, doesn’t even return a greeting."

"That’s just Senior Brother’s nature."

"Tch," Kusunoki Kubomaru smirked disdainfully, then suddenly laughed, "Little Junior Brother is great. Even though he knew I came to pick a fight the other day, he still politely greeted me and called me Senior Brother. That ’Senior Brother’ he called out made me lose any intention to trouble him further!"

Uesugi Sakura: "..."

Koshin Kagami glanced at him: "It’s starting again."

Kusunoki Kubomaru glared back, his eyes wide: "Huh!? Starting what? Bragging?"

Koshin Kagami mocked: "Isn’t it? If I wasn’t there, wouldn’t you have dragged Uesugi into a match? Calling it a match, but really just wanting to bully Uesugi to emphasize your Senior Brother status."

"You got there first, and now you talk about me? If I wasn’t there, wouldn’t you have challenged the little Junior Brother to a match?"

Then, Kusunoki Kubomaru deliberately mimicked Koshin Kagami’s tone: "Calling it a match, but really just wanting to bully the little Junior Brother to emphasize your Second Senior Brother status."

Koshin Kagami didn’t get angry, instead, he smiled lightly and said: "Do you know what you’re acting like?"

"Whatever! It’s not up to you to decide."

Koshin Kagami laughed heartily: "Haha, this is like hitting a mad dog too hard and getting bitten back!"

"Mere eloquence!" Senior Brother Kusunoki expressed disdain, "How about another match today?"

"Afraid of you!?"

"Let’s go!"

"Let’s go then."

"..."

Watching the two head to the dojo with quick mouths, Uesugi Sakura found no opportunity to interject.

What kind of situation is this even?

In the afternoon, Uesugi Sakura took the usual train back home.

Summarizing today’s events at Bushin Hall, he met the One-Mind One-Sword Style’s Senior Brother, who said his involvement wouldn’t change the expected outcome.

The man was quite arrogant.

But it was evident he was skilled, even Senior Brother Kusunoki didn’t seem intent on challenging him.

[The train will stop at this station for 30 seconds, passengers please....]

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the changing station sign inside the train.

Getting off at this station and transferring to another Yuraku-cho Line would take him to the shrine where Hanamaru Hanabi worked.

Uesugi Sakura looked again at the platform outside, bustling with people coming and going.

He decided not to go home yet, and instead head to the shrine first.

With the two final beeps of the train, he let go of the train strap and walked out...

...

The man in sunglasses glanced at the still-swaying strap, turned his head to call to a few others behind him:

"Follow him."

...

To reach the shrine, one must go up the mountain.

The mountain road spans several kilometers, densely vegetated, with noisy summer cicadas.

Uesugi Sakura transferred to a bus, disembarked after a few stops, and bought a bottle of mineral water at the convenience store near the bus stop.

He decided to run up the mountain.

Summer runs in one’s youth, there aren’t many days left to enjoy them.

He’s about to get married soon.

These past few days, morning runs have been his solo activity, as little Hanabi sometimes is too lazy to get up.

He decided to finish Hanabi’s share along with his own.

Uesugi Sakura started with a simple stretching routine to loosen his muscles, and even the elderly lady passing by on a bicycle praised his vitality.

Stepping forward, his feet bearing body weight, there was a sense of excitement, propelling him forward.

The wind passed through the tree gaps, brushing past his ears.

He ran beside the mountain forest road, letting the sound of his heartbeat echo in his mind, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, the icy mineral water in his hand steadily warmed by his palm’s touch.

His strides gained speed, and surveying his surroundings, the branches and green leaves extending from the lush trees nearly concealed the road’s sunlight, while the tree tips swayed continuously in the breeze, letting sunlight flicker in dazzling golden brilliance through the gaps.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t have to think about anything; he only needed to look forward and savor the sensation of the forest breeze brushing against his face.

His silhouette grew faster and smaller.

...

A few men, unable to keep up with the pace, bent forward, hands on knees, sweat like beans, gasping heavily.

"Why, why—"

"He’s, ha~ha~ha ah—! How can he run so fast!"

"Crazy—! Running up the mountains in this summer heat! I, I really can’t keep up—"

"Stop whining, keep following."

The man in sunglasses was drenched in sweat, his vest soaked and sticking uncomfortably to his skin.

Despite the fatigue, he urged the group of guys sitting on the ground:

"Hurry up."

"I’m really unable to run anymore—"

"Let’s find a taxi."

"Taxi? You paying?" another person quipped.

"Then why didn’t you buy a water bottle earlier? I’m dying of thirst now."

"Why didn’t you!? You’re asking me?"

"Who, who knew that guy would be such a maniac, running that fast, ha, ha—"

The man in sunglasses removed his sunglasses, placed his hands on his forehead, squinted slightly at the unstoppable sunlight filtering through the treetops, then put his sunglasses back on and told the guys sitting on the ground:

"With him running into the mountains, it makes it easier for us to act, no need to lure him to a deserted place, now get moving, continue!"

The command to continue was in an authoritative tone.

The few exchanged glances, reluctantly forcing themselves to get up and move forward.

"Crazy, crazy..."

...

"Did I lose them?"

Uesugi Sakura glanced back, halting his heated pace.

The ceaseless rush of wind at his ears also came to a stop.

He picked up the mineral water bottle in his hand covered with water droplets, unscrewed the cap, and emptied it all in one go.

His Adam’s apple moved, the lukewarm water sliding down his esophagus, bringing a refreshing sensation akin to rebirth.

From the moment he got on the train, Uesugi Sakura was conscious of whether anyone was tailing him.

In the afternoon, that officer even made a point to call and advise him not to go out.

If it’s trouble, you can’t avoid it.

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t in the mood to play cat and mouse games with them, deciding to go out as usual, indifferent to whether they’d show up or not.

He glanced again at the feverishly distorted and deformed road behind him.

Can’t even keep up running a few steps, yet trying to follow someone?

"These days, Yakuza don’t even need to learn how to run?"

Uesugi Sakura shook his head and continued running forward.

As he ran, he tossed the empty bottle towards the trash bin on the other side of the road.

An arc traced through the air.

Bang, bang, the plastic bottle clanged against the stainless steel, once, twice, bouncing mid-air, spinning magically for a moment, then fell towards the bottom with accuracy.