The Shopkeeper of Konoha

So of course Fugaku wasn't ready to lose such a good wealth machine and almost was ready to go himself. Until Aoto convinced him otherwise. Danzo was too much of a chicken to go after him after what he did. And even if he and others came, he had the way to escape so he wasn't that concerned about him.

The only thing he lacked was the speed and precision and for that Kakashi and Guy were there. Fugaku accepted on the promise that Itachi would go. Itachi had just turned 7 and though he hadn't activated his Sharingan yet, he was still an accomplished chunin.

"Guy-san, Kakashi-san, Itachi-kun, I will be in your care." Aoto said while bowing his head in proper Japanese style. He was really grateful for their help.

"Don't mention it. It's just a mission and in addition I want to talk with Corazon here who is selling these awesome books. I want to know more about his future sales." Kakashi said. Guy and Itachi just smiled.

"Yosh let's go." Guy said and he almost made a run but then remembered that Aoto and others weren't shinobis so they couldn't just be monkeys and just jump from tree to tree.

Land of Iron was far so it would some days reach there and then there was the political problem. Land of Iron or the land of samurai was a neutral ground since they didn't have any allies with any shinobi nation and their ideology was completely different. Though they did have chakra, they were mostly good in swordsmanship. One of the reasons why John wanted to go was because of that and another reason was him being the strongest mage among them.

His chaos and eldritch magic had bloomed in the last few months as he had learnt a lot. And of course Corazon would follow him as he was the bodyguard. In fact Shikuro wanted to come to but he had a son and Aoto wanted someone like him to look after the safety and security of his employees.

Aoto had never walked out of Konoha since he had come to this world so he wanted to take in the scenery. But he was disappointed after walking for a few hours because the forest didn't seem to end at all.

"No wonder the shinobis seemed to jump on trees for endless hours in the anime, because its fucking unending." Aoto thought. Though he was disappointed with everything around it didn't mean he would ruin the mood doing nothing. He indulged himself while on the way eating snacks that Hot Pie had made and was quite happy about it.

"When is the forest going to end?" After walking for 7 straight hours, Aoto couldn't help but ask while they were having lunch. Corazon was making the food that he had brought in his pouch and everyone was relishing his cooked food.

"Tomorrow if we are lucky and maintain the same pace and 2 days to reach the border." Itachi said as he looked at the map.

"Jesus." Aoto mumbled under his breath.

After their lunch, they resumed their journey on foot, feeling relieved that no one had attempted to rob them so far. It appeared that the Uchihas responded promptly to Corazon's attack, swiftly taking action to address the situation in and around Konoha by apprehending the bandits responsible.

Fugaku seethed with anger, strongly suspecting that these marauders had been dispatched by Danzo to tarnish the Uchiha clan's reputation. However, he lacked the concrete evidence needed to substantiate his claims. With a few more hours of walking ahead, they eventually decided to make camp and rest for the night.

"I'll take the first shift as lookout. You all can get some sleep," Itachi declared. Kakashi couldn't help but sigh inwardly; he had already heard many tales about Itachi's prowess, and now, up close, he could witness the makings of a truly remarkable shinobi.

"Itachi, you should relax a bit. The palicos can handle watch duty," Aoto suggested.

But Itachi firmly declined, and Aoto could only sigh in response. This young man was undeniably serious about everything he did, a characteristic that didn't bother Aoto at all. He signaled to Corazon to join Itachi in keeping watch.

Over the past few months, Corazon had been diligently practicing not only magic but also Haki. Haki, a spiritual power from the world of One Piece, possessed three distinct forms: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Observation Haki involved sensing and predicting an enemy's moves, as well as detecting the presence of others in the vicinity.

Armament Haki, on the other hand, granted the ability to harden one's body, making it as tough as steel. Lastly, Conqueror's Haki, in its basic form, allowed one to render weak-minded individuals unconscious without any physical action. Each form of Haki was formidable in its own right, especially when honed to its full potential.

Haki was an indispensable skill for anyone aspiring to rise to the top of the One Piece world. Aoto staunchly believed in Corazon's need to master Haki alongside his magic training. The combination of the two would provide a significant advantage, especially since Corazon had the privilege of being trained by Sengoku, which gave him a solid understanding of Haki's principles. As a result, Corazon devoted himself to the arduous practice of Haki.

After putting in considerable effort, he finally managed to grasp the basics of Observation Haki. Although he couldn't match Luffy's rapid learning curve and growth through battles, acquiring even a modicum of Haki was an impressive milestone for Corazon.

As a result, Corazon turned out to be an exceptional lookout, even during his resting hours. Aoto and the rest of the group could now rest with confidence. Later in the night, Kakashi took over the watch duty.

Two days passed in their journey, with a heavy downpour slowing them down on one occasion. Despite the setback, they managed to reach the renowned Samurai Bridge on the third day—the very bridge that spelled Danzo's demise in the original story.

As they beheld the bridge, Aoto couldn't help but sigh, contemplating how Danzo would never live long enough to see this landmark. He was determined to ensure Danzo's downfall.

"The Samurai Bridge. Once we cross it, we shall find ourselves on the borders of the Land of Iron," Itachi said as he brought out the map to make sure.