"…A miner?"
Tsunade's eye twitched. She had already decided to leave behind the path of a ninja, to graduate from that profession altogether.
But never—absolutely never—had she imagined herself becoming a miner. Or worse, a construction worker.
At the very least, she thought she might end up as a doctor or something similar. Yet here she was, entrusted with this role by Ryuji. The sheer absurdity of it left her speechless.
"Well, in a few days, a massive horde of zombies will descend upon us. We can only rely on your strength to dig up enough materials for fortifications and defenses… Of course, I'll be helping too," Ryuji added with a hasty smile, attempting to soften the blow.
"Fine… I suppose in my current state, I wouldn't be much help in a fight anyway."
Letting out a sigh, Tsunade slung the shovel Ryuji handed her over her shoulder. Resigned, she nodded and accepted her fate.
"What about me, Ryuji?"
Kiri suddenly jumped in, patting Ryuji on the shoulder with an expectant grin.
"Well… it's the same for you. Since neither of you can take on quests yet, you'll have to mine together. Don't worry—once I finish my task, I'll come down and mine with you. And most importantly, you're also responsible for protecting Miss Tsunade."
As he spoke, Ryuji pulled an iron shovel and pickaxe from his inventory and placed them in Kiri's eager hands.
Kairi: "…"
She stared at the tools, then exchanged a silent, exasperated look with Tsunade.
Both of them sighed.
"Alright, fine. This world is weird enough as it is," Kiri muttered, resting the pickaxe on her shoulder. Then, she turned to Ryuji with curiosity. "You said you wanted to build a fortress. Shouldn't we get started right away?"
"Yes, that's the plan. But first, we need to gather enough resources to make reinforced concrete. In short—just keep mining. Here's your supply pack—eat when you're hungry."
Ryuji smiled as he handed Kiri a large stash of food, water, two short iron pipes, and over a hundred rounds of ammunition.
Then, finishing the last piece of roasted meat on his plate, he pointed to the nearby shop.
"I have to complete a mission first. Once you've mined enough iron ore, you can start crafting turret ammunition. You'll earn some cash that way and buy whatever you need."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Kiri rolled her eyes, downed the last of her meat broth, and tossed the empty can into the campfire.
"So, in short—our top priority is leveling up and getting stronger."
"Exactly."
"No problem."
With that, Kiri and Tsunade headed toward the mining pit Ryuji had dug earlier. Watching them descend, Ryuji turned on his heel and walked toward the shop.
As usual, he locked the door behind him, greeted the female merchant, and swiftly hopped over the counter. Then, he pulled up his skill menu and began allocating points and then...
Meanwhile, outside the store…
"What's taking him so long in there?"
Kiri glanced at the closed shop door, frowning in curiosity.
"No idea," Tsunade replied after a pause. "But whatever it is, I doubt it's anything good."
From her perspective, Ryuji was far from a proper warrior. In a world like this, what else could he be doing?
"Oh… I think I get it."
Kiri's expression turned slightly disgusted. She had been around battlefields long enough to know what stressed-out soldiers tended to do in their downtime.
Still, back in her world, at least there was music, video games, comics, and novels—not to mention the camaraderie of fellow warriors.
But here?
She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Not that I blame him, but… that female merchant actually offers those kinds of 'services'?"
She reached into her pocket, searching for a cigarette, only to come up empty-handed.
With a sigh, she shook her head.
She had been trying to get her hands on some tobacco for days now, but for some reason, she couldn't find any.
This world was strange. It looked like a place where people once lived normal, full lives. But oddly enough, a lot of everyday necessities were just… missing.
For example, she'd searched high and low for a lathe or even a simple wrench. No luck.
So, all she could do was carry the machine gun Ryuji had given her, unable to modify or craft her own revolvers.
"I have no idea."
Tsunade diligently dug into the ground, her shovel striking the ore with ease. What took Ryuji three or four swings to break, she could shatter in a single hit. Even nearby rocks bore the collateral damage of her sheer strength.
Watching the speed at which she mined, she finally understood why Ryuji hadn't started building a fortress yet. At this rate, they could construct an entire stronghold in just a single day.
As they worked, Ryuji finally emerged from the store. He gave them a quick wave before hurrying off toward his mission.
Kiri watched him disappear into the distance, pondering for a moment before turning to Tsunade.
"Hey… you wanna go check it out?"
She motioned toward the merchant's shop, a sly grin creeping onto her face.
Tsunade shot her a deadpan look, unimpressed.
"Not interested."
"But I am!"
Without hesitation, Kiri tossed her pickaxe aside and strode toward the merchant's shop. Tsunade sighed, shaking her head, but ended up following along anyway.
The two of them stepped inside, immediately catching a faint, peculiar scent in the air. However, to their surprise, the merchant's clothing was perfectly intact, and there were no visible signs of… anything inappropriate.
"She really hasn't moved an inch," Kiri murmured, waving her hand in front of the merchant's face and even giving her a light shove. There was no reaction whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Tsunade folded her arms, pressing her forearms against her ample chest as she watched Kiri poke and prod at the merchant.
"Exactly what are you expecting to find?" she asked dryly. "And aren't you the least bit worried about touching something… unpleasant?"
The lingering scent in the air wasn't fooling her. As a medical ninja, she could tell exactly what had transpired here the moment Kiri opened the door. That was why she had initially hesitated to enter.
But Kiri, who had spent years in warzones filled with blood, sweat, and gunpowder, was far less sensitive to such things. She continued rummaging through the merchant's belongings before letting out a sigh.
"No cigarettes… again," she muttered in disappointment.
Then, something clicked in her mind.
"Wait… but he didn't actually do anything to her, did he?"
Kiri scrutinized the merchant's pristine appearance. There were no signs of any physical contact, let alone anything improper.
Tsunade blinked in mild surprise, peeking at the merchant herself. It was true—there were no marks, no wrinkles in her clothing, no disheveled hair.
Realizing this, she exhaled sharply and rubbed her temple.
"Why do you even care?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kiri leaned against the counter, tilting her head. "I want to know what kind of guy he really is. No offense, but you and I both look pretty damn good. If one day he sends me off on some errand and leaves you alone, I need to know whether or not he'd… you know, lose control."
Tsunade frowned slightly, but Kiri continued.
"Besides, I also wanted to see if he had any, uh, 'outlets' for his stress. But based on what I'm seeing… this guy is way too pure. And those calluses on his hands…"
Kiri recalled the hardened scars and thick layers of calloused skin on Ryuji's palms. A chill ran down her spine.
Tsunade remained silent.
Because she knew Kiri was right.
"It doesn't matter," Tsunade finally said, her voice distant. "Even if it came to that… it wouldn't matter."
She was already as good as dead. She had abandoned her past world, and as long as she could stay alive, nothing else mattered. If she found herself in a situation where death was inevitable, then so be it.
"That's a terrible way to think."
Kiri scoffed, waving a dismissive hand as she browsed the merchant's inventory. She purchased two bottles of beer with some scrap iron she had earned from mining, then took another look at the weapons on sale.
She frowned.
"Dammit, they're expensive as hell… Over ten thousand bucks for a single gun? Back in my world, I could get one for a few hundred."
She let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head before handing one of the beers to Tsunade.
Tsunade chuckled softly but said nothing.
The people she had loved, and the ones who had loved her, were already dead.
But Kiri was different.
She took a sip of her drink, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Me? I plan on making it out of here alive."