Naruto: The Blind Swordsman

Chapter 192: Oddity, Presents and Uninvited Guest

__________ POV Narration __________

The ceremony ended smoothly, as the people moved to the street, more specifically to the street that was prepared for the ceremony.

Carriages adorned with flowers rolled through the street as they travelled from one place to another.

The people in the streets seemed to cheer when seeing the carriages, children laughed and threw water in front of the horses.

As per tradition, the wedding attendees all started giving coins to the children. Such was the journey of the newlywed towards the small festival they had prepared for their guests.

During that journey, as Ken ferried along on one of the carriages alongside his blades, someone flagged his attention, waving at him to get off of the carriage.

It was the bald monk that had officiated the ceremony, he smiled at Ken with nothing but the best of intentions, somewhat taking the Blind Assassin by surprise.

'I am sure that I had not befriended any monks in my missions...'

Ken slowly got off the carriage and walked beside the monk, who was also headed where the festivities were being held.

People gave them a wide berth on the streets, out of respect for both Ken and the Monk.

The Church of the Pure Lands was nowhere near as influential as Christianity was in Ken's old world, but the monks within it were still respected worldwide, their words always held weight for the common masses.

Ken walked beside the monk for a few seconds. The bald old man studied him with curious eyes, before giving him a wide smile.

"It's been long since I've met someone else so intertwined with the Pure Lands..."

Ken stopped for a moment when he heard the monk's words. He tried to sense around for that strange energy he had felt, but he could not.

"Intertwined not in a physical sense, but it almost feels like this is not your first life... That's the feeling I get anyway."

The Monk smiled when gouging Ken's reaction. He had truly blindsided Ken with his claims, the Blind Assassin took a second to compose himself before walking again.

"Is reincarnation such a common thing in this world? You met others in the past?" Ken's first instinct was to interrogate the monk. He wanted, nay needed, to know if there were more from his world scampering about in the Elemental Nations.

"Oh, reincarnation is not as mythical as one might think. Well, it is scarce, but not among my circles... I, myself, have been reincarnated, most monks of the Church of Purity are in fact."

Ken tilted his head when hearing that, but didn't start asking different questions right away. He decided to wait for the monk to elaborate instead.

"Yet, no soul shall remember their past lives. We are only able to sense our feeble connections to the Pure Lands, this allows us to perform our ceremonies successfully.

A soul can't retain its memories in the cycle of reincarnation... At least that is what I believed until I met you.

Your connection to the Pure Lands... It's the strongest that my feeble senses have ever had the chance to encounter."

Ken hummed as he calmed down internally. It was highly unlikely that there were others like him in that case. Reincarnations likely happened within that world, however.

"Were the Pure Lands not eternal? That is what I had heard in the past..." The Blind Assassin asked as he continued to walk, the blades on top of the carriage were also quietly listening to the conversation.

"We theorize them to be infinite, eternal, yet we do not know it for sure. Reincarnation does still exist, it may just be an option presented there... But I had hoped you would be able to tell me more about that..."

The Monk sounded almost disappointed for a moment, before taking out a small and very old notebook and writing down a few passages.

"It seems that even you do not remember the Pure Land itself, even though you have clearly passed through it..." The Monk muttered as he continued writing things down.

"Hm~ I understand. Thank you for the information, old man." Ken nodded before starting to walk ahead of the monk, aiming to jump back up on a carriage.

"Oh, the honour has been mine, Lord Red Dot. I am glad that my eyes have been graced with such a sight in this lifetime of mine..."

The Monk nodded and slightly bowed to Ken, confusing some of the people around as they also stopped.

Ken patted the Monk on the shoulder and shook his head.

"No need for the honorifics. Death isn't all that's cracked up to be." The Blind Assassin sighed as he spoke from personal experience.

'If anything, my death during my past life would have most likely landed me in Limbo, I had been satisfied to some extent, but I was also filled with regrets at that time...

Who knows what happened and why I am now here? I only know that I was given a second chance.'

"Hoho~ Indeed, even without memories I could've guessed that death wasn't pleasant. May this one bring you peace in that case..." The Monk spoke about death with a smile on his face as he chuckled a bit.

Ken shook his head and smiled, jumping back on the carriage before sitting down in a meditative pose. 'I am still far from my death. But I doubt it will be as unpleasant.'

The Blind Father's senses washed over the Blades, who had been attentively listening to the monk's words from a distance.

To them, it was all mostly nonsense. But reincarnation was really the only way to explain the oddity that was Ken.

Talent was one thing, but Ken was almost like a master from the womb. At least a master at hiding his presence and assassination.

No amount of monstrous talent could explain that which only really left them with the explanation of reincarnation.

Some in the Brotherhood had already come to that explanation on their own regardless, so none of the Blades present were even surprised in the slightest.

The carriages eventually arrived at their destination, and the music and festivities ensued.

Minato and Kushina sat down at a table, sitting down as a line formed in front of them to provide them with presents.

Ken at that point adjusted his tie and slowly walked forward at the end of that line as well.

He was prepared to wait at first, but it seemed that no one was daring to go in front of him, the people parted ways when they saw that he had entered the line.

The Blind Assassin only sighed and walked forward, nodding towards people as he passed by and stood behind the first guest giving his present.

Yorihikko, the father of the bride.

He felt Ken walk behind him, but he didn't care, he only focused on his daughter, as well as the man she was marrying.

He immediately started giving a small speech. One that all guests listened to attentively.

"I had many words at first about this marriage, I was unsure about Minato as well... As a father, I couldn't help but always want the best for my dear daughter. And I must admit, I was unsure if Minato was the best..."

The leader of the Uzumaki spoke freely, some spite was present in his tone.

Minato seemed to shrink ever so slightly when hearing his words, and Kushina's eyebrows seemed to twitch, as she was prepared to lash out at her dad.

But she was unable to even utter a word before the spite in Yorihikko's tone was replaced by tenderness.

"But seeing the ceremony, knowing that your love is pure... It has successfully killed any doubts I may have had.

After all, with love, you may overcome anything else in this life, together. Knowing that you have found a partner just like I had found your mother in the past... It warms my heart."

Kushina couldn't help but smile when hearing that, she seemed to start tearing up for a second.

"My gift to you is this." The father pulled out a small ornate box. Kushina opened it with shaky fingers, and inside was a very simple, and very beautiful hairpin.

"Your mother's favourite. She used to wear it all the time."

It was only then that Kushina started crying. And Minato immediately moved to comfort her.

Some red chakra seemed to seep out of her belly due to that outburst of emotions, but she managed to suppress it quickly enough.

"From here on out... She is yours to protect." The father looked towards Minato with a smile on his face.

But before the groom could even respond, Kusina's eye twitched.

"I can protect myself just fine!" She shouted at her father as she threw a biscuit at him.

Yorihikko just laughed and ate the biscuit before turning around. and starting to walk away, nodding at Ken as well as he passed by.

The Blind Assassin sighed as he also stepped forward.

He had spent quite some time thinking about what he could get the couple, not much really ever came to mind whenever he first stepped into Konoha, but upon sensing the two of them, he knew just the thing to buy...

With a smile on his face, he walked forward, taking his mask off and hooking it to his belt. His fair features seemed to take many people by surprise, though the obscured upper half of his face was still just like before.

"I have not much to say for a speech. I am just glad to have been invited here today.

When we first met, I saw you both as children... But you have both grown up so quickly." Ken sighed as he tapped a seal on his wrist, pulling out a small gift box and placing it in Kushina's hands.

"Of course we have! Also, weren't we pretty close in age actually?" Kushina's eyebrows furrowed as she called out the Blind Assassin.

Ken just laughed, not taking any of her provocation seriously.

"Maybe close in age, but not in maturity girly. Though it seems you've both overtaken me in some aspects..."

The Blind Assassin's joke seemed to not make much sense to the people nearby. Kushina was about to call him out on that, at least until she opened up his present.

Her eyes widened, before she quickly closed it back up, almost fearfully. Minato had also seemed to glance at the present, his gaze turned towards Ken and seemed almost... Embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I know it's a big deal for a Jinchuriki... I promise I'll protect you during the thick of it, that's my actual wedding present to you two."

Ken smiled as he spoke in a much quieter tone now, so only the two of them could hear.

The Blind Assassin's present was very simple... Children's clothes.

Ever since entering the village and sensing Kushina, he had realized it. She was pregnant. It was early on, a few weeks at best, she had likely not even noticed it yet.

After all, pregnancy sickness wasn't really a thing for someone as strong as her.

The two of them seemed to visibly calm down when hearing Ken's words. The realization that they were having a kid also seemed to sink in for them, as they looked at each other with pure joy in their eyes.

Ken sighed. 'Oh, to be young again...' He thought as he slowly reached to put his mask back on.

"Now then, I shall go and enjoy some drink-" The assassin was about to turn around, before he heard a slight commotion behind him, as the crowd parted ways again, this time for someone else.

"Well, well well... Would you look at that, I wasn't even invited to such a big event. So much for an Alliance, huh?"

Ken sighed as he had felt the man arrive within Konoha quite a bit earlier.

It was none other than the leader of the Cloud Village... A, the Third Raikage.

'Haah~ And here I was hoping he wouldn't cause any trouble.'

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Hope you liked the chapter!

My bad for yesterday, was honestly too sleepy to write(wrote on the OG book during the day)

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