Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 242 - 204 Sakihara Yishin

Chapter 242: Chapter 204 Sakihara Yishin

Arriving at the main hall of the Hachiman Shrine, the rotten wooden blocks were just as haphazard as before.

Vines covered the once majestic door frame, cracks were visible everywhere.

However, it seemed someone was living here, as there was a small shed made from branches nearby.

Uesugi Sakura gazed at the thick broth simmering in the hanging pot in the clearing.

Hanamaru Hanabi was still a bit annoyed with him, as he insisted on dragging her to watch some nervy videos.

Girls, girls don’t watch that kind of thing...

So the girl just stood behind him watching, her face flushed with an indelible blush.

But as the aroma from the pot of soup wafted over, and discovering the grassland beneath her feet, Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly snapped back to reality.

Why... come here?

She glanced around the tranquil forest, desolate and uninhabited, beneath the canopy that blocked the sky, only the cicadas’ chirp was heard, and an odd feeling arose in her heart.

Why did Sakura-kun come to this place?

He said he was looking for someone...

But who would be in such an abandoned shrine?

Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly lifted her little head, looking at Uesugi Sakura who seemed to be searching for someone.

Sakura-kun... you’re not secretly planning to sell Hanabi, are you?

It turned out her little head was just overthinking.

——————————

The Hachiman Shrine, abandoned for years, where Uesugi Sakura had been waiting in the main hall for a long time.

"Who are you?" said a middle-aged man carrying firewood, with a small Shiba Inu by his side, approaching from the direction of the shrine path.

Seeing a Shiba Inu... Hanamaru Hanabi quickly hid behind Uesugi Sakura in fear.

"Who are you?" Uesugi Sakura asked the uncle in hiking quick-dry apparel.

The air fell silent for a second.

The Shiba Inu, with a shiny coat, squatted on the grass-covered dirt, its almond-shaped eyes slightly slanted upwards, tongue lolling, wearing a playful goofy smile on its doggy face.

It tilted its head, studying Uesugi Sakura.

"Hah! Who am I?"

The middle-aged man with the Shiba Inu at his feet raised his eyebrows, puffed his chest, and pointed a thumb at himself, "The strongest, most supreme Heartless Sword Saint in all Japan? That’s me, Sakihara Yishin!!"

[Encounter with a mysterious person (Completed) Reward: Advanced Skill Card *1]

"..."

Chuunibyou uncle.

Uesugi Sakura immediately labeled him as such, the supposed strongest Sword Saint in Japan praising himself in front of a high schooler, what’s the point?

"I’ve never seen a Sword Saint boasting like this." Uesugi Sakura remained wary of this mysterious uncle.

"Woof woof!"

The shiny Shiba Inu barked twice at Hanamaru Hanabi hiding behind Uesugi Sakura, shaking its tail with its cherry-blossom-shaped butt.

This type of cute Shiba Inu usually won the favor of girls, but unfortunately, Hanamaru Hanabi was a bit afraid of Shiba Inus, hiding like a little rabbit behind Uesugi, clutching his clothes with her little hands, peeking out her head to watch the person and dog.

Uesugi Sakura always thought it was because she was chased and bitten when she was a child in the park.

"This isn’t boasting! It’s glory!"

Sakihara Uncle glimpsed the wooden sword slung on Uesugi Sakura’s back, "I bet you’re also a boy chasing a dream, huh huh, what do you say? Interested in becoming my Heartless Sword Saint apprentice? Let me make it clear, I won’t take you if your qualifications are poor."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the firewood-cooked mountain chicken soup behind him, "I won’t believe the words of such strange people."

"Hmm!? You don’t believe?"

Sakihara Uncle rubbed his chin, assuming a thoughtful pose, and said to himself: "As a Sword Saint, to actively recruit someone as an apprentice only to be turned down! Unbelievable, what’s the world coming to now?"

Uesugi Sakura, with his sharp hearing, said calmly:

"It’s the Reiwa era now, Sword Saint uncle, still telling high schoolers you’re a Sword Saint?."

"What? The era has changed? It’s not Heisei anymore?" The friendly Sakihara Uncle seemed thrown into deep doubt.

"Times change, uncle."

"Woof woof!" The Shiba Inu barked happily at Hanamaru Hanabi, then trotted over to her, wagging its tail.

Hanamaru Hanabi became nervous as the Shiba Inu approached, trying to shoo it away: "Doggy, don’t, don’t come near."

"It’s called A-Chai." The spirited uncle grinned.

"A-Chai, don’t come." Hanamaru Hanabi stepped back two paces, waving her hands at it apprehensively.

But the cute A-Chai continued wagging its tail, appearing inexplicably joyful, thinking the girl’s hand-waving was urging it to come closer.

Its four short running legs seemed to bounce lightly on the grass, quickly running up to Hanamaru Hanabi and barking.

The girl, somewhat scared of the Shiba Inu, circled around Uesugi Sakura, continuously dodging A-Chai.

The simple dog just thought she was playing with it, panting with its tongue out, wagging its tail even faster.

Having received the system reward, Uesugi Sakura felt no need to entangle with this chuunibyou uncle any longer.

After all, they were unfamiliar with each other, mere strangers who had just met.

Moreover, judging by his mountaineering gear, he seemed like someone here for a vacation or mountain climbing.

Whether he lived in this abandoned shrine had nothing to do with him.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t believe he could be of any help, even if he called himself a Sword Saint.

With the reward in hand, Akai was set to turn and leave.

"Boy!" Sakihara Yishin called out to him.

"What is it?"

Seeing him looking his way, suddenly, Sakihara Uncle raised his right hand high, clenched his fist, with an expression of exertion as if on the toilet:

"Mountain peaks! Like the clamor of a crowd, they raise their arms wanting to grasp the stars in the sky!!"

Fireworks and A-Chai played happily around Uesugi Sakura’s feet, like the Qin King around the pillar.

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