Honestly, Kaito couldn't read the writing of this world. It wasn't Chinese, yet when spoken, the words sounded just like Chinese to him. He could only chalk it up to being a unique feature of this other world.
Captain Okihira was understanding about it; it was his oversight. After all, not many people in this day and age were literate. He thought about the children in the village and realized they would probably need to arrange for a teacher to instruct them in the future. But first, they had to get through the current crisis.
"For now, let me teach you."
"Thank you for the trouble, Captain."
Over an hour later, Kaito finished his lesson, bid farewell to the captain, and returned home to find an unexpected visitor.
"Koharu-nee, what are you doing here?"
The girl, who looked to be about sixteen with her hair in twin tails, smiled and handed him what she was holding.
"Winter is coming soon. You'll freeze to death in those clothes, so I brought you a leather coat I made myself. It's made from scraps, but it should be warm enough to get you through the winter. Go on, try it on."
"Thank you, Koharu-nee!" Kaito didn't refuse, happily shrugging on the light brown leather coat. "It's perfect, it fits great! Your skills are getting better and better, nee-san. Your mother can retire now. It's so warm, I love it."
"I'm glad you like it." Koharu beamed, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
"But, if I only have one, I won't have anything to wear when I wash it. How about this? You can make me another one." Kaito pulled some coins from his pocket and pressed them into her hand. "Here, this is for your work."
"Take it back! I don't want your money," Koharu said, her eyebrows shooting up as if she were about to get angry.
"Now, now, Koharu-nee, that's not right," Kaito said, holding her hand in place. "You gave me this coat, and I accepted it without a second thought. But now you're refusing my business? That really hurts my feelings."
"...But this is too much," she said, weighing the coins in her hand. It was enough to buy two coats, maybe more.
"In my heart, a coat handmade by you is worth this much. If you feel bad about it, just put twice the usual amount of care into making the next one."
After a great deal of persuasion, Kaito finally got her to accept the money.
"Alright then. I'll bring the new coat over in a few days."
"No rush, no rush. This one won't wear out that easily."
After seeing Koharu off, Kaito touched the leather coat he was wearing and shook his head with a wry smile. Ever since he had arrived in this world, the family next door, Koharu's family, had been incredibly kind to him, constantly checking in on him and giving him food and clothing. They were a huge reason he had been able to integrate into this world so quickly. Kaito was the type to repay kindness, and now that he had some money, it was only natural to give back.
The leather coat was indeed warm; he started to feel a bit hot after just a short while. He took it off and hung it on the wall, then sat cross-legged on his straw pile and began to think.
The main threat right now is the wandering ninja. Anyone who can bear the title of 'ninja,' even the lowest-ranking genin, is worth at least ten ordinary men. Other than the captain, who feels very strong, none of us stand a chance against them. That includes me.
A ninja's strength came from their ability to use the energy within their bodies—chakra—to perform all sorts of miraculous jutsu. Even the Academy's three basic jutsu were difficult enough to deal with. Wandering ninja weren't formally trained, but they couldn't be underestimated.
Kaito knew what chakra was and had tried more than once to mold it, but he had always failed. There were specific methods for molding chakra, methods held by the major hidden villages. Naturally, no one in this small village knew them.
So, he would have to rely on the Arceus inside him.
Of the Pokémon moves he currently knew, he most frequently used Sand Attack, Dig, Harden, Tackle, and Ember.
Sand Attack was just throwing sand, which was decent if you could get it in someone's eyes.
Dig was self-explanatory—a great move for surprise attacks or escapes. But if the enemy could use Earth-style jutsu, he could easily be trapped and crushed underground.
Harden made his body tougher. Kaito had tested it; a light slash from his cleaver left no mark, but a forceful blow would definitely break through his defense. It was a better-than-nothing skill, but it might have a surprising effect in a fistfight where they were trading blows.
Tackle was just a normal tackle, doing slightly more damage than an attack without a skill.
Ember was literally just a spark. It produced a ball of flame smaller than his face. It would probably be much stronger when combined with something like alcohol or gasoline, but for now, it was his strongest offensive move.
The less said about the remaining skills, the better. They couldn't even affect the white wolves.
"Sigh... I still lack powerful moves. They weren't kidding when they said all fear comes from a lack of firepower. I'll have to see what I can do tonight."
With that, Kaito opened the notebook the captain had given him and began to seriously review it, occasionally picking up his cleaver to practice a few swings.
After lunch, Kaito hurried to the village entrance. It was his turn for patrol duty. His partner was a seasoned hunter from the village, a quiet, weathered man who, unlike Uncle Beard, tended to keep to himself. From Kaito's observations, he was likely the strongest person in the village after the captain, maybe even a little stronger than Uncle Beard.
"There are a lot of traps set in the woods on both sides of the village. Follow my steps carefully. Don't take a wrong turn."
"Right."
It took them some time to pass through the trapped section of the forest. Along the way, the seasoned hunter explained the location of every trap in great detail, and Kaito committed it all to memory.
Once they reached the outer perimeter, they became even more cautious.
"People, like animals, will always leave a trace wherever they go. No matter how well they try to hide it, it's impossible to be perfect. So, as long as we observe carefully, we can find clues."
The seasoned hunter would offer these nuggets of wisdom to Kaito every so often. This kind of experience was an invaluable treasure, and Kaito memorized every word.
They made a few rounds but found no suspicious tracks, though they did spot the trails of several animals. They had to pretend not to see them so as not to get sidetracked from their duties. Kaito felt like he'd just lost out on a fortune.
As dusk fell, they returned to the village from the other side and ran into Uncle Beard and his group, who were still busy at work.
"Yo, you're back! Anything to report?"
"Nothing."
"That's good. Thanks for your hard work. And you, kid, you must be exhausted, going on your first patrol with him," Uncle Beard said, laughing heartily at Kaito.
"Not tired at all," Kaito said, shaking his head. He looked at Uncle Beard, who was shoveling dirt. "Are you digging a pitfall trap?"
"Yeah. This ground is too hard. It's killing me."
"Want me to help?"
"You? Haha, with your strength, what help could you be?"
Kaito didn't answer. He walked right up, crouched down, and started digging with his hands. The once-hard earth was easily scooped away.
"..." The group stared, dumbfounded.
"What are you, kid, part mole?" Uncle Beard was stunned. He clapped Kaito on the shoulder and laughed. "If you had a skill like this, you should have said so earlier! Why waste your time on patrol? Come over here and help me get these traps set up."
"Sure," Kaito agreed readily.
He was, in fact, a little interested in how to set traps.