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"My father is a gambler, my mother is gravely ill, and my husband has gone missing... What am I supposed to do with my life now? Everything is just too much to bear... sob, sob..."
Inside a small izakaya in the Land of Hot Water, Kitagawa Gen sat with dead-fish eyes as he listened to a tearful waitress pour her heart out to Jiraiya.
He and Jiraiya had been in the Land of Hot Water for several days now, during which they had been tirelessly investigating any trace of Orochimaru.
Danzo Shimura had indeed provided them with some intelligence, but the information was vague and lacked concrete detail, only pointing to a general area.
Fortunately, Jiraiya had a professional's instinct, though his method of gathering intelligence often left Gen utterly speechless.
"Don't cry, don't cry, I—"
Jiraiya, seeing the pretty waitress begin to weep, immediately leaned in to offer a few words of comfort.
But then he suddenly paused, his face twisting into a look of shock.
"Wait a minute, you said you have a husband?"
"Y-yes..."
The waitress's eyes shimmered with tears, clearly confused by the surprise in Jiraiya's reaction.
"My husband went missing a month ago. To survive, I had no choice but to start working here at the izakaya..."
"I... I see. You've been through a lot."
Jiraiya rubbed his temples, suddenly looking disinterested and dispirited, which only made Gen burst into quiet laughter at his side.
When the waitress finally walked away, Gen couldn't hold back his voice any longer.
"Isn't this quite the tale? A gambling father, a sick mother, a missing husband, and a broken woman... and she's a married one too."
"You little brat, where did you learn to say things like that?"
Jiraiya raised a brow, clearly tempted, but he still gave Gen a disapproving and disgusted look.
"Aren't you the one who taught me all this? And from what I've seen, you haven't been following the ninja code either, have you?"
Gen pointed directly at Jiraiya with a sly grin.
"And during this whole mission, you've been sneaking off to brothels and hot springs every day, leaving me to rot alone in the inn. Don't you think that's a bit much?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't slander me like that!"
Jiraiya immediately flailed his arms in protest, his neck stiff with indignation.
"I'm collecting materials and investigation work. Do you understand?"
"Sure, sure. I didn't say anything else, did I?"
Gen nodded solemnly, wearing the expression of someone making a silent promise not to spill secrets. Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh through his frustration.
"Whatever. I'm not going to argue with a brat like you. But I think we're getting closer to Orochimaru."
"That woman's missing husband... was that Orochimaru's doing?"
"Most likely, yes."
Jiraiya's expression turned serious as he pulled out a notebook and glanced through it.
"Several people have already gone missing near this town. What's more, there are frequent reports of strangers coming through to purchase large amounts of food and water. So..."
"The number of people must be considerable, and the trouble they bring even more so."
Gen picked up the thread of thought without hesitation.
"It does seem like they're nearby. The real problem is how we're going to track them down."
"And that's where my investigation comes in."
Jiraiya chuckled proudly as he flipped through his notebook and continued.
"Didn't the waitress say her husband vanished a month ago? The purchases of supplies seem to follow a cycle of once every month or so. I crunched the numbers, and by that timing, we're due for another one soon.
So I've already stationed small toads all around the perimeter to keep watch. The moment they detect anything, I'll move in immediately. Kid, you've still got a lot to learn from me. Heh heh."
Watching Jiraiya's smug expression, Gen gave a helpless shrug.
That was just who Jiraiya was. He often looked like a careless fool, but when it came to serious matters, he always gave it his all.
He had taught Naruto that way, gathered intelligence on the Akatsuki that way. He truly was someone dependable.
"Alright then, since everything's in place, you should just roam the streets for now. See if you run into anyone interesting."
Just then, Jiraiya suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed intently on a woman passing by outside. A strange chuckle rumbled from his throat.
"I need to go gather even more intelligence. For now, we'll each do our own thing and not get in each other's way."
"..."
Gen felt as if he had spoken too soon. This guy was nothing less than an utterly absurd bastard.
Yet at that very moment, he suddenly sensed a strange disturbance in the air, a subtle ripple of unfamiliar energy, not unlike what he had felt when he first encountered Hinata.
Without betraying a single emotion, he slowly turned his head. In the crowd far off in the distance, he thought he caught sight of a silver-haired boy.
"What the..."
Gen's expression twisted into something complicated as he scratched his cheek lightly.
"Am I turning into some kind of radar now?"
---
"Kimimaro, Jirōbō and the others have pretty much finished gathering everything we need."
Meanwhile, deep within a forest in the Land of Hot Water, Jūgo looked up at a flock of birds circling overhead. A faint smile played on his lips as he turned to speak to the white-haired boy beside him.
"By the way, how's your body holding up?"
"Don't worry."
Kimimaro's voice remained as calm and steady as ever, even when speaking to his closest companion.
"I told you before. I will be your cage. I will walk this path with you to the very end."
"Of course you will."
Jūgo chuckled softly. Because of his unique condition, he harbored a split personality. Most of the time, he was composed, but once angered, he could lose all control and descend into madness.
It was because of Kimimaro that he was able to restrain that madness. It was for Kimimaro's sake that he had pledged himself to Orochimaru's service.
Though Orochimaru had conducted extensive research on his condition and provided him with medication to help suppress it, what truly brought him peace was simply being by Kimimaro's side.
Only when Kimimaro was with him could he feel a calmness in his heart.
"By the way, are those two still following us?"
Suddenly, Kimimaro lowered his voice and leaned closer, asking the question softly.
Jūgo possessed a unique ability that allowed him to communicate with animals. Whether it was for reconnaissance or delivering messages, this gift was both covert and remarkably efficient.
Earlier, while they were still in town purchasing supplies, they had noticed someone tailing them. According to the reports from the animals, it had been a middle-aged man with a full head of white hair.
In addition to him, there had been another youth trailing them, one seemingly close to their own age. Both of them, without question, were shinobi.
"They are still on our trail."
Jūgo lifted his head ever so slightly, his eyes flitting toward a bird gliding through the sky. He gave a small nod.
"Most likely just another pair of rogue ninja or bandits drawn by greed. This kind of scum is never in short supply in the Land of Hot Water."
The chaos in the Land of Hot Water far exceeded what outsiders could imagine. It was a lawless place teeming with fugitives and drifters. Orochimaru did not mind these vermin following him.
After all, resources delivered straight to his doorstep had no reason to be refused.
"That works just fine."
Kimimaro nodded. Orochimaru had instructed him to bring back some intriguing specimens, which had left him feeling a little uncertain.
But now, fortune had smiled upon them. Since someone had taken the initiative to walk into their hands, it would save them quite a bit of trouble.
The two continued on, and it wasn't long before they arrived back at the underground laboratory, where Orochimaru was already preparing for the next round of experiments.
"Back already?"
Orochimaru glanced up when he saw them enter. His expression showed no real interest as he asked the question with a casual air.
"Did you fail to find any specimens worth your attention?"
"Lord Orochimaru, we found some."
At this moment, Kimimaro had fully returned to his usual respectful and composed demeanor. He gave a slight bow, then lowered his head before speaking.
"There are two shinobi who followed us here. We plan to entertain them shortly."
"Very well. If they have come this far, then we shall make sure they stay."
Orochimaru gave a small nod, his tone casual, as though he were commenting on something of no real consequence. He then asked offhandedly,
"Do they seem like wandering ninjas, or are they affiliated with one of the hidden villages?"
"Lord Orochimaru, according to the birds' report, it did not appear that either of them wore a forehead protector from any hidden village."
Kimimaro glanced toward Jūgo, who then stepped forward and spoke quietly, his head bowed.
"One of them has white hair and wore a forehead protector with the character 'Oil' written on it."
For a moment, Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged. But then, something seemed to stir within him. That indifferent façade wavered ever so slightly, as if he had just sensed something particularly troublesome.
A flicker of annoyance passed over his face.
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[Chapter End's]
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