At the same time that Haruto Saito unexpectedly encountered Tsunade and the others,
More than twenty kilometers southeast of the valley, within the forest battlefield that had been shrouded in thick fog the previous night.
The scorched battleground still emitted wisps of smoke, the faint scent of blood lingering in the air. The scene was one of utter devastation, with wreckage strewn everywhere.
A ninja hound with sleek, jet-black fur leaped through the forest, moving swiftly towards the corpse of a Hyuga elite Chunin. It sniffed around the body, its movements methodical. Accompanying the hound were two enigmatic figures, their presence cold and foreboding.
They were Konoha's Root ANBU members—Oni Seven and Yama-Ka!
Up until that night, the Hyuga clan had been tracking Haruto Saito, along with Uchiha Mikoto and the others. Meanwhile, Oni Seven and Yama-Ka had been tailing the Hyuga ninjas from a distance.
To avoid being detected by the Hyuga's Byakugan, they never strayed too far but maintained a safe distance of several kilometers, relying on their summoned ninja hounds to track their targets. The hounds, trained by the Root organization, possessed exceptional tracking abilities. Their sense of smell was keen enough to pick out a specific scent even amidst the chaos of a battlefield.
Oni Seven and Yama-Ka searched the forest thoroughly, confirming the presence of both Hyuga and Sand Village ninja corpses. However, there were no Uchiha bodies. In fact, they already knew that the three Uchiha ninjas were on their way back to Konoha, as the previous night, the trio had passed near Oni Seven and Yama-Ka's hiding spot when they left.
Still, they cared little for the fates of the Hyuga or Uchiha ninjas. Their sole concern was Haruto Saito.
"Mutual destruction," Oni Seven muttered coldly after completing the investigation. "Neither the Hyuga nor these foreign ninjas gained any advantage. But it looks like the Uchiha trio and that little brat managed to escape."
He turned his gaze toward the northwest and asked, "How far is he from us now?"
"Twenty-three kilometers," the black ninja hound responded with precision.
"If the Hyuga ninjas are no longer tracking Haruto Saito, we might be able to move in closer," Yama-Ka suggested.
"Hmm." Oni Seven nodded in agreement.
Without further delay, the two men and their hound resumed their pursuit, swiftly crossing a river and leaving the battlefield behind as they continued northwest.
"Wait!" The black hound suddenly let out a low growl and stopped in its tracks, its expression filled with fear. It sniffed the air deeply, detecting a scent that unsettled it.
"What is it?" Yama-Ka furrowed his brows and looked at the hound.
"It's their scent! No mistake about it—it's them!" The hound confirmed with certainty. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru!"
Oni Seven's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely! They're not strangers, and Orochimaru-sama's scent is particularly distinct. It's definitely them!" the hound declared with confidence. As native Konoha shinobi, their scents were well known to Konoha's ninja hounds.
"Damn it!" Oni Seven's voice turned grave as he exchanged a glance with Yama-Ka. After a brief pause, he said, "Send a message to the leader!"
Yama-Ka immediately bit his thumb, formed a series of hand seals, and slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Summoning Technique…"
With a puff of white smoke, a large gray pigeon appeared before Yama-Ka. This was no ordinary bird—it was a ninja beast, a messenger bird specialized in carrying urgent intelligence. While not as intelligent as ninja hounds, it was highly effective for swift communication.
Oni Seven swiftly pulled out a special scroll and began writing down the intel.
A tense silence filled the valley, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Haruto Saito stood on the water's surface, his gaze fixed intensely on Tsunade, his expression one of deep grievance.
Tsunade was flustered, beads of sweat forming at her temples. She wasn't even sure why she felt nervous—she could easily defeat Haruto Saito with one hand. Yet, for some reason, she felt uneasy. Haruto had become a persistent, troublesome figure in her life.
Jiraiya cast a peculiar glance at Tsunade.
Even the usually cold and composed Orochimaru wore the same expression.
Ever since they had left on this mission, Tsunade had been constantly grumbling about a certain "brat." She frequently expressed concerns about her future, showing extreme reluctance to return to Konoha. In truth, given their strength, the three of them could have completed this reconnaissance mission and left the Land of Rain within five days. But because of Tsunade's hesitation, it had dragged on for ten days.
And now, as fate would have it, the very brat she kept complaining about had miraculously appeared before them!
"Whoa! Haruto Saito, what are you doing here?!" Jiraiya exclaimed dramatically, greeting Haruto with enthusiasm. "Don't tell me… you've been waiting for us?" He winked mischievously.
"That's right. I've been waiting for you!" Haruto Saito nodded seriously. "A certain debt-dodging woman ran away suddenly, and I really wanted to have a chat with her about life!" As he spoke, he glared at Tsunade.
Tsunade's face twitched, her eyelids fluttering with guilt, unable to meet Haruto's eyes.
"Ah, look at the time!" Tsunade suddenly looked up at the sky and shielded her eyes from the sun. "The sun just rose! We shouldn't be resting here—we should keep moving!"
Without another word, she turned and bolted.
She didn't care why Haruto was here against all odds—her priority was to escape.
Orochimaru immediately followed, while Jiraiya shot Haruto a helpless look before running after them.
The three legendary Sannin dashed toward the valley's exit.
"Hey, hey, hey! You shameless woman! Do you still want your pendant or not? If not, I'll just toss it away!" Haruto Saito shouted from the lake, holding up a green pendant.
"My pendant!" Tsunade's expression changed drastically. She skidded to a halt and spun around.
She had only recently realized that her pendant was missing, assuming she had left it at home. It had been weighing on her mind ever since.
"You little thief! You stole from me!" Tsunade shouted angrily upon recognizing the pendant. Haruto had a history of stealing from her before, after all.
"Stole? That's harsh. Don't forget, you stayed at my place that night. We even slept together! I found this when I was tidying up afterward." Haruto dangled the pendant teasingly before making it disappear with a flick of his wrist.
Whoosh!
Tsunade instantly appeared on the lake's surface, stretching out her hand aggressively. "Give it back!"
"Don't try to act all intimidating." Haruto Saito picked at his ear lazily. "You won't scare me. Don't forget—you still owe me two favors. Consider the pendant collateral. Once you pay off your gambling debt, I'll return it."
Haruto wasn't afraid of Tsunade at all. Her current status in his perception displayed "Guilty."
And she was guilty. The incident had been a huge scandal in Konoha—everyone knew about it. If she outright refused to repay her debt, she'd be ridiculed. Moreover, if she gained a reputation for refusing to pay, no one would gamble with her again.
"You! Hmph! Fine, I'll pay you back eventually! But forget that—why are you even here?" Tsunade demanded, suddenly grabbing Haruto by the collar. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Brat! Did you defect?!"
What a ruthless woman!
She would go so far as to accuse him of treason just to avoid paying her debt!
"Are you stupid or am I? If I had defected, would I be showing up here voluntarily?" Haruto shot her a look of disdain before pulling out his mission documents.
Tsunade took them, skimmed them briefly, and then tossed them back at him. "Fake. You forged them! You must have defected!"
"Can you at least try to be reasonable?!" Haruto was speechless.
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