"Cough, cough, cough…" Haruto Saito couldn't stop coughing, his face turning red.
The three people outside the window all turned to look at him. One had a cold expression, another wore a playful smile, and the third had a very gloomy look in his eyes!
Orochimaru!
Jiraiya!
Tsunade!
It was them!
They were all disguised, and so was Haruto, but unless they were blind, they could recognize each other at a glance. They were too familiar with one another!
What a coincidence!
And what bad luck!
They had parted ways in the morning, and now they ran into each other here. Haruto coughed while his mind raced. He felt he needed to prepare an explanation!
Whoosh!
Tsunade propped herself up on the windowsill with one hand, flipped into the noodle shop, and landed directly across from Haruto. Her eyes locked onto his, and her expression grew darker by the second.
"Kid, what are you doing here?" Tsunade asked in a sinister tone.
"I got lost…" Haruto replied with a serious face after finishing his coughing fit.
"Pfft…" Jiraiya outside the window couldn't help but laugh. The excuse was so flimsy that even Haruto probably didn't believe it.
"Lost? Are you kidding me?!" Tsunade leaned forward suddenly, grabbing Haruto by the collar and pulling him close. "You little brat! Even if you got lost, there's no way you'd end up here! You should have been following the coastline westward. If you got lost, did you forget which way is north, south, east, or west?"
"I can explain…" Haruto said weakly, sounding less than confident.
"Did you go and do something stupid again?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Haruto. "Tell me! What did you do today?"
"No! I'm innocent!" Haruto blinked at Tsunade with a pitiful expression. "How could I dare do something stupid? Don't be so harsh, okay?"
"Then why are you in Great Wave Village?!" Tsunade demanded coldly.
"Uh… well… okay…" Haruto's expression changed, as if Tsunade had seen through his lies. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I came to find the infiltration unit, to see if there was anything I could help with. I finally got out of the village, and I didn't want to go back so soon…"
"You! I knew it…" Tsunade looked furious, tightening her grip on Haruto's collar and clenching her fist.
"Ahem!" Jiraiya outside the window coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "This isn't the place to talk."
Tsunade immediately glanced around. Many customers in the noodle shop were watching her and Haruto, some even laughing. Tsunade looked like an older sister scolding her younger brother.
"Let's go!" Tsunade stood up, dragging Haruto with her.
Haruto had no choice but to quickly pull out some money from his pocket, place it on the table, and obediently follow Tsunade out of the noodle shop.
Not long after, in a secluded house in the northern part of Great Wave Village.
"Get inside!" Tsunade pushed Haruto into the house, then rolled up her sleeves and glared at him as he walked in.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru tactfully stayed outside. Jiraiya even gave Haruto a "good luck" look before "kindly" closing the door for him. Haruto felt like he was in deep trouble. He suspected Jiraiya was getting back at him for earlier when Haruto had scared him with explosive tags.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The dimly lit room echoed with the sound of knuckles cracking.
Tsunade cracked her fingers one by one, stepping closer to Haruto. Her eyes scanned him up and down, as if deciding how best to hit him—not too hard, but enough to make him feel the pain.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm warning you!" Haruto backed away, looking nervous. "If you hit me, I'll scream for help!"
"You little brat! Do you have any idea how dangerous the Land of Whirlpools is right now?" Tsunade gritted her teeth. "You finished your mission, so why aren't you heading back? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you not know how to write the word 'death'?"
Tsunade backed Haruto into a corner…
Outside.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood under a tree. Jiraiya had a smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the situation, while Orochimaru, though expressionless, had a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
Bang! Crash!
Sounds of a struggle came from inside the house. Jiraiya's eyelid twitched, as if he were the one being hit.
He was reminded of his own past, the blood and tears of his youth. Back then, Tsunade had been the most rebellious and hot-tempered, and she never held back when hitting anyone!
Bang! Crash!
Another noise came from inside, as if a vase had been smashed. It was unclear whether it had been thrown at someone's head.
"Tsk, poor kid…" Jiraiya shook his head with a sigh.
"Hmm." Orochimaru actually responded with a grunt.
Inside the house.
Tsunade was pinned against the table. Haruto had one hand on her shoulder and the other inside her clothes, forcefully kissing her red lips. Tsunade struggled, kicking over a chair and smashing a vase on the nearby cabinet with her hand.
"Mmmph… you… bastard… mmmph…" Tsunade's mouth was muffled. She was "trying her best" to struggle and even managed to land a punch on Haruto's stomach.
But Haruto didn't let go. His hand roamed inside Tsunade's clothes, and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her, making it hard to muster strength. She was also filled with panic. Jiraiya and Orochimaru were right outside! If they found out what was happening, it would be a disaster!
"You… mmmph… let go…" Tsunade didn't even dare to shout, afraid the others would hear.
Haruto finally let go of Tsunade and jumped back, wiping his mouth before assuming a defensive stance, ready to flee at any moment.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm warning you, don't push me. I'll do anything!" Haruto's words lacked confidence, and he still looked scared, but Tsunade believed he really would do anything.
Tsunade, her face flushed, got up from the table. Though she glared at Haruto, her ears were bright red.
"You little brat, you've gone too far! You bastard!" Tsunade didn't dare to shout, afraid the others outside would notice something was wrong.
"Who told you to hit me? Why do you care so much? You're not my wife!" Haruto's words were clearly meant to tease Tsunade.
Tsunade took a deep breath, her complexion returning to normal. She gestured to Haruto. "Come here!"
"What are you going to do?" Haruto took a step back, wary.
"Come here, I won't hit you," Tsunade said with a sincere expression. "Let's talk properly."
******
Meanwhile, in Ryūsui Village, Land of Whirlpools.
Under the glow of the setting sun, the gates of Ryūsui Village, which had long been closed, slowly opened. A group of seven ninja rushed out—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
Momochi Akahara ran at the front, clutching a cloth bundle in his hand. Inside the bundle were soil and crushed stone stained with dried blood. Thanks to a secret technique, the blood, though dried, emitted a pungent smell—not just the scent of blood, but something more peculiar.
Running beside Momochi Akahara was a fierce creature.
Not a human!
But a ninja hound!
The hound was over three meters long, as robust as a tiger or leopard. Its fur was mostly brown, with a black stripe running from its tail along its spine to the top of its head. Its ears were sharp and long, and its eyes gleamed with intelligence. It ran at an incredible speed, keeping pace with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"Kuro, how far are we?" Momochi Akahara asked hoarsely as they ran.
"I can't determine the exact distance yet," the hound named Kuro replied in a gravelly voice. "But it's definitely within 300 kilometers."
"Good! Speed up! Faster! No matter who he is, he's dead!" Momochi Akahara growled.