The gates had finally boomed shut, and for a brief moment, the Unit Leader turned away to huddle with his seven samurai, who was ordering.
This was the first gap in five days where the pressure wasn't a knife at their throats.
Sasuke stood firm, his dark hair messy from the wind, but his eyes remained sharp as he glanced at Sakura.
He didn't offer a cheesy smile—that wasn't him—but the respect in his gaze was heavy.
"The Land of Tea, within Kiri?" Sasuke muttered, his voice barely a thread of sound. "Most people would have panicked and picked a village that actually still exists on a map. You picked a ghost story. Cunning, really cunning."
Sakura's cheek suddenly turned pink and she was blushing at Sasuke's comments.
'Kyaaaaa!! Sasuke-kun just complimented me. Shannaroo!! '
"I have to admit," Neji whispered, still leaning on Sasuke but looking much more alert. "The logic was perfect. You used the chaos of Mizu no Kuni to shield us. It was a calculated gamble, and it paid off."
Naruto, still carrying the shivering Mini-Sasuke, couldn't hold back his grin. He leaned in close, whispering loudly.
"Sakura-chan, you're like a super-genius! I was ready to say we were from a ramen shop or something! You saved our butts back there!"
Ino rolled her eyes, though she looked impressed. "Please, Naruto, if you had spoken that we'd be in a cell already. But seriously, Sakura... 'Tea'? The way you looked that Samurai in the eyes? I almost believed you myself."
Mini-Sasuke looked up, blinking his large eyes as he tugged on Naruto's jacket and thought, 'They keep talking about the tea. Is it because Sakura is scary? She sounded very scary when she talked to the metal man. I hope she doesn't get mad at me next.'
Tenten smirked and said, "You played on their honor, Sakura. Telling them the Land of Iron is the only place with 'clean hands'? That was the ultimate flatter. You had that leader's ego growing three sizes."
Sakura didn't let the praise go to her head, though a small, satisfied spark flickered in her eyes. She kept her 'tired orphan' look perfect just in case a samurai looked back.
"We aren't safe yet," she whispered back, her tone low and serious. "I just bought us a room with a heater. If the Samurai find even one headband in our bags, or if any of us start acting like a Shinobi, that 'honorable' leader will personally see us to the Three-Wolf peaks."
The Unit Leader finished his discussion and gestured to one of his subordinates. The Samurai walked over, his metal boots echoing against the stone, and looked down at the group with a neutral expression.
"Listen up," the Samurai said, his voice deep.
"By the order of the Unit Leader, you are permitted to move freely within the city. You may eat, sleep, and go where you wish. However..."
"Do not mistake this for total freedom. If you do anything to harm Tetsu no Kuni, or if you attempt to leave the city gates without permission, you will be treated as enemies. Understood?"
He didn't wait for an answer before turning on his heel to rejoin the line. As the samurais shifted into a loose perimeter, giving the group some space, the air between the children changed.
Neji's eyes shut, his voice a barely audible mumble. "So easy? They're just letting us go without supervision like this? After all that talk about 'strict watching'?"
Sasuke didn't even look at him. He kept his eyes fixed on the leaving Samurai. "Don't misunderstand, Neji. They aren't letting us go. They'll keep an eye on us from the shadows—on the rooftops, in the crowds, through the houses. They think we're just kids who don't know how to spot a tail. The reality is, we know it's happening, and that's our only advantage."
The tension remained, but the prospect of being out of the freezing wind finally started to settle in.
Sakura let out a long, dramatic sigh and reached her arms high above her head, stretching her tired muscles until her joints popped.
"Ugh, finally. My back feels like it's made of stone. Hey... does anyone know if there's a hot spring around here? I'd give anything for some steam that isn't coming out of a pipe."
Tenten nodded eagerly, rubbing her sore shoulders. "Yeah, seriously. A hot bath would work wonders. It's been so many days since we last bathed... I think I've forgotten what it feels like to not have ice stuck in my hair."
Ino sniffed her own sleeve and made a face. "I don't care if it's a hot spring or a bucket of warm water, I am not staying in these clothes for another hour. We look like we crawled out of a coal mine."
Neji stood like a tired older brother, but his mind was sharp. "Alright," he whispered. "You girls go find a bathhouse. Get a warm bath. We need to wash off the smell of the road so people stop staring at us."
"Nope," Sasuke said immediately. His black eyes looked at the Samurai watching from above. "We shouldn't stay in one big group. We need to split up. Some of you find the bath, but we also need new clothes. We need to look like locals, not like kids who have been sleeping in the mud."
Sakura and Ino looked at each other and nodded. It was a smart move.
"I'll go to the bathhouse," Hinata said softly. She still kept her eyes closed to act blind. "I don't want to walk around the streets with my eyes shut anymore. It's too hard."
"Fine," Sakura said, taking charge. "Hinata, Tenten, and I will go to the bathouse. Ino and Karin—you two go buy us some clothes."
Ino froze. Her jaw dropped. "Wait, why me?! Why do I have to shop for clothes while you guys sit in hot water? My skin is a mess and I have split ends in my hair! I need a bath more than anyone!"
"Because you know about everyone's likes and dislikes, Ino," Sakura said with a fake, mean smile. "Unless you want Tenten to pick your outfit? You'll end up wearing a sack made of itchy wool."
"Hey!" Tenten complained, but she knew it was true.
Karin pushed up her glasses and smirked. She actually looked excited. "I don't mind. I want to see what kind of shops they have in here and actually it's my first time. I'm going."
"See? Karin is going," Sakura said, crossing her arms. "Now go."
"No way!" Ino snapped, stepping right into Sakura's face. "Why can't you go, 'Miss Tea Village'? You are so good at lying and talking! Or Tenten! She loves belts and pockets! I am a princess, and I haven't seen a mirror in five days!"
"Ino, nobody cares about your hair right now," Sakura shouted. Her voice was quiet but savage. "If you don't go, I'll tell the Samurai that your 'Tea Village' accent sounds like a bad joke."
"Do you even know how they speak and
You wouldn't dare, you giant-forehead monster!" Ino gasped.
The two girls started a fast, angry fight. They traded insults about who smelled worse and who had the ugliest shoes. They looked like they were about to pull each other's hair out.
Naruto and Lee stepped back, looking scared.
"Should we... should we stop them?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
Sasuke didn't even turn his head. He just stared at the mountain. "Don't be an idiot, Naruto. You can fight a Ninja, and you can fight a Samurai. But no one in the world can stop a fight between girls. Just stay back and stay quiet."
In the end, Sakura said something very mean about Ino's only skill being 'finding a cheap shirt.' Ino let out an angry scream and stomped her foot in the snow.
"Fine!" Ino yelled. "I'll go! But if I buy you a dress that makes you look like a potato, don't cry to me!"
Ino was still huffing and puffing with anger, her face red from the argument with Sakura. Just as she was about to stomp away toward the market, Lee stepped forward and raised a finger.
"Ino-san!" Lee called out with his usual energy. "While you are shopping, you should also buy two pairs of black glasses for Neji and Hinata-san..."
"If they wear dark glasses, it will look like they are blind people protecting their eyes. But really, they will be able to see everything clearly through the glass, and no one will be able to spot their eyes!"
Naruto blinked, looking genuinely surprised. He stared at Lee for a second. "Whoa, Gejimayu! Since when were you so smart? That's actually a really good plan! dattebayo."
Mini-Sasuke, who was still clinging to Naruto's back like a small monkey, let out a tiny, high-pitched scoff. He looked at the back of Naruto's head with a judging face.
"He's only 'smart' because you're so dumb, Naruto," Mini-Sasuke muttered. "Even a rock looks smart compared to you."
Naruto's face turned bright red, and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He reached behind his head, grabbed the back of the little boy's shirt, and lifted him off his back.
"Alright, that's it dattebayo! You're walking!" Naruto yelled, setting the small Sasuke down on the cold stone floor. "I'm not a horse for little kids who have a big mouth! Stand on your own two feet!"
Mini-Sasuke stumbled a bit as his boots hit the snow, but he quickly crossed his arms and looked away, pretending he didn't care while trying to keep his 'cold older self personality.'
Ino sighed, but she looked at Lee and nodded. "Fine. Black glasses and warm clothes. I've got it. Come on, Karin, let's go before I decide to throw Sakura into a snowbank."
The girls started walking toward the market, while the boys stood by the steaming pipes, watching the little Sasuke glare at the ground.
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🗣️ TALK TO ME!
I am actually crying. This isn't a secret mission anymore; it's a family road trip that has gone off the rails in record time. Let's break down the absolute peak comedy in this chapter: 👇
The "Ino vs. Sakura" Civil War! 🎀🥊
They are literally standing in a fortress of doom, surrounded by invisible Samurai who could end them in a second, and what are they doing? Arguing about hair and split ends. Sakura basically threatened to blow Ino's cover just to avoid going shopping! Sasuke's advice to Naruto was the realest thing he's ever said: "You can fight a Ninja, you can fight a Samurai, but you cannot stop a fight between girls." Sasuke has survived the Uchiha massacre, but he knows he won't survive an argument about a wool dress. 👗💀
Mini-Sasuke: The Professional Hater! 👶🔥
I am wheezing at the little guy. He finally gets off Naruto's back and the first thing he does is call Naruto dumber than a rock. He's like 4 feet tall and has zero jutsu right now, but his 'sass level' is over 9000. He's trying so hard to be 'cool and broody' like his older self, but he just looks like a grumpy kitten. Naruto finally snapping and making him walk is the sibling energy I live for. "I am not a horse!" — Naruto, 2026. 🐎🚫
Lee: The Secret Genius? 🟢🧠
Rock Lee actually used his brain! The "Black Glasses" idea is unironically brilliant. It's the perfect cover for the Byakugan. But the best part is Naruto being so shocked that Lee had a good idea that he almost dropped the kid. When Naruto says "Whoa, you're smart!" you know the bar is on the floor. 📉🤣
The Samurai "Hide and Seek"! 🌫️👀
Sasuke and Neji are playing chess, knowing the Samurai are watching from the pipes and shadows, while the rest of the group is busy trading insults about who looks more like a potato. The Samurai watching them must be so confused. They expected "Children of Kiri" and they got "The Real Housewives of Kirigakure." 💅⚔️
Karin's Shopping Spree! 👓🛍️
Karin just pushing her glasses up and being excited to go shopping with Ino is so wholesome and scary at the same time. Those two together in a clothing store? They're going to spend all their "Tea Village" copper in five minutes. Tetsu no Kuni isn't ready for that duo.
📜 TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER
The group splits under the shadow of the peaks, 🏔️
As the Mist-born play their roles of being weak. 🎭
In the market's glow, the Fashionista and the Sensor roam, 🛍️👓
Hunting for threads to make this cold iron feel like home. 🧶
Deep in the steam, where the hot springs hiss and sigh, 🧖♀️🌫️
The Healer, the Weapon-Mistress, and the Blind Sister lie. 🌸
Elsewhere, the Loud One and the Stoic Brother take a seat, 🍜🥢
With a Grumpy Shadow to find something warm to eat. 🥣
While the Avenger and the Green Beast scout the stone, 🏯👣
To find a roof where the 'orphans' can finally be alone. 🏠
SNEAK PEAK LINES 💬
"Now that sounds like fun! I'm starving! dattebayo."
"HEYYYYY!!!"
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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