Gekko Chizan, having mastered the Transparent Release, slowly appeared before the three of them.
As for the missing Gekko Hayate, he didn't ask.
Who knew if the kid had gone off to play somewhere?
After all, when he was Gekko Hayate's age, he was almost never home, always looking for ways to boost his attributes.
...
"Whoa! Holy crap!"
"Chizan's alive! Back from the dead!"
Ebisu did a backflip and landed steadily, staring wide-eyed at Gekko Chizan.
That "back from the dead" comment instantly darkened Chizan's face.
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to give him a proper beating.
"Kid, you're asking for it!"
"When did I die, huh?"
"Which bastard said that?"
...
Suddenly, a figure pounced into Gekko Chizan's arms, halting his actions completely.
He looked down to see Pakura, who wasn't much shorter than him, in his embrace.
Feeling that softness against his chest, he couldn't help but feel a little giddy, the corners of his mouth lifting uncontrollably.
"Pakura, I'm back, hehe..."
The moment he let out that silly laugh, Pakura jumped away from his arms like a startled bird, darting to the table and glaring at him fiercely.
Sayo also stood up, staring at him with clear disapproval.
...
"Hmph, you little brat, so you do remember to come back?"
"If it weren't for your teacher and those friends of yours all insisting you wouldn't die, the village would've built you a memorial by now!"
Hearing those familiar scoldings, Gekko Chizan gave an awkward laugh.
He had already guessed this would be the reaction. After all, even Orochimaru's expression had been priceless when he saw him alive.
Even his normally stoic teacher had shown emotion—no wonder others would too.
...
"Are you stupid? That was a Tailed Beast!"
"How could you dare! Before you left, you promised me something. Did you forget?"
Pakura joined in, the two of them scolding him so fiercely it was a wonder he wasn't blasted right out of the house.
But Gekko Chizan had a thick skin.
He forced the two to sit back down and began explaining what had happened.
With his tongue, he eventually smoothed things over.
Of course, there were plenty of things he left unsaid.
He only told them how he escaped death, wandered through the Land of Birds and the Land of Earth, and finally returned.
Even that was enough to make Pakura and Sayo's temples twitch.
During wartime, nowhere was truly safe—let alone the fact that Gekko Chizan had escaped right from the hands of a Tailed Beast.
...
Shukaku: Hmph! Escape? He beat the crap out of me, that's what he did!
...
Gekko Chizan didn't inform anyone else about his return.
It was late at night; he didn't want anyone disturbing him.
"Chizan, you'd better behave yourself. Forget me, but Pakura's been worried sick about you for so long. You owe her some comfort, don't you?"
Saying that, Sayo slowly left the room, giving the two of them space.
...
Gekko Chizan looked at Pakura and couldn't help but smile.
Then he grabbed her hand.
"Hmph! What are you doing? I haven't forgiven you yet!"
"That was a Tailed Beast! Hey—let me go!"
Panicked, Pakura found herself suddenly swept up into his arms.
The next moment, Flying Thunder God activated, and the two vanished from the Gekko residence.
They reappeared in a completely different courtyard.
...
"Huh? Where is this?"
Pakura looked around, puzzled by the unfamiliar surroundings.
Gekko Chizan grinned.
"This is the Land of Birds. I bought this courtyard here."
"Not bad, right? Pretty elegant, huh?"
Indeed, the courtyard Gekko Chizan had purchased in the Land of Birds was luxurious.
He was loaded, after all. Even Yugito had stayed here before.
Pakura curiously explored the courtyard—it was far fancier than the Gekko residence.
Gekko Chizan simply stood there smiling, letting her look around.
...
But soon, Pakura realized—this was the Land of Birds?
North of the Land of Wind?
How had they gotten here in an instant?
Seeing her shock and curiosity, Gekko Chizan laughed heartily.
"My strength isn't what it used to be. Crossing the Land of Fire is nothing now."
"As for how, I'll tell you tonight."
"But... not yet."
He smiled—lecherously, to be honest.
...
Even Chōmei muttered helplessly:
"Your strength? Hah! With your pitiful chakra, you wouldn't even make it halfway."
"Hmph, and weren't you using my chakra anyway?"
"Chizan, I've realized something—you're rotten. Using my chakra to pick up girls!"
"I'm telling you, unless you give me a feast of bugs after this, I'm not helping you again!"
"I..."
Before Chōmei could finish, Gekko Chizan forcibly cut off the connection.
The next part... well, bugs wouldn't like watching this anyway.
...
Seeing the grin on Gekko Chizan's face, Pakura blushed and glared at him.
"Hmph! Wipe that smirk off your face!"
"I haven't agreed to anything!"
Gekko Chizan slowly stepped toward her, his tone casual—but his expression definitely looked like he was up to no good.
"Really?"
"This is the Land of Birds. No one's here to help you."
"And you still have my Five Elements Seal on you. You can't beat me."
"After so many brushes with death, I realized one thing—I can't let myself regret anything!"
...
No turning back.
Moonlight like a hook.
The moon devours Pakura!
Indescribable!
The following hours were strictly VIP content—paywalled even.
But don't worry, I watched it for you.
...
Later that night, Gekko Chizan sat in the courtyard, holding Pakura as they admired the moonlight.
"Hehehehehehe..."
"What are you laughing at? And you weren't gentle at all, hmph!"
One had to admit, a ninja's years of training did have its benefits.
Gekko Chizan felt great.
Pakura... probably felt great too.
...
"Pakura, I've lifted the seal on you."
"Can you use your Scorch Release now?"
Indeed, to maximize the experience earlier, Gekko Chizan had undone the Five Elements Seal on Pakura.
With the chakra interference gone, she finally regained her full strength.
To Gekko Chizan, she was his woman now—there was no need for restrictions anymore.
Besides, he had plenty of escape plans prepared. If things went south, he could always run.
...
"Mm, after so long... yes, it feels easy again."
Pakura raised her hand, and a red flame instantly flared in her palm.
It was her Kekkei Genkai: Scorch Release.
A purely offensive release.
The scorching heat made Gekko Chizan's pupils shrink.
He knew well how deadly Scorch Release was.
Getting hit by it meant turning into a dried corpse—and he wasn't looking for that experience.