At night, Hinata pushed open Kaguya's door with Hanabi in her arms.
Hearing the noise, Kaguya closed the book she had been flipping through and turned to look.
She wore a moon-white nightgown styled like a dress.
Though she had no real need for rest,
There was still some sense of ritual to maintain.
Hinata hesitated with her gaze, as if wanting to speak but holding back. Hanabi stayed quietly in her arms, like a beautiful doll.
On her delicate, lovely face was an innocent smile. She waved at Kaguya, pretending to be adorable as she sweetly said:
"Evening, Kaguya-sama."
The two of them were also wearing light, comfortable nightgowns.
"She's lost her mind," Kaguya inwardly muttered.
Hinata took a few steps back, carefully shut the door, and stood by the entrance.
"What is it?" Kaguya asked casually.
"...They didn't assign rooms for us," Hinata replied softly.
"Then you can just stay here."
Kaguya didn't bother calling out the clumsy lie. Calmly saying so, she lifted her leg to leave.
While Hinata was still hesitating over what to say next, Hanabi had already reached out and grabbed Kaguya as she walked past.
"Don't go~"
Taking advantage of being young, Hanabi jumped from Hinata's arms and tightly hugged Kaguya's leg.
"Kaguya-sama, please stay and keep us company. This place is sooo creepy..."
Right now, Hanabi acted like a child in unfamiliar surroundings—timid and fearful, seeking attention and protection from a mother or elder figure—revealing her soft side.
But Kaguya clearly understood this little brat's true nature and couldn't be bothered to play along.
"I accompany you guys?" she repeated mockingly.
"Yeah," Hanabi answered naturally, as if it was perfectly reasonable.
Speechless, Kaguya simply lifted Hanabi up directly.
It was as though fate's neck had been pinched—Hanabi dangled midair but remained obedient, maintaining that innocent smile on her face.
Suddenly, Hinata headbutted Kaguya, sending both her and Hanabi tumbling onto the bed.
Hanabi let out a playful "Heiyo!" and quickly clung tightly onto her body.
As Kaguya tumbled onto the bed in surprise, Hinata suddenly flashed a mischievous grin.
"Just like this~ Just like this~" Hanabi whispered playfully into Kaguya's ear, nuzzling against her shoulder. "Wow, you smell really nice..."
Under different circumstances, such behavior would undoubtedly qualify someone as a pervert.
Snuggling close to Kaguya, the warmth radiating from Hanabi's small body was like a fluffy little furnace.
Kaguya glanced at her wrinkled clothes now messed up by the contact. A bit helpless inside, she couldn't help thinking that anyone who saw this would get the wrong idea.
Noticing Kaguya no longer showing any intention of leaving, Hinata quietly climbed onto the bed and lay beside her.
Hanabi twirled her eyes around, then crawled over to Kaguya's side, squeezing herself between her and Hinata, effectively separating the two.
No one spoke first, and the room fell into silence.
Lying side by side on the same bed, Kaguya couldn't help but feel a fleeting moment of peace within her heart.
After a long while, Hanabi let out a yawn. She glanced around and noticed Kaguya and Hinata had already closed their eyes and seemed to be asleep.
A playful idea flickered through Hanabi's mind. She quietly placed her short legs on Kaguya before smirking and closing her eyes.
Suddenly feeling extra weight on herself, Kaguya instantly opened her eyes—she hadn't actually fallen asleep at all.
Glancing sideways at Hanabi, who now pretended to be peacefully sleeping with her eyes shut, Kaguya got a mischievous thought of her own. She reached out and started pinching and squeezing Hanabi.
Especially targeting her soft cheeks, she kept pinching them repeatedly.
"What are you doing?!" Hanabi immediately sat upright with a jolt, her face flushed red, clearly very uncomfortable with the sudden intimate contact.
Kaguya found her reaction amusing and adorable, so she refused to stop. It felt like endlessly toying with a soft, squishy doll as she continued teasing the girl mercilessly.
Hanabi squirmed and struggled, but couldn't escape Kaguya's relentless hands, only exhausting herself further and gasping for breath.
"Little brat, still wanna mess around?" Kaguya grinned playfully.
"Hmph! Why did you have to touch me? You pervert…" Hanabi protested even more fiercely, though it changed nothing except tiring her out further.
In Kaguya's grasp, she felt like a helpless doll.
Hinata, who had been nearly asleep from fatigue, was awakened by the commotion and opened her eyes.
Meeting her gaze, Kaguya smiled again and extended those mischievous hands toward Hinata, proceeding to tease her without mercy.
"Onee-sama…" Hinata blushed deeply, looking flustered and embarrassed.
It was as if something irreplaceable had vanished. Staring blankly at the ceiling, Hinata looked utterly broken inside.
Unlike energetic Hanabi, she didn't resist or struggle much. She simply gave in without a fight.
Like a lifeless doll, powerless against what was happening, she could only silently endure being toyed with.
If my giving in can please Onee-sama, then so be it… This was what Hinata thought.
Her numb yet pitiful appearance made Kaguya smile even wider, involuntarily lifting the corners of her mouth.
It felt as if she'd done something truly serious to Hinata.
"All right, go to sleep," Kaguya murmured gently, her smile disappearing as she stopped teasing the two sisters.
Too afraid to provoke Kaguya again, Hanabi didn't try anything and quietly closed her eyes.
Sighing softly, Hinata stopped thinking random thoughts.
The night passed.
In the morning, after changing into clothes prepared by the maids, they left their rooms one after another.
Attracted by breakfast, Hanabi quickly ran over while Hinata lagged behind.
"Hinata, were you okay yesterday? No arguments with Kaguya again, right?" Hiroki approached her concernedly.
Thinking back to yesterday's events, Hinata suddenly flushed red, clearly flustered and unsure how to respond, unconsciously tapping the chopsticks nervously.
Hiroki became visibly embarrassed.
What the hell do you have to blush about…
During breakfast, Hiroki brought up, "Hinata, weren't you going to tell us something important?"
Kaguya raised her eyes and turned her gaze toward Hinata.
Hanabi also looked at her with anticipation.
Hinata lightly tapped the chopsticks together and shook her head, saying, "I think I forgot."
She knew Kaguya already understood what she wanted to say. Even if she spoke now, there would be no result.
"..." Hiroki and Hanabi instantly became speechless.
"Sister..." Hanabi pouted, hoping she would speak first.
Hinata quickly fed her a spoonful of porridge, effectively silencing her.
Seeing this, Kaguya merely smiled, without uttering a word.
...
Land of Fire.
A man with green eyes wearing a mask blocked Hidan's path.
Already under constant pressure, Hidan's mood worsened further. "You wanna die or something? Get outta my way."
Kakuzu's bean-like eyes gazed eerily at the furious Hidan. "You're that Blood-colored Killer everyone's talking about recently? Are you looking to join our organization?"
"Piss off," Hidan impatiently waved him away.
Not far away, White Zetsu, who had been following him all along, felt astonished.
Unbelievable! The Akatsuki Organization actually set their sights on Hidan?
That alone was surprising enough, yet they even sent Kakuzu to recruit him?
At this moment, Kakuzu also got provoked by Hidan's attitude. Just as the two seemed ready to fight, White Zetsu quickly appeared between them.
"Wait, he's one of us!"
Upon seeing White Zetsu's arrival, Kakuzu immediately realized something and clicked his tongue in amazement: "So this guy is also your member? Poor Nagato, always being manipulated at someone else's fingertips..."
"If you want him to join the organization, Kakuzu, perhaps you should help him finish his work first," White Zetsu suggested.
Immediately annoyed, Hidan retorted, "Hey hey hey, when did I ever say I wanted to join some stupid organization? Don't decide for me!"
However, neither of them paid him any attention.
Kakuzu spoke with a shrug, "Sure thing, but you're covering my fees—plus lost wages, food, travel, lodging… I'll tally it all up first. Can't do business blind."
As he spoke, Kakuzu actually pulled out an abacus and started calculating.
Hidan nearly got a headache listening to that mess. He shot Kakuzu a side-eye and scoffed, "You're calling yourself a ninja and still acting like a greedy merchant?!"
"Just wait a second."
White Zetsu looked at both men, then vanished swiftly.
This guy Hidan wasn't even trying—just killing randomly like some psycho. At least he showed a little hustle at first, then just sat around waiting for Sarutobi and the Shimura Clan to come find him.
With someone like Kakuzu around—who valued time—his goals would become much clearer.
He quickly informed Hiroki about Kakuzu's appearance.
"Fated connection, huh?"
Hiroki sighed briefly, then handed White Zetsu a bank card without hesitation.
Within less than two seconds, White Zetsu reappeared in front of the two men and handed the card over to Kakuzu.
"There are three hundred million inside."
At those words, Kakuzu's eyes lit up instantly.
Carefully placing the card into his coat pocket, he suddenly changed his tone, breaking into hearty laughter.
"Haha! No problem, Mr. Zetsu! We can definitely talk business now."
"Where did this money come from? Is it from Kaguya-sama? She must be the wealthiest and most noble person in the world! When can I meet her?"
"What about Nagato? What specific plans does he have?"
Hidan felt even more annoyed and grumbled angrily, "Hey, why the hell does he get money while I'm getting used like a sucker? Not even enough to cover food! Damn it!"
With White Zetsu's explanation, Kakuzu grabbed the list from Hidan's hands.
"So it's just killing people? And now there's an extra charge for each head?" Kakuzu said, turning his head slightly.
White Zetsu replied, "You can collect bounties on them. Some of these guys have prices on their heads."
"Each matter should be handled separately," Kakuzu emphasized.
Hidan kept muttering endlessly under his breath, but still couldn't stop this partnership.
The group hung around for hours, but no one showed up to stir things up.
This made Hidan feel suspicious. He started grumbling again, "That's strange. Normally those guys would definitely be lying in ambush somewhere waiting for me..."
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"Hey, White Zetsu, what's going on?" He shouted loudly.
"The Sarutobi clan members guarding the borders and others within Konoha are all relocating toward the Capital of the Land of Fire," White Zetsu answered.
"Oh? Could it be they're planning something? Well then, even better. We can wipe them all out at once and save ourselves the trouble." Hidan muttered.
"Then we'll head straight for the Capital of the Land of Fire," Kakuzu immediately switched directions, displaying great enthusiasm as he urged quickly onward.
Without wasting time, the two set off toward the capital, with White Zetsu trailing quietly behind.
...
Konoha.
"How many Sarutobi clan members have left?" Tsunade asked the Anbu kneeling before her inside the Hokage's office.
"This..." The Anbu ninja hesitated, failing to provide an exact number immediately.
"Then how many remain?"
"Less than a hundred."
Tsunade commanded, "Take some people and lead me to see for myself."
Together with several Anbu ninjas, Tsunade entered the Sarutobi Clan's compound.
Nowadays, only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and those who could never become ninjas remained here.
Even when the Hokage appeared, they merely gave short greetings and went back to what they were doing.
"They've truly all gone..." Tsunade sighed as she walked through the heart of the clan's compound, finding no one around.
She wasn't sure whether she should marvel at the cold-heartedness of those who had departed, or worry about the mess they'd left for her.
How was she supposed to manage those defenseless people unfit for battle?
Tsunade approached a frail old man, acting clueless, and asked where the others had gone.
"Why have so many Sarutobi ninja vanished? They never even reported to me. Leaving the village without orders makes them rogue ninjas..."
The old man's expression didn't change significantly. Shaking slightly, he pulled out a kunai and placed it against his neck.
"Hokage-sama, if you wish to punish us, please do so on our behalf. Whatever fault there may be, we remaining members are willing to bear full responsibility."
After speaking, he closed his eyes and readied himself to end his life.
Tsunade swiftly seized the kunai, tossing it onto the ground. Without uttering a single word, she left directly with a cold expression.
Outside the Sarutobi compound, Tsunade let out another sigh.
This group of remaining individuals was indeed a serious problem.
If they died, rumors would spread, and the villagers would surely start gossiping again.
"Don't let them leave their quarters, and don't allow them any contact with outsiders."
Tsunade ordered the Anbu ninja beside her.
The Anbu nodded in agreement.
Then, she returned to the Hokage's office and publicly declared that the Sarutobi Clan's ninja had abandoned the village without justification, officially branding them as rogue ninjas.
Afterward, she sent another team of shinobi to the border of the Land of Fire to assume the duties once carried out by the Sarutobi Clan's ninja.
The news quickly spread throughout the Land of Fire.
"Branded as rogue ninjas already? Tsunade doesn't waste time. Doesn't she worry about weakening Konoha from within?"
In a secluded chamber of Kokuto, the Daimyo lazily sipped his wine while flipping through stacks of intelligence reports gathered from across the land.
Suddenly, he realized the surroundings had become unusually quiet.
Although he'd told others not to disturb him, there should've at least been *some* movement inside the palace.
"Someone come here—"
Before his sentence ended, Hidan and Kakuzu calmly appeared before him.
The Daimyo flinched momentarily but clearly recognized the slashed forehead protectors on their heads, instantly identifying who they were.
"Rogue ninjas—you're here to assassinate me?"
"No, we're here for a deal," Kakuzu shook his head. "Your Grace, may I ask how much you value your own life?"
"This is a threat?" the Daimyo asked coldly.
"Hey Kakuzu, quit dragging your feet. Those guys might catch on soon..." Hidan urged impatiently.
"Fine then, I'll be brief. That group labeled as rogue ninjas by Konoha is now hiding within Kokuto. If Your Grace is willing to spend a little money, I can help eliminate this problem."
As he spoke, Kakuzu made a rubbing-money motion with his fingers.
Hidan grumbled under his breath: "Damn it, this guy's seriously a business genius—he finds a way to cash in everywhere..."
The Daimyo didn't flinch, keeping his face blank as if carved from stone.
Assassins — he'd seen more than enough of them.
Even if he died today, it wouldn't affect the governance of the Land of Fire. His family would quickly appoint someone else to take his place.
Kakuzu didn't say another word. He simply dropped a card with an address on the table and walked out with Hidan.
After the two disappeared, several shinobi from the Twelve Guardians finally rushed in hastily, kneeling on the ground with their heads lowered, too afraid to look up. "Your Grace, unknown intruders just entered. Are you alright?"
"Worthless trash!" the Daimyo bellowed, hurling the remainder of his drink onto them.
The subordinates trembled nervously, too frightened to utter a word.
Yet the Daimyo's gaze fell upon what Kakuzu had left behind.
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