Steam rose from behind, spreading forward with a strong scent of sulfur that intertwined with the cool evening air drifting through the streets.
The streets of Konoha began to light up, but they were quiet, with far fewer people out compared to daytime.
Haseo, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru walked side by side out of the bathhouse, their bodies still carrying the relaxed comfort of a recent soak.
"Hey, Haseo,"
Jiraiya casually shook his wet white hair, splattering droplets onto Haseo's robe. Unfazed, he leaned in closer and nudged Haseo with his elbow.
"What exactly do you think about Tsunade, huh?"
"That guy's understanding of 'liking' is nothing but twisted reasoning."
Haseo glanced sideways at Orochimaru beside him. The latter showed no expression, his golden snake-like eyes gleaming mysteriously under the dim streetlights.
Earlier in the hot spring, both he and Jiraiya had been left speechless by Orochimaru's bizarre theory—where "liking" was equated merely to recognition of worth.
Orochimaru remained indifferent to their discussion, as though the world around him held no relevance whatsoever. He continued walking quietly, his mind seemingly wandering into distant thoughts.
Haseo sighed helplessly.
"Orochimaru's definition of affection... is indeed unique."
Jiraiya grinned widely, flashing his pearly teeth.
"Unique? More like treating people's hearts as lab specimens!"
"But hey, speaking of which, Haseo, you haven't answered my question yet."
He winked slyly.
Haseo's lips twitched slightly.
"This guy can't go five seconds without her name coming up, can he?"
"Do my thoughts really matter that much?"
"Of course they do!"
Jiraiya smacked his thigh loudly, his voice booming.
"This is perfect material! A forbidden romance between Konoha's genius ninja and one of the Legendary Sannin—just imagine it! Total drama gold!"
Wordlessly, Haseo silently quickened his pace, saying nothing.
Trying to have a normal conversation with someone who had a mind full of dirty thoughts and a relentless appetite for gossip was impossible.
Orochimaru also stayed silent, clearly indifferent to their exchange.
The yellowish lights cast long, slender shadows across the stone-paved street, swaying gently as the trio moved forward.
At a crossroads, Jiraiya halted.
"Alright then, I've got to run ahead now—to gather some *late-night inspiration*, shall we say?"
He winked meaningfully at Haseo, wearing an expression filled with implication.
"Next time! Next time we must visit an even more scenic hot spring—one of those mixed-gender ones… Anyway, somewhere extremely picturesque!"
Once again, Haseo's lips twitched.
"Safe travels. No need to see you off."
Laughing heartily, Jiraiya waved and soon disappeared into the deepening night along the street.
Orochimaru also stopped, turning his golden snake eyes toward the Black Cat perched on Haseo's shoulder. After observing it curiously for a moment, he shifted his gaze away.
"Haseo-kun, I'll be taking my leave."
His raspy, low voice was devoid of emotion, as always.
Before the voice faded, Orochimaru's figure had already blended into the air and vanished from sight, leaving behind only a faint ripple in space.
[Shifting Body Technique].
Haseo gazed toward where Orochimaru disappeared, deep in thought.
The street was now deserted, except for the Black Cat on his shoulder yawning lazily, and Katsuyu quietly hiding beneath his clothes.
A gentle evening breeze blew past, carrying a chill that cleared away the lingering warmth of the hot spring.
Haseo slowly made his way toward his temporary residence in Konoha.
He kept reflecting on his failures during the past attempts to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The threshold of this S-ranked Space–Time Ninjutsu was far higher than he'd anticipated.
However, failure wasn't entirely fruitless. At least it brought him a deeper understanding of Space–Time Ninjutsu and clarified his concept of "Feather Shift."
And then there was Jiraiya's Sage Art.
That power rooted in nature, yet transcending nature itself, intrigued him greatly.
If he could master Sage Art, his strength would surely rise by another level.
Orochimaru's "affection" towards Tsunade—upon reflection, Haseo now saw it more as pure recognition of her strength as an individual.
It was a unique, even somewhat twisted form of admiration.
This naturally brought to mind his own pursuit of power.
He longed for strength—but unlike Orochimaru's single-minded obsession, his desire seemed mixed with something else.
Bonds? Emotions?
Haseo couldn't quite find the words for it, but he knew one thing—deep down, he and Orochimaru were completely different.
Their obsession with power might be comparable, but their views of the world, and their understanding of human connections, were completely different.
"Meow~"
The Black Cat on his shoulder seemed to sense its master's contemplation. It shook its damp fur, sending tiny droplets flying all over Haseo's face.
Haseo snapped back to reality and wiped his face with a helpless expression.
"You silly thing."
He reached out and rubbed the cat's head. The feline purred contentedly with its eyes half-closed.
This small interruption briefly eased his tense thoughts.
The street ahead looked more and more familiar as the outline of his house slowly appeared through the night.
It was a very ordinary Konoha-style house—simple and practical.
Haseo pushed open the courtyard gate and walked inside.
As soon as he took off his outer robe, he prepared to brew himself a cup of hot tea to fully relax.
But just then—
"Shhh!"
A nearly imperceptible sound of something cutting through the air rang out.
A pitch-black ninja raven flew like a bolt of ink-colored lightning through the slightly open window, landing steadily on Haseo's desk.
Tied to the bird's leg was a small black scroll, bearing a uniquely inked symbol of Kagenami.
Haseo hesitated slightly, teacup in hand.
This was Kagenami's exclusive communication channel.
These emergency messages were reserved for big emergencies only.
The relaxed look on his face immediately vanished, replaced by grave concern.
Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the crow, a slender shadow emerged like a ghost from the darkness behind Haseo, gradually becoming solid.
Shikou knelt silently behind Haseo, her breath steady, but the usual calm in her eyes now gave way to a rare, unshakable seriousness.
"Lord Haseo."
Her voice was crisp and cold, stripped of any emotion, yet it instantly chilled the air in the room.
Haseo didn't turn around. He set his teacup down and reached for the scroll strapped to the ninja raven's leg, slowly unfurling it.
The writing on the scroll was brief, yet urgent.
"What is it?"
Haseo asked gravely, his eyes still scanning the text.
Shikou's voice was crystal-clear and icy cold:
"One hour ago, Konoha's Intelligence Division intercepted an emergency report."
"The Two-Tails Matatabi has been spotted in the Land of Hot Springs, possibly hiding there."
Haseo's pupils immediately contracted.
The light in the room seemed to dim slightly.
The Two-Tails Matatabi?
A wild tailed beast?
He carefully rolled up the scroll, his gaze sharpening like a drawn blade.
"Is the source reliable?"
"Extremely reliable."
Shikou confirmed.
"A covert agent stationed in the Land of Hot Springs risked their life to deliver this. Cross-checked with multiple sources, its credibility is very high."
"The Land of Hot Springs..."
Haseo murmured the name softly.
A small nation wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, known for its hot springs, and neutral—for now.
But such neutrality was fragile against strategic weapons like tailed beasts.
"What's the current situation there?"
"On the surface, it remains peaceful," Shikou reported swiftly.
"But underlying tensions are rising. Our reports indicate that Kumo has long had some level of infiltration in the region. With the reappearance of the Two-Tails, they won't stay idle."
"What about the other villages?"
"No clear movements yet, but they'll get wind of it soon enough."
Haseo tapped the table lightly with his fingers, the rhythmic *tap-tap* filling the silence.
He had once personally sealed the One-Tail, so he understood all too well the terrifying power of tailed beasts—and the ambitions they stirred in the hidden villages.
The sudden appearance of a wild one was like throwing a bone to the dogs—it would trigger a brutal scramble.
If mishandled, this could spark another Great Ninja War.
Especially since this was the Two-Tails Matatabi—whose jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, was a top Kumo jonin.
Its reappearance in the wild meant she was probably already dead.
Kumo would be furious.
And other villages wouldn't hesitate to make a move on a tailed beast with no master.
Caught in the middle, Konoha was in a delicate position.
Haseo's expression darkened as he quickly weighed the possibilities.
As he thought, Shikou waited quietly for his orders.
Suddenly—
*Tap tap tap.*
A faint, rapid knock echoed through the room.
No, not exactly a knock.
It sounded more like a coded signal.
Then, a figure burst through the door as if it were made of smoke.
The newcomer wore standard Konoha Anbu gear, a bestial mask covering their face. They dropped to one knee with swift precision.
"Lord Haseo."
The Anbu spoke in a low, urgent voice.
"The Third Hokage has issued an urgent summons. Please head to the Hokage's office building immediately for an emergency meeting."
Make sure there are no mistakes.
Haseo arched one eyebrow slightly.
Just as expected.
The Third couldn't possibly remain unaware of something this big.
This call came even faster than he had anticipated.
"I understand."
He responded calmly.
He glanced at Shikou beside him.
"Shikou, you'll come with me."
"Prepare a summary of all intelligence Kagenami possesses regarding the Land of Hot Springs and its surrounding regions. Bring it along."
"Yes, Lord Haseo."
Shikou nodded in acknowledgment, then rose, her figure fading silently into the shadows just like when she first arrived. A moment later, she now held a scroll in her hand.
Haseo stood up.
He took a deep breath; the relaxed warmth from his recent soak in the hot springs had vanished completely.
What replaced it was an unshakable presence—sharp, focused, and blade-like in intensity.
He walked toward the coat rack and took down a black haori—a traditional Japanese overcoat—embroidered with golden patterns.
This was the attire symbolizing his position as leader of Kagenami.
As soon as the haori draped over his shoulders and the toggles fastened shut, Haseo's gaze grew increasingly profound.
He could sense that while his experience handling Tailed Beasts might be why the Third summoned him, what the old Hokage valued more was likely Kagenami's independent intelligence network outside official Konoha channels.
This meeting would center on how to handle the Two-Tails threat.
And within Konoha's upper echelons, there would surely be different opinions.
He needed to carefully plan how to secure the best possible outcome for Konoha during the meeting, while also ensuring maximum benefit for Kagenami.
After all, chaos is coming, and every bit of strength counts.
"Let's go."
Haseo said to the Anbu and Shikou.
He stepped forward first, heading toward the door.
Shikou followed closely behind, eyes lowered, silently flipping through the intelligence summary scroll she had just prepared. Under the dim lighting, her calm eyes shimmered faintly with thought.
The night hung heavy, thick as ink, covering the entire Konoha village.
In the distance, the Hokage's office building shone brightly, like a lighthouse in the dark sea.
An important decision shaping the future of the Shinobi World was about to begin.
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