[Land of Fire, Northern Region, Remote Small Town]
Rei, Mayuri, and Takeshi, the three of them stood at the only entrance to the town, quietly waiting.
Sitting under the shade of a nearby tree, Kamihara gnawed on a watermelon and said, "You guys really not coming over to eat a bit?"
"Not eating, I'm waiting for Brother Ryosuke and Brother Sasuke to come back," said Rei.
Kamihara shrugged his shoulders.
He was entrusted by Ryosuke to come over in advance and protect Rei, Takeshi, and the others.
Ever since Ryosuke took out Orochimaru, too many people had set their sights on him. With various intentions, they were bound to seek out Rei and the others.
Among all the people Ryosuke knew, Kamihara was one of the few he could trust.
An excellent intelligence expert, fighting was not Kamihara's strength, but taking thirty-something people to hide, and avoiding being found as much as possible, for him, wasn't too difficult.
However, ever since becoming the temporary nanny of this group, Kamihara hadn't had close contact with pretty girls in quite some time.
He spat watermelon seeds forward one by one, watching the three of them.
These three really had energy. Ever since receiving Ryosuke's letter two days ago, roughly estimating he would return today, they'd been waiting here since early morning.
"If you ask me, there's no need to wait. Just prepare a bathtub and a beauty, and Ryosuke and Sasuke will auto-refresh."
"Bathtub… beauty?" Rei looked blank.
Mayuri covered Rei's ears and puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking unhappily at the unruly intelligence merchant, "Mr. Kamihara, please don't say such things in front of children."
Kamihara said seriously, "I'm not joking with you. I'm serious, there's definitely something to this."
"Do you believe it? As long as I say, 'Ah, I'm tired. Better find a girl to give me a shoulder rub', Ryosuke and Sasuke will pop up like wild grass by the roadside."
After he said this, he suddenly looked toward the road.
Nothing.
Kamihara repeated his line, then looked toward the end of the road again.
Still nothing.
Kamihara turned around and met Rei's big eyes.
Thud!
Throwing away the watermelon rind, Kamihara patted his butt and stood up.
He wasn't planning to wait anymore. Whoever wanted to wait could wait, he really was going back for a bubble bath,
Clip-clop~ clip-clop~
The sound of hooves came.
From the forest at the end of the winding path, three figures on horseback appeared, it was Ryosuke, Sasuke, and Konan, rushing all the way back from the Hidden Leaf Village.
Kamihara's eyes gradually widened. He grabbed Takeshi's arm.
"Look! Look!"
Takeshi brushed his hand away, perfunctorily saying, "Right, right, right."
Rei stepped forward. At first, she walked, then jogged, and soon broke into a full run. Her pink hair fluttered in the wind, and a smile had already spread on her face at some point.
Sasuke dismounted and also walked toward Rei.
They met in the middle of the road and embraced tightly.
Rei laughed and cried, "Brother Sasuke, I really thought I'd never see you again."
Sasuke gently patted her head and said, "Don't cry, I'm back."
He turned to look at Ryosuke.
"We all came back."
"Mm!"
Rei, eyes filled with tears, nodded hard.
Mayuri and Takeshi bowed deeply to Ryosuke.
"Lord Ryosuke, everyone has been waiting for your return," said Mayuri.
Ryosuke dismounted.
"Let's go."
———
Hiding over thirty people, you could say it's hard, but also easy.
Kamihara scattered them into smaller groups, each with a different false identity. As long as they didn't deliberately expose their Water Country lifestyle habits, they wouldn't be recognized.
However, today, all thirty-something people gathered in one house. They wore uniforms from various occupations. In their bright eyes, a light called hope flickered.
Ryosuke sat cross-legged opposite the crowd.
Beside him were Sasuke, Rei, Konan, Kamihara, and the others. Mayuri sat at the side pouring tea for Ryosuke.
"Thank you."
Ryosuke took the teacup and looked at the people in front of him.
Everyone was waiting for him to speak, but Ryosuke lowered his head and was silent for a full half minute. No one urged him, they sat quietly, not even their gazes shifting.
In the silence, an invisible power condensed.
This scene felt familiar to Konan.
At that moment, Ryosuke's voice came.
"Everyone, I want to walk a path no one has walked before."
Ryosuke raised his head and looked at the thirty-some people in front of him, "To walk this path, I will try to establish a village, try to change some things. But this path is full of thorns. Once you follow me onto this road, many of you may die."
"Including me."
"This road isn't suitable for everyone. So, I've prepared another option for you, to stay. If you stay, your false identities will become real. You'll become ordinary citizens of the Land of Fire, enjoying stability and peace."
"If you want to stay, you may step out now."
No one looked at each other. No one moved. If they had wanted to retreat, they wouldn't have chosen to build the Village of Hope, nor waited so long for Ryosuke to return in a remote town.
Takeshi placed her hands on her thighs and knelt, saying, "My lord, just tell us, where to next? What can we do for you?"
Ryosuke looked around at the people and nodded slightly, "We're going back to the Land of Water."
At this, everyone was shocked. They had just escaped from the Land of Water with great difficulty. Going back now, wasn't that returning to the fire pit?
But in the next second, they met Ryosuke's calm eyes, and the hearts that were suspended gradually settled down.
"Yes."
Everyone returned to pack their bags.
Ryosuke stood by the window, watching the bustling little town below.
Just two days ago, he received a carrier pigeon from Terumi Mei.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was acting increasingly strange. Led by Terumi Mei and Ao, a sizable faction had formed, intending to overthrow Yagura soon.
Considering Yagura is a perfect Jinchūriki and incredibly strong, Terumi Mei invited Ryosuke to help stabilize the situation.
If successful, the Terumi faction would ascend to the Mizukage seat, and at that time, regardless of who became the "Kage," they would grant Ryosuke a territory to serve as the Village of Hope's garrison.
And that would become the starting point of Ryosuke's grand plan.
Puff~
A faint smoke wafted in from the side. Kamihara, with a cigarette in his mouth and hands in his pockets, strolled over.
"Just now you said even you might die… what exactly are you planning?"
Ryosuke smiled, "With your intelligence-gathering skills, you couldn't figure out what I'm trying to do?"
"Precisely because I figured out what you've done all this way, I'm asking this question." Kamihara's usual carefree eyes turned rare serious, "Ryosuke, you're not really planning to..."
He stretched out a hand, flipped it over, then again.
"What if I am?"
Ryosuke asked, "Would you still be willing to help me?"
Kamihara licked his dry lips. His intuition as an intelligence dealer told him, this would be a crucial, life-defining choice.
"One last question. You answer me, and I'll help you."
"Go ahead."
"If you really died, the road you want to walk, would it come to an end?"
"It won't end. As long as there are people alive in this world, as long as someone wants to escape this rotten world, there will always be others who follow this path. What's that saying again,"
Ryosuke looked out the window and softly said, "The success doesn't have to be mine."
Kamihara heard this, lowered his head, took a deep drag of the cigarette, threw the butt to the ground, and stomped it hard, "Then let's do it!"
An hour later, everyone gathered on the main road of the town.
Ryosuke stood at the front.
"Depart."
"To the Land of Water."
———
[Akatsuki's Base]
Pain's cold gaze locked onto Uchiha Itachi.
"Can someone translate for me… what the hell is a 'double agent'?"
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