A day later, by a small lake near the coastline, Hibari walked with weary steps, leaning on a wooden stick he'd picked up. His clothes were tattered, and he swayed as he headed toward the distant coastline.
If anyone glanced at him, even mountain bandits or river pirates likely wouldn't be interested; he looked like a destitute refugee, perhaps even a "filthy beggar."
The nearby coastline had only one small port, which was the final extraction point Hibari and his team had chosen before their mission. They had already arranged for some operatives to pose as Land of Fire merchants there, operating under the Mitsumine Group banner. They'd secured a merchant ship, waiting to pick up Hibari and the others and depart.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hibari believed he would reach the port by sunset today.
'I wonder where they are. Maybe some of the faster ones are already waiting,' Hibari thought to himself as he walked.
Yesterday evening, after crossing the mountain, all team members executed Hibari's plan: they broke into smaller units, infiltrated the coastline separately, then individually entered the port, eventually regrouping before finally departing together.
As Hibari pondered these random thoughts, a figure sped across the lake not far from him. Hibari caught a glimpse from afar and frowned. Unlike his own disguise as a beggar, which involved heavy makeup and ragged clothes, the person running on the lake was clearly a shinobi, even wearing a Kirigakure forehead protector.
That wasn't all. With just a glance, Hibari recognized the individual: it was Reigetsu, with whom he had an old grudge. He wondered why this guy was suddenly here.
Reigetsu was here because, as the younger brother of Second Mizukage Gengetsu, his mission before the war officially began was to apprehend the Iwagakure bastards who had assassinated the Daimyō.
Earlier that morning, he'd received intelligence about suspicious individuals near the coastal port. With no other significant leads, he decided to check the area. If the suspicious individuals truly were Iwagakure shinobi, he would ambush and capture them there. If it was just a false alarm, it was still better than doing nothing.
Since Hibari recognized Reigetsu, he naturally didn't linger. Although the two had a history of enmity, this was clearly not the time for revenge. While Hibari's body felt little fatigue due to his powerful physique, his mind was utterly exhausted.
Reigetsu, as Gengetsu's brother, was also very powerful. A conflict at this moment would make the outcome unpredictable and severely impact Hibari's extraction plan.
So, although for a fleeting moment Hibari wanted to retaliate against that bastard, he ultimately suppressed the thought. He merely glanced, then pretended not to have noticed anything, continuing to shuffle along with his stick toward his planned destination.
At the same time, while Hibari had seen Reigetsu, Reigetsu had, of course, also seen Hibari.
However, he merely gave a casual glance, not paying much attention. Seeing Hibari's disheveled appearance, he softly murmured, "A beggar? Times are truly tough... Anija has a long and arduous path ahead of him..."
Although Reigetsu had once maliciously plotted to harm Hibari, that was purely from his perspective as a shinobi and a member of Kirigakure, not personal vendetta. On the contrary, from other perspectives, his reputation in Kirigakure and the Land of Water was quite good.
While more impulsive than his brother, Gengetsu, he was still a good person who 'cared deeply for the people.'
Thinking this, Reigetsu was currently focused on his 'mission,' so he didn't stop to meddle or give alms to Hibari. He quickly continued running across the lake surface, away from Hibari.
However, not long after he'd gone some distance, he frowned. Thinking carefully, this entire route had been nothing but barren mountains and wildlands. The nearest town was two days' journey away.
So where did this beggar come from?
From the mountains? The mountains were full of wild beasts; only groups of three to five people dared to traverse them.
Would this beggar, with no regard for his life, walk through the mountains? And how could he have such immense ability to emerge from the mountains?
Changing his perspective, generally, beggars would always head towards populated areas. Only then could they 'find food.' With that thought, the presence of a beggar in this place became highly suspicious.
Thinking this, Reigetsu's face hardened. He stopped, kicking up a splash of water on the lake, halting his movement.
Hibari, of course, noticed this and wore a helpless expression. He sighed internally, thinking, 'I hope you just pity me, give me some change, and leave. Don't cause any unnecessary trouble, or don't blame me for taking my revenge on the spot...'
As he thought this, Reigetsu walked out of the lake, casually untied the small purse at his waist, took out some bills and dry rations, and approached Hibari with a smile on his face.
Hibari acted as a beggar should, his eyes shining brightly at the sight of the bills and dry rations. He even quickened his unsteady pace towards Reigetsu.
Hibari believed that his growth over the past three years had been immense, and combined with his current disguise, it was unlikely Reigetsu would truly recognize him.
So, this was the time for an acting showdown!
Reigetsu watched as the beggar's eyes actually lit up and he hastened towards him. He felt a slight doubt in his heart. Could it really be just a lucky, oblivious beggar? That would be a waste of his time.
But on second thought, if so, they were both people of the Land of Water. Meeting in this wild, remote area was a kind of fate. Giving him some alms would be a good deed.
Thinking this, he naturally walked over to the beggar. Before he could speak, the beggar began to express endless gratitude, saying, "Thank you, shinobi-sama, for your alms... I haven't eaten for two days, and I didn't even know which way to go. How did I end up in this wild place? It's good to finally meet someone..."
As he spoke, tears welled up in the beggar's eyes, making it seem as if he had truly lost his way and almost starved to death.
Hearing this, Reigetsu's suspicions somewhat subsided. He handed the bills and dry rations to Hibari.
Hibari quickly reached out and took the bills and dry rations, thanking him again.
Reigetsu sighed and said, "From here, follow this lakeside north. By nightfall, you should see a small port. Use this money to rest well there. I see you're sound of limb and not too old. Don't degrade yourself by continuing to be a beggar. Even if you find work as a dockworker at that port, it's a dignified way to live, supporting yourself. Perhaps in the future, you can even save some money, marry, have children, and live a better life."
Hibari was momentarily stunned by Reigetsu's words. He had always thought this guy was a treacherous and despicable person, but he never expected him to have such a kind side. But this was what it meant to be a shinobi; when performing a mission and at other times, they were completely different people.
Indeed, in this world, nothing is simply black or white. The same applies to people... in different environments, at different times, and from different perspectives, the good and evil displayed are also different.
Although momentarily stunned, Hibari quickly nodded and said, "Thank you for your guidance, shinobi-sama..."
Reigetsu didn't suspect anything because of Hibari's brief pause; he merely thought his words had resonated with the beggar. Then he nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Hibari breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed no accidents had occurred.
Just as Reigetsu turned and took a few steps, he stopped. His expression turned suspicious. The beggar had seemed to speak very humbly just now, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his demeanor wasn't truly humble. As someone from a prominent Land of Water clan himself, Reigetsu sensed something similar to himself in the beggar.
This kind of aura couldn't be learned, nor could it be completely hidden...
At the same time, he had been quite generous just now, offering a thousand-ryo bill. However, the beggar showed no significant emotional change after receiving the money, as if a thousand ryo held no shock value for him. This was highly illogical.
With a slight doubt, and upon closer inspection, Reigetsu noticed more details. Although the beggar appeared very downtrodden and dirty, and his steps seemed unsteady, a closer look revealed that his body didn't have the emaciated appearance of a beggar who hadn't eaten for two days. In fact, he seemed vaguely strong?
Thinking this, Reigetsu's expression settled. Then he reached to his waist again, took out some more dry rations, turned to Hibari, and said, "You just said you haven't eaten in two days. You still have a day's journey to go, and that little bit probably isn't enough. Let me leave you some more."
Hearing Reigetsu's words, Hibari's guard went up, but at a time like this, he couldn't refuse. Refusing would be akin to self-incrimination.
So he put on a joyful smile and said, "Thank you very much again, shinobi-sama!"
Reigetsu extended the dry rations, and Hibari reached out to take them. Just as their arms drew closer, Reigetsu suddenly changed his move. He tossed the dry rations aside and grabbed Hibari's arm, twisting it backward.
As an elite shinobi trained by the Senju clan, Hibari's instinctive muscle reaction burst forth. Just as the force was about to restrain him, his arm violently jerked, forcefully shaking off Reigetsu's grip, then fluently retracted his arm.
"Damn it..." Hibari cursed angrily.
Reigetsu had now pulled back some distance, cautiously drawing a kunai. He stared fixedly at Hibari and said, "As expected, you're no beggar... Speak! Who are you?"
"Reigetsu Hozuki, I'm your dad!" Hibari cursed furiously.
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