Ever since Kaori became the leader, Shibuki had felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Takigakure was changing. Kaori was a truly ideal leader. Before her, both Shibuki and his father had always just tried to let time solve everything. Slowly, Takigakure was turning from a shinobi village into a peaceful, ordinary one.
Shibuki didn't dislike the peace, but he knew it wasn't the right path. He just didn't know how to change it. There was no money to train the new generation. And since the village wasn't showing any signs of strength, the Daimyo was funding them less than ever before. There were hardly any missions coming in, as Shibuki's father had outsourced almost all of them to Konoha village. Many of the shinobi of the Hidden Waterfall had even taken up farming.
But Kaori had changed the rules. She authorized the teaching of children and called retired shinobi back to active duty. She even carried out a structural purge, claiming it was impossible that Konoha and Iwa didn't have spies in Takigakure. And it seemed she was right. Many of the elders who ran the village were arrested and imprisoned for embezzlement or for having documents that linked them to other nations. After that, Kaori began to invest in the village consistently.
It was still in its early stages, but everything seemed to be seriously headed in the right direction. It was expected that due to the investment and change in Takigakure's image, the Daimyo would soon increase the village's funding, and its income from missions would grow as well. Of course, Kaori had said she was no charity worker. She invested in the poor village because she was confident she could build it into a productive and powerful one, and that she had powerful supporters and partners outside the village who would soon become new members of Takigakure.
For the village's first major mission, Kaori chose Shibuki because she knew he was completely loyal to the village. Despite his fear, Shibuki felt a sense of duty and accepted the mission. As a result, Shibuki, as the leader of the Konoha expedition team, was given a separate mission—an S-rank mission.
Shibuki's heart trembled with fear. He was officially a Jonin, but he knew he'd only achieved that rank thanks to his father's influence and his position as the former leader of Takigakure's successor. In reality, he wasn't at that level.
He unrolled the mission scroll.
Where do I need to go? Huh? I have to meet someone?!
The paper described the appearance of the person: "A samurai with short, spiky brown hair and a green headband."
Meeting time: Dusk, June 29th. Meeting location...
When he read the meeting location, his face began to flush.
There's no way I'm going there!
And when he read the secret password, he became even more flustered.
What the hell is this?!
Dusk in Konoha
The shadows of the trees were getting longer, and the lights of the houses were beginning to flicker on.
Shibuki, completely embarrassed, headed towards the southern edge of the village, where the lights took on a different hue. He slowly entered a street known as "the red-light district" on the village's nightly fringe, a place where warm colors and purple and red neon lights pierced the darkness.
With every heavy step, he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He never thought he would find himself here. He was used to the silence of the forests and the roar of rivers, not this jarring noise and loud laughter that echoed from behind hanging curtains. The sweet smell of sake and sharp perfumes filled the air, making him uncomfortable. His head was down, and he avoided looking at the half-open doors and glowing windows that sometimes showed dancing shadows or laughing faces. There were all kinds of people walking around: tired ninja with loose headbands, merchants with leather bags, and women in colorful kimonos speaking in inviting tones.
He remembered the name of the place well: "The House of Night Butterflies." He looked for the wooden sign with the crooked, golden letters. His heart beat faster. The shame grew with every passing moment.
He saw a fancy wooden door illuminated by an orange light from its sign. He took a deep breath, and with all the shame he felt, he reached for the doorknob. Inside, there were half-naked, flirtatious girls walking toward various chairs.
He scanned the room. A flirtatious woman approached him. "Oh, Ninja-sama, do you need something?"
He then saw a man with two women sitting on his lap, enjoying sake. What caught his attention was his loose, cotton robe. The color of his spiky brown hair and his green headband stood out. His face was flushed from drinking a lot of alcohol, and he was laughing loudly.
This is the guy I'm supposed to meet secretly?!
Hesitantly, he approached him, forcing himself to say the secret phrase through his embarrassment.
Y...You killed my father"
A flash of awareness appeared in the man's eyes. He gave a devilish grin that made Shibuki shiver.
"Don't say it!"
"No, I am your father!"
Shibuki's face turned beet red! In contrast, the man seemed to be having the time of his life.
The woman sitting next to him was momentarily confused by the exchange. They didn't look like they could be father and son; they looked to be about the same age.
The man lifted the woman off his lap. "Beautiful lady, would you mind giving me some space? It seems a pesky intruder wants to spend some time with me."
"Hmm, okay... but come back soon, alright?" she said, stroking the man's cheek.
The man laughed, sweetly kissed her forehead, and moved away from her.
He turned to Shibuki and said, "Well, my son... how have you been all these years? It must have been hard growing up alone!"
"Shut up... end this stupid game."
The man was clearly enjoying the password. His grin widened, and he replied, "Alright, alright... let's go somewhere more private." He headed toward a room in the building. "By the way, my name is Senta."
Shibuki wrinkled his nose at the smell of sake. "I'm Shibuki. A ninja from Takigakure."
"I know. You're the one Kaori-chan sent for us!"
"For us?"