Chapter 189 - The Daimyō's Son
Onsen Town
Inside a hot spring inn at the center of town—
Kazane and Jiriku were soaking comfortably in the warm springwater, eyes drifting toward a rotund man across the pool. The man, with a waistline that could rival a ten-foot barrel, was splashing around in the water with three curvaceous women in his arms.
"Boss, look over there. So bountiful!"
Suddenly, Jiriku pointed in that direction and whispered to Kazane.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kazane gave Jiriku a sideways glance.
⊙_⊙
So this is your true nature, monk? Seriously?
Jiriku kept staring as he slowly began drifting over, leaving Kazane slightly stunned by the scene.
What's gotten into him today? Kazane thought. Did he get possessed or something?
But Kazane didn't stop him. It was the first time seeing Jiriku like this, and it piqued his interest.
Coincidentally, he recognized the rotund man across from them. He just hadn't expected to run into him here of all places.
This particular hot spring inn used to be one of the old Root bases. After Danzo's death, it was repurposed as an ANBU outpost.
It had been operating for over twenty years—known for its high-quality water and excellent service. It was a landmark establishment in Onsen Town.
No one would suspect that this well-known, respectable inn, from owner to service staff, was entirely composed of ruthless Root operatives.
Some of the Root members had even settled down and started families here.
This was the brilliance of Danzo—in his prime, Root had truly been the top assassination and infiltration force in the entire shinobi world.
Who would've thought that the person sleeping beside you, whispering sweet nothings at night, might be a cold-blooded killer without a shred of mercy?
With no interference from Kazane, Jiriku drifted along with the current, gliding right past the three women, past the rotund man, and casually snatched the two roast chickens sitting behind him—then floated back with them in hand.
He was after roast chicken???
Kazane, who had expected some juicy drama, was slightly disappointed.
So in the end, monks really are simple-minded creatures. If it's not food, don't even bother.
Meanwhile, the rotund man who had been enjoying his flirtations suddenly noticed, from the corner of his beady green eyes, that his roast chickens had vanished—carried away by a bald monk.
He blinked in disbelief, looked again at where the chickens had been… and rubbed his eyes just to make sure.
"You, baldie! Stop right there!"
The man finally reacted, bellowing at Jiriku while tossing aside the three women wrapped around him. He charged straight toward Jiriku.
What he didn't notice, however, was that among the three women he had shoved away—now groaning in pain after hitting the edge of the pool—one of them flashed a cold, dangerous glint in her eyes. She looked like she was about to make a move, but another woman signaled her with a glance, and she reluctantly held herself back, rubbing her bruised shoulder with a soft wince.
The water had originally reached Kazane's chest, but once the rotund man stood up, it dropped to Kazane's waist.
Who's bald?
Hearing someone shout "baldie," Jiriku scratched his head. Though surprised by the sudden drop in water level, he still wandered back toward Kazane.
With the man's massive waistline generating tidal waves, the pool looked like it was experiencing a miniature tsunami.
Seeing Jiriku ignore him, the man's eyes grew bloodshot with rage.
Who was he? The dignified son of the Daimyō of the Land of Fire! On a normal day, ten attendants would scramble just to catch his sneeze—and now he was being humiliated like this?
If not for the fact that the other guests were all nobles from across the shinobi world… if not for his enjoyment of the envious stares from others… he would have already cleared the entire inn of people just to have it to himself.
If his personal samurai guards hadn't been waiting outside, he would've ordered them to skin Jiriku alive by now.
But reality was cruel—Jiriku didn't give a damn. He took the food and ignored him completely.
Even without backup, the man couldn't restrain his violent temper.
I'm the future Daimyō! The whole country will be mine! When I say live, you live. When I say die, you die! And this bald bastard dares to disrespect me?!
Furious, he threw a kick toward Jiriku's rear.
All the training and sparring with Kazane had conditioned Jiriku's body with instinctive reflexes.
The moment he sensed incoming force, he instinctively spun around and launched a counterkick.
Thud!
Boom!
Splash!
Despite the attack being dulled by layers of body fat, the residual force was still too much for the fat man to handle. His feet left the water as he was launched into the air.
His massive body slammed down with a colossal splash, sending water flying over ten meters in every direction. The next moment, he lay floating in the pool—blood streaming from all seven orifices.
The noise drew immediate attention from the samurai stationed outside. The lead guard burst in, quickly assessing the situation.
Seeing the state of the bathhouse, he called for all the guards to enter, then rushed to his master's side to assess the damage.
Though gravely injured, the fat Daimyō's son still clung to consciousness. When he saw the captain of his guard, he weakly pointed at Jiriku and croaked:
"Kill him. I want him dead…"
The samurai captain didn't hesitate. He raised a hand and signaled the rest of the guards to attack Kazane and Jiriku.
Just as things started playing out exactly how he'd hoped, Kazane's eyes flashed with a subtle glint.
"Leave the fat one alive. Bring him to me later."
He casually made a throat-slitting gesture toward the three women nearby. Then he stood up from the water and walked calmly toward the exit.
By now, Jiriku realized he had caused a scene. But since Kazane didn't seem angry, he didn't think much of it. With a shrug, he tossed the wet roast chickens aside and followed Kazane out of the hot spring.
The three women dropped their seductive facades, their eyes glinting coldly.
The Daimyō's samurai might have all been at least Chūnin level, and their leader even possessed Jōnin-tier strength. But against elite Root operatives trained solely for assassination, they were hopelessly outclassed.
They were quickly overwhelmed by the three Root kunoichi.
The samurai captain tried to flee with the wounded Daimyō's son, only to find the room's exits completely sealed with reinforced iron panels.
—
Kazane led Jiriku into a hidden chamber in the inn's basement. The room was already prepared with fresh fruit and tea. They sat down quietly, waiting for the kunoichi to deliver the fat noble.
Kazane hadn't expected so many pleasant surprises on this trip outside the village.
Just recently, Minato had mentioned this particular man.
Who would've thought this little cutie would walk right into his hands?