Although Hongyan was worried, she knew she couldn't stop Hyūga Shigeo.
"Lady Hongyan, who was that man?" Jade asked curiously.
Hongyan frowned slightly, not answering right away. She handed them a sealed packet.
"Go find him. Complete the mission together. If anything happens, contact me immediately. You're closest to the western branch in the Land of Water—if you're overwhelmed, call Zabuza and Haku for backup."
"Yes, ma'am!" the two answered in unison.
…
Five days later.
When Jade and Ruri arrived in western Water Country and finally met the so-called Amo, they nearly choked on their anger.
Because this man—was on vacation.
On a sun-soaked beach, surrounded by blue waves and bikini-clad women, he lay under a parasol sipping an expensive glass of red wine. Two attendants in formal suits played soft music beside him, while exquisite food and flowers decorated the table.
It looked less like a field mission and more like a luxury advertisement.
"Amo! Your branch is this rich now? Blue Gate sent you to investigate, not to go on vacation!" Ruri shouted furiously.
"I'm spending my own money. Didn't touch the organization's funds or the nation's treasury. Why should you care?" Shigeo said lazily, taking another sip. He stretched, smiling faintly. "See? Not working really is comfortable."
He stood, still relaxed.
The two young women—around twenty, one with long green hair (Jade), the other with fiery red (Ruri)—were both striking and elegant in different ways.
Shigeo raised an eyebrow, threw on his shirt, and gestured. The three left the beach together.
"Where are the documents?" he asked, extending his hand.
Jade passed him a folder. "Amo, we only have one request. Don't drag us down. Oh, and what's your ninja rank?"
Shigeo thought for a moment. "Never took the Chūnin Exams. Joined a joint assessment as a kid once. Nobody ever told me I got promoted. So… I'll just assume I'm still a genin."
"You're a genin? Blue Gate doesn't even recruit genin anymore! Don't tell me you bought your way in?"
Seeing how casually he spent money, both women sighed in disbelief.
"Maybe. Who knows?"
He ignored their skepticism and began scanning the dossier carefully.
As expected, nearly all the missing Blue Gate agents were women—though a few men had vanished as well, with uncertain ties to the Orchid Sect.
Strange, Shigeo thought. Why target female ninja specifically?
The three went to a small restaurant to discuss.
If Shigeo were alone, he'd have already boarded a ship for the western sea to investigate directly. But with two companions—and so many unknowns—he needed to proceed carefully.
Reading swiftly, he finished reviewing all reports in minutes.
Ten agents missing: five in Water Country, two in the Land of Hot Springs, three vanished mid-investigation, and two lost near West Island in Nanmo's Chashu Province.
Their fates were unknown, but all evidence pointed toward the western coastal region of Water Country.
The coastline stretched for hundreds of kilometers, and no precise location was known.
But Shigeo was sure it wasn't in the south or far west—he had already checked both in the past five days without hearing a single report of kidnappings.
"Head north," he said.
"Why should we follow you? Hongyan-sama said to cooperate, not to obey you!" Jade snapped.
"You don't know what teamwork means? If I weren't too lazy to use a female clone, I wouldn't even need you two." Shigeo slipped the documents into a scroll and walked out of the restaurant.
"Hey! How can you talk like that? We're from headquarters. Rank-wise, you're beneath us! I say we head south along the coast—"
"I already checked the southern route."
"I don't believe you! From what we saw, you probably spent those days ogling women instead of investigating!" Ruri shot back.
"Suit yourselves. I'll move according to my own plan."
He left them behind, following the coast northward.
As he advanced, the population thinned. The distant fishing towns gave way to quiet bays, yet the occasional city still thrived—bright lights glimmering over the water.
Eventually he reached a place called Moon City.
Built within a vast valley, it had no walls—just a sprawling crescent-shaped layout glowing with the light of thousands of homes, truly living up to its name.
At the outskirts, Shigeo stopped by a local restaurant for a meal.
"Shigeo?"
The sudden voice startled him. He looked up to see three people sitting in the corner—all wearing sunglasses.
The eldest, around forty or fifty, was none other than Hyūga Hiashi, the clan head. Beside him sat Hyūga Hikaru, Shigeo's old friend, and a third man he didn't recognize but whose features clearly marked him as another Hyūga.
"You? What are you doing here?" Shigeo approached.
Hikaru scratched his head, looking awkward. Their mission was classified, and he couldn't explain.
"I see," Shigeo said, understanding. "You're busy. I'll go eat over there."
"Wait, maybe we could—" Hikaru began, but stopped when Hiashi shot him a warning glance. They weren't here for leisure.
"Never mind," Hikaru said. "Next time, we'll have a drink together."
Shigeo nodded lightly, then sat at another table and ordered food.
At a nearby table, men were chatting loudly.
"Three days from now is the annual Sea Festival. Wonder how many beauties the great families will send this year?"
"The Seven Great Houses of Moon City each offer one maiden," another said. "Let's hope the Sea God is pleased this time. If not—another tsunami, and Moon City's finished."
Their words drifted through the restaurant, a faint omen of the danger waiting ahead.
(End of Chapter)
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