Seeing Kakashi's serious expression, Tianyin suggested they first clean up the scene and then return to the client's house to talk.
Although Kakashi was anxious, he knew Tianyin was right.
After cleaning the battlefield, everyone returned to Tazuna's house first. That night, once everyone was asleep, Kakashi and Tianyin quietly went to the forest outside the house.
"You're really impatient. Your injuries are quite serious too; I wouldn't mind waiting another night if needed."
Tianyin's tone was relaxed. Even though much time had passed since leaving Orochimaru's base, she appeared in no hurry at all.
Her current relationship with Orochimaru is delicate, and their strength is on equal footing.
Tianyin's journey to the Land of Sea can last until Orochimaru actively seeks her out.
That will be when the Konoha Crush officially begins, or when Orochimaru must rely on Tianyin's power.
For example, assassinating the Fourth Kazekage.
Tianyin estimated she still had about two to three days.
If any special changes occurred during this period, the snake she had pre-hidden at the base for communication would find her via Summoning, and she could instantly return using the Reverse Summoning Technique.
Kakashi shrugged and smiled, saying, "Can't help it. The thought that a young girl might need help makes it hard for me to sleep peacefully."
This made Tianyin laugh, using her original voice.
"What a lovely voice. Don't suppress it in the future; be careful it doesn't affect your vocal cords."
After Kakashi finished speaking, Tianyin continued with a voice full of amusement:
"A line from the second volume of icha icha paradise."
Kakashi's face instantly flushed red. This was far too embarrassing. He never expected to have the origin of the line pointed out by his teacher's daughter.
But... "It's still too early for you to read that kind of thing." Kakashi's expression became slightly more serious.
"Too late. I've read the entire published series. Honestly, it's quite interesting."
As she spoke, Tianyin removed her mask and hood.
Under the starlight, Kakashi gazed intently at the girl. Her vibrant red hair was striking, her eyes the same deep blue as Naruto's, her face seventy percent reminiscent of Kushina, with a thirty percent resemblance to Minato.
At this moment, all his doubts vanished.
This beautiful girl was indeed the daughter of his teacher, Minato Namikaze, and Naruto's sister.
Disguise? Plastic surgery?
Kakashi's reputation was well-known.
"Excellent. It's a shame to hide such a pretty face."
Kakashi's eyes brimmed with joy, his smile reaching them.
Seeing Kakashi like this, Tianyin couldn't help but laugh again.
"Alright, that's enough. You shouldn't copy things from books blindly. You're the one who should read less and interact more with real women."
This made Kakashi immediately adopt an evasive expression, causing Tianyin to shake her head.
In her mind flashed the scene from boruto where Kakashi, holding icha icha paradise, gave advice to Sasuke, which directly led to the "Little Peanut."
"Alright, let's end the jokes. We should get down to serious business."
Tianyin's expression turned serious with her words, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Kakashi couldn't help but sigh softly.
[Damn you, Danzo!]
Though his inner voice was calm, it carried genuine feeling.
He looked at Tianyin with a hint of sadness. Since guessing that "Jiu" was Tianyin, he had avoided thinking too deeply about certain things.
It was hard to imagine what a girl the same age as Naruto and Sakura had gone through to become so mature and possess such formidable power.
"Stop. Focus. I know what you're thinking, but what I'm about to say directly concerns the safety of a large number of lives in Konoha."
Tianyin's grave tone emphasized the seriousness of the matter, making Kakashi frown deeply.
As an experienced Jonin, Kakashi keenly sensed Tianyin's earnestness and switched to work mode, setting aside other emotions for now.
"First, because of this thing, I can't go into too much detail."
Tianyin pointed to her mouth.
A flash of anger crossed Kakashi's eyes before he nodded in understanding.
"Alright, point one: soon, I will be able to enter the Village openly in this form, but as a Ninja from another country."
Kakashi frowned slightly, then immediately understood:
"The Chunin Exams?"
Tianyin nodded slightly.
"Understood. Please continue."
Kakashi didn't ask which Village Tianyin represented; it was unnecessary.
If Tianyin was there, it meant that Village likely had issues.
"Point two: there are two people targeting the Third Hokage's life."
Kakashi's pupils constricted sharply, then he said:
"Understood. I will report this to the Third Hokage immediately. You can rest assured."
He was intelligent and quickly grasped Tianyin's current predicament and the constraints she faced.
Which side did Tianyin belong to? Why would she participate in the Chunin Exams as a foreign Ninja? The answer was obvious.
[Damn you, Danzo!]
Kakashi clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white.
If his earlier thoughts were a calm, albeit genuine, expression of common sense...
...now they were filled with killing intent and rage!
Seeing Tianyin's calm yet contemplative expression, Kakashi's tone softened again:
"Why not return to Konoha with us now? The Third Hokage will definitely resolve your issue personally."
Hearing this, Tianyin snapped out of her thoughts and quickly shook her head:
"The repercussions would be too severe. This isn't just a simple decapitation tactic..."
She paused briefly, seemingly careful with her words to avoid triggering the
Tongue Binding Seal
, then continued:
"...war, alliance. For Konoha, I will uphold the root's creed. We'll discuss the rest when I return."
Tianyin hinted at the methods of the other party.
And that after she returns to Konoha and they find a way to remove her Tongue Binding Seal, they can talk more.
[That's about all I can say. I've revealed intelligence, stance, and conviction. If the Third is truly righteous, this counts as an early merit. But if the Third is dark...]
Two possibilities.
One: The Third and Danzo are in cahoots. If Kakashi reports this, Danzo will know.
Although this possibility was low, as Danzo likely had no reason to deceive Tianyin.
But if this were the case, then the Third and Danzo's target would be Orochimaru.
Later, they would exploit Tianyin or deal with her.
Tianyin was not afraid of this.
This situation would be particularly easy to identify. At that point, she could label the entire Konoha leadership as enemies.
She still held the strength of the Sannin.
Two: The Third is the kind of black-hearted schemer.
Like described in some fanfiction:
Such as deliberately neglecting Naruto to test the loyalty of Minato's faction.
Deliberately spreading the news that Naruto is a Jinchuriki, causing the Village to ostracize him. Then, as the Hokage, he befriends Naruto, ensuring Naruto's unwavering loyalty.
And in order to consolidate his rule, deceiving the Senju Clan into carrying out high-risk missions, leading to their extinction; ordering the Anbu to backstab Kato; orchestrating the explosion that killed Senju Nawaki, causing Tsunade to develop hemophobia.
And so on.
[To be honest, based on the plot, such speculation is also quite plausible.]
Although Tianyin thought this, if the severity was dialed down, it was the most likely scenario.
In short, if this were the case, Tianyin would simply treat the Third as the Danzo of the original work.
And if it were this type, the Third would be overjoyed by her current actions.
Hearing Tianyin's refusal and reasoning, Kakashi couldn't help but lower his head.
As mentioned earlier, he was an intelligent man.
From the fragmentary intelligence Tianyin provided, he understood that if this were true, following through would bring immense benefits to Konoha.
Tianyin came here to test him, help him, going through such trouble. Could it be a deliberate ploy to mislead Konoha through him?
It was possible.
But Kakashi dismissed this in his heart.
Not only for emotional reasons, but also because if this were a ploy, it seemed rather clumsy.
Konoha would have ample time to investigate the situation.
Thus, he felt a sense of respect for Tianyin akin to a colleague, accompanied by intense worry and self-blame.
If back then... this girl, the same age as Naruto, wouldn't have had to tread so carefully.
"I understand. I have indeed received your intelligence. Leave the rest to us."
Kakashi solemnly promised.
"Yes, I believe in you."
The original work told Tianyin that Kakashi was the one most likely to turn to darkness, yet he never did.
These past few days of testing and interaction told Tianyin that he was a responsible, excellent Jonin who valued children's growth.
So Tianyin's belief was genuine and heartfelt.
"Before they actively contact me, I still have a little time. However, after finishing things here, I'd better leave tomorrow to prevent any unexpected incidents."
Tianyin murmured, looking towards Tazuna's house.
"He's really a troublesome little rascal. When he was little, he even used the living allowance the Third gave him to put makeup on the statues of the previous Hokages."
Kakashi seemed to understand what Tianyin's gaze meant and couldn't help but comment.
"Haha, that sounds quite fun. Want to try it with him when you get back?"
"You'll be responsible for cleaning it up yourselves then!"
"I'm quite confident in my Water Release."
"Are you serious?"
"Who knows?"
"It seems there will be another troublemaker soon."
During the relaxed chat, Tianyin put her mask back on, carefully tucked her hair under the hood, and once again became the mysterious "Jiu."
Kakashi watched Tianyin finish dressing, thought for a moment, and said in a low voice:
"Come back safely."
Hearing this, Tianyin was slightly taken aback, and the corners of her mouth under the mask quietly lifted.
"Okay."
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