Konan saw that Uzuki Yugao, this "sister," wasn't going to press it, and if she kept picking at it, wouldn't that make her look petty.
But thinking about how she'd been alone in the room last night, while Aoba and that Anko…
She felt a little uncomfortable inside again.
"By the way, I might have to go out on a mission with Anko-nee again in a couple days," Aoba suddenly said at this moment.
"Hm?"
Before anyone could press further, he hurriedly explained, "After Anko-nee's curse mark was removed, she remembered one of Orochimaru's human experiment bases. There are probably still people continuing human experiments there. We're planning to go check it out together."
"…"
Everyone fell silent. Hearing the words "human experiment" made their hearts involuntarily shiver.
After a long silence, Uzuki Yugao softly said, "Then you two must be careful."
"Mm."
Aoba nodded. Anko's matter was temporarily over for now.
As for the rest, they'd have to wait until tonight to make it up.
He looked at the somewhat downcast Karin and took her hand. "Karin, tell me about your commission this time."
"Oh."
Karin answered gruffly. Hearing that Aoba would go out with Anko alone in a few days, she was very displeased.
Everyone knew Anko had feelings for Aoba.
After this, her Aoba-nii might be completely devoured.
But after hearing Aoba's words she still began to tell of this mission.
"Our commission this time is to investigate a samurai ghost in the Land of Birds."
"Ghost?"
"Do ghosts really exist in this world?"
Temari asked with a surprised expression.
Karin: "Of course not. That 'ghost' is the daimyo of the Land of Birds in disguise."
"Eh?", Temari was a bit stunned.
Aoba asked, "And then?"
"How to say it…"
Karin scratched her hair, "The relationships here are complicated…"
She carefully sorted it out in her mind before speaking.
"Simply put, the former daimyo of the Land of Birds died, and the daimyo's heir, the daimyo's son Sagi, was assassinated. So Sagi's younger sister, Toki, in order to find the murderer and take revenge, took on her brother's identity to become the daimyo of the Land of Birds, and at the same time disguised herself as a ghost samurai to look for the killer."
"That really is quite complicated."
Aoba nodded, "So what was the final result?"
He felt this commission was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember clearly.
It seemed like there really had been a ghost.
"In the end, our task of investigating the samurai ghost turned into helping Toki find the killer."
"Did you find the killer?", Temari asked instinctively; she rarely took commissions like this in the Sand Village.
When teamed with Gaara and the others, commissions were all about killing.
"Of course we found them. The assassin who killed the former daimyo Owashi and Sagi's killer turned out to be a high monk of the Land of Birds. He colluded with wandering ninja to try to seize the Land of Birds' power, but in the end we knocked them all down."
Karin wore a proud expression.
"Amazing! Karin, you and your team basically saved a country this time."
Aoba sincerely praised.
Karin's smile grew wider, "We even became good friends with the current daimyo of the Land of Birds, Toki. She said when she has time she'll come to Konoha to visit us, and I'll introduce you all then."
"We'll look forward to it."
Aoba patted Karin's head; she seemed to have recovered her mood.
"Uh…"
Karin hesitated, then added, "Aoba-nii, you don't need to meet her."
"…"
Aoba regarded Karin with a deep look, pondering whether to bonk her on the head.
"Your mission actually sounds a bit like Aoba and the others'," Temari spoke up, timely rescuing Karin.
"Eh?", Karin was stunned.
Aoba stroked his chin to compare, "It really is similar."
"But we went to the Snow Country…"
He once again rehashed the details of the Snow Country mission.
"Princess Gale!"
Karin's eyes lit up.
"Aoba-nii, your mission sounds more interesting."
"Actually it's nothing special."
Aoba smiled, and he suddenly noticed Temari's expression.
"Temari, go to the training field tomorrow morning."
"Hm?"
Temari didn't expect to be mentioned, "Is something up?"
Aoba said, "While I'm out on the mission with Anko-nee these days, Kurenai-nee will be missing somebody. You don't have anything planned for that time, do you?"
Temari's eyes flickered slightly; she understood his meaning, nodded, and smiled, "Understood. I'll be there on time."
"Aoba-nii, let's go hang out this afternoon?", Karin suddenly interjected.
Aoba glanced at Uzuki Yugao and Konan's faces and nodded in agreement.
"Okay."
———
Aoba hadn't expected that just after coming home he'd have to go out again.
He had already prepared to tough it out at home.
The Uzumaki bloodline gave him enormous chakra and nearly inexhaustible energy.
Plus the existence of the sealed space, he could keep himself ready for battle almost constantly.
Still, being able to gloss over last night's matter so easily was pretty good.
"Where does Karin want to go play?", Aoba asked.
Karin put on a thinking face.
"First to the cosmetics store. When I came back I heard a new perfume was on the shelves."
Karin didn't have many hobbies. Collecting perfumes was her one pastime.
"Okay."
All the way, Karin hopped and skipped.
With her right hand holding Aoba's hand, swinging, her idle left hand moved without rhythm.
She seemed very happy.
But while walking the shopping street, her expression suddenly drooped.
"Karin, why do you look unhappy?"
The cherry-haired girl's face showed puzzlement; she leaned slightly forward. Under her pleated skirt her thighs were straight, black stockings wrapping her calves, ending at her ankles, finally tucked into her small shoes.
She wore a short-sleeve knit top, exposing a strip of snowy pale arm.
"Sakura, what are you doing here?", Karin forced a smile.
Sakura bashfully tucked a pink strand of hair behind her ear, "I was going to look for Ino, but I found Ino hasn't returned from her mission yet."
As she said that, her eyes didn't blink from staring at Aoba.
'Liar!', Karin's inner roar saw through the clumsy excuse at a glance.
Ino's house isn't even on the way here, and she was dressed so showy.
There was no way it was a coincidence.
"Since that's the case, then let's go window-shopping together."
Aoba also saw through it, but since they'd run into Sakura, he couldn't pretend not to notice.
"Okay!"
Ignoring Karin's resentful look, Sakura happily walked the other way and took Aoba's hand.
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