Chapter 281: Two Orphans
According to what Hinata knew so far, the two worlds most likely to be opened were a superpower world and an unknown world.
Among them, the superpower world held control over the passage to the ninja world, while the unknown world was opened by their own hands.
Based on the information provided by Ryosuke, the world Hyuga valued more in his planning was a mixed realm of superpowers, martial arts, technology, and more. If the Hyuga could gain access to that world, the knowledge absorbed would be immensely beneficial to the clan.
Unfortunately, even after a month of relentless searching, the Hyuga clan—despite going all out—still couldn't locate a single individual from that world. Not even one.
The overwhelming battle that once rocked the entire planet seemed to have scared all alien entities into hiding. No one dared to reveal their identity.
Those who possessed abilities not native to this world had completely concealed themselves, blending in seamlessly and adopting the guise of ordinary citizens. It had become nearly impossible to tell whether someone was from another world.
Even when Ryosuke personally acted and deployed large-scale perception techniques, nothing unusual was detected.
Perhaps only one or two individuals had crossed over. But in a vast ninja world populated by millions, that was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.
In the past, people like Shanks were exposed because they used powers foreign to this world, or because Ryosuke recognized them after they rose to positions of influence.
But now, these people had gone to ground, hidden by fear of overwhelming force. That made finding them exponentially harder.
Which meant... there was only one choice.
…
"Welcome."
In the eastern region of the Land of Hot Springs, near the border of the Land of Iron, a strange hot spring hotel received an unexpected visitor.
Hidan—his slicked-back hair, loose robe, and a sly smile like a seasoned merchant—stood at the counter. When he saw who had entered, his expression faltered.
"…It's you!"
Behind the counter, Hidan welcoming grin immediately vanished, replaced with stiff disbelief.
"I had a feeling you disgusting guy wasn't dead," Konan said coldly, removing her hat and setting it on the counter. Her eyes swept across the empty and desolate hot spring establishment. "Am I… your first guest?"
In a place like the Land of Hot Springs, known for its entertainment industry, hot spring inns were common. Despite the abundance, wealthy travelers from across the world came to soak and relax. Competition was high, but the market remained healthy—hot springs always had customers.
But somehow, Hidan's hot spring inn had broken that rule.
The interior was well-maintained, the floors polished and clean, showing signs of regular care. It was clear the owner took pride in running the place. The problem lay in the decor.
"This twisted statue in the center—its limbs bent like it died in agony—is your centerpiece?" Konan remarked dryly. "Fits your taste."
She glanced at him sideways. "If Kakuzu knew this was how you're doing business, he'd call you a disgrace."
"Don't mention that guy. Just hearing his name annoys me." Hidan groaned, rubbing his temples. "All he ever thought about was money, money, money. Even now, he won't leave me alone. Still haunts me in my dreams."
He paused, then added seriously, "Actually, my hot spring business isn't bad. There are plenty of people out there with strange tastes—especially those like me who believe in the Evil God. My followers aren't exactly few."
"But… I don't know why customers have been drying up lately."
He opened a cabinet and pulled out a small stack of coins, showing them off proudly.
"Oh?" Konan raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. She sat on a tall chair in front of the counter. "I passed through several towns on the way here—every inn had guests. Yours? It's as silent as a grave. Feels more abandoned than closed. You're seriously telling me business is usually good?"
"If you don't believe it, fine."
Hidan waved dismissively, resuming his count of coins. He didn't seem bothered by her doubt.
His calm demeanor caught Konan off guard.
The former lunatic… now running a hot spring?
"I just came to see an old friend," she said quietly, and her tone darkened. "There's no place left for me in this vast ninja world. I don't know where I belong anymore. I don't know what I should be doing."
"I figured… maybe you survived that battle because of your unique body. And I remembered this was your homeland. The Land of Hot Springs. So I came here… looking for you."
"…"
Hidan didn't respond immediately.
He understood her feeling well—because he shared it.
After that battle, after witnessing the clash of two god-like beings, Hidan had been utterly shaken. He no longer carried the same arrogance and madness that once defined him.
Back then, his body was broken and barely clinging to life. Lying there on the soil of the Land of Water, staring at the star-filled sky, he had watched it all unfold—Hyuga Ryosuke versus Uchiha Madara. A level of divine power beyond anything human.
Even with his so-called immortality, he knew those two could've ended him in ways far worse than death.
For the first time in his life, Hidan felt fear—genuine, bone-deep fear.
He hid on a remote island off the coast of the Land of Water, paralyzed by that fear. Even after the battle ended, the sky cleared, and the seas calmed… he didn't dare step foot back on the mainland.
Only after a long time had passed did he muster the courage to return.
And when he did, he reevaluated his entire existence. His past, his obsession with bloodshed—it all seemed like a madman's joke.
Eventually, he returned to the Land of Hot Springs. Lost and aimless, he inherited Kakuzu's will—not of greed, but of survival—and opened a hot spring inn.
Day by day, counting money instead of corpses, he slowly forgot the pleasure of killing and found strange comfort in honest business.
"You never thought of revenge?" Konan asked suddenly.
The words startled Hidan. He shivered.
"Wh-What? Are you kidding me? Even Nagato… he was just a pawn to those monsters. What could I possibly do?"
His voice softened, trembling as he looked down at the coins in his hand. "I'm just a believer in the Evil God… but those two… they're real gods."
After all, he had been Kakuzu's partner. He had access to far more information than most. He knew the terrifying truth of that battle.
"Heh… a pawn, huh?" Konan gave a bitter smile, then fell silent.
She seemed like she wanted to say something—but stopped herself.
How could she, a person with no goals and who had only ever followed others, have the right to refute?
"So, what are you going to do next?"
Konan asked again.
"Becoming a ninja… probably isn't much of an option."
Hidan spoke absentmindedly, unconsciously rubbing the coins in his hand. "I plan to just be a small-time boss here in this town. Lay low for a few years."
"We can't say every ninja in the world knows our identities, but most of them can recognize us. The moment we act like shinobi, we're at risk of exposure."
"As for the future… I'll deal with it when it comes."
He looked confused—lost. He truly had no idea where the road ahead would take him.
Sighing silently, Konan didn't press further. She simply sat there at the bar, quietly.
Hidan poured her a glass of wine without saying anything else.
In truth, the two of them had never been particularly close within the Akatsuki. They'd worked together as colleagues for nearly ten years, yet the number of times they'd actually spoken alone like this could be counted on one hand.
Still, despite the distance between them and the strangely emotional atmosphere, Konan made no move to leave.
And Hidan, for his part, made no effort to send her away.
Given the state of the world, the fragile, lingering bond between them might be the only connection they had left.
"…It's really quiet," Konan murmured.
Time passed slowly—one drank, the other counted coins.
Each time Konan emptied her glass, Hidan refilled it without a word. Eventually, two empty bottles sat quietly on the counter. No customers came in. No one disturbed them.
"Why don't I stay here and work for you?"
Konan suddenly turned her head toward Hidan.
Despite having consumed two bottles of strong alcohol, her mind was as clear as ever. The moment the alcohol entered her body, it was neutralized by chakra.
If she wanted to get drunk, she could. But she couldn't actually get drunk.
There was no place in the world that made Konan feel safe anymore.
Hidan was momentarily stunned before nodding.
"Up to you. But… I'm not paying you. I can cover food and lodging, though."
Konan replied calmly, "That's fine. I'm not short on money."
As long as she resold the detonating tags she had hidden on her, she could become wealthy enough to rival entire nations.
To her, money was just a number.
Hidan, who was still counting coins, froze mid-motion.
"Heh… Kakuzu would definitely curse you to death if he saw you now."
Glancing sideways at him, Konan responded coldly, "All the organization's funds… ended up in my hands."
"What?!"
Hidan's hand clenched instinctively, and the coin between his fingers bent with a snap.
…
"Those Kirigakure ninjas have already joined our side under Mei Terumi's command."
"For the first exploration of the other world, the clan plans to let Terumi Mei and her team participate. Besides them, others include Hyuga Souji, the old cat, and Hyuga Iroha…"
"As for any trace of those aliens from the superpower world…"
Just a street away from the odd hot spring hotel, ownership of a small house had recently changed hands.
Inside its quiet courtyard, Ryosuke sat cross-legged, calm and composed, ready to respond to any situation.
Beside him stood a Hyuga ninja, respectfully reporting the latest intel from the clan.
"We've still found no trace of those aliens. Not a single clue."
"If their arrival matched your prediction, then… it's highly likely they're merciless and left no survivors whenever they moved."
"I see."
Ryosuke nodded faintly, eyes remaining closed.
But his perception never left the hot spring hotel—more specifically, Hidan and Konan inside.
Since there was still no sign of the superpower world's intruders, Ryosuke couldn't afford to wait around aimlessly. Half a month ago, he left the Rain Country and came to the Land of Hot Springs, quietly positioning himself near Hidan's place to observe and wait for the space-time gate to open.
What surprised Ryosuke, though, was that initially, there had only been one person in that strange hot spring inn.
According to the predictions—and the rumors from locals—there were supposed to be two people in charge of the establishment.
A man, described as insane, constantly rambling about evil gods.
And a woman with short blue hair—not conventionally beautiful, but cold and imposing. Standing next to the man, the two looked like complete lunatics.
Two madmen, running a hot spring hotel…
Given their appearances and the setting in the Land of Hot Springs, Ryosuke had easily guessed who they were.
But when he first arrived two weeks ago, only Hidan was present. He'd thought perhaps he'd guessed wrong.
Now, with Konan's sudden appearance, events were finally aligning with the history Ryosuke remembered.
That meant… once the two of them revealed the existence of the space-time gate, the path to another world would finally open.
With that in mind, Ryosuke became even more cautious, meticulously observing them without interfering. One wrong move, and history could be altered. If that happened, the space-time gate might never open.
As for Hidan's failing business…
Well, that was entirely his own doing.
Ryosuke had absolutely not interfered.
Besides, the number of people around had no bearing on the space-time gate's activation.
In fact, business had initially been quite good. Many guests had come and gone. Some even praised the place.
But that was back when Hidan hadn't gone overboard with the decor. A light horror theme brought novelty. Some guests even enjoyed it.
Then Hidan made a fatal misjudgment—he assumed everyone shared his beliefs in evil gods.
He redesigned the interior in a full-blown horror style, placing grotesquely detailed mutilated statues around the lobby. The place began to resemble a slaughterhouse.
No normal person—not unless they were a lunatic like Hidan—could tolerate such a place.
"Master Ryosuke, I've finished delivering the Patriarch's requested intel."
The Hyuga ninja bowed slightly and stepped back, having finished his report.
"I'll take my leave—"
"Wait."
Just as he turned to leave, Ryosuke opened his eyes.
"I'll send you back to the Land of Rain myself. The distance is still—"
Before he could finish, his expression shifted.
A moment later—whoosh!
He vanished from sight, leaving the Hyuga ninja stunned.
The ninja barely had time to register what had just happened when—
Boom!
A thunderous sound echoed from just outside the courtyard—close, and followed by multiple panicked screams.
Eyes narrowing, the Hyuga ninja immediately vanished, moving toward the source.
In the next breath, he crossed the courtyard and appeared before the entrance of the hot spring hotel across the street.
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