Two days later, a dusty and travel-worn Kechi arrived at the Fire Country's most prosperous street.
Tanzaku Town.
In this place, saying people spent a thousand gold pieces daily was probably an understatement.
According to rumors, at least one percent of the Fire Country's entire wealth flowed through here.
You could imagine just how loaded these people were.
Which naturally gave birth to plenty of shady businesses.
If she hadn't fled the capital in such a rush, leaving her short on supplies, Kechi never would've come here.
In her half year in the ninja world, Kechi hadn't seen a single woman who could compare to her current appearance.
Coming to this place was just asking for trouble.
Ugh!
Life was cruel, and Kechi was miserable.
Looking at the street ahead, Kechi raised her hand and passed it over her face without touching.
Instantly, that stunning beauty became hazy and blurred.
Then she pulled out a handful of glowing powder from her clothes, sprinkled it over herself, and whispered...
"Invisible."
In an instant, her body began disappearing inch by inch. Her outline faded as if drawn in pencil and erased completely by an invisible hand.
From Kechi's perspective, she still stood in place. She could still see her own body and hands.
But to anyone else, nothing was there.
At her current sequence and spirituality level, she could maintain invisibility for twenty minutes maximum without fighting.
If she needed to preserve combat ability, that time would be even shorter.
She wondered if a sensory-type ninja could detect her while invisible.
Looked like she'd need to be extra careful and finish things quickly.
Glancing at the street right in front of her, Kechi smiled faintly and jogged inside.
The street bustled with activity. People came and went, and shops of all kinds lined both sides.
Some sold ninja tools, others medicinal herbs, some displayed gorgeous clothing, and various specialty food stalls filled the air with mouthwatering aromas.
Of course, the most numerous were the gambling dens and brothels.
Such a shame. Having lost her beloved second brother, now she could only look on with envy.
Kechi shook her head helplessly, weaving past the flirtatious women and entering a general store on the side of the street.
The shop owner was a chubby middle-aged man currently dozing behind the counter.
Perfect timing!
Kechi quickly grabbed the items she needed, placed several ten-yen bills on the counter, then ran out.
She had to pay something. The guy was running a business, after all. Whether it was enough or not, well, she had no idea.
Pfft.
That faint sound jolted the owner awake.
He stared at the bills on the counter in confusion, glanced around, scratched his head, pocketed the money, and went back to dozing.
Moments later, Kechi had already taken her items to a small alley and released her invisibility.
Instantly, a graceful female figure appeared in the alley.
Next up: getting some food.
The alley reeked of dampness, its walls covered in moss.
Kechi wrinkled her nose, but didn't go invisible again.
After all, completely draining her spirituality could cause physical problems, and she wouldn't handle sudden situations well.
Keeping about half in reserve should be fine.
Kechi examined herself.
After two days of traveling, she was filthy.
She didn't want to wash up, and it wasn't convenient anyway. Keeping this beggar-like appearance was actually pretty good.
At least she wouldn't run into the same kind of trouble she'd faced in the capital.
So annoying.
Kechi grabbed some mud from the ground and smeared it on her face, casually spreading it around with her hand.
The damp earth spread across her cheeks, vaguely carrying a foul odor.
Her previously dust-covered, pretty face instantly became grimy, blending with the surrounding environment.
Kechi looked at her current appearance with great satisfaction.
More like a beggar now.
Only one problem remained: her figure was too good.
Curves in all the right places.
From behind, her graceful, swaying form could stir anyone's imagination with every movement.
Sigh.
Limited options. This was the best she could do.
She couldn't exactly cut off those bits of flesh. That'd be way too extreme.
After adjusting her stain-covered clothing and carefully hiding her purchases, Kechi headed out of the alley.
Head down, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.
She'd barely stepped out when she spotted a group of beggars gathered together by the street.
The beggars had been lazily sunbathing and chatting with each other, their broken ceramic bowls carelessly tossed aside.
But when their gazes casually swept over Kechi, they instantly froze as if hit by a binding spell. All movement stopped abruptly.
Then their eyes simultaneously blazed with a mix of greed and amazement.
"Oi oi, look at that! New arrival? Never seen her before!"
"What a body! Way better than all the others!"
"I call first dibs!"
"You always go first! Let me have a turn this time!"
"Because I'm the boss of this area, so obviously I go first!"
"..."
The group quickly stood up, blocking Kechi at the alley entrance.
Leading them was a tall beggar with hair like a bird's nest, face splotched with black and gray, clothes torn into strips of fabric barely hanging on his body.
Those cloudy eyes stared directly at Kechi. The corner of his mouth curved into a malicious smile, revealing rotted teeth in shades of black and yellow.
"New here? Paid your protection fee yet?"
"Doesn't matter if you haven't. I'm really generous!"
As he spoke, the beggar extended his filth-covered hand, eagerly reaching to touch Kechi.
Disgust flashed in Kechi's eyes. She dodged to the side and shouted angrily.
"Want to die? Get lost!"
However, the beggars completely ignored her rebuke. Instead, as if their desire had been ignited even stronger, they boldly pressed closer.
"Ahh, what a lovely voice! I'm ready!"
"What a waste!"
"Don't be scared. All new beggars gotta pay protection fees, but I'll definitely protect you."
"Hehehe!"
"..."
They quickly surrounded Kechi, spewing all kinds of vulgar filth from their mouths, not taking her earlier threat seriously at all.
These goddamn bastards!
Kechi's hands unconsciously clenched into fists. The rage in her heart had reached its peak.
She was ready to follow them into the alley and scatter these trash's ashes to the wind.
Just then, a thunderous shout suddenly rang out.
"Stop right there!"
The voice exploded like thunder beside everyone's ears, carrying undeniable authority and power.
The beggars jolted at the sudden roar, instinctively stopping their movements and turning toward the source of the sound.
In the distance, a tall young woman strode toward them.
Golden hair shimmered brilliantly under the radiant sunlight. Her loose top couldn't hide her magnificent figure.
When the wind blew, it only emphasized her voluptuous, full form even more.