Chapter 5 — At Odds
Humiliating the patrol ninja in front of his own teammates, Ryusuke had no doubt that the man might charge at him and fight to the death the very next second.
Ryusuke swallowed, bracing himself for a head-on clash.
Inside, he cursed, "That bastard Kuroiwa is really this arrogant. If it weren't to avoid exposing myself, why would I act like this?"
The patrol ninja glared at Ryusuke with eyes full of resentment, as if carrying a blood feud.
The brothel owner stood between them. Though her ample chest had been painfully squeezed earlier, she didn't dare move an inch.
The patrol ninja let out a cold snort. The hand gripping his sword hilt gradually loosened. He knew that if he didn't leave now, Ryusuke's next words would be even more unbearable.
"Let's go!"
He turned and left with his squad.
"Coward."
Ryusuke spat, his hand sliding downward from the fullness he had been gripping. The owner shuddered at the touch.
"I'm not done yet. Come upstairs with me," Ryusuke said.
The owner pleaded, "My lord, I'm not… convenient these past few days."
Ryusuke snorted coldly. "What bad luck. Forget it. No need to wake the one upstairs—let him wake on his own."
With that, he shoved the owner aside and staggered out of the brothel.
She clenched her teeth, wanting to curse him but not daring to.
Ryusuke wandered the streets for a while, confirming repeatedly that no one was following him.
After slipping into a remote alley, he quickly dispelled the Transformation Technique. He bought a few random items to maintain appearances before returning to his lodging.
---
Tsunade had never been one to sit still. Now that she had some time after finishing treatment, she paced back and forth inside the house.
Konan watched the restless Tsunade and finally gathered the courage to step forward.
"Big sister, Brother Ryusuke will definitely be fine. Don't worry. Let's fold some paper together."
She tried to ease Tsunade's anxiety with a game.
Tsunade stroked Konan's hair and forced a faint smile.
Just then, Ryusuke hurried in. Seeing the tension on his face, Tsunade immediately stood and approached him.
A faint fragrance clung to him, making her instinctively sniff the air.
"What happened?" She took his hand and patted it gently, signaling him to calm down.
Ryusuke smiled. "Nothing. Saw someone getting robbed on the way back. Good thing I ran fast."
He set down the items he had bought earlier beside Konan and Seiichi—paper sheets and illustrated booklets among them.
"These are for you. Thanks for taking us in."
"There's even a papercraft book Konan likes."
"This place is too dangerous. We're leaving today." He waved with a smile in farewell.
Tsunade froze slightly but didn't interrupt his decision.
The past few days had made her trust Ryusuke's judgment. She believed he would give her an explanation.
Konan had been smiling at the sight of the paper and booklets.
But when she heard they were leaving, she looked at the two of them with reluctant eyes.
People at the bottom of society often see others more clearly.
After two days together, seeing that Ryusuke still remembered to bring a gift for his daughter, Seiichi finally made up his mind.
"Wait, my lords! Could you take my daughter with you? She's very well-behaved. She never throws tantrums, and she eats very little."
Seiichi struggled upright and knelt on the bed as he begged.
Konan turned around, staring in horror at her father who was trying to give her away. Tears instantly welled up in her large eyes.
Her small face was flustered, her hands clutching the booklet tightly, her mind overwhelmed.
"I know you're ninja from another village. I can act as bait to draw this village's ninja away."
"I only ask that you treat Konan well."
"She's too young to stay in a place filled with this kind of chaos."
Seiichi kowtowed repeatedly, ignoring his daughter's attempts to hold him back—like a dying beast making one last stand to protect its young.
When Ryusuke heard that Seiichi had discovered their identities, his pupils visibly contracted.
He looked at Tsunade. This was no longer his decision to make.
Normally they posed as husband and wife, and he could decide matters.
But when it involved the mission, only the captain had the authority.
Tsunade looked at the weeping man and fell into conflict.
In principle, for the sake of the mission, she should kill the father and daughter in front of her to prevent any information leak.
But in this man, she saw a shadow of her grandfather, Hashirama Senju.
Their strength differed vastly, yet both were men who deeply cherished their children and descendants.
"For the mission… or…"
Her heart waged war with itself, chakra quietly gathering in her palm.
Ryusuke watched silently, saying nothing, though his own heart was unsettled.
"If everything can be sacrificed for a mission, then does my life—or even Tsunade's own life—count as part of those bargaining chips too?"
Ryusuke didn't have an answer.
But he believed that if Tsunade personally stripped innocent people of their lives, it would become a knot in her heart that could never be untied.
After a long while, Tsunade loosened her clenched fist, and the chakra in her palm dissipated.
"If there's a chance, we will."
She sighed. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to kill the two "informed parties."
Watching Tsunade and Ryusuke leave, Seiichi stopped kowtowing.
The man was overjoyed—he had secured a chance for his daughter to live.
He pulled Konan into his arms. Ignoring her tearful struggle, he spoke gently.
"Konan, you must be obedient. When those two return, listen to them the same way you listen to me, understand?"
---
Rain began falling again outside, lightning flashing as the sky turned dim and uncertain.
The two moved through the curtain of rain. Ryusuke was in surprisingly good spirits. He took Tsunade's hand and secretly traced coded words into her palm.
Ryusuke: I controlled a Chunin. From the information I obtained, I deduce that Amegakure plans to attack the Land of Iron, and afterward ignite a Shinobi World War.
Tsunade: Are you certain?
Her expression shifted from lingering sorrow to full seriousness.
Ryusuke: Ninety percent sure. There are far fewer patrol ninja on the streets today.
Ryusuke: And in that Chunin's memories, words like supplies, Land of Iron, and war appeared many times.
Ryusuke: We should return immediately and warn the higher-ups to prepare defenses.
Tsunade didn't respond right away.
After a moment, she slowly wrote back: Words alone aren't enough. Send the intelligence you mentioned back first and alert the old man.
Tsunade: If what you said is true, Amegakure's defenses should be weakened.
Tsunade: We move tonight. Get their ninja registry or battle deployment plans. We need to assess their troop strength.
Ryusuke's hand stiffened slightly.
He wasn't certain whether Hanzō of the Salamander had already taken action.
Having never fought Hanzō, Tsunade still didn't understand how terrifying he truly was.
Ryusuke quickly wrote in her palm: Even you, together with Orochimaru and Jiraiya, cannot defeat Hanzō right now. How do you plan to seize the registry from his hands?
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, pondering.
This kid doesn't speak without reason… but are we really going to return to the village with only his deductions?
If there's an error, the village's losses won't be something he alone can bear.