Tamaro: I Can't Run Away

Tamamo-no-Mae returning to Tamamoya, she immediately took off her cloak and handed it to the maid who came to greet her.

As she walked, she opened the intelligence scroll she had brought from the warehouse, her eyes quickly scanning the few lines of text before she ordered without looking up, "Go, prepare tea and snacks, and call my brother."

The subordinate stood still, looking somewhat troubled. "Lady Tamamo-no-Mae, Lord Tamaro is not here right now."

Tamamo-no-Mae paused, turning to look at him. "Didn't we tell him to go find your sister-in-law? He shouldn't be this slow, should he?"

The subordinate lowered his head, stammering and unable to answer.

So, what is Tamaro doing?

He was crouching behind a cluster of Camellias about half his height at the street corner, using the cloth banners held up by the shopkeepers above his head to conceal his figure, and staring at the three people in front of him from a distance.

Zhen walked in the middle, holding the baby who occasionally whimpered in her arms.

Enma was walking to her left, talking to her.

Luotai was on the far right, occasionally glancing back as if checking to see if anyone was following him.

The three of them were completely unaware of him.

Tamaro had a tough time following along.

It wasn't because they were particularly vigilant, but because the more he followed, the more uneasy he felt.

He only wanted to find an opportunity to call Zhen back, but for some reason, he always fell just short.

Either a bullock cart happens to cut in between, or a group of tourists suddenly squeezes past him, or the child suddenly starts crying, and the three of them stop and form a circle around him, and he feels too embarrassed to go up and talk to him in that situation.

So it was delayed again and again, and that's how it turned out.

Tamaro squatted behind the flower bushes, wiped his face, and began to question the meaning of life.

He, the most capable debt collector in the Hiroyama Family, once single-handedly stopped five hundred people, helped Hiroyama Takebu seize Yuhara Pleasure Quarter, and was a formidable figure who contributed to the rise of the Hiroyama Family. Now, he follows three little devils like a voyeur, but dares not show his face.

Why is that?

The more he thought about it, the more humiliated he felt, and he wanted to just leave. But he was afraid that something might happen to the girl who had confessed her feelings to him in public, so he could only follow her silently.

The direction the three were heading in seemed increasingly familiar to Tamaro.

He silently went through the route in his mind and guessed that they were probably going to one of the Hiroyama Family's strongholds.

He knew that area very well. Rather than showing up now, he would rather wait until they arrived before making arrangements for the children and taking Zhen with him.

With that thought, he finally felt a little more at ease and continued to follow at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The three people in front stopped again.

The baby hummed twice, its little mouth opening and closing, its little head turning restlessly back and forth in the swaddling clothes.

Zhen gently patted his back and asked uncertainly, "Did you poop again?"

Enma leaned in and sniffed, then breathed a sigh of relief, "No, it shouldn't be this time."

"Then why is it escalating again...?" I'm really at a loss.

A woman selling vegetables happened to be passing by and saw them bustling around a small swaddled baby. She couldn't help but stop and peek over. "Oh dear, is this child hungry? Have you only fed him rice cereal?"

Enma nodded. "We don't have anything else to feed him."

The woman looked closer at the baby's lips and face, and sighed with certainty, "Feeding only rice cereal won't work. This child is too young. He won't get enough nutrition from that alone, and problems will arise in the long run."

"You'll need to find a wet nurse, or get some breast milk to feed them. If that's not possible, you'll have to strain the rice cereal even finer and mix it with sugar water to make do for now."

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Oh, you're welcome!" the woman waved her hand. "Although I'd love to help, I have to go now."

"Thank you so much!"

After the woman left, Luotai stared at the child thoughtfully. "So, once we get there, the first thing we'll do is find a wet nurse."

"Taking care of children is so difficult," Enma sighed.

She pulled the child closer to her. "He's just a little kid, he can't even talk yet, right?"

As she spoke, she gently wrinkled her nose at the baby.

The baby seemed drawn to her expression, slowly stopping its whimpering, its little mouth moving twice before falling silent again.

I couldn't help but laugh, "See, he understood."

Enma gave Dead-Fish Eyes: "I think he's just tired of crying."

Luotai smiled, said no more, and led them back towards the stronghold.

Tamaro continued to follow from a distance.

He was confident that he could appear naturally once he arrived at the destination, but unexpectedly, problems arose on the way.

"But where are we going to find a wet nurse?" Zhen asked.

Luotai thought for a moment and said, "You can find them in many places. You can ask around near clinics, farmers' markets, or even Izakayas. The women who work there are usually older and married, and they'll help the children if they can."

"I'm serious, you really do know everything." Enma clicked her tongue. "I've wanted to ask you this before, where do you get so many connections?"

Luotai waved his hand, his tone casual. "Well, it's from changing jobs. I used to do all sorts of things, and the more you do, the more you naturally know about everything."

Enma drawled out an "Eh."

Zhen chimed in, "We have similar operations over there, going to different places to carry out missions while disguising ourselves as Ordinary People to gain experience. Doesn't your clan have such missions?"

Enma thought for a moment and said, "Besides staying at home studying Formations, I also go out to do business with merchants."

Luotai immediately retorted, "You damn genius, you sound like you have it so easy."

Enma exploded. "Yeah, right! Do you know how tiring it is to argue with people? Those people are full of tricks. I'd rather be a waiter; at least I wouldn't have to rack my brains to prevent them from setting traps for me."

"Are you talking about me? I'm so hurt." Luotai feigned a hurt expression.

Enma looked at him with disdain. "Can you stop pretending to be pitiful?"

"But the person you're handing over the reins to, isn't it me?"

"You weren't the only one! And you have the nerve to say that, looking all big and burly, but you set me up from the start."

"Oh, I already apologized and made it up to you."

Enma gave him Dead-Fish Eyes: "You think you can offset the profits you made by treating me to a meal? That's a lot—"

Luotai groaned and tightened his grip on the red-haired youth's neck. "Don't be so stingy! I've always given you reasonable prices for our future collaborations, haven't I? It proves we're still good brothers, right?"

Enma's eyes rolled back as he was being choked. "Who! Is your brother! Let go! I can't breathe!"

Listening to them bickering, I couldn't help but laugh, "You two have such a good relationship."

"Hehe, thanks." Luotai said, releasing Enma's neck. Enma glared at him but didn't argue.

The three of them walked forward chatting and laughing, the atmosphere unusually relaxed.

Just then, the curtain of an Izakaya in front was suddenly lifted, and a lean man with black hair and black eyes walked out.

The scar on his face, running diagonally from his left eyebrow to his right cheekbone, was exceptionally conspicuous in the lantern light, causing Luotai to abruptly stop in his tracks.

The man also saw him, his eyes widening in surprise for a moment before quickly turning cold.

"You..." the man began, his voice like sandpaper scraping against stone.

Luotai's eyelids twitched, and he blurted out, "Holy crap!"

Kuroo Sanjō stared at the dark-skinned man in front of him, the coldness in his eyes almost tangible.

He remembered it clearly; that face was the one his brother had been ordered to hunt down.

A middleman who isn't even a proper Ninja, despite his strong physique, is slow-moving and seems unlikely to escape his brother's pursuit.

But his younger brother died, while this guy survived.

There are definitely helpers.

But that didn't stop him from taking his anger out on Luotai.

Kuroo smashed a jug of sake he had just taken from the Izakaya onto the ground, the sake and shards of porcelain exploding on the stone pavement. Then, he swung three Kunai from his back waist, aiming straight for Luotai's throat.

Luotai's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot.

Enma reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Luotai by the back of his collar and pulling him backward, while simultaneously pulling Kunai for the attack.

But the Kuroo Sanjō were much faster than them.

Enma stepped forward to block, Kuroo closed in and kicked Enma squarely in the chest.

Enma grunted and flew to the side, crashing into a roadside stall, causing bamboo baskets and wooden boxes to clatter all over the ground.

Kuroo didn't even glance at the person he kicked away; his hand went straight for Luotai's neck.

In that instant, Luotai could even feel the wind stirred up by those five fingers.

Just then, a flying kick came from the side, knocking Kuroo's hand away and forcing him to take three steps back.

Tamaro stood in front of Luotai, holding the old sickle across his chest, his face contorted with a ferocity reminiscent of a wild beast.

"Friend, it's best not to make a move on someone else's property."

"Tamaro..." Kuroo spat, "I've heard of your name. This is none of your business. This is a personal grudge between me and that black guy. If you step aside now, I might spare your life."

Tamaro laughed, "Aren't you being a little too confident?"

"It seems you intend to see this through to the end."

Luotai helped Enma up from the wood, and Zhen ran over and stood beside him. "Are you alright?"

Enma clutched his chest, his face pale, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'm fine."

Tamaro slung the scythe across his shoulder, turned his head, and whispered to the three people behind him, "Miss Zhen, please bring your companions with you."

Zhen held the child and looked at Tamaro with concern, wanting to say something.

"Let's go." But Luotai grabbed Zhen's arm without saying a word, and the three of them retreated into the depths of the alley.

She was pulled along for a couple of steps, and even looked back once.

Kuroo Sanjō didn't chase after him, because Tamaro was standing right in front of him, like a rock wall growing out of the ground.

Kuroo slowly bent down, pulled out two more Shuriken from his back, his knuckles opening and closing, his eyes fixed on Tamaro: "If you can stop me for three moves, I'll turn around and leave."

Tamaro chuckled, a smile that looked particularly chilling against his face covered in black spots, "If you're still alive after three moves, then I'll admit my incompetence."

Kuroo's expression changed.

He charged forward suddenly like a candle flame blown out by the wind, and three Shuriken first, blocking Tamaro's left, center and right paths.

Instead of retreating, Tamaro advanced, twirling his scythe in front of him to deflect two Shurikens. The third shurikens grazed his earlobe, severing a few strands of his hair.

Kuroo closed in immediately, his Kunai piercing straight into Tamaro's waist and abdomen.

Tamaro stepped aside, his scythe slashing downwards. Kuroo leaned back to avoid it, the blade just barely grazing his nose.

The two exchanged a few blows.

Kuroo was incredibly fast and moved with unpredictable agility, like a snake slithering close to the ground.

But Tamaro's every strike was powerful and heavy, forcing him to not dare to take them head-on.

After several rounds, Kuroo finally found an opening and swung his Kunai at Tamaro's throat.

Tamaro spun his scythe and severed the wrist, then kicked Kuroo in the chest.

Before Kuroo could even scream, it was sent flying backward, crashing into the alley wall and knocking off several pieces of plaster.

He coughed twice, gripped his bleeding wrist tightly, stood up, and looked at Tamaro with a mixture of shock and anger.

Tamaro slowly walked towards him, the soles of her shoes crunching over the shards on the ground. The only sound on the road was Kuroo's suppressed breathing.

"It seems you do have some skill, actually managing to spar with me," Tamaro said. "But that's all. If you dare to make a move in public, you should be prepared to pay the price."

Kuroo's face twitched repeatedly from the pain.

His severed wrist was still gushing blood, and his whole body was trembling violently, but his eyes were fixed on Tamaro as if they were poisoned.

He slowly moved backward, his back against the wall, and reached for his Ninja Tool Pouch at his waist with his still-mobile hand.

Seeing this, Tamaro quickened his pace.

But Kuroo was faster; he pulled a Smoke Bomb from his Ninja Tool Pouch and threw it on the ground.

Thick white smoke exploded, engulfing the entire street.

Almost simultaneously, Tamaro rushed into the smoke, his scythe slashing horizontally, the blade creating a sharp whistling sound as it passed through the white smoke.

He struck something; it felt solid, like he'd cleaved half of its body in two.

But then, the "body" suddenly flashed with blinding Lightning Release, and crackling electricity shot up his arm along the scythe.

Tamaro's pupils contracted, and he was thrown backward, taking several steps back.

The Lightning Release struck his clothes and exploded, blasting a charred crater into the alleyway floor.

After the smoke cleared, only a pool of dark red blood and a few pieces of fabric, curled up by the Lightning Release, remained on the spot.

The Kuroo Sanjō have disappeared.

Tamaro shook his wrist, which was still numb from the electric shock, glanced down at the white smoke still rising from the sickle, and let out a very soft "tsk" from his throat.

He didn't chase after them.

That guy has already lost an arm. As long as he doesn't have a way to hide it, he'll be able to find the person sooner or later in this area.

The Hot Spring Street was busiest in the afternoon, but after what had just happened, the crowd dispersed like startled birds.

Many people hid behind the shelves, peering in this direction and whispering to their companions, their eyes filled with apprehension.

Chasing him now might provoke him into using Ninjutsu in desperation. Although there are quite a few powerful figures here, it's best to avoid causing trouble.

He sheathed his knife and chased after the three people who had disappeared in the alley. Just as he entered the alley, he almost bumped into a staggering figure running out.

It's true.

Upon seeing him, Zhen's eyes widened suddenly, and she rushed over to grab his sleeve. "Mr. Tamaro! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Tamaro asked. "What about the other two?"

"Enma has fainted. I didn't Ninja Luotai, so I left him to watch the child and didn't let him come over," Shin said. "Where's that person?"

"They got away," Tamaro said calmly. "I cut off one of their arms; they can't have gone far. Oh, by the way, I have to take you with me."

After letting out a sigh of relief, she was stunned. "Huh? Why?"

"My sister went to the villa where your clan lives this morning and found that you had climbed over the wall and run away, so we decided to let you live in that shabby place instead."

Hearing this, Zhen smiled and said, "I thought it was something serious. Thank you, but I can't move out of there."

Tamaro frowned. "Why? They treated you very badly, and I did something bad to them too. If you go back..."

"That is, after all, my people," Zhen said softly. "Although I admire you, I cannot expect you or anyone else to protect me for the rest of my life."

"My people are still my family. I can't abandon them. I have to go back."

Tamaro stared at Zhen Bai's fair face, bewildered and confused, "But..."

"I cannot run away, just as Samurai cannot run away from his final battle; I must fight for myself. But I still thank you for your help."

Zhen bowed to him, then straightened up and smiled at him, "But if you really want to help me, then take a look at Enma's injuries first."