"What? You mean..."
Although Biwa Juzo did not finish his sentence, Raiga Kurosuki clearly knew what he wanted to say.
He merely gave an almost imperceptible nod.
That left Biwa Juzo truly torn.
On one hand, he feared the overwhelming pressure brought by Pain. On the other, he also longed to return to the current Kirigakure.
Especially after hearing Raiga Kurosuki's subtle hint just now, the thoughts Biwa Juzo had buried deep within his heart were stirred up once more.
Seeing Biwa Juzo's struggle, Raiga Kurosuki no longer had any intention of fighting.
"So? Juzo, want to try coming back?"
Grinning, Raiga Kurosuki continued trying to lure Biwa Juzo in.
As for Biwa Juzo, he was clearly still undecided.
That much could be seen from the expression on his face.
After a long silence, Biwa Juzo finally spoke again.
"Even if Mizukage-sama is still willing to accept me back, how would the people in the village see me?
They would only think that when Kirigakure was still struggling to rebuild, I contributed nothing, but now that it has developed, I have the nerve to crawl back.
Heh, isn't that ironic?"
By the end, Biwa Juzo wore a self-mocking smile.
The human heart was the most unpredictable thing.
If Biwa Juzo truly returned to Kirigakure now, even if Soji suppressed some of the gossip, there would definitely still be people pointing fingers behind his back.
Rather than endure that needle-pricking feeling every day, he might as well remain a rogue ninja and live freely.
"Oh? Is that so? But no one ever said you were only returning to Kirigakure now!"
Raiga Kurosuki looked at the bitter-faced Biwa Juzo with a faint smile and spoke mysteriously.
"Hm? Raijin, what do you mean?"
This time, Biwa Juzo was completely confused.
What did he