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Konoha Commercial Street.

"Meeting is fate. I offer this string of prayer beads to you, benefactor. I hope you will perform more good deeds."

A middle-aged woman on the street accepted the prayer beads offered by the monk standing across from her.

"Then thank you, Master..."

When the middle-aged woman looked up, the monk had already vanished into the crowd.

She shook the exquisite string of prayer beads in her hand, her face blooming with delight.

"Looks like I'm pretty lucky."

Just as she was about to head home, a masked Anbu suddenly dropped from the sky.

"Stop!"

As a Konoha resident, she naturally recognized the Anbu.

The middle-aged woman nervously stopped moving. "Sir, is something the matter?"

The Anbu took the prayer beads and inspected them from top to bottom. After discovering that they were merely ordinary prayer beads, he returned them to her.

"Routine inspection. Nothing's wrong. You may go."

Outside Konoha Hospital.

"May Buddha bless you. Whether we are fated or not, I offer this item to you, benefactor."

"Thank you, Master."

A freckled woman received a string of prayer beads from a monk.

Several such incidents had occurred throughout Konoha.

They were all monks who had come along with Jirō.

Anbu personnel had specifically inspected them. They were merely ordinary prayer beads, so they paid them no further attention.

Kakashi Hatake's home.

Kakashi stood beneath a tree with his eyes slightly closed, his posture relaxed.

A breeze swept past, sending a great number of leaves fluttering down behind him.

Kakashi's eyes snapped open. His short blade left its sheath, streaks of blade light flashing continuously.

Hah...

After a single breath, Kakashi sheathed his blade.

Kakashi crouched down and carefully inspected the leaves on the ground. More than half had been cut in two.

Yet