Parting

Amei Free Information Office.

The drizzling rain was still falling, pattering sharply against the awning outside the window.

In the warm, dry room, on the spacious bed, Mizuguma covered his forehead and laboriously forced his eyelids open.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a ceiling he had never seen before.

He inhaled and caught a familiar yet unfamiliar scent.

He reached out. The left side felt strange—peaks rising in clusters. The right side felt strange too—flat as a plain.

Mizuguma frowned as he felt this unprecedented, novel sensation, his heart full of confusion.

This isn't right! I clearly remember finishing my final class with the children and returning to the office with Hei-kun. How did I end up in such a strange place? And when did I even fall asleep?

Could this be one of Hei's pranks?

Or was I kidnapped by ninja from an enemy village?

As a ninja with abundant theoretical knowledge, Mizuguma did not make any rash moves. Instead, he slowly narrowed his eyes and pricked up his ears, preparing to quietly gather some information.

It had to be said that this was a good habit. If he had been kidnapped by enemies, pretending to be unconscious would result in far less surveillance than being awake.

He adjusted his breathing and sensed his body.

Hmm! I don't feel restrained at all. The enemy is really underestimating me! They actually don't take a Special Jonin like me seriously.

He listened carefully.

Two sets of breathing, one on each side. Both soft and slow—they should be asleep. Heh, these kidnappers were completely unprofessional.

Suddenly, Mizuguma's brow furrowed slightly beneath his pretended unconsciousness, and his heart tensed.

No! The enemy hasn't let their guard down. Why is my body so weak?! Especially my legs—why are they so limp?! Why is there so much less Chakra in my body?!

Damn it, whoever kidnapped me must have fed me some strange drug to suppress my body! How cunning!

Grinding his teeth, Mizuguma enthusiastically extended his regards to the female members of his kidnappers' ancestral line.

No, I have to save myself!

At that thought, Mizuguma decided not to wait any longer. While the enemy was still asleep, he would make a break for it!

No sooner thought than done.

Mizuguma drew in his abdomen, intending to first slip out of the pincer formation of the two kidnappers beside him, then widen the distance and settle things with ninjutsu.

After all, taijutsu combat at close range was not his specialty!

However, ideals and reality always differed.

He had intended to spring gracefully to his feet like a carp and then use the Body Flicker Technique to open up distance. Instead, he sat up with a groan while clutching his lower back, then overexerted himself and plunged headfirst off the bed.

"Damn it, take this—Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

In a flash, he formed four hand seals in a second. As Chakra gathered in his mouth, Mizuguma finally saw the two bare-assed "kidnappers"!

Holy shit!

They were Miss Meiya and Miss Yukiko!

In an instant, countless memories surged into his mind like a flood. Mizuguma had no time to sort through them. He raised his head and blasted a whirlwind at the ceiling.

"Whoosh!" The violent gale swept through the room.

In an instant, the entire room looked like a parking lot that had been hit by a tornado, with bedding and panties flying everywhere.

The enormous commotion woke the two beauties on the bed. The naked beauties.

Only then did Mizuguma realize that he was not wearing anything either.

As the fierce wind gradually died down, Mizuguma, Meiya, and Yukiko stared wide-eyed at one another.

Mizuguma's old face instantly reddened. He covered his lower half and awkwardly scratched his head.

"Um... Miss Meiya, Miss Yukiko, listen to my explanation."

"Still calling us Miss?! Have you forgotten what you said last night?"

The fiery-tempered Meiya did not even bother getting dressed. With her hands on her hips, her chest heaved violently enough to nearly make Mizuguma faint.

"What did I say?" Mizuguma replied without thinking, his eyes full of bewilderment.

That brief moment was nowhere near enough for him to organize the memories in his mind.

"Mizuguma!!!" Thinking Mizuguma was going to deny everything after having his fill, Meiya immediately shrieked, sprang up, and grabbed him by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow! Meiya, be gentler! Let me think first!"

His ear was stretched long enough to distort his prematurely aged face, yet his bull-like eyes remained fixed on Meiya's chest.

Seeing this, Meiya snatched up a blanket and covered herself.

That bastard had eaten his fill and wanted to deny it. She absolutely would not let him look at her another second.

Once the headlights were blocked, the brain that had run away from home returned as well. The events of the previous night gradually surfaced in his mind.

"Wait, let me sort this out."

Ignoring the fact that he was bare-assed, he began counting on his fingers and muttering under his breath.

"Yesterday, that bastard Hei grabbed me by the neck and ran wildly through the village until we arrived at Meiya's place.

"Thinking I had humiliated myself beyond all redemption, I drank a lot of alcohol. Then Meiya told me that someone was willing to marry me.

"Hmm... I seem to remember being really happy then. Then Meiya said that woman was herself, and I seem to remember being even happier."

As he muttered, Meiya, who had been listening intently from the side, suddenly cut in.

"That's right! You were so happy that you hugged..." As she continued, Meiya's voice gradually lowered and her little face flushed red.

"You hugged me and said you wanted to marry me. You also said that you definitely... definitely would treat me well."

Upon hearing that, Mizuguma nodded expressionlessly and continued recalling.

"Then the two of us rolled into bed. In the middle of the night, I think Yukiko shook me awake while I was half-asleep."

Hearing Mizuguma mention her, Yukiko gave a soft squeak and covered her face.

"After Yukiko woke me up, I pulled her onto the bed too, and then..."

"Later, Meiya woke up too, and then we all..."

As he spoke, Mizuguma's expression became increasingly solemn.

Seeing this, the two women's hearts immediately sank to the bottom.

Although it had been both their first times, they had heard from their sisters that this was the exact kind of incomparably serious expression men wore when they were about to turn on them.

For a moment, grief flooded both women's hearts.

By the time Mizuguma finished speaking, his expression had reached the peak of solemnity. Combined with his prematurely aged face, he looked even more serious.

Suddenly, a heavy thud drew the two women's attention back.

Mizuguma had dropped into a dogeza and knelt heavily on the floor.

"Meiya! Yukiko! What happened last night was my fault!"

At those words, Meiya and Yukiko fell into even deeper despair. Leaving aside the fact that this man was shamelessly kneeling just to evade responsibility, they had already given themselves to him. Did that mean they would have to live like the lowest-class courtesans, selling their bodies for a living?!

Boundless hatred surged in their hearts. Just as Meiya and Yukiko were preparing to die, Mizuguma's incomparably solemn voice rang out again.

"So please, marry me!"

Those resounding words instantly pulled the two women from hell back into the human world. No—it should have been heaven.

Immense happiness immediately enveloped them. Tears streamed continuously down their cheeks, every drop filled with joy.

"I-I'm willing!" Their voices rang out at the same time.

Only then did Mizuguma raise his head. The solemnity faded from his face, the corners of his mouth rose, and happiness spread across his features.

At the entrance to Amegakure, Rinto wore a raincoat and carried his luggage as he idly chatted with the guard.

"Hei-kun, why haven't you set off yet?" the guard asked.

Rinto smiled, lifted his chin, and pointed toward the village. "Waiting for someone."

The guard gave a lewd grin and leaned closer to Rinto. "A woman?"

"Yep!" Rinto nodded. "Not just any woman, either—a real beauty. Curves in all the right places. Want me to introduce you?"

At the mention of those curves, the guard instinctively swallowed and stiffly shook his head.

"No, keep her for yourself."

"Don't say that. She's my future wife, and she's gorgeous.

"I'll be gone for three years, so I'm worried she might get bullied in the village.

"Besides, I don't have anyone in the village I can entrust her to. I felt we were fated to meet, so I wanted you to help look after her."

At that, the guard perked up.

"Ahem... That won't be a problem. We're from the same village. Helping each other is only right."

"Right, right." Rinto agreed, giving him a thumbs-up. "Comrade, your awareness is truly admirable!"

"You don't need to take especially good care of her. If she gets bullied, comfort her in my place. If she gets cold, help bring her some clothes to keep her warm.

"When I return, I'll reward you handsomely!"

As he spoke, Rinto's eyes lit up. He pointed toward the village and said, "Look, isn't she coming now?"

Overjoyed, the guard immediately looked in the direction Rinto was pointing.

There, Mizuguma, his face full of hardship and wearing a sleazy grin, was sprinting toward them.

Once he saw who it was, the guard's face turned pale. A glob of phlegm caught in his throat, nearly choking him to death.

"Th-That's the beauty you were talking about?!"

Rinto waved at Mizuguma while nodding heavily. "What do you think? He's your type, right? Make sure you take good care of him~"

The guard finally caught on. He shot Rinto a vicious glare, then walked into the guardhouse without looking back.

By then, Mizuguma had reached them. His gaze swept over the guard, who had rolled his eyes at him, and a trace of confusion rose in his heart.

"What's wrong with him?" Mizuguma asked curiously, pointing at the guard entering the room.

"Nothing. He's cultivating the Byakugan!"

"The Byakugan?! You can cultivate a Kekkei Genkai?"

"Who knows? It's not like anyone can say for sure."

Rinto lightly brushed the subject aside, then leaned close to Mizuguma and asked softly.

"Teacher, did you have fun last night?"

Mizuguma's expression instantly turned blissful, and a foolishly infatuated smile appeared on his lips.

"You... you have no idea! Meiya was simply incredible! Yukiko wasn't bad either."

Seeing Mizuguma's lovestruck expression, joy mixed with satisfaction, Rinto knew things had worked out.

And, just as he had expected, this fellow had taken responsibility for his actions.

Thinking that, Rinto gave two light coughs and interrupted Mizuguma's fantasy.

"Teacher, now that you have wives, stop going to Ichiban Street. Save up some money and get a bigger house."

"No! Things like Seeing the True Self and Steadfast Belief must be practiced regularly!" Mizuguma immediately clenched his fist with righteous conviction.

"Heh." Rinto rolled his eyes. Do you think the wives I found for you are pushovers?

Yukiko might look weak, but she had plenty of ideas of her own. Otherwise, why would she have climbed into his bed in the middle of the night?

Meiya was even more formidable. She was not a ninja, but could matters between husband and wife really be measured by combat strength?

By then, he would probably be supporting himself against walls on the way in and out every day~

Thinking that, Rinto still decided to throw some cold water on this overconfident guy.

"Sigh, now that you have two wives, you must be happy, huh?"

"Happy!" Mizuguma nodded heavily.

Hearing that, Rinto sighed, stood on tiptoe, and patted Mizuguma's shoulder with an old-fashioned air. "I'm the one suffering. Mikiko even promised to marry me once I grow up. I really don't know when I'll finally grow up!"

As a master of humblebragging, Rinto's sarcastic words immediately made Mizuguma feel as sick as if he had swallowed a fly.

Mikiko was simply someone no ordinary woman could rival, whether in figure, looks, or that enchanting charm.

Still, Mizuguma had a good mentality and quickly recovered. Imitating Rinto's tone, he replied.

"Heh, I have two!"

Then he launched into a lengthy speech about how wonderful and joyous the Blessing of Multiple Wives was—things that children would not understand.

This time, it was Rinto's turn to feel miserable.

After all, every man dreamed of the Blessing of Multiple Wives, Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Four Rams Bringing Prosperity, Five Blessings Arriving at the Door, and Six Sixes Great Smoothness.

Just as Rinto was preparing to fire back, a cold-faced man poked his head out in the distance.

Rinto knew that the person urging him to leave had arrived.

With a sigh, Rinto calmly pulled an exquisite hourglass from his robe.

"Teacher, it's getting late. I need to leave!" Looking at the markings on the hourglass, Rinto sighed again.

Mizuguma had been talking excitedly, but his smug voice abruptly stopped. The joy on his face gradually faded.

For a while, the two fell into a long silence.

Suddenly, Mizuguma swept his gaze around them with extreme vigilance. Then, from who knew where, he pulled out a palm-sized scroll and swiftly stuffed it into Rinto's raincoat.

"Use it carefully!" Mizuguma's voice was barely audible.

Rinto gave Mizuguma a complicated look and silently nodded.

They looked at one another without speaking, and silence once again enveloped them.

As the cold-faced man drew closer and closer, Rinto forced a faint smile. He reached into his robe, took out a brass-colored key, and placed it in Mizuguma's hand.

"Teacher, I won't say any farewells.

"This key is very important to me. Keep it safe for me.

"When I return in three years, remember to give it back."

After saying that, he tightened his backpack straps, turned around, and strode into the curtain of rain.

The downpour was relentless. Mizuguma stood alone at the village entrance. Even after Rinto's back gradually vanished into the rain, he continued staring foolishly in the direction Rinto had gone.

"D-Don't worry! I'll definitely live until the day you return!" His choked voice was swallowed by heaven and earth.

The rain fell even harder. As it struck Mizuguma's face, it was impossible to tell whether it was rainwater or tears.

Walking alone along the road outside the village that led to the Land of Fire, Rinto let out a quiet sigh.

He understood Mizuguma, and he understood Hanzo of the Salamander even better.

Hanzo of the Salamander was cautious and prudent. He was immensely powerful, yet extremely afraid of death.

Rinto knew that Hanzo of the Salamander was an exceptionally suspicious man who trusted no one around him. Even a companion would be ruthlessly killed the moment they threatened his position.

Mizuguma had seemed stern and proper at first, then turned out to be extremely lecherous. Beneath his mature exterior lay a gentle, steadfast heart.

Hanzo had rescued him from a pile of corpses when he was young, raised him, and passed Hanzo's beliefs on to him.

Protect the village, protect the children in the village, and when the time came to die, entrust the duty of protecting the village to the next generation once they had grown up.

Hanzo's act of sending children out as spies had undoubtedly shattered his own beliefs, as well as Mizuguma's blind worship of him.

Rinto worried. He worried that Mizuguma, whose illusions had been shattered, would do something foolish; worried that the naturally suspicious Hanzo of the Salamander would notice something amiss with Mizuguma; worried that the only Bonds he had in Amegakure would disappear.

So Rinto arranged everything, selfishly taking advantage of Mizuguma's feelings, and using Meiya and Yukiko to place a shackle called love and family around him.

He also gave him the key that symbolized his own freedom, hoping Mizuguma would protect his own life and wait for the day Rinto returned.

Love and friendship—Rinto used two layers of shackles to bind Mizuguma, all so that he could protect himself wisely in this dog-eat-dog world and live well.

Moreover, he believed that as long as Mizuguma did not do anything foolish, he would survive.

After all, the reason he had been promoted to Special Jonin was his outstanding teaching ability. As long as he remained in the village, Rinto believed he would survive.