Reward and Punishment

This exhibition match concluded on the 24th, and Sahara Mizu received his Jonin appointment on the 25th.

At the same time, he also heard that three financial officers, two supervisors, and nine enforcers had been imprisoned or executed—these people had been the primary administrators of the Heroes Welfare Department and orphanage financial system, chiefly responsible for distributing and organizing relief subsidies for the families of Konoha Ninja.

Of those executed, two had been transferred from Special Jonin positions, while one had been a senior manager from a certain classified department.

Obviously, that last one had been Danzo's man.

Sahara Mizu knew full well that this was Lord Third's "explanation" to him.

The ninja world was that simple and straightforward.

Once you displayed your worth, everything that had once displeased you would be swept away with thunderous force.

To demonstrate the Hokage Building's stance on dealing with corruption and evil, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had even held a press conference. It extensively reported on Konoha's thorough and clear anti-corruption efforts, while also promising compensation for the relevant victims.

The front page of the Konoha Daily News was filled with this report for the entire day, and praise for Lord Third could be heard everywhere throughout Konoha.

Only Sahara Mizu knew that they had made a whole feast just to serve him one little dish.

Still, so what?

Having the qualifications to be used by others was actually a good thing, wasn't it?

"What a realistic world."

Thinking that, he put away the newspaper in his hands and turned to look behind him.

There, he saw the girl, who had just changed into casual clothes, somewhat awkwardly brushing the hair at her temples. When she spotted Sahara Mizu waiting by the roadside, a trace of nervousness inadvertently appeared on her usually cool and beautiful face, and she immediately jogged over.

"Sorry, did I keep you waiting long?"

Uchiha Yayoi seemed somewhat unaccustomed to being alone with Sahara-kun like this, especially in such a crowded place. She tried hard to restrain the decisive manner she usually displayed at the Police Department, striving to appear gentle and refined like a true young lady.

"The Police Department's been a little busy lately, so I got out a bit late."

Sahara Mizu turned to look at her.

Her black hooded tracksuit was slightly loose, concealing much of the girl's rather curvy figure, though its scale was still apparent in the details. Her short skirt, patterned with faint crosshatching, fell just over her knees, exposing two fair calves. As usual, she wore ninja sandals on her feet.

If he got closer, he could also catch sight of the red-and-white War Fan earrings hanging from her earlobes.

Though she had been busy all day in the streets and alleys, she carried the pleasant fragrance of Milan flowers.

And, most importantly—

The faintly visible pale-blue halo above the girl's head.

"Did Yayoi change clothes before coming?"

Apparently not expecting that question, Uchiha Yayoi paused instinctively and lowered her head to look at her casual outfit. Scratching her cheek, she said, "There wasn't enough time, so I only changed my jacket and skirt. Is this a little impolite?"

There was a faint nervousness in her voice.

Sahara Mizu smiled gently. "No, I just wanted to say that it suits you very well."

He stepped closer to her, leaned down slightly, and deliberately said, "And you smell really nice."

"Mizu!"

Miss Yayoi looked a little annoyed, but her cheeks had turned red. In a tiny voice, she complained, "If I smell sweaty, just say so!"

"Then it's a very nice sweat smell."

"Hmph!"

Before the increasingly tongue-tied Miss Yayoi could continue, Sahara Mizu had already started walking toward the only Clan Commercial Street, which was gradually becoming livelier as evening fell.

However, his peripheral vision remained fixed on the top of Miss Yayoi's head.

Mid-Level Heart Knot (Not Unlocked)

Since they had parted at dawn that day, Sahara Mizu and Uchiha Yayoi had met a few more times.

However, this Heart Knot prompt had never changed, leaving Sahara Mizu with no idea where to begin if he wanted to obtain Heart Points.

With no other option, he could only try meeting her a few more times.

Still, judging by how he had resolved the previous "Shallow Heart Knot," did a "Mid-Level Heart Knot" also need to be unlocked through something related to the knot in her heart?

Sahara Mizu thought this to himself, but his gaze caught the faintly excited expression mixed into Miss Yayoi's calm demeanor.

Clearly, she did not look like she had any knot in her heart.

If that was the case—

After thinking for a moment, he casually said, "Come to think of it, ever since the team disbanded, it's been a long time since we went out for a meal together like this, hasn't it?"

"Isn't it because you were always too busy to make time?!" At this, Uchiha Yayoi became a little annoyed as well.

Back then, whenever she racked her brains to arrange a time to have a meal with him, this guy would keep putting her off for all kinds of reasons. Even their last meeting had been because they had run into each other by chance while on patrol.

But when she thought of what Mizu had said to her that night, Uchiha Yayoi could not help feeling a flutter in her heart.

Their current relationship... should count as being "almost lovers," right?

If that was the case—

As the girl thought this, her gaze unconsciously fell on Sahara Mizu's large, well-defined hand. Her delicate fingertips imitated the legs of a tiny person, inching closer in a restless, tentative manner.

"The Hokage Building's work has been keeping me busy," Sahara Mizu said as he turned toward her with an apologetic smile.

That slight interruption immediately startled Miss Yayoi into pulling her little hand back. Feeling guilty like a thief, she hurriedly changed the subject.

"Ah! Right!"

"But Lord Mizu actually got promoted to Jonin before I did!"

"This should count as Lord Third's compensation too, right?"

Sahara Mizu seemed entirely unconcerned as he smiled and entered the reserved barbecue restaurant first.

Private rooms were easy to reserve now. During wartime, those with the leisure to eat in a place like this were either high-ranking members of ninja clans or ninja teams that had only recently returned from the battlefield, and there were not many of either.

After ordering a few simple dishes, he poured drinks for Miss Yayoi and himself.

"By the way, have you heard anything about Captain Oshima and Tomoya?"

"..."

At his words, Uchiha Yayoi's eyes dimmed slightly, and the excitement she had felt from being alone with him faded somewhat.

"They passed away at the end of last year."

Sahara Mizu seemed to freeze unintentionally at that. Only after a long while did he say regretfully,

"...I see."

The two people he mentioned had both been teammates in the same squad as them—but unlike him, they had not been lucky enough to find work within the village.

The fate of ordinary Chunin and Genin on the battlefield was no better than moths flying into a blaze.

However, Yayoi quickly steadied her emotions and feigned dissatisfaction.

"Today is supposed to celebrate Mizu's promotion to Jonin."

"Honestly!"

"Why bring up something like that all of a sudden?"

"Because there are only the two of us left," Sahara Mizu said helplessly, gazing warmly at the girl across from him. "Still, that makes it the only good news among all the bad news."

"Yayoi, you need to do your best to stay alive."

"You... you only know how to say such unlucky things." The girl pursed her lips in apparent dissatisfaction and refilled his drink. "It should be, 'We both need to do our best to stay alive,' shouldn't it?"

Sahara Mizu paused slightly at her words, as though hesitating.

After pretending to deliberate for a long time, he finally said to her, "Actually, starting tomorrow, I'll be following a team to the front lines for a high-level mission."

"..."

Miss Yayoi's hand paused as she poured him a drink.

The fighting along the front lines had now reached a fever pitch.

At a time like this, everyone knew exactly what it meant to head for the most intense battlefield.

Almost the instant those words fell, Sahara Mizu immediately saw the pale-blue halo above Uchiha Yayoi's head flicker twice. Even his heartbeat could not help quickening by half a beat.

Yet after only an instant of flickering, the halo returned to normal.

Sahara Mizu's expression froze.

Then he heard Miss Yayoi's voice sound a little more relaxed. Smiling lightly as though she did not care at all, she said, "What? So you were worried about that!"

"Yayoi?"

Before Sahara Mizu could ask, the girl continued on her own.

"If that's the case, then before you leave tomorrow, I'll give you a big gift."

"One to keep you safe~"

"Huh?"

"No more words. It's settled!"

The girl set the tone with considerable forcefulness. It was utterly unlike her usual effort to act like a well-behaved girl, and she left him no room to object.

Just as Miss Yayoi finished speaking, the charcoal and barbecue arrived.

Their conversation returned to the innocent rhythm of young lovers on their first date. They chatted and laughed while eating barbecue, as though they had cast everything from earlier out of their minds.

Trying to stir up sadness from the past had no effect?

It seemed that wasn't how a Mid-Level Heart Knot was unlocked.

Or perhaps I needed to personally plant the corresponding knot in Yayoi's heart?

Sahara Mizu remained preoccupied with that question until the meal ended.

After seeing Uchiha Yayoi home, he walked alone through the empty, quiet streets at night.

Before long, he suddenly stopped.

His figure flashed.

When he appeared again, he was already on the rooftop of another secluded building.

Standing before him was the small, thin figure of Karatachi Yagura.

Those pale-violet pupils glanced toward him. There seemed to be a faint smile in his tone as he spoke in an even voice.

"You're sharp."

"Ren."

"I thought a date with your little Konoha girlfriend would make you lower your guard a little."

"That depends on what exactly you came here to do." As Sahara Mizu spoke, he leaned against the rooftop railing, turned into the night breeze, and looked at him. "If you came to chat, I can be completely off guard too."

"As for whether you'll get caught, that's your problem."

Karatachi Yagura was not angered at all by his lax appearance. Instead, he took a scroll from his Ninja Tool Bag and tossed it over.

"This is the reward for your last mission."

The scroll rolled across the rooftop floor, turning twice toward Sahara Mizu, but he did not lower his head to pick it up.

Karatachi Yagura was not surprised. Instead, he slowly drew a kunai from his waist and looked at him quietly.

"Besides that, Lord Third Mizukage also asked me to deliver a message."

"—Where there are rewards, there are punishments."

Almost the instant his voice fell—

Karatachi Yagura's small figure abruptly vanished.