Tsunade raised her wrist and examined it. The luster of the pearls complemented her fair skin beautifully.
She put on a cool front and said, "Don't think this will be enough to win me over, brat."
Namikaze Yoru saw how much she liked it despite trying to act calm, and wisely chose not to point it out. "Of course not. I just thought the sapphires on the bracelet were as bright as your eyes."
The words were so direct, they even had a bit of a cheesy pickup-line feel. Even Namikaze Yoru felt a little embarrassed after saying them.
Tsunade clearly hadn't expected him to say that. The tips of her ears turned slightly red, and she changed the subject.
"I heard you made quite a haul on this mission. Even the old man couldn't stop praising you."
"I did make a bit of extra cash. I can treat you to a big meal." Namikaze Yoru blinked, deliberately misinterpreting what she meant.
Tsunade was about to explain when a Medical Ninja hurried through the door and quickly said, "Lord Tsunade, there's a situation in the intensive care ward."
Tsunade immediately stood up, once again looking as capable as ever. "I'll be right there."
She paused at the door and glanced back at Namikaze Yoru, gently swaying the wrist with the bracelet.
"Thank you for the gift."
Watching Tsunade leave, Namikaze Yoru was momentarily lost in thought. Then, in high spirits, he whistled as he left the hospital, thinking, With this bracelet on, maybe she'll think of me from time to time while she's working.
After getting himself back in order, he didn't rush to set off for the Land of Water again. A traveling merchant who was too eager might easily give himself away.
He spent several days carefully preparing in Konoha, selecting the next batch of goods to take with him.
During this time, he went to see Tsunade from time to time, but perhaps he was being too obvious. She always seemed to avoid him, intentionally or otherwise.
Namikaze Yoru understood that too much of a good thing could backfire. Some things simply couldn't be rushed.
This time, his journey to the Land of Water didn't go as smoothly as before. Perhaps his load was too conspicuous, but a band of reckless bandits came after him.
"Hey, kid, that's quite a haul you've got. Leave it—"
Before their leader could finish speaking, Namikaze Yoru cut off his head. He had no interest in wasting words on the likes of them.
After all, bandits were all much the same: they bullied the weak and feared the strong, and there was no telling how much innocent merchants' blood stained their hands.
He dealt with the remaining bandits one by one and let not a single one escape.
"When I wasn't strong enough, I had to watch what I said." Namikaze Yoru wiped the blood from his blade and muttered to himself. "Now that I'm strong, everyone else ought to watch their words. Otherwise, what was the point of getting stronger?"
Even though he'd ended the fight as quickly as possible, he still smelled of blood.
When he reached the Land of Water's border again, the sharp-eyed guards immediately sensed something was off.
"You smell of blood," the on-duty ninja said warily.
Namikaze Yoru calmly explained, "It's a long journey, after all. I ran into a few petty thieves on the road. When you're traveling, you need some way to protect yourself."
He showed them the Ninja Sword he carried. It was no surprise that the plain, timeworn sword at his waist made them think he had some skill as a swordsman. These days, going out without any strength to protect yourself was like walking around as a fat lamb.
The guard ninja looked him over. Seeing that he seemed calm and sincere, they carried out their routine inspection, confirmed there was nothing wrong with his goods, and let him through.
Once he reached the familiar little town, Namikaze Yoru was ready to sell a more carefully targeted selection of goods this time.
Besides the ever-popular "Sidan Kang," he had skincare products specially suited to the Land of Water's climate, various precision tools exported from the Artisan Country to the Land of Fire, and even a few Ninja Sword accessories that skirted the rules.
Sure enough, the carefully selected goods were snapped up again, even faster than last time. They were all gone before the second day, earning him another handsome profit.
What Namikaze Yoru didn't know was that Danzo, back in Konoha, had already leaked his whereabouts through one of his special channels.
Kaguya Clan Compound.
"Where did this letter come from?" Kaguya Naoto frowned as he looked at the letter addressed to him. He was uncertain what to make of it.
His trusted aide answered at once, "I don't know. Someone threw it into the courtyard with a Kunai early this morning."
"Who else has seen this letter besides you?"
His aide replied uncertainly, "I don't think anyone. As soon as I saw it, I brought it straight to you."
Kaguya Naoto tapped his fingers lightly on the table. After a long pause, he said, "Don't spread this around. Have... Never mind. I'll handle it myself."
He'd initially thought of sending a clan member, but then remembered how every member of his clan seemed to love a fight. In the end, he decided against it.
Putting the letter into his robe, Kaguya Naoto pushed open the compound's front door and went outside.
"What a lovely day. Everything I wish for comes true." Namikaze Yoru hummed to himself, in an excellent mood.
After all, he'd brought more than twice as many local specialties as last time. He'd sold them all in a single day, far exceeding his expectations.
With time to spare, Namikaze Yoru naturally wanted to explore the Land of Water. Kirigakure wasn't a good place to visit right now, but the surrounding towns and the local customs were more than enough to give him a feel for the country.
As he walked along the main street, someone dressed like a local suddenly brushed against him, discreetly bumping into him as they passed.
Namikaze Yoru suppressed his instinct to strike back and keenly sensed a slip of paper in his hand.
He stowed it away without drawing attention and continued strolling through the streets as if nothing had happened, occasionally buying a trinket or two.
Only when he reached a secluded corner did he quickly glance at the note out of the corner of his eye.
It read: Come to the woods northeast of town tonight. Important intelligence to exchange.
He casually crumpled and destroyed the note, then continued wandering down the street as if nothing had happened. He didn't return to his inn until dusk.
He'd deliberately chosen the same inn where he'd stayed last time. It wasn't far from the woods mentioned in the note.
In fact, the entire forest was within the range of his Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
Namikaze Yoru pretended to go to sleep, while keeping close watch on everything happening in the woods. It wasn't until midnight that a figure quietly appeared at the agreed-upon spot.
He sensed no one else lying in wait nearby. The figure had indeed come alone, just as the rendezvous details had suggested.
Only then did Namikaze Yoru relax and drift peacefully off to sleep, leaving the other person to wait in the woods.
The figure stood motionless as mosquitoes bit him all night, and didn't leave in frustration until daybreak.
Listening closely, Namikaze Yoru could just make out the man repeatedly cursing his parents.
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