A Reunion?!

Rumble...

The violent explosions rang out one after another, shaking fine dust from the ceiling of the room next door.

Uchiha Ao, who had already conducted some in-depth investigations with several dancers, suddenly looked up toward the Ramen Shop, his heart tightening.

"Had they discovered me?!"

The Pink Haired Dancer beside him, dressed in Orange Gauze, was also jolted by the violent explosions. Her delicate body wavered, and she collapsed into Uchiha Ao's arms.

With the situation unclear, he had lost the mood, but he slowly stopped the investigation all the same. After comforting the dancer with a few words, he took her with him to the front desk to ask what had caused the shaking.

On the way, he quickly calmed down. If he really had been discovered, the first thing to arrive would probably not have been the sound of explosions, but those two scowling Bearded Faces.

"Sorry to have interrupted your fun, sir."

Just then, the Blonde Beauty hurried back into the shop. Seeing that Uchiha Ao looked a little displeased, she quickly explained.

"Those were Lord Kinkaku and Lord Ginkaku from the ninja village. They were pursuing a ninja from another country.

"I'm truly sorry. How about I lower your fee to ten thousand ryo this time?"

As she spoke, she bowed repeatedly, her breasts bouncing up and down and making his eyes swim.

"Once again, I'm sorry for interrupting your fun."

"...Since it was an accident..."

Uchiha Ao reluctantly dragged his gaze away, coughed twice, and waved a hand. "Then forget it. Here's the rest of the money."

With that, he turned and left.

He'd gathered enough information. It was time to get out of there.

"Wait, sir."

"Is there something else?" he asked, puzzled.

"Though I'm very sorry..."

The Blonde Beauty called after him, looking troubled. "But, sir, the dancers aren't allowed to leave the shop."

"Huh? Oh!"

Uchiha Ao looked down at the Pink Haired Dancer in his arms. She gazed back at him innocently with a pair of watery eyes, and his expression turned awkward.

"Heh... I forgot, I forgot."

As he spoke, he set the Pink Haired Dancer down.

He hadn't done it on purpose. He'd been so focused on getting out of there that he'd lost track of things for a moment.

Of course, part of the reason was that the dancer was so soft and cuddly, she was hard to resist.

During the "battle" just now, he'd gotten plenty of useful information from Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

In his estimation, it would be enough to handle this mission. If he played his cards right, he might even be able to delay the start of the war as much as possible.

As he thought this over and hurried toward the entrance, the shop's beaded curtain was suddenly lifted.

He looked closely.

It was Ginkaku, with a trace of blood still on his face and the Seven Star Sword in his hand.

"..."

At the sight of him, Uchiha Ao's heart leaped into his throat. But he kept his expression calm, bowed to Ginkaku, and tried to pass him.

Given the man's reputation, pretending not to recognize him would only make him seem more suspicious.

"Wait!"

Fresh from battle, Ginkaku was practically radiating killing intent. He abruptly turned and called out to Ao, who had one foot out the door, his gaze icy.

"Why was your heart beating so fast just now? Have we met somewhere before?"

As he spoke, he raised the Seven Star Sword in his hand. The chakra in his Dantian was about to surge up to his eyes.

"..."

Uchiha Ao stiffened. He was just about to turn and explain when the Blonde Beauty suddenly stepped between them and hurried to speak up.

"Lord Ginkaku, I can vouch for him. He really is a customer of my shop. He's been here since before the accident an hour ago.

"And besides... who wouldn't be afraid when they saw you draw the Seven Star Sword? Even my heart's still pounding!"

As she spoke, the woman patted her chest with a small hand.

Ginkaku frowned and was about to push the Blonde Beauty aside, but the enormous sight before him was too distracting. He froze for a moment.

By then, not only had his killing intent faded, but his eyes had grown hazy.

"...Heh, if Fangzi says so, then I suppose I really did misunderstand..."

As he spoke, the arm holding the Seven Star Sword was suddenly enveloped in softness. The Blonde Beauty called into the room behind her:

"Girls, Lord Ginkaku is here! Come and offer him a drink!"

The Blonde Beauty hugged Ginkaku's arm and called to the dancers inside. She turned to give Uchiha Ao a knowing look, but he had already disappeared.

He was probably scared out of his wits. Who would've thought a man that timid could be so good in that department...

At the thought, she rubbed her thighs together. A flush rose to her face.

"Hey, Fangzi, I heard your shop came up with a new toy. Come explain it to me."

"It was just finished last night. I was about to tell you."

Half an hour later.

Smack!

Ginkaku, red-faced with rage, slapped Fangzi hard.

"You stupid woman! If my brother didn't own a share of this shop, I'd kill you right now!"

The dancers serving nearby were so frightened that they shrank away.

Just as Ginkaku was about to take out his anger on Fangzi again, Kinkaku suddenly appeared and stepped in front of him. He looked displeased.

"Ginkaku, why can't you just talk things out? Why are you hitting her?"

He'd clearly told his younger brother that he was backing this shop. Was Ginkaku trying to ruin their own business?

Seeing his older brother, Ginkaku could only force down his anger and recount what he'd seen and heard.

Kinkaku was angry when he heard the story, but he was far calmer than Ginkaku.

"By now, that man can't have gotten far. Taking your anger out on her won't solve anything. Come on, I'll go after him with you."

Before leaving, his gaze flickered. He picked up a few hairs that had fallen on the bed, then looked at the Blonde Beauty sprawled on the floor and said coldly:

"Before I get back, tear this room apart!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before the words had fully left his mouth, the two of them each grabbed their ninja tools and vanished from the room.

One day later, within the Land of Iron.

A figure wreathed in blue lightning darted through the mountains and forests.

For a full day, aside from evading Cloud Village ninja patrols, Uchiha Ao had barely stopped. He pushed himself to hurry onward.

Even so, his instincts continued to warn him.

"How do they always know where I am?"

Before heading to the Land of Lightning, he'd planned out his escape route.

First, he'd follow the coastline to the Land of Iron. Then he'd use Transformation Jutsu to blend into a merchant caravan traveling from the Land of Iron to the Land of Fire.

Given the Land of Iron's special status as a permanently neutral country, even if Kinkaku and Ginkaku guessed he'd slipped back into his homeland through the Land of Iron, they probably wouldn't dare use large-scale Ninjutsu to search for him openly.

But to his surprise, not long after he'd joined the merchant caravan in the Land of Iron, he discovered that the Lightning Clone he'd deliberately left near the border had been destroyed!

He immediately realized that his whereabouts had been exposed. With no other choice, he left the caravan and fled at full speed toward the Land of Fire.

"At this speed, I should reach the Land of Fire's border in a few minutes."

The people of the Land of Iron weren't skilled in Ninjutsu. As long as I used Transformation Jutsu, I should be able to get through the border easily and slip into the Land of Fire.

The most important thing now was how to shake off the two people following him.

"..."

As he thought, the Thunder Breathing cloaking Uchiha Ao's body wore off as its duration ran out, cutting his speed by more than half.

With no choice, he forced himself onward with what strength he had left, heading for the border.

But to his confusion, as he reached the border between the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire, his instinctive sense of danger suddenly peaked!

He turned around without thinking.

Kinkaku and Ginkaku were nowhere to be seen.

Then why...

As if he'd realized something, he suddenly looked up into the distance.

Kinkaku and Ginkaku were standing with a group of warriors from the Land of Iron, one group at each end of the border crossing, scanning the area.

"...Lying in wait!"

Uchiha Ao's face darkened as he spoke, each word measured.