Nine in the morning, District 4, Furuta District.
Hanfu had spent over two hours searching and had finally found Shencao Izakaya!
The izakaya was at the end of the street. Judging by its exterior, it didn't look like a particularly popular place.
The street itself was fairly quiet, nowhere near as bustling as the Commercial Street by the Gekko Clan.
All in all, Hanfu's first impression of Shencao Izakaya was that it was out of the way!
Out of the way? Could that be why Shennong chose to stay here? What shady business was he up to?
Hanfu couldn't figure it out, so he decided to go inside and investigate.
It wasn't lunchtime yet, so the izakaya was very quiet. There was only one waitress, who looked to be in her early twenties. The moment Hanfu entered, her sharp eyes spotted him.
"Welcome, little guy! Are you by yourself?"
Hanfu felt a little uncomfortable, but forced himself to play the part of a child. "Miss, does Lord Shennong live here?"
"Lord Shennong? Who's that?"
The waitress looked puzzled.
"A middle-aged man with a full beard," Hanfu replied, watching her expression closely. Unfortunately, he didn't notice anything unusual.
"Oh, that strange customer! He does live here. He even had five bottles of liquor with breakfast this morning," the waitress said with a smile. "Do you know him, little guy?"
That guy... He really was an award-winning actor. He'd had five bottles with breakfast, as if he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was staying here for the "liquor."
But he might be able to fool everyone else. He wouldn't fool Hanfu!
"Miss, I'll have an order of tempura."
Hanfu didn't answer her question. Instead, he handed her a thousand-yen note.
Tempura was a deep-fried dish made by mixing flour, eggs, and water into a batter, then coating fresh fish, shrimp, and seasonal vegetables before frying them until golden. Kids loved it. An order came with ten pieces and cost fifty yen.
"Just a moment, little guy. It'll be ready soon."
The waitress gave Hanfu his change and started preparing the ingredients.
Once she was busy, Hanfu spoke up. "Miss, that strange customer is Lord Shennong. He's an amazing doctor, and I really admire him. I came here early this morning because I wanted his autograph!"
"Oh, I see. That's too bad, then. Lord Shennong went out after breakfast," the waitress said with a smile.
"What? I should've come earlier." Hanfu looked crestfallen, though he was puzzled inside.
Last night, Shennong had gone for a late-night meal with Kamijima Chusei and the others from the medical department. Knowing how enthusiastic they were, they must have stayed until eleven or twelve!
So here was the question.
Shennong had spent half the night demonstrating his skills, then gone out for a late-night meal. Why had he gotten up so early today? What was he going to do?
Go to Konoha Hospital and give another demonstration?
That was impossible!
Even if Shennong was willing, the medical department, led by Kamijima Chusei... Of course, they would have been more than happy to let him keep going. But anyone with even a little social sense would know not to make their guest work himself to the bone. They'd surely insist that Shennong rest for half a day. It was basic courtesy.
And with Konoha Hospital ruled out, Hanfu had no idea what Shennong was up to.
So Hanfu kept trying to get more out of the young woman.
"Miss, is there anything fun or interesting around here?" he asked, firmly convinced that Shennong was staying here for something nearby!
"Hmm... I don't think so," the waitress replied as she made the tempura.
"What is around here, then?" Hanfu pressed, unwilling to give up.
"Behind this street is a residential area for ordinary people. There's no park or busy shopping district. If you want to have fun, you'll have to go to the center of the village," the waitress said with a smile. "Here you go, your tempura's ready!"
"Oh, thank you."
Hanfu took the paper packet, a little disappointed. Inside were about ten pieces of golden-fried tempura, and the rich aromas of egg, shrimp, and flour wafted up to greet him.
Well, he'd gotten something out of it, at least.
Hanfu speared a piece of tempura with a bamboo skewer and popped it into his mouth. He chewed twice, and the flavor burst across his tongue.
Delicious!
Hanfu's eyes lit up.
Just then, Hanfu sensed someone watching him.
No, to be precise, someone was watching the tempura in his hand.
Hanfu turned toward the izakaya's entrance and saw a bright green figure flash past like a startled rabbit.
Hanfu stopped chewing.
Was that...?
Hanfu dashed outside and looked to the right. A young man in a green leotard was sprinting away.
"If you can't run ten laps around Furuta District before ten, you'll do a thousand squats!"
"If you can't finish a thousand squats, you'll jump rope ten thousand times!"
"This is youth! Come on, come on!!"
The impassioned, overheated, and thoroughly over-the-top voice faded into the distance. Hanfu stood there, his brain stalling.
Might Guy?
Did Guy live around here?
Wait. Could Shennong's goal be... the Eight Inner Gates Formation?
Hanfu's pupils contracted.
Just then—
"Doctor Shennong, my home is just up ahead. Please, let me give you a proper welcome!"
A voice sounded behind Hanfu, full of gratitude.
Hanfu slowly turned around and saw the bearded man approaching with another man in a green, tight-fitting combat suit. The two were chatting amiably.
"Duy, you're too kind. I told you before—my dream is to spread my medical skills throughout the Shinobi World. If you're interested, I'd be glad to pass on everything I know about the Bandage Technique."
Shennong smiled kindly.
"Really? Thank you so much, Doctor Shennong!"
Might Duy was thrilled.
Hanfu's heart sank. It seemed his guess had been right. Shennong's target was Might Duy's Eight Inner Gates Formation!
Shennong had deliberately chosen Shencao Izakaya because it was close to Might Duy's home. All he had to do was learn when Duy trained, and he could easily arrange to "bump into" him!
After that, the rest was simple. Might Duy and his son were Taijutsu shinobi, and their daily training was immense. To avoid injuries, they would have to wrap bandages around themselves to protect their bodies. And Shennong's Bandage Technique was perfect!
Using his perfect Bandage Technique as an opening, Shennong had gotten close to Might Duy without breaking a sweat!
Old Fox!
Hanfu cursed inwardly, but smiled brightly. "Doctor Shennong! I finally found you!!"
"Hm?"
Shennong was startled by the shrill shout. His brows furrowed before he quickly composed himself and smiled at Hanfu. "Little guy, do you know me?"
"Yes! I followed you all night yesterday. I really admire you!"
Hanfu rushed over excitedly and shoved Might Duy aside, reaching one hand for Shennong's clothes and the other for... the brown backpack Shennong was carrying behind him.
Thank you to reader Carbon-Based Lifeform for the generous tip!
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