If You Don't Speak, We're Still Friends

The man standing outside the cave wore purple robes and a shinobi breastplate. He had fiery red hair, a beard, his hands pressed together in prayer, and Buddhist Prayer Beads around his wrists. His gaze was serene, yet his features were exceedingly rugged, like a Buddha statue ready to unleash thunderous wrath at the slightest disagreement. He was none other than Roshi, Iwagakure's Missing-nin and the Four-Tails Jinchuriki!

After defecting from Iwagakure, Roshi had become a wandering monk, begging—ptui, traveling—through the various nations. The last time Houka had met him was at the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire.

"Why are you here?" Houka narrowed his eyes, becoming slightly wary.

With his Mangekyou nearing blindness, if he fought this Four-Tails Jinchuriki relying only on Yang-natured Isobu, his odds were no better than even.

"Benefactor Houka, there is no need to be nervous. I merely happened to wander here." Roshi strode in casually, plopped himself down beside the fire, and unapologetically grabbed a piece of snake meat to chew on.

His hair and clothing were soaked through, making him look rather bedraggled, but it did nothing to affect his appetite.

"Roshi? You're Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchuriki?" Uchiha Shisui quickly recalled all the intelligence concerning this Jinchuriki.

"Iwagakure? Hmph! I left that damned village long ago!" Roshi snapped. "Just thinking about that old bastard makes me furious!"

He was so angry he could not even eat his snake meat.

"And what about you? Why are you here?"

Roshi's gaze swept over the three of them, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Sharingan, Byakugan... Heh. Shinobi from Konoha's two great clans appearing together in the Land of Earth—surely you're up to no good."

"That need not concern you, sir," Houka said with a smile. "Since you have already left Iwagakure and become a