Anko glared at Yang Xing over her shoulder without saying a word, then leaped forward again. But the mutter under her breath didn't escape Yang Xing's ears. "Impossible. There's no way it's that guy's.✊😺 🐨☺"
"Did she hit her head?" Yang Xing wondered if the rain had addled Anko's brain. He hurried after her and arrived in the village.
The rain was too heavy to travel in, so the group went straight to an inn.
The room was comfortable and spacious. There were three of them sharing it, but it was still pretty nice. After getting soaked, Yang Xing felt uncomfortable and needed to change quickly—preferably after taking a shower.
"Hey, aren't you two coming?" Yang Xing picked up his change of clothes. He was about to head to the inn's public bath, and, curious, called out to the two busy fellows.
Kakashi was writing something down and didn't even look up. "Mm. I need to plan the next leg of the journey, like the jonin teacher taught me."
"Ah, my clothes—I remember they're in here. Where are my underwear?" The idiot Obito rummaged through the luggage as if he'd lost something.
Yang Xing sighed and went downstairs alone.
He had just reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to turn the corner when he spotted a familiar figure by the entrance. That high, bouncy ponytail was impossible to miss.
Mitaraishi Anko wore a cold expression and hadn't noticed him behind her. She opened the door and darted outside without a second thought. It was nearly night, and the rain was still pouring.
That girl was obviously up to something.
"Where's she going? Well, I'm bored anyway. I might as well take a look." Yang Xing put his clothes somewhere safe and followed her without thinking too much about it.
Little did he know that, just as he went out, Rin Nohara came out of the bath. She watched Yang Xing's retreating figure, hesitated, then bit her lip and followed him without a second thought.
The rain pattered down, making everyone feel terribly irritable.
The raindrops struck his body with a faint sting. Either way, it was an unpleasant feeling.
If he hadn't really wanted to see what Anko was up to, Yang Xing wouldn't have bothered following her.
They ran one after the other, but Yang Xing was simply too slow. Anko was far stronger than him physically. She was probably on par with Kakashi now, and Yang Xing could only just manage to keep her in sight with his speed.
At least he could do so without being noticed. That was pretty good.
"That girl's fast. Well, I don't need to catch up. I can just watch from behind. Maybe she's meeting an old acquaintance—or a boyfriend?" Yang Xing thought as he ran. Then a faint sound came from behind him, and he immediately turned his head, alert.
Thud!
"Who's there? Rin?"
Maybe the road was too slippery, or maybe she was too nervous. Rin Nohara lost her footing and fell face-first into the mud, giving away her presence.
He hadn't expected her to follow him. And she clearly had just finished bathing.
Yang Xing felt a headache coming on. But when he saw the girl lift her mud-smeared face with a miserable expression, he suddenly wanted to laugh.
"Hey, are you all right?" Yang Xing almost burst out laughing. She looked as if she wanted to get up, but could only manage a helpless smile, so he stepped forward and offered her a hand.
Rin grabbed Yang Xing's hand and hurried to her feet, her cheeks flushed. "N-no, I'm fine."
Looking at her red face, Yang Xing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "By the way, why did you follow me?"
"The teacher's still in the room. Where are you going?" Rin looked at Yang Xing, her expression suddenly serious. She said it as if it were obvious, and sounded a little angry, too.
"Ba Shu 69 New"
"It's not where I'm going. It's—shh..." Yang Xing started to explain, but then heard a sound. His brow furrowed, and he grabbed Rin's hand without a second thought. "Come over here first. And don't go running out with nothing prepared right after changing your clothes."
As he led Rin away, Yang Xing couldn't bear to leave the girl out in such heavy rain. He draped his coat over her shoulders.
"Hm?" Feeling Yang Xing's touch, Rin's face flushed, and her heart began to race.
Yang Xing didn't notice how intimate the gesture was. He only sensed that something was wrong ahead, so he immediately pulled Rin toward a clump of bushes nearby.
They crouched low and peered through the foliage.
"Um, Yang Xing..." Rin shifted awkwardly, her cheeks growing redder. Yang Xing hadn't noticed, but with the rain soaking them and the two pressed so close together, the contact between their skin had pushed the girl's embarrassment to its limit.
She nearly wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
Yang Xing stared motionlessly ahead, completely unaware that a shy, adorable girl stood beside him, her clothes drenched.
Someone up ahead had caught his attention too completely for him to have the time or the inclination to notice anything else.
"Shh!"
At that moment, someone stood on a branch a short distance ahead.
Facing that person, Anko looked tense, her face a little pale.
"Anko?" The figure turned around. Beneath the hood, his eyes were cold and serpentine, their focus unblinking. "It's been a long time. Three years—no, has it been more than four?"
His voice was hoarse, almost inhuman.
"You're—no, that's impossible. Who are you?" Anko stared at his face in shock, her expression visibly unsettled. "Hey, your face... You bastard, what did you do?"
"Oh? What are you talking about? I'm none other than your most beloved teacher, Orochimaru!" Orochimaru stroked his smooth, almost girlish cheek and smiled brightly.
The sight of that smile made Anko snap. "You really are doing those things, aren't you? That body isn't even yours!"
"As expected of my favorite pupil. It's such a shame you turned me down back then."
"Don't joke around." Anko waved a hand, her teeth nearly grinding to dust. "What are you doing here, you bastard? We're near Konoha. Don't you know the village is hunting you? Don't say I didn't warn you: the Third Hokage isn't the only one in Konoha now. The Fourth Hokage is here, too."
"Oh, the legendary Fourth Hokage?" Orochimaru laughed instead of showing fear. As his smile widened, he struck a thoughtful pose. "I'd really like to meet him."
"You bastard, aren't you afraid of dying?" Anko's voice trembled as she stared at Orochimaru. "What are you plotting?"
"Plotting? No, I'm not here to take revenge on Konoha or anything like that. I simply wanted to pay a visit."
"Who would believe that? You bastard." Hearing that he was only here for a visit, Anko's expression darkened. Unable to contain her anger, she raised one hand and let all the pain she'd endured over the years pour out at Orochimaru. "Just die already!"
The Shadow Snake Hand came out smoothly, and the snakes lunged with great speed.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru stood high above, perfectly still. As he watched the snakes bite toward him, a contemptuous smile played on his lips.
"Anko, don't you know who you're using that jutsu against? Have you forgotten that I taught you all these techniques?" He moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, and the snakes bit only empty air.
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