Uninvited Guest

"The ruins of the Land of Whirlpools?!!"

Kou put on an astonished expression, his mouth slightly agape as he said in disbelief:

"Wasn't that place completely ravaged ages ago by your Mist Village, together with Iwagakure and Kumogakure?

"You took everything worth taking. Anything you couldn't take was either destroyed by the Uzumaki Clan as their country faced imminent annihilation, or destroyed by you."

"The Land of Whirlpools is nothing but a ruin that's been looted countless times. Why go there at all?"

Mei Terumi listened to Kou and lowered her head in shame.

Her usually cool, beautiful face was now filled with unmasked guilt.

Although Kou hadn't explicitly cursed out the Mist Village, just hearing about the tragedy the Land of Whirlpools had suffered made her, as a Kirigakure Ninja, feel ashamed from the bottom of her heart.

It wasn't as if anyone in this Ninja World was blameless. A ninja's profession had nothing to do with justice or peace; they were born to make a living from war.

But an invasion was an invasion. No matter how high-minded the justification, it couldn't change that blood-soaked reality.

The reality was this: she, a ninja from a country that had destroyed the Land of Whirlpools, had set foot on this land once again to secure benefits for her homeland—the very land her homeland had grievously harmed.

She knew full well how despicable her actions were.

But she had to do it—for the future of the Mist Village, and for the ideals she and her comrades shared.

Even if it meant going against her conscience, even if she would one day die in the most miserable way imaginable, she wouldn't regret it in the slightest.

She... was prepared.

Kou studied Mei Terumi's expression, and a complicated emotion flickered in the depths of his dark eyes.

He sighed inwardly.

But he didn't offer any words of comfort. Instead, he continued pretending to be puzzled and calmly reasoned:

"Could something have happened to your Three-Tails Jinchuriki, so you're looking for someone from the Uzumaki Clan to be its next Jinchuriki?"

"Leaving aside the condition of your Fourth Mizukage, the remaining members of the Uzumaki Clan scattered throughout the Ninja World long ago. That place is a no-man's-land now.

"If you're hoping to find someone from the Uzumaki Clan, I'd advise you to give up on that idea.

"Only a fool would stay there. If anyone really were there, you or Konoha would've found them long ago. There'd be no need for us to search."

Mei Terumi managed to lift her head. A hint of regret flickered in her emerald eyes.

"Unfortunately, our Fourth Mizukage is doing just fine.

"And this mission isn't about finding someone from the Uzumaki Clan."

"Then what is this mission for...?"

"As for the details, let's discuss them once we reach the Land of Whirlpools."

Mei Terumi cut off Kou's questions and gave him a meaningful look with her emerald eyes.

She didn't intend to reveal everything about the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools from the Warring States period here and now.

After all, they were only in a temporary hired arrangement.

If she laid out all the information now, she could hardly trust Uchiha Kou not to get any improper ideas during the time they spent together.

Rather than spend the time from now on being wary of what he might be plotting, it was safer to disclose things bit by bit and observe his reactions.

She would have to give him the full details eventually, but she had to keep the initiative firmly in her own hands.

Seeing that Mei Terumi didn't want to say more, Kou didn't press her.

He looked into her wary eyes, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in the depths of his dark ones.

"Good. She's cautious."

"No wonder she'd become Mizukage one day."

But on the surface, he put on an annoyed expression, furrowing his brow slightly as he said sarcastically:

"So guarded around me? Sounds like there's something big going on.

"Aren't you worried I'll get greedy and stab you in the back, then claim the mission's objective for myself?"

"You wouldn't do that."

Mei Terumi replied with certainty, her emerald eyes brimming with confidence.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"You're with the Akatsuki now."

Mei Terumi's voice was steady:

"I don't know much about the Akatsuki, but from what I've heard, it already has a terrible reputation because clients have died during several missions in the past. It badly needs to improve its standing.

"This mission is a top-tier contract. Any organization that wants to get ahead wouldn't let you mess it up."

Her gaze settled on Kou's face, full of scrutiny and conviction:

"I'm also a senior member of the Mist Village. I reported the details of this mission long ago to a comrade I trust.

"If anything happens to me, he'll spread the news that 'Akatsuki member Uchiha Kou murdered a senior Mist Village official' throughout the Ninja World.

"He'll also seize the opportunity to unite the Mist Village and consolidate its power."

"Then you'll be hunted by Konoha and an enraged Mist Village.

"Being pursued by two great ninja villages would be quite a headache for someone like you, who loves life."

Looking at the confident Mei Terumi, Kou fought to keep from laughing, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

He sighed theatrically, raised both hands, and struck a pose of surrender:

"Fine, fine, you win. You're right. I wouldn't do anything to you.

"After all, you're a major client. The money I'll earn from you is enough to keep me living comfortably for years. How could I bring myself to hurt you?"

Mei Terumi: "..."

What he said made sense, but why did it sound so upsetting?!

That money was her savings from years of hard work. More than half of it had been set aside by her father and mother for her future marriage while they were still alive...

Mei Terumi felt her heart bleed. She silently apologized to her parents:

"I'm sorry, Father, Mother. Please forgive me. It's all for the future of the Mist Village..."

Seeing how dejected Mei Terumi looked, Kou couldn't help being stunned.

"Why does she look so down? Was she really that attached to the money...?"

He thought it over, then shook his head and decided to change the subject.

"All right, all right. Let's drop it."

Kou's voice returned to its earlier light, casual tone:

"By the way, when are we leaving? You must have arranged a ship that stops at the Land of Whirlpools, right?"

At Kou's words, Mei Terumi seemed to remember something. She snapped out of her dejected state, a flicker of panic in her emerald eyes.

She hurriedly glanced at the watch on her wrist.

Eleven twenty-five.

She immediately let out a sigh of relief.

Good. Half an hour left. There was still time!

She glared at Kou, her emerald eyes filled with undisguised resentment.

It was all this guy's fault. She'd planned to give him a brief rundown of the itinerary and then leave, but who knew he'd drag things out so much? He'd nearly made her miss something important!!

Mei Terumi silently warned herself:

"I can't let this guy distract me again, or I really will be done for."

She immediately stood up, her movement crisp and decisive, leaving no room for argument:

"We have half an hour. We need to get there right away!"

"Do we really need to rush?"

Kou tilted his head, his dark eyes full of confusion:

"At our speed, we'd cover that distance in seconds."

"When I'm with you, too many things can go wrong!"

"We need to be prepared!"

"That's slander! Outright slander!!"

Kou protested indignantly:

"I'm reporting you to the Land of Water!"

"Go ahead."

Mei Terumi shot him a cold glance:

"The judicial minister of the Land of Water is my uncle."

"Who dares trespass on the Heavenly House~~"

"What are you yelling about? Keep it down!"

"Sumimasen."

The two of them naturally traded barbs as they walked toward the door.

The restaurant had a wooden sliding door, its handle worn smooth and shiny.

Mei Terumi reached out, about to slide it open.

The door was pulled open from the outside.

A tall figure appeared in the doorway.

He was a middle-aged man, so broad-shouldered he looked capable of bursting the doorframe.

He wore his long white hair loose over his shoulders, like a lion's mane.

A Konoha Forehead Protector was tied around his forehead. It bore the swirl symbol, but the character "oil" stood out conspicuously.

The man wore a red overcoat and wooden sandals, exuding a carefree, swaggering air.

His face was red, his eyes unfocused, and his steps unsteady. He swayed as though he might topple over at any moment.

The strong smell of alcohol filled the air, rolling off him and spreading through the restaurant entrance.

"Ahahaha! Tsunade, Orochimaru, what did I tell you? Hic!"

He laughed loudly and let out a drunken belch. His voice echoed through the restaurant, drawing glances from the other diners:

"This newly opened ramen shop is pretty good, isn't it?! That kid Minato recommended it. Hic... It's amazing!!"

His words were slurred, as if he were speaking to someone behind him, but there was no one there.

Mei Terumi stared at the drunken giant before her, rooted to the spot.

"He... he's..."

The man seemed familiar, as if she'd seen him somewhere before.

That face... she'd seen it countless times in intelligence reports.

Jiraiya.

One of the Konoha Sannin, a top-tier powerhouse who had shaken the Ninja World during the Second Ninja World War and the Third Ninja World War.

A deep wariness surged in her heart, but then a stronger emotion overpowered it—confusion.

Why was Jiraiya here?

This was the Land of Water, the Mist Village's territory.

A top Konoha ninja had swaggered into an enemy country's port, dead drunk?

Her gaze instinctively turned to Kou, standing beside her, searching his face for an answer.

Then her body stiffened.

She saw Kou's expression.

His handsome face, usually full of cheeky smiles and nonchalance, was now dark with displeasure.

His brow furrowed tightly, as if he'd come across something he shouldn't have.

"Why...?"

Kou muttered inwardly, his dark eyes fixed on the drunken, white-haired man before him:

"Why is he here...?"

Jiraiya, one of the Sannin.

A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind:

"Is Jiraiya's appearance here a coincidence? Or did someone arrange it?

"Nagato? Obito? Or... just a chance encounter?"

He wasn't sure, but he knew one thing.

Getting involved with Jiraiya at a time like this could only be trouble.

"Hmm?"

Jiraiya seemed to notice something.

His body paused slightly, and his unfocused, bleary eyes suddenly snapped into focus.

His gaze fell on Kou.

Jiraiya's pupils contracted slightly.

The movement was so subtle it was almost imperceptible, but Kou caught it.

He saw Jiraiya's eyes shift from bleary to clear, saw him switch instantly from drunk to alert.

"You're..."

Jiraiya's voice was no longer slurred or drunken. It was deep and calm, carrying the poise of a powerful man.

His voice rose several degrees, barely concealing his astonishment:

"Kou!!"

His eyes widened slightly. His alcohol-flushed face took on an indescribable expression.

There was shock, gravity, and something complicated—like the nostalgia of encountering an old friend he hadn't seen in years...