Hearing Yeyu's explanation, Anko reluctantly accepted it.
Yeyu smiled. "I'm pretty confident in my strength, but when it comes to experience carrying out missions, I still have a lot to learn from you, Anko."
Yeyu said it politely.
Anko smiled. "It's good that you can think that way. A ninja needs more than just strength."
Yeyu smiled and nodded.
But he knew full well that a ninja did need more than just strength. Still, strength was the foundation; without it, nothing else mattered. With strength, the other problems weren't problems at all.
Asama Sandayu sent people out to search.
But by nightfall, they still hadn't found her.
Sitting in the room, Anko wasn't in any hurry.
She hadn't wanted to take on this mission, which had come up so suddenly, in the first place.
She had only agreed because Yeyu said they should go through with it, and she trusted him.
Now that they couldn't find Kazahana Koyuki, they would miss tomorrow's ship, and wouldn't have to take on the new mission Asama Sandayu had asked them to do.
Anko sat cross-legged in front of Yeyu, sprawling without a care. She didn't look like a 24-year-old woman at all.
"We still haven't found her. I reckon we're definitely going to miss tomorrow's ship."
"Looks like fate doesn't want us to accept this mission."
Yeyu leaned against the windowsill, watching Asama Sandayu pace anxiously around the room.
He asked Asama Sandayu, "Are you sure Princess Koyuki is still in the city?"
Asama Sandayu nodded. "Princess Koyuki has been cared for by people in the Land of Fire all this time. She wouldn't be able to survive if she went out on her own."
"And she hasn't been gone long, so she probably hasn't left the city."
"The capital is just so large that it's hard to figure out where she might be."
Asama Sandayu was frantic. Princess Koyuki, this is our only chance to restore our country. Please don't let anything happen to you at such a critical moment.
With Yeyu there, their attempt to restore their country had a very good chance of succeeding.
Asama Sandayu didn't want to give up this precious opportunity.
While Asama Sandayu fretted, Yeyu closed his eyes.
He released his Observation Haki in an instant.
His terrifying Observation Haki covered the entire capital.
Yeyu had seen a photograph of Kazahana Koyuki, so he knew exactly what she looked like.
He locked onto Kazahana Koyuki's location almost immediately.
"I found her. I'll bring her back. She's at a tavern in the eastern part of the city. You two can head there in a bit."
Before Asama Sandayu and Anko could figure out what was going on, Yeyu vanished from the room.
Anko stared blankly. "What was Yeyu talking about?"
"Why did he suddenly disappear?"
Anko didn't know that Yeyu could use the Flying Thunder God Technique, so she had no idea that he had just teleported to Kazahana Koyuki's location.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he appeared more than ten kilometers away at a tavern on the outskirts of the capital.
It was a small tavern, with a tiny bar that could seat only five or six people. Its layout was similar to Ichiraku Ramen.
Kazahana Koyuki was drinking.
One glass after another. She was already a little drunk, her face flushed.
Yeyu suddenly appeared in the tavern.
A few men who had been eyeing Kazahana Koyuki frowned. "Hey, kid."
"We saw this woman first. Go home and find your mommy, little brat."
"Hahaha!"
The men burst out laughing.
They saw Yeyu walking toward Kazahana Koyuki and assumed he was trying to steal her away.
They were waiting for the woman to pass out from drinking so they could take her back and do whatever they wanted.
Things like that happened all the time in taverns.
Kazahana Koyuki had removed her makeup and disguised herself, but her beauty still drew attention wherever she went.
Kazahana Koyuki turned to look at Yeyu.
"Kid, th-this isn't the kind of place you should be."
She was so drunk that her vision had started to blur.
She held a glass in one hand and waved Yeyu away with the other.
Yeyu walked over and sat down beside her.
Kazahana Koyuki froze.
She hadn't expected Yeyu to ignore her and sit right beside her.
The men who had teased Yeyu earlier saw him sit down beside their prey.
They immediately crowded around him.
"Kid, you trying to steal her?"
Yeyu didn't look at them. He turned to Kazahana Koyuki and said calmly, "We're leaving tomorrow. If you drink this much now, you might feel awful tomorrow—and you'll be taking a boat."
Kazahana Koyuki, who had been so dizzy she could barely see, sobered up at once.
She opened her eyes and looked closely at Yeyu.
Realizing he really was just a child, she chuckled. "Hehehe. Kid, are you the ninja that Sandayu hired?"
"Has he gone broke lately? Why'd he hire a little kid like you?"
Yeyu was already 165 centimeters tall, but his face still made it clear he was only twelve.
The men who had gathered around realized that Yeyu was ignoring them.
He was chatting away with their prey as if they weren't there, and they flew into a rage. "Kid, don't think we won't hit you just because you're a child. We like picking on people weaker than us."
The men clenched their fists and threatened Yeyu.
But Yeyu didn't pay them any attention.
"Come with me now. This is my mission, so I hope you'll cooperate."
"Hey, kid, are you deaf?"
The men shouted angrily at Yeyu.
They looked ready to attack him.
Yeyu looked annoyed. "You're so annoying. Can't you be quiet?"
"Voom~"
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki burst out.
The burly men rolled their eyes and collapsed unconscious in the tavern without warning.
Without giving them another glance, Yeyu stared at Kazahana Koyuki. "You've had enough. Come on, let's go back."
Kazahana Koyuki stared in shock at the men who had suddenly collapsed, their eyes rolled back as if someone had knocked them out with a club.
"Wh-what kind of jutsu was that?"
"Did you do it?"
Yeyu didn't answer. "Are you coming or not?"
"I-I'm not going. I don't want to go to the Land of Snow."
Kazahana Koyuki realized Yeyu was no ordinary child. She stood up, intending to run again.
But she had drunk too much, and fell as soon as she got to her feet.
She couldn't even stand steadily.
Watching Kazahana Koyuki struggle to get up and try to run again, Yeyu shook his head. "What a hassle."
He reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
Almost instantly, Yeyu and Kazahana Koyuki appeared in her room.
Kazahana Koyuki didn't even realize they were back in the house.
She was still struggling to get up and trying to escape.
After returning to the room, Yeyu sat on the windowsill and paid Kazahana Koyuki no further attention.
Meanwhile, Asama Sandayu and Anko, who had been about to head to the address Yeyu left behind, were both stunned.
The two had suddenly appeared in the room, especially Kazahana Koyuki.
Asama Sandayu stared in shock and hurried over to help Kazahana Koyuki up. "Miss Fujikaze, h-how did you get so drunk?"
Asama Sandayu usually called Kazahana Koyuki by her stage name.
Before you continue