After they agreed on the terms, Hayato went home, brought Jiro out, and dispelled the genjutsu cast on him.
"Jiro!" Inuzuka Kaku's voice was filled with barely contained excitement and joy.
Freed from the genjutsu, Jiro's eyes regained their usual clarity and brightness.
When he spotted Inuzuka Kaku nearby, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, leapt onto Kaku's shoulder, and gently licked his cheek with his moist tongue.
"Hahaha, this is wonderful, Jiro! You remember me!" Inuzuka Kaku's face lit up with a radiant smile, banishing his usual dejection.
"All right, that touching reunion is over. Let's go, Uncle Inuzuka." Hayato walked over and spoke calmly.
He didn't actually need a Ninja Dog as a partner. He just couldn't stand the idea of returning Jiro for nothing.
The other side had been the one to provoke him in the first place.
Inuzuka Sai nodded. "All right. We can leave now."
"Wait, I'm coming too." Shota suddenly came to Hayato's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
Inuzuka Sai raised no objection.
Of course, he had no grounds to object. He himself had come to the other party's home with Inuzuka Kaku.
Like a child who'd done something wrong, Inuzuka Kaku quietly followed behind his father, his eyes full of guilt and self-reproach.
He knew he'd caused the clan a fair bit of trouble this time.
And so, the four of them and one dog left Hayato's home together and headed for the Inuzuka Clan's Ninja Dog breeding grounds.
A little while later, they arrived at their destination.
The gate was pulled open, and they walked inside.
They continued on, soon coming to a large door.
"This is the Inuzuka Clan Puppy Breeding Room. The puppies are carefully looked after here soon after they're born," Inuzuka Sai explained.