Old Friends in a Foreign Land

"This little village doesn't look so little. With so many taverns, it must be a transportation hub."

"Yeah. Stick with me. No rush to find them—we'll look around first."

"Gathering intelligence?"

"You're getting the hang of it..."

Their eyes swept over the street, and for a moment, neither knew which place to choose.

"Huh? Orochimaru-sensei, look at that one! I think that one's pretty good!"

Orochimaru followed Xuanhui's gaze.

"White Rabbit Tavern? What's so special about—"

His gaze dropped from the signboard and landed on a pair of glaringly white curves.

They belonged to a well-built woman. Her clothes were not revealing, yet they emphasized her voluptuous figure.

She stood at the entrance with a smile, handing out flyers.

"Shady taverns like this... often hide the broadest sources of intelligence!"

Xuanhui rested his chin on one hand. At first glance, he actually looked rather wise.

Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. He did not know whether he should praise Xuanhui for his "great wisdom."

Even so... he was right...

"Are you sure there isn't some other reason...?"

"Sensei, what were you thinking, asking an eight-year-old that?"

The two fell silent and quietly headed over.

"Wait a minute!"

A girlish shout rang out beside them.

Orochimaru pushed the door open and was about to enter, but before Xuanhui even reached the entrance, the woman grabbed him.

"Children aren't allowed inside!"

At her words, Xuanhui's little hand twitched, and one brow rose involuntarily.

He exchanged a glance with Orochimaru.

"Are you blind, woman?! I'm already twenty-eight years old!"

Xuanhui swiftly turned around. His tightly furrowed brows and flame-spitting eyes were fully captured by the woman.

"Huh?"

The woman was completely bewildered.

"Let me tell you, you lowborn wench! No one dares look down on me, Kutsukushi! Especially not you!"

Xuanhui raised a hand, ready to leap up and slap the woman across the face.

"That's enough, Second Brother! That's plenty!"

Orochimaru immediately grabbed Xuanhui, slinging him over his shoulder.

"Sorry for the trouble!"

Orochimaru gave the woman a simple apology. Her expression still held three parts disbelief and seven parts lingering fright.

This time, the two of them entered the tavern without issue, and no one stopped them.

"You kid are pretty quick on the uptake, huh?"

"Who do you think I'm a disciple of?"

Master and disciple exchanged another look, then immediately turned their heads away.

The older one pursed his lips, his muscles trembling stiffly.

The younger one covered his eyes, his shoulders shaking wildly.

"Stop laughing... Business first..."

Orochimaru took the continuously shaking Xuanhui off his shoulder.

"Let's find somewhere to sit. We've been hungry for a long time, so let's order a few dishes too."

"Sure."

The two walked past the counter toward the seating area.

As they passed a dining table, both stopped at the same time.

One pair of eyes held surprise and a hint of excitement.

The other pair... was filled with speechlessness...

A white-haired man, dead drunk, was sprawled over the table, snoring.

How could they tell he was dead drunk? The answer lay in the several empty bottles tipped over nearby...

"Jiraiya..."

Orochimaru really wanted to turn around and leave, unwilling to pretend he knew him.

But Xuanhui had already reached out to poke him.

"Lord Jiraiya? Lord Jiraiya?"

"Mmm..."

The snoring abruptly stopped, replaced by the sound of him swallowing drool.

Under their blank stares, his body slowly straightened.

Still bleary-eyed, Jiraiya stretched out his arms and gave a huge stretch.

"Yawn~~ Xiao Li? What time is it now?"

He draped an arm to the side, but grabbed nothing.

"Hm? Where's Xiao Li?

What's going on? It's already daylight?

Let's settle the bill and switch to another tavern..."

Jiraiya turned around and came face-to-face with them.

"Hm?"

Jiraiya was startled at first. Then he rubbed his sleepy eyes and waved a hand in front of them, confirming that it was not an illusion.

"Am I seriously still not awake? I must've gotten way too drunk! Hahahahaha!"

Orochimaru had known he would say that. He simply reached out and gripped Jiraiya's shoulder.

"Jiraiya..."

"Orochimaru! Why are you here?"

"I brought my disciple here for a mission."

"Disciple?"

Jiraiya looked at the boy beside him. The boy bowed to him and greeted him.

"Wow! Orochimaru, your disciple is really impressive!"

Jiraiya swayed his head from side to side, looking as though he had not fully sobered up.

He noticed an unopened bottle beside him and casually picked it up.

"Kid, want to taste an adult's bitterness?"

He waved the bottle in front of Xuanhui's face.

Orochimaru gave a cold laugh and sat across from Jiraiya without saying a word.

To his surprise, Xuanhui took the bottle, skillfully broke the seal, and raised it to his mouth to chug.

"Hey! Hey! Wait a minute! Children aren't allowed to drink!"

Jiraiya was instantly stunned. With a quick grab, he snatched the bottle away.

Were kids these days really this obedient?

Orochimaru! Didn't you teach him basic common sense?

After taking the bottle, Jiraiya casually took a swig himself.

When he looked back at the two, he found them both with their arms folded, watching him with teasing expressions.

"Kid! You dared to mess with me?"

He might have been slow, but he was not stupid.

Jiraiya immediately caught on and pulled Xuanhui into his arms.

His other hand formed a fist and vigorously ground against Xuanhui's head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Lord Jiraiya! It was only a joke! Orochimaru-sensei told me to do it!"

"Orochimaru! Just how are you teaching your disciple?"

"Tch!"

Orochimaru made it clear that he could not be bothered with him.

"Xuanhui, stop messing around. Get up—we need to talk business."

With a nimble twist of his waist, Xuanhui instead slipped out from under Jiraiya's armpit.

"You're a nimble little brat!"

Jiraiya smiled faintly and did not keep chasing Xuanhui.

He picked up a wine cup, filled it, and pushed it before Orochimaru.

Orochimaru looked up at Jiraiya.

"I want to talk business."

"Have a drink! It won't take long. How long has it been since we last met?"

Orochimaru stared at Jiraiya for a while, then picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp.

"Jiraiya, put your travels on hold and come back to the village with us."

Jiraiya's hand froze in midair, still holding his cup. He stared at the reflective tabletop, his thoughts seeming to sink into the depths of the sea.

"This matter... I've known about it for a long time... But it hasn't gotten that serious yet..."

"No, Jiraiya. War really is about to break out. There's no avoiding it."

The two spoke more and more quietly, until even Xuanhui, seated beside them, had to lean in close to hear clearly.

"Haah!"

The heavy sigh was like a seasoning, sliding down his throat together with the bitter liquor.

"You've surely heard of Hanzo the Salamander from the Hidden Rain Village, haven't you?"