Tazuna's house was even more dilapidated than Sen had imagined.
A damp, musty smell filled the rooms. Cobwebs clung to the corners, and the floorboards creaked underfoot.
Kakashi had been laid on the only bed that was still reasonably intact. He remained unconscious.
The dinner Tsunami served consisted of a few dry rice balls and a pot of watery wild vegetable soup.
Thanks to Gato's exploitation, the townspeople struggled to meet even their most basic needs for food and clothing.
"Bro, this meal's way too plain. There isn't even a speck of oil in it."
Naruto took a bite of his rice ball, his little face scrunching up.
"Be grateful you have anything to eat. Shut up."
Sasuke gave him a cold glance and silently drank his vegetable soup.
Sen looked at the miserable conditions and let out a long sigh.
This wasn't a paid vacation. This was wilderness survival.
"Nope. These accommodations and meals are seriously compromising the quality of my slacking off."
Sen put down his rice ball, stood up, and walked out of the house.
"Bro, where are you going?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of food.
"To improve our living conditions."
Sen waved without looking back.
He went around to the back of the house, where a barren patch of ground lay overgrown with weeds, without a single decent tree.
"Perfect. Nothing growing here means I can do whatever I want."
Sen pulled a few fruit cores left over from his afternoon snack out of his ninja tool pouch.
There were apple cores, pear cores, and even a few seeds from fruits he couldn't identify.
Like an old farmer, he casually tossed the cores onto the wasteland in front of him.
Then he crouched down, extended his right hand, and gently pressed it against the soft