Spy

"That's more like it!" Samu Kokaze said with satisfaction as he watched Tanaka Yoshikado nod.

"Let's hope nothing goes wrong. I really don't know where a little brat like you got such overwhelming killing intent."

Muttering in dissatisfaction, he pushed himself up from the ice with both hands, rubbed his aching backside, and staggered slightly toward the shore.

"Don't worry, don't worry. When I'm handling things, you can rest easy."

Samu Kokaze skated a few times across the ice and followed after him with a grin.

Tanaka Yoshikado lowered his head for a glance, sighed helplessly, and led him toward the place they had agreed upon last night.

It was nearly noon. A blazing red sun hung high in the sky, its endless rays bringing a trace of warmth to the cold winter.

After leaving the Tanaka Clan estate, the two walked along the streets of the City of Fire.

Pedestrians flowed endlessly through the streets. The Land of Fire truly deserved its reputation as the strongest nation in the Naruto World; one could tell just from the vigor of the passersby.

Vendors shouted their wares, children laughed and played, and pedestrians hurried back and forth with smiles on their faces.

The bustling crowd overflowed with the scent of happiness.

The sight before him left Samu Kokaze feeling deeply moved.

"The people of the Land of Fire seem to be in pretty good spirits," Samu Kokaze said, following behind Tanaka Yoshikado as he occasionally turned his head to admire the scenery on both sides.

"Pretty good?"

Hearing that, Tanaka Yoshikado seemed to think of something. A trace of self-mockery crossed his face as he quietly muttered to himself and shook his head.

Seeing Tanaka Yoshikado's expression, Samu Kokaze frowned and asked, "What? Does Brother Yoshikado have an issue with that?"

Ever since Samu Kokaze had crossed into the Naruto World, the general spirit of the people he had seen here had not been much worse than in his previous life.

Although he had learned from the anime in his previous life that people elsewhere might not live very well—perhaps even miserably—he had never witnessed it firsthand. He could not compare to Tanaka Yoshikado, who had spent a year training outside.

His gaze swept over the surroundings, and his handsome face let out a faint sigh.

"What you can see are only Konoha and the City of Fire, the two most prosperous places in the Land of Fire. The scenes in the other small villages and towns beyond them, especially near the borders, are simply beyond your imagination."

The slightly subdued words came from Tanaka Yoshikado's somewhat gloomy face, but he quickly shook his head and returned to his usual optimistic self. "Why am I telling a brat like you this?"

Walking along the bluestone-paved road, Samu Kokaze lifted his head slightly. Wearing his usual smile, he teased softly, "I never expected Brother Yoshikado to have such compassion for the people. Aren't nobles supposed to care only about their own interests and disregard whether commoners live or die?"

"Tch!"

Tanaka Yoshikado's cheek twitched. "Where did a brat like you hear that sort of thing? Logically speaking, someone who grew up in Konoha shouldn't have come into contact with this. I really don't know how Konoha raised someone like you."

"Storybooks and novels," Samu Kokaze said softly.

"Heh... I love storybooks too. Recommend some to me. Let me see whether I've wasted the past few years of my life!" He gave a cold laugh and shot Samu Kokaze a sidelong glance.

Faced with Tanaka Yoshikado's somewhat mocking words, Samu Kokaze remained calm. "Actually, as long as you look at things from another angle, even the most righteous and inspiring novel can reveal the ugly side of the world."

"Just say that your heart is dark. What normal person would think like you?"

After lightly mocking him, Tanaka Yoshikado did not wait for Samu Kokaze to respond. He grabbed Samu Kokaze's sleeve and headed toward a three-story teahouse.

"This is the place!"

As he spoke, he pushed open the teahouse doors. A wave of warm air carrying a faint fragrance of tea rushed out, invigorating anyone who breathed it in.

"This is Tanaka Clan property, though outsiders don't know about it. It's one of our places for exchanging intelligence," Tanaka Yoshikado explained in a low voice as he led Samu Kokaze upstairs.

A private room on the inner side of the second floor.

Having brought Samu Kokaze here, Tanaka Yoshikado directly pushed open the small door and strode inside.

The room was small, only around a dozen square meters. It was beside a window overlooking the scenery outside. The floor was covered in brown tatami mats, and atop them sat a small tea table that suited the room.

After taking off their shoes, the two sat across from the figure inside.

Samu Kokaze raised his eyes and carefully examined the person opposite him.

The man wore an enormous black robe and knelt across the tea table. His square face looked reassuring, but at the moment, his expression carried a hint of nervousness. The fine beads of sweat on the tip of his nose made that obvious.

To be honest, this was his first time seeing a creature known as a spy. In the memories of his previous life, he had only seen such figures on television—people practically mythologized by screenwriters, like tearing apart Japanese soldiers barehanded, hiding grenades in their crotches, or having endless ammunition.

The man in the room became somewhat uncomfortable under Samu Kokaze's scrutinizing gaze. Forcing a calm expression, he used his clenched, white-knuckled hands to pick up the teapot and pour three cups of steaming tea, then offered them to the two.

Samu Kokaze calmly accepted his cup and set it on the tea table, his curious gaze shifting back and forth between the two men.

From the moment they entered the teahouse, Tanaka Yoshikado had instantly adopted a different expression. He cast a cold glance at the teacup offered before him, then looked at the sweating figure who had been holding it out for quite some time. He nodded slightly and accepted it.

"Clan Head Yoshikado, who is this?"

His gaze shifted toward the child who had been staring at him ever since entering the room. His expression was awkward and somewhat dissatisfied, though he naturally did not dare show that displeasure.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!"

A glint of cold light flashed from his calm eyes as he spoke in an icy voice.

"Yes! Yes! May I ask what I can do for you this time?"

The Sato Clan spy, sweat beading on his forehead, nodded repeatedly with a flattering expression, even though he seemed to want to project a tougher demeanor.

On the way here, Tanaka Yoshikado had roughly introduced the man before them.

His name was Sato Jian, and he was a mid-level manager in the Sato Clan. However, he was an avid gambler. While overseeing Sato Clan business, he had once lost his head gambling and used the clan's business funds to place bets. After losing it all and falling into despair, Tanaka Yoshikado—who had only recently become clan head—produced the money and invested it in him, successfully saving both his future and his life.

As a result, he became an important spy planted by the Tanaka Clan within the Sato Clan. Of course, what he did not know was that the gambling incident had been a trap set by Tanaka Yoshikado from the start.

Seeing the panic on his face, Tanaka Yoshikado nodded slightly. He set down the teacup he had accepted from Sato Jian but had not touched, then said coldly, "Sato Ken, I have a task for you this time. As long as you successfully complete it, I guarantee as the head of the Tanaka Clan that we will never seek you out again."