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 have no idea where a little brat like you got such terrifying killing intent."

Muttering a complaint under his breath, 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."

Skating across the ice a few times, Samu Kokaze followed behind him with a grin.

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

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

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

Pedestrians filled the streets. The Land of Fire truly deserved its reputation as the strongest nation in the Naruto World; one could tell simply from the spirits of the people passing by.

Vendors shouted their wares, children played and chased one another, and passersby hurried back and forth with smiles on their faces.

The bustling crowds were steeped in an air of happiness.

The sight before him made Samu Kokaze feel 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 repeatedly turned his head to admire the scenery on both sides.

"Pretty good?"

Tanaka Yoshikado seemed to recall something upon hearing that. A trace of self-mockery appeared on his face as he muttered softly and shook his head.

Seeing Tanaka Yoshikado's expression, Samu Kokaze frowned and asked, "What, Brother Yoshikado? Do you have a different opinion?"

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

Although he knew from the anime of his previous life that people elsewhere might not be living very well—perhaps even miserably—he had never seen it firsthand. He could not compare to Tanaka Yoshikado, who had spent a year traveling outside.

Tanaka Yoshikado looked toward the sides of the street and sighed faintly with his handsome face.

"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 other villages and towns outside, especially those near the borders, are beyond anything you could imagine."

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

Walking along the bluestone-paved road, Samu Kokaze raised his head slightly. With his usual smile, he teased softly, "I never expected Brother Yoshikado to have such compassion for the suffering of the world. Shouldn't nobles care only about their own interests and not give a damn whether commoners live or die?"

"Tch!"

Tanaka Yoshikado's cheek twitched. "Where did a brat like you hear such things? Logically speaking, having grown up in Konoha, you shouldn't have come into contact with any of this. I really don't know how Konoha raised someone like you."

"Storybooks and novels," Samu Kokaze said lightly.

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

Faced with Tanaka Yoshikado's faintly mocking words, Samu Kokaze remained calm. "Actually, as long as you look at things from another angle, you can see the ugly face of the world even in the most righteous and glorious novels."

"You could just say your heart is dark. What normal person would think like you?"

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

"This is the place!"

As the words fell, he pushed open the teahouse door. A wave of warm air carrying a faint tea fragrance poured out from within, invigorating anyone who smelled it.

"This is Tanaka Clan property, though outsiders don't know that. It serves as one of our places for exchanging intelligence."

Tanaka Yoshikado explained in a low voice as he led Samu Kokaze to the second floor.

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

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

The room was small, only about a dozen square meters. It was beside a window, allowing a view of the scenery outside. The floor was covered with brown tatami mats, and a small tea table fitting the room stood atop them.

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

Looking at the person opposite them, Samu Kokaze raised his eyes and studied him carefully.

The man before him wore an oversized black robe and sat kneeling across the tea table. His square face looked reassuring, but there was a hint of tension on it now, visible from the fine beads of sweat forming on the tip of his nose.

To be honest, this was Samu Kokaze's first time seeing a spy. In his memories of his previous life, he had only seen those figures—practically deified by screenwriters—on television, with things like tearing Japanese soldiers apart with bare hands, hiding grenades in one's crotch, or having unlimited bullets.

The man in the room grew somewhat uncomfortable under Samu Kokaze's scrutinizing gaze. He forced a calm expression, then used his clenched, white-knuckled hand to pick up the teapot and pour three cups of steaming tea before offering them to the two.

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

From the moment they entered the teahouse, Tanaka Yoshikado had instantly changed his expression. His icy gaze swept over the teacup offered before him. Looking at the figure across from him, who had been holding it out for so long that sweat had appeared on his forehead, he nodded slightly and accepted it.

"Clan Head Yoshikado, who is this?"

His gaze shifted to the child who had stared at him ever since entering the room. His expression was somewhat awkward and carried a trace of displeasure, though he naturally did not dare show that displeasure openly.

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

A flash of cold light shot from his eyes as he spoke in an icy voice.

"Yes, yes! May I ask what you summoned me for this time? How may I be of service?"

The Sato Clan spy, sweat beading on his forehead, nodded repeatedly with a fawning expression. Although he seemed to want to project some toughness, he failed to do so.

On the way there, Tanaka Yoshikado had given Samu Kokaze a rough introduction to the man before him.

His name was Sato Jian, and he was a mid-level manager in the Sato Clan. However, he was fond of gambling. While handling Sato Clan business, he had once gambled himself senseless, taking the clan's business funds to gamble and losing every last coin. Just as he fell into despair, Tanaka Yoshikado, who had only recently become clan head, produced the money and invested in him, successfully saving both his future and his life.

He had thus become an important spy the Tanaka Clan had planted in 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 very beginning.

Seeing Sato Jian's frightened 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 in my capacity as head of the Tanaka Clan that we will never come looking for you again."