In the Hot Spring Inn's secret chamber, Chihane carefully savored the Water Leaves tea Ishikawa Ken had given him. The more he tasted it, the more familiar it seemed, as though he had drunk it somewhere before.
Soon, the Daimyo's son, now thoroughly cleaned up, was "invited" into the secret chamber by three older women.
"What do you want... don't you know who I am?" True to his royal upbringing, the Daimyo's son had actually calmed down after what had happened in the hot spring.
He casually sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and began drinking, acting almost as though he were the host.
Though the Daimyo's son looked rather rough, he was actually perceptive. On the way to this room, he had already worked out who these people were.
There had always been only one powerful armed force in the Land of Fire: Konoha, now led by Orochimaru.
Although his guards included no ninja, they were all powerful samurai. Their commander had even killed a jonin before.
Yet that formidable group had been wiped out effortlessly by three women.
Apart from Konoha, he could think of no organization in the Land of Fire capable of such a feat.
Besides, since they had not hurt him in the earlier commotion, that meant he was still relatively safe.
With his life at least assured, all that remained was to find out what the man opposite him wanted.
His overly familiar behavior, however, displeased Chihane. He had not given him permission to sit, so why had he made himself so comfortable? Apparently, he still did not understand his situation.
Chiriku had spent so many years by Chihane's side that a single frown told him what Chihane was thinking.
He immediately stood, walked behind the Daimyo's son, and kicked the chair