The night was pitch-black, with only two or three stars scattered across the sky.
"Mm~"
Fenchu rolled twice across the floor, stopping in front of Kairen. Grabbing onto his pant leg, the little creature slowly climbed into his arms.
Kairen stroked its fur, his eyes drifting toward the three enormous Hokage Rock faces.
The Third Hokage's face was such an eyesore that Kairen felt an urge to destroy it and replace it with his own—making a funny face instead.
He turned his head, glancing at the three tomoe-shaped marks on his neck—the Cursed Seal of Heaven implanted by Orochimaru.
Normally, his resurrection should have wiped away all negative effects, yet the curse mark still remained. That meant the Infinite Resurrection System considered it harmless to him.
The curse mark could induce Sage Transformation, but the violent natural energy it absorbed often eroded a person's will and warped their mind.
Kairen, however, was different. As someone with multiple personalities, the idea of his will being "corrupted" was nothing but a joke.
Besides, his brain was protected by the system itself. The curse mark's negative energy couldn't infiltrate him at all.
In other words, the seal had no side effects on Kairen.
Orochimaru had unknowingly given him quite the treasure. Kairen would have to thank him properly—by sprinkling a little extra salt when he cooked him later.
There was another point, too: the Cursed Seal of Heaven was one of Orochimaru's resurrection methods, containing his cells and chakra.
But within Kairen's seal, there wasn't the slightest trace of Orochimaru's cells. The system must have removed them during his resurrection—after all, anything harmful to Kairen was automatically purged.
So now, the mark on Kairen's neck was nothing more than a pure seal that absorbed natural energy.
Kairen continued to rub Fenchu, giving its round bear butt a playful squeeze, when his gaze suddenly snapped toward one corner of the wooden cabin.
With a sharp "swish," a masked ninja wearing a purple-and-white flak jacket appeared, kneeling on one knee.
Kairen glanced out the window and grumbled under his breath.
Canon and the others were supposed to be on patrol—what the hell were they doing, letting an enemy sneak in without even noticing?
"Bomb time!"
"Hey! We just started the game, and you're already playing a bomb?!"
"What did you expect? My name's Canon!"
A group of Kairen's shadow clones, supposedly on patrol, were instead crowded together playing cards—some playing, some watching. Completely unprofessional.
Snap!
Kairen clicked his fingers, instantly dispelling all those lazy clones. Tomorrow, they'd be scrubbing toilets.
He turned his attention back to the intruder.
The masked ninja hadn't attacked. Instead, she remained kneeling on one knee, a silent gesture of submission.
"Mm~"
Kairen held Fenchu in his arms and stared quietly at the silent figure, studying her closely.
She wasn't tall, with dark golden hair—clearly a female ninja.
Kairen spoke lazily.
"State your name. Let's hear which mountain you come from."
The masked ninja's cold voice rang out.
"Yakushi Nono."
Kairen slowly tasted the name on his tongue.
Yakushi Nono—the head of Konoha's orphanage, and at the same time, a spy-nin for the Root division. A highly capable agent, known as the Wandering Miko.
She was also an important figure—she once took in Yakushi Kabuto, serving as the light in his life.
Kairen's sake bottle released a misty stream of liquor, like slender water serpents swirling through the air before gently landing on Nono's face.
He was about to begin his "liquor induction."
Yakushi Nono didn't move an inch, remaining perfectly still.
The liquor slid down, unfastening her white mask.
In an instant, the faint light of the night seemed to gather upon the woman with dark golden hair.
Her pupils were a deep emerald; her skin, flawless like jade. Beneath her icy calm radiated an intellectual allure. Anyone looking at her would instinctively feel warmth toward her—it was no wonder she became the orphanage director.
Kairen admired her beauty openly.
He wasn't a shallow man—when it came to women, what mattered most was whether their souls resonated with his. Looks were secondary. As long as she was pretty, that was enough.
Yakushi Nono could feel the predatory gaze Kairen cast upon her, yet her face showed no hint of discomfort—only serene silence.
Wolon stirred on the floor, suddenly catching the unfamiliar scent.
"Grrr~"
The little bear immediately leapt up, baring its sharp teeth, and charged ferociously at Yakushi Nono to fulfill its duty as Kairen's frontline guard.
Nono didn't even glance at it, letting the small bear tug and claw at the soft armor on her back.
After Kairen finished admiring her, he finally spoke.
"So, what brings you here?"
Still kneeling, Yakushi Nono lifted her head slightly to look at the imposing young man leaning against the window.
"I wish to serve you," she said calmly.
"Why?" Kairen asked.
Sure, he was handsome, but Nono wasn't some rich woman looking for a toy boy—she had an orphanage full of kids to feed.
"Because you are strong," she replied.
"That's a weak reason," Kairen said flatly.
He knew he was strong—his Canon had single-handedly achieved a twenty-man kill streak—but still, strength alone didn't earn loyalty.
Even Uchiha Madara had been powerful beyond measure, yet when he left, not a single Uchiha followed him.
Nono fell silent for a moment before finally speaking under Kairen's sharp gaze.
"I need money. You're from the Senju Clan—a great family. If you give me some funds, I'll serve you."
"So it's about money!" Kairen realized instantly.
Even heroes could be defeated by a single coin—how much more so for a woman?
Nono was a kindhearted person. To support her orphanage, she had willingly descended into the darkness of Root—just to provide for those poor children.
Kairen chuckled.
"There are plenty of wealthy clans in Konoha—the Uchiha, the Hyūga, the Sarutobi. Why come to the Senju?"
Nono paused, then replied, "I don't trust those clans. Their darkness runs too deep. Once you're entangled with them, you can never wash it away."
Kairen met her dark green eyes.
"Then why come to me?"
"Because you value bonds," Nono answered simply.
Kairen smirked. In truth, he didn't value bonds—he valued beauty.
"The one in charge of gathering intel on you was me," Nono continued. "I know much about you. Elder Danzō had planned to have me infiltrate your side soon, but for some reason, he suddenly went mad last night and launched an ambush today."
"I understand you. You care deeply about those around you, never allowing them to be hurt—not even a scratch. You're a qualified master. Under you, I wouldn't fear betrayal."
Kairen smiled faintly.
"With me, betrayal isn't something you'll need to worry about—but you might have to worry about whether your master's bed is cold or not."
Nono's expression remained blank, her composure utterly unshaken. Even if Kairen ran a cart over her face, she probably wouldn't make a sound.
Kairen sighed inwardly. How dull. He hadn't yet touched the depths of this woman's heart.
The room fell silent for a while.
Kairen finally stood up, tossing Fenchu onto the bed. Then he stepped toward Nono, hooked a finger under her chin, and studied the beautiful woman closely.
He suddenly said,
"Do you think… I have any need for you?"