A month passed quietly as Kaito resumed doing missions and making money.
Thick clouds smothered the sun, and the air suddenly turned heavy and suffocating.
Moments later—
Boom—!
A downpour crashed onto Konoha.
Fat raindrops shattered against umbrellas and stone pavement, splashing into countless tiny droplets.
On this stormy day, news from the Fire–Rain battlefield finally arrived.
"Extra! Extra! Frontline victory!
Orochimaru's Konoha forces have pushed deep into the Rain Country!
The Ame command unit has been eliminated!"
"I'll take one."
"That'll be five hundred ryō."
"So expensive?"
Kaito blinked under his umbrella.
"Didn't Ninja World Daily cost three hundred last month?"
Rain hammered against both umbrellas.
The paperboy grinned.
"It's raining today, hard to work, you know?
And only shinobi can afford newspapers anyway."
—In other words: HQ raised prices, and he followed.
"…Here."
Kaito paid—he happened to have spare change today.
He bought the half-monthly Ninja World Daily and walked off while the paperboy's shouting faded in the rain.
"Figures.
There's almost no real information in here."
"Daimyō really hate the idea of civilians becoming informed."
Most articles were empty praise—
exaggerating Konoha's prosperity, implying the Fire Country's comfortable climate was some divine blessing.
In reality, with even mid-level chakra technology, a shinobi village could terraform deserts, tundra, and wastelands into livable environments.
But people here were conditioned to believe what they were told.
Like a world stuck in Conan logic—time never moves and nobody notices.
"Hm?"
A tiny block of text in the corner caught Kaito's eye:
[The Fire Country leadership has decided to terminate its alliance with the Land of Whirlpools…]
"…I see."
"So it's finally come to this."
He folded the paper and tucked it into his clothes.
Not worth the five hundred ryō.
Konoha Hospital
Nonō had the day off.
She was studying advanced medical theory and learning the Mystic Palm Technique.
Tsunade had discovered her aptitude—within half a year she had mastered hemostasis and chakra scalpel usage.
It was time for A-rank medical arts.
"Yo. Nonō, studying on your day off?"
On the third floor, in a wide training and study room, Kaito entered holding skewers of takoyaki.
He leaned on the doorframe while eating.
"Teacher!"
Nonō dropped her notes and ran over, hugging him tightly.
Kaito raised the burning-hot takoyaki bag to avoid disaster.
"…You're way too clingy, Nonō."
"Hehe~ but I'm only like this with Teacher. Not anyone else~!"
"What about Tsunade-sensei?"
"Mm— that's different!
Kaito-sensei is special."
Her cheeks flushed as she took a skewer and bit into it.
"Hot! Hooo~"
Kaito walked toward her desk, placed the newspaper down, and glanced at her notes—cell biology, medical flowcharts.
Then he noticed an open scroll packed with dense script.
The three characters at the top: Mystic Palm Technique.
"Oh? You're already at this level?" he asked.
"Hmmm~?" Nonō said with her mouth full, hurrying over.
Seeing the scroll, she nodded proudly:
"Of course! I'm already a qualified medic-nin!
Once I master this A-rank technique, I can become a chūnin physician!"
She blinked at him mischievously.
"By the way, Teacher—"
"What?"
Kaito tossed his empty skewer backward and it landed perfectly in the trash bin.
Nonō's eyebrows twitched—she expected something stupid.
"I'm about to be promoted to chūnin~"
"If you slack off, Teacher… I'll surpass you~"
"..."
"…Amazing."
"Ugh, I KNEW you were going to say that."
She flung her own skewer at the trash—also landed perfectly—then grabbed another.
"Teacher, I never stopped training."
"You shouldn't slack either."
"Of course."
Kaito nodded. Seeing his disciple grow so well made him strangely proud—
even though he was the type who bullied her for fun.
"I'm looking forward to your future.
Oh, and read today's paper when you get the chance. Don't waste it."
"Eh?! You bought a newspaper? You said last year that newspapers are all scams!"
"..." Kaito scratched his cheek.
"…Did I?"
Staaaare—
Nonō stared hard at his embarrassed expression.
"You definitely said it."
"I don't forget Teacher's lessons."
"…Teacher."
"What now?"
"What do you think is the meaning of life?"
Kaito: "..."
She had once asked him the same thing—
but back then, he had been disguised as someone far above a genin.
Now the same question was being asked again, but she looked uncertain, troubled.
Kaito cleared his throat and spoke seriously:
"For me—
it's to become stronger, and protect what I want to protect."
"No matter the price."
His black eyes met her pale-green ones.
"Because the pain of losing something important…
is something I never want to feel again."
"Teacher…"
"Nonō…"
She closed her eyes, leaned forward, face inching toward him—soft, gentle, trembling—
Kaito's expression froze.
Then he stepped aside.
"You really ARE thirsty for Teacher's body!
You little pervert!"
"???"
Nonō opened her eyes.
Kaito was already several steps away.
Her face blew red like a steam engine.
Embarrassment → confusion → anger → volcanic eruption.
"White——Star——!!!"
"You! You absolute jerk!!"
After soothing his furious disciple for a good while, Kaito finally excused himself and stepped out.
Closing the door gently behind him, he stood still in the hallway.
Sorry, Nonō.
This is the last time I'll lie to you.
From now on, he had to intervene in the Whirlpool Country situation.
If he didn't—
His perfect 100% mission completion rate—now a tainted 99.99%—would never be avenged.
More importantly—
He didn't want Konoha to divert forces from other fronts, especially the Fire–Rain battlefield.
If Uzushio fell, they would have to.
And Mikoto…
Her battlefield might become far more dangerous.
And besides—
Kaito held grudges.
Whether or not Danzo was involved didn't matter.
Anything that irritates Danzo… makes Kaito happier.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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