"Hu… Husband?"
Kisame looked at Aizawa Nana, who had a shy face, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
Meanwhile, on another bustling night market street:
Hidan, dressed in a red kimono cinched with a golden sash, and his vampire-like refined features, resembled a wealthy young aristocrat. His noble aura drew the attention of many women as he strolled, so long as he didn't open his mouth.
Even after being taught a lesson by Naruto several times, Feidan still couldn't figure out why he was beaten. In his mind, it must have been because he previously worshipped Jashin and refused to follow Naruto's leadership. As long as he complied now, there should be no more problems.
Participating in the game now was his way of showing obedience.
As for whether he won the game or not, Hidan didn't care.
'This is disgusting.'
Watching the endless stream of cheerful pedestrians with smiles plastered across their faces, Hidan felt physically ill at the festive atmosphere.
'How satisfying it would be to go on a rampage here!'
The thought of panicked crowds scattering, even trampling over each other, made Hidan grin involuntarily.
However, the memory of the consequences of disrupting Naruto's game quickly extinguished his wicked ideas. The last thing he wanted was another brutal beating.
"Hmm? What a fragrant smell of booze!"
Hidan originally planned to kill time by wandering around until the one-hour limit ended, then return to regroup. Unexpectedly, the alluring aroma of wine caught his nose. With his sharp sense of smell, he quickly identified it as floral brew, a light and fragrant drink often favored by women.
Under normal circumstances, Hidan wouldn't be interested in such a drink, but this was different. They were in the middle of the game.
A tavern specializing in floral brews was bound to attract a lot of women. So even if he got caught sneaking a drink, he could justify himself by claiming he was scouting the tavern for beautiful ladies.
It not only satisfies his craving for alcohol, but also allows him to get away with it. It's really a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
Grinning slyly, Hidan followed the scent.
Before long, he arrived at a tavern.
"Rose Tavern."
The signboard was formed entirely of rose arrangements, and both sides of the tavern's entrance were adorned with vibrant floral displays.
Clearly, this place was capitalizing on the fame of Rose Street to attract tourists, which is a rather cliche tactic.
Hidan didn't mind this. He took a step in and the aroma of alcohol became even stronger.
At a glance, the tavern had two floors. Unlike the typical Japanese-style private rooms, this tavern opted for long bar-style tables reminiscent of Ichiraku Ramen.
The second floor had an open layout with a wooden balustrade, allowing a clear view of the first floor. The long tables were built along the outer walls, which were adorned with a variety of flowers. The center of the room, however, featured no tables, just a group of musicians playing delightful hometown tunes.
Patrons could enjoy their drinks while savoring the music. Thanks to the open design, even those on the second floor had an unobstructed view of the musicians.
Some customers, clearly in high spirits, were even dancing to the melodies.
Closest to the musicians was a group of uniformly dressed, beautiful women who appeared to be performers accompanying the music with dances.
"Not bad at all!"
Hidan watched with great interest.
Although he loathed peace, he appreciated the lively harmony in a drinking spot like this. After all, the atmosphere was a vital part of enjoying his drink.
"Welcome, young master! Please, come in."
Noticing Hidan's elegant attire and distinguished demeanor, the proprietress herself stepped out from behind the counter near the door to greet him warmly.
The proprietress has been in the business for many years and had a knack for reading people. With a single glance, she could tell that Hidan was no ordinary customer.
"This way, young master. There's an open seat for you." She said warmly, linking her arm with his and leading him to a prime spot.
The seat wasn't just any vacant spot, as it was positioned directly facing the musicians, offering the best view in the house. Seeing this, Hidan nodded in satisfaction.
"You seem new here, young master. May I recommend our signature floral brew? I'll fetch it for you right away."
The proprietress said with a radiant smile, her graceful figure swaying as she headed toward the tavern's storage room.
However, just as the proprietress was getting the drink, a man dressed in shabby clothes and looking like a beggar suddenly burst into the tavern.
The man rushed to Hidan's side and urged in a low but urgent tone, "Little brother, you need to leave with me now. This place is a trap. If you stay, it'll be too late."
"Oh? Go on, tell me more." Hidan replied, his interest piqued.
He never minded a bit of chaos, but the rules of the game meant he couldn't actively cause trouble.
If trouble found him, though? Perfect.
Seeing he couldn't physically drag Hidan away, the ragged man began to explain frantically, "The tavern's proprietress's name is Hana. I only learned about her reputation recently, but it's notorious around here. Don't be fooled by her youthful looks, she's actually 43 years old. Twenty years ago, she married into this town from another region. But shortly after her marriage, her husband mysteriously died, and this tavern became her property!"
"At first, people sympathized with her. But as time went on, they realized she was promiscuous, constantly seducing local men. Rumor has it her husband might've been one of her victims. Once her true nature was exposed, no one in town wanted anything to do with her."
"Since then, she's targeted travelers instead. I was one of her victims! I came to this tavern a few days ago and got scammed. That's how I found out about her. So trust me, little brother, get out now while you can."
After hearing what the ragged man said, Hidan laughed and said, "Do you think I will believe you?"
For all he knew, this ragged man could just be delusional.
The ragged man snorted coldly, "I'm trying to persuade you with good intentions, so why are you like this? Are you a fool? Think about it carefully… there are so many customers in this store, but why are the best seats empty? It's obvious that Hana left them there to seduce men. The purpose is to make you relax your vigilance and think that she is a good person. Then, she will give you the so-called signature floral brew, which is actually drugged. She's coming back soon. That's all I'm saying. If you don't believe me, then you deserve what's coming!"
With that, the ragged man bolted out of the tavern, glancing over his shoulder as if terrified of being caught by the proprietress.
Hidan mulled over the man's words. Admittedly, they did make some sense. It was suspicious that such a prime seat had been left unoccupied. Moreover, the man's battered appearance suggested he had recently been in a fight.
'Could it be that this woman really wasn't as harmless as she seemed?'
As he pondered, the proprietress returned, carrying a bottle of wine.
"Forgive me for keeping you waiting, young master." She said apologetically, "Allow me to make amends by punishing myself with a drink. This bottle is on the house for you."
With a charming smile, she poured herself a glass of wine and downed it in one go. Then she moved to pour a glass for Hidan.
"I'll serve myself."
Hidan said, taking the bottle from her. He discreetly sniffed the wine, detecting only the rich fragrance of the brew.
As a seasoned Shinobi, his heightened senses told him the drink wasn't poisoned.
'Damn, that ragged guy really tried to trick me!'
Furious at nearly being duped by a beggar, Hidan poured himself a glass and prepared to down it in one go.
But just as the glass touched his lips, he froze.
'Hmm?'
'Why did the wine suddenly smell… poisoned?'
'What is going on here?'