The hot spring trip came to a perfect close.
All three of them looked thoroughly satisfied.
Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato had each received support from their students and close friends, strengthening their resolve to walk the path ahead. As for Uchiha Kaien, he'd gained a surge of affection points. All in all, a flawless getaway.
Kaien was the first to step out of the hot spring, draped once again in a pure white robe. His body ached with a pleasant fatigue after soaking for so long—right now, all he wanted was a good night's sleep.
Even though the Hidden Hot Spring Village wasn't as peaceful as it seemed on the surface, Kaien didn't feel the slightest bit worried. After all, his phantom beast didn't need rest.
That beast had around three-quarters of Kaien's full strength. Even if a Kage-level enemy tried to ambush him in his sleep, they wouldn't be able to pull it off in one strike.
Wait... where's my phantom beast?
Kaien's face stiffened as the realization hit him—he'd left the beast back in Kumogakure, farming affection with the A-B combo.
'Well, I guess I'll have to keep watch myself then. Whatever, Minato's still around—it's not a big deal.'
Once he felt reassured someone had his back, Kaien's mood lightened again.
Minato stepped out of the hot spring right after him, catching up with Kaien. He was also feeling a bit dizzy from the soak and planned to rest as well. Still, he stayed alert, knowing they were technically still on a mission.
Their room was traditional in style, with two clean futons laid out on tatami mats. The space was larger than average, with a decent gap between the bedding.
As the two of them slid the door open, Kaien's half-drowsy eyes instantly sharpened. With a quick glance, he signaled Minato that someone had been in the room.
Silently, Kaien activated his sensory technique.
Thanks to the steady growth of his [Seed of Perception], Kaien had already mastered handseal-free sensory—one of the baseline requirements for mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.
After all, if you couldn't sense your target's location, what was the point of teleportation? Worse, what if you teleported straight into an ambush?
Even vague long-range sensing had to be practiced and refined continuously.
Watching Kaien, Minato couldn't help but feel a bit envious. He still needed a handseal to activate his own sensory ninjutsu. If he could simplify it even more, the Flying Thunder God would become even more discreet.
With instantaneous movement, ninety-eight percent of shinobi wouldn't even have time to react.
Before Minato could dwell further on that thought, Kaien once again motioned for him to stay still. That sharp look reminded Minato of when Kaien had infiltrated Kumogakure undercover half a year ago.
Wait... are we getting caught again?
And this time, I'm getting dragged along?
As Kaien expanded his sensory range, Minato picked up on it too—two unfamiliar chakra signatures on the rooftop.
Judging from the chakra levels, they weren't particularly strong—just around the level of average chunin.
'Is Kaien trying to infiltrate their base?' Minato mused. 'Honestly, not a bad plan.'
With the Flying Thunder God in play, escaping would be as easy as snapping one's fingers. Minato casually picked up a teacup from the inn and examined it, then gently placed it back down.
The Flying Thunder God seal was quietly etched into the bottom of the cup. Kaien was doing something similar on his end.
After a bit of casual conversation, both of them drifted off to sleep.
A soak followed by a nap—it really was the best sleep aid.
...
No one knew how much time had passed when an odd ripple of chakra surged through the room, targeting both Kaien and Minato.
'A genjutsu?'
'A weak one, though.'
Kaien didn't even bother circulating chakra. This level of illusion couldn't possibly affect him—not with the power of his newly acquired [True Intent of the Self].
Without hesitation, Kaien activated his Sharingan. In the pitch-dark room, a crimson light flickered to life like a predator staring straight through the ceiling.
"Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change."
Using the Sharingan's power, Kaien instantly reflected the genjutsu back at its casters—amplifying it in the process for better control.
"All right, Minato. Time for the interrogation."
"Uh…" This wasn't what he'd expected.
Weren't they supposed to pretend to be under the illusion, get dragged to the enemy base, and then strike? When did the plan flip around so fast?
Kaien seemed to read his thoughts and rolled his eyes.
"That's way too much hassle. I've got a cleanliness issue—I don't like strangers touching me."
"..." Yeah, that checks out. Minato chuckled helplessly.
A moment later, the two masked ninja on the roof—now under genjutsu—quietly stepped down into the room. Orochimaru appeared at the same time, slipping in unnoticed.
Clearly, he'd sensed those two intruders long ago and had just been waiting to see how things played out.
As Kaien's Sharingan spun slowly, the two intruders removed their masks and began explaining.
"We're outer members of the Jashin Sect. Our job is to collect suitable children for the cult. These kids are offered as tributes to Lord Jashin, and the high priest uses them to grant the cult members pseudo-immortality…"
"You were marked the moment you arrived in the Hidden Hot Spring Village. A long-haired man with two children—looked like tourists with no real backing. Those are the easiest targets. Even if we take the kids, the adult can only scream in vain…"
...
All three of them fell into thoughtful silence.
Did they really look that easy to mess with?
A pale, long-haired man like Orochimaru might seem like an easy target—soft-spoken, maybe rich.
Then there were the "children." Kaien and Minato hadn't worn forehead protectors and had gone out in plain clothes. They probably did look like noble kids on a trip with their household steward.
And that steward was… well, obviously.
Kaien turned to Orochimaru with a playful smile, glancing meaningfully toward the door.
Orochimaru raised a brow, then gave a bemused grin.
"Steward, huh? That's a new disguise strategy."
"Most of the villagers in the Hidden Hot Spring Village actually worship the Jashin Sect too," came a familiar voice as the door slid open.
In walked a man with softly curled dark hair.
"Kagami-san!"
"It's been a while, Kaien. This mission's kept me too busy to bring you back myself. But with those eyes of yours awakened, I knew you'd be just fine—even alone."
As a fellow Mangekyō Sharingan wielder, Uchiha Kagami understood their power far more deeply than most.
"These guys are just grunts. They don't even know where the Jashin Sect's base is—they were just promised some fake dream."
"But after a long investigation, I've more or less pinned down their headquarters. Didn't expect to run into you all here though…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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