Konoha - Bustling Business District
Although parts of the village were still under reconstruction, daily life for the villagers carried on undeterred.
Next to Konoha's largest entertainment district stood a high-end bathhouse—one of many lucrative assets owned by Bai Ye.
As a man from another world, Bai Ye had embraced comfort, and after experiencing the sophisticated bathhouses from the northern celestial dynasty, he decided to open his own, albeit with a somewhat "unique" reputation.
At this moment, in the spacious private bath, Bai Ye soaked leisurely.
A skilled masseuse—an attractive woman known as No. 17—was expertly kneading his shoulders. This was Bai Ye's exclusive VIP suite, a place he rarely visited unless in the company of his closest associates.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, sat not far away, draped in a bath towel, looking completely defeated.
Only now did he fully understand where he had lost.
After being fined heavily following his capture at the women's bathhouse and signing a legally binding agreement never to trespass on Nvtang's territory again, he had finally been released from the Guard's custody. Had he violated the agreement, even Hiruzen Sarutobi's influence wouldn't have saved him.
And now, after hearing from Tsunade about the numerous actions Bai Ye had taken—
The direct investigation of Danzo's secret operations.
The capture and reformation of Root shinobi.
The expulsion of Sarutobi's two sons from Konoha.
Even forcing the Fourth Raikage to cede land and pay reparations to the Uchiha Guard.
One after another, the sheer scale of these events was staggering.
It was difficult to believe that the man casually chatting with a masseuse, exuding nothing but refined elegance, was the same Captain of the Uchiha Guard whose name sent shivers down spines across the shinobi world.
Of course, if that were all, Jiraiya wouldn't have completely admitted defeat.
But just moments ago, while sharing the bath with Bai Ye, he had sneakily attempted to compare their physiques.
And then, he fell silent.
Was Bai Ye even human?
Jiraiya withdrew into himself, unwilling to acknowledge his loss—but he had lost. Completely.
Bai Ye, on the other hand, didn't particularly care about these things.
In a man's world, bathing together, drinking together, and visiting certain establishments together were all ways to strengthen camaraderie.
Since Jiraiya had sworn off peeping at the women's baths, Bai Ye was content to let bygones be bygones. Given the legal framework of Konoha, Jiraiya's offense wasn't severe, and his cooperative attitude warranted leniency.
Besides, Jiraiya was rich. Bai Ye had already made plans to drain his wallet before the night was over.
The Respectable Hero, Jiraiya
Perhaps Bai Ye still harbored some emotions toward Jiraiya.
Before meeting him, he had only heard of the legendary Toad Sage—
A man of great influence who had chosen to be an observer rather than a ruler.
A shinobi who failed to prevent Yahiko's tragedy, leaving Konan and Nagato to fend for themselves against Hanzo of the Salamander.
A teacher who was absent during the Nine-Tails' attack, unable to help his student, Namikaze Minato, in his final moments.
Even during Orochimaru's invasion, while he did aid Konoha, his primary contribution had been teaching Naruto the Summoning Jutsu.
Had he truly seen through Konoha's issues? Or had he simply used his search for Orochimaru as an excuse to remain detached?
To Bai Ye, this didn't matter. Jiraiya, like himself, was neither perfect nor flawless—
He was simply human.
Bai Ye appreciated that.
Unlike his relationship with Guy, who had become his subordinate, Bai Ye saw Jiraiya as a genuine equal.
And so, while he had not gone out of his way to befriend the legendary Sannin, Bai Ye considered him a worthy ally.
"Konoha has changed a lot," Jiraiya murmured, leaning against the bath's edge. "The Guard shines under your leadership. It's truly remarkable."
Jiraiya had always believed in a different ideology than Sarutobi—
Where his former teacher had been wary of the Uchiha Guard, Jiraiya saw their necessity.
"I'm just doing what needs to be done," Bai Ye replied, stretching before casually motioning for a cigarette, which the masseuse promptly provided and lit.
"I assumed that since you and Orochimaru worked together, you'd be an unreliable guy," Jiraiya admitted. "Looks like I was wrong."
His straightforward nature remained unchanged.
"With you here, I don't have to worry about the Uchiha family."
Bai Ye glanced at him knowingly.
Jiraiya had returned to Konoha under the pretense of investigating Orochimaru, but Bai Ye saw through his true intentions—
Jiraiya was here to determine whether the Guard was a force for good or ill.
"Not necessarily," Bai Ye smirked. "What if I wanted to be Hokage someday?"
A brief pause.
Then, realization.
Finally, Jiraiya chuckled and nodded. "That would be a blessing for Konoha."
As expected of Jiraiya.
Bai Ye laughed and tossed him a sake gourd, retrieving another from his storage space.
"Drink?"
"Cheers!"
The world of men was simple. A night at the club, a soak in the bath, and camaraderie shared over drinks.
As they entered the entertainment district together, a certain Tsunade, watching from the shadows, glared daggers at Jiraiya.
"Bastard! He's corrupting my man again!"
That night, another heart was broken.
For Jiraiya had learned two words—
Let go.
If he could not give her what she wanted, then all he could do was bless her happiness from afar.
The Border Between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire
Meanwhile, a figure clad in a high-collared black robe with red clouds stood motionless over a headless corpse.
How many was this now?
Wasn't this getting out of hand?
"The investigation is complete," his companion reported. "Two targets—Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma, the sons of the Third Hokage."
A monstrous man—Kakuzu—scowled. He was furious.
Normally, even the most seasoned bounty hunters killed their targets one at a time, cashed in the reward, and enjoyed life in fleeting luxury.
But recently, every time Kakuzu arrived at a target's location, he found nothing but decapitated corpses.
Someone was stealing his kills—disrupting the bounty market!
This was unacceptable.
"Chase them down."
"Kakuzu, let it go—" his companion began, but Kakuzu cut him off.
"Their heads are valuable."
Ignoring the protest, he set off in pursuit.
Money was the only thing he trusted. If anyone stood in his way, even an ally, he would not hesitate to eliminate them.
And deep in a dense jungle, two squads of Konoha shinobi remained oblivious.
Shinnosuke and Asuma sat together, engrossed in their mission.pp
Completely unaware that death was already on their trail.
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