"Is that all the luggage?"
"Yeah, our orphanage isn't some rich place—just some clothes and bedding for the kids."
Kazuyama Gekkō looked at the children in the carriage. They were all staring curiously at the scenery outside, and a trace of sadness flickered in his eyes. These kids were all battlefield orphans, just like Yahiko and the others. But unlike Yahiko, they hadn't been lucky enough to meet Jiraiya.
Still, things weren't so bad now. At least they had run into Orochimaru. That had to count for something, right?
Thinking of Orochimaru's creepy appearance, Kazuyama figured he should give him a heads-up not to scare the kids when they arrived in Takigakure.
"Hm? What's with that face?"
Nonō Yakushi had noticed Kazuyama's troubled expression and couldn't help feeling curious.
He shook his head, brushing aside the strange thoughts, and bit his finger.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a puff of white smoke, everyone's attention snapped to the spot—only for screams to erupt the next second.
"Such a huge snake!"
"It's terrifying!"
"Ah! Help! The snake's going to eat us!"
Kazuyama: ...
Black Mamba: ...
Yes, he had summoned Black Mamba, the fastest among them.
"Relax, you little brats, it's not some man-eating snake. It's just my pet, got it?"
Kazuyama glanced at the panicked kids, suddenly overwhelmed. Even the convoy leader looked scared out of his wits seeing the several-meter-long serpent.
Only Nonō's eyes lit up. A giant snake... summoned through ninjutsu. No doubt—Orochimaru's student.
"Hey, hey! Can't you see you scared the kids to tears?"
"Hurry up and get to Takigakure. Tell my sensei to build a place around his lab. And let him know I brought back the assistant he wanted."
"Tell him to get out here and welcome us."
Kazuyama wasn't trying to cause trouble, but something felt off. It was way too quiet. Given Danzō and the Root Division's nature, there was no way they'd let Nonō run an orphanage freely out here.
For all he knew, every move they made was already being reported back to Danzō. He had to get out of the Land of Fire fast. If Danzō really sent people, even he wouldn't get out unscathed.
"Tch! Every time you summon me, it's to do your dirty work. Do I get paid or what?"
"No pay, no go!"
Black Mamba flicked his tongue and coiled up, wearing a disturbingly human expression and tone that startled everyone again.
Kazuyama kicked him without hesitation.
"Get lost! Where'd you even pick that up? Asking for rewards now?"
"Stop hanging around Manda so much—he's a bad influence. You used to be such a decent snake."
"Now hurry up and get to Takigakure. Move!"
"Or I'll have Kinrin and the others straighten you out!"
Asking for a reward the moment he showed up—it reminded Kazuyama too much of Manda, Orochimaru's summon, who wouldn't lift a tail without getting something in return. But that was because Orochimaru spoiled him. If it were Kazuyama, he wouldn't give him an inch.
Manda: I swear, this isn't my fault! I didn't teach him that! I'm not taking the blame!
Kinrin: Hmm? What was that, Manda?
Manda: Nothing, Kinrin! You're right, it's totally my fault!
Black Mamba slithered aside, rubbing his bruised side, and shot Kazuyama a helpless look.
"Fine, fine, I'm going!"
"But I'm telling you now, this isn't—"
"Hey! I'm going, I'm going! Just put the sword down!"
Kazuyama had already drawn his blade. Ever since acquiring the Kenjutsu technique Shishigami, he'd been carrying the Kusanagi Sword at his waist. It gave him a somewhat dashing look.
"Orochimaru ran away!"
"So scary!"
"Director, I'm scared!"
The kids breathed a sigh of relief once Black Mamba disappeared. Nonō smiled gently and quickly went into the carriage to comfort them. Kazuyama could only sigh in exasperation.
"Let's keep moving. The sooner we're out of the Land of Fire, the sooner we can relax."
"Alright, if you say so. But why the rush? Are you worried about something?"
True to her experience, Nonō had immediately picked up on Kazuyama's unease. Her own thoughts drifted to the Root Division. Even though she'd left them, she knew she wasn't completely safe.
"It's fine. Don't worry—just keep moving."
Kazuyama pushed the convoy forward, unaware that a small team was watching them from afar. The eerie masks and black cloaks clearly marked them.
"What do we do? That woman's trying to run."
"The guy with her has to be Kazuyama Gekkō."
"How did they end up together?"
There were four Root Division ninja, clearly a squad. They were observing Kazuyama and Nonō from a distance.
"We can't get too close. Those two are sharp."
"If it weren't for the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique, we wouldn't even be able to monitor them."
The three looked toward their teammate leaning against a tree—the one from the Yamanaka Clan. High in the sky, an eagle circled stealthily, trying hard not to be noticed.
After a long while, the eagle suddenly jerked its head and flew off in another direction.
"Confirmed. It's Kazuyama Gekkō and Nonō Yakushi."
"They're heading north. Looks like they're trying to leave the Land of Fire."
"No idea where they're going, though."
Ending the Mind Transfer Technique, the Yamanaka ninja stretched a bit, then solemnly reported what he'd seen. The others frowned.
"Kazuyama Gekkō, huh? He's not someone to mess with."
"Lord Danzō gave strict orders—no solo contact with him."
"So what do we do now?"
"Do we report back or try to stop them?"
They were stuck. None of them were fools—they knew exactly how strong Kazuyama was. Any ninja who made a name on the battlefield wasn't easy to handle.
"The eagle reports back. The rest of you, come with me—we'll keep following."
"If they really are trying to leave the Land of Fire, we have to stop them."
"As long as we can stall them for a while, reinforcements will arrive."
In the end, they made up their minds. They had a mission, after all. If their targets escaped their sight, they'd face punishment even if they returned to the Root Division.