Kannazuka is a mountainous region. A spring flows gently down from the heights, serving as the source of drinking water for Kujou Encampment.
Though it begins as a mere trickle, several springs merge as they descend, eventually forming a stream over a meter deep.
Originating from deep within the rock strata, the water is minimally affected by air temperature. Its taste is cool, crisp, and sweet—perfect for cupping in one's hands and drinking straight away.
Sayu bent down, cupped the icy spring water, and carefully scrubbed the grime from her face.
Meanwhile, that terrifying man stood not far behind her. Though he appeared to be inspecting the Lavender Melon in his hand, he was actually watching her like a hawk.
Raising her rear slightly, Sayu used her long tail for cover to peek at Bai Luo from between her legs.
When she noticed his gaze wasn't fixed on her, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
The Shuumatsuban is a secret organization under the Yashiro Commission, though most people are unaware of its existence.
This organization specializes in covert operations, having a hand in many different areas.
And Sayu was the most unique member of the entire Shuumatsuban.
She is the last successor of the "Yoohoo Art." In a school known for mocking its enemies, Sayu only learned ninjutsu related to escape and substitution, yet she had mastered these techniques to an art form.
A flash of fallen leaves, and her figure vanishes instantly. A gentle breeze blows, and suddenly a kite appears on the ground.
Combined with presence-concealing ninjutsu and the cloaking power of Anemo, anyone unfamiliar with her habits would have a hard time finding her.
Currently, the people on her "do not provoke" list were basically all people capable of finding her.
"Confirmation complete! I can escape!"
She had calculated it; Bai Luo was a full three meters away from her!
A distance of three meters was enough for her to use her ninjutsu to escape via the water.
As long as she followed the current to Kujou Encampment and asked that Kujou Tengu for help, she could definitely shake this guy!
Quietly stuffing the Sunsettia he gave her into her pocket, Sayu took a deep breath, bit down on a special reed, and jumped into the water with a splash.
However, Bai Luo reacted faster than she imagined and arrived at the edge of the stream.
Sayu bit down on the tube, which looked just like a dried reed, and hid in the water, not daring to move a muscle.
Although the spring water wasn't very deep, it was just enough to cover the top of her head.
But thanks to the convenience of her ninjutsu, to an observer's eye, there was no sign of Sayu in the water other than a few ripples.
Bai Luo stared thoughtfully at the spring water for a few moments, then raised his head to look downstream.
This action brought a surge of wild joy to Sayu, who was watching him from underwater.
*Yes, yes, yes! I went downstream! Go downstream and catch me!*
As if hearing her urging, Bai Luo turned and walked toward the downstream direction.
However, he hadn't gone far before he suddenly stopped.
This caused Sayu, who had just begun to relax, to feel her heart leap into her throat again.
"I should eat something before I go."
Bai Luo seemed to be muttering to himself. He returned to the spot where Sayu had been, took a Sunsettia out of his pocket, and began washing it in the spring water.
*Is he just washing the Sunsettia?*
Seeing this, Sayu finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he hadn't discovered her, it was fine.
What she found strange, however, was that after washing the Sunsettia, Bai Luo didn't pick it up and bite into it as she expected.
Instead, he elegantly used his dagger to slice it into very thin strips.
He didn't even waste the Sunsettia juice, specifically finding a container to collect it.
Ten minutes later, Bai Luo finally finished slicing the fruit and collecting some juice.
Then...
He stuffed all the thin strips of Sunsettia into the breathing tube Sayu was using to disguise as a withered reed. As he stuffed them in, he didn't forget to pour in the Sunsettia juice from his other hand.
Well... actually, the tube opening was small. While the sliced fruit strips fit in fine, some of the juice inevitably spilled out.
But it wasn't a big problem.
After he stuffed it all in one go, the water surface remained quiet for a few seconds.
Immediately after, it began to boil like hot water. It was as if someone had thrown a cat into the water; the churning splashes sprayed several meters away.
Ten minutes later, the surface finally calmed down. Accompanied by a string of bubbles, a small figure floated up, face down and limbs splayed.
Floating up alongside her was a patch of fish fry, bellies up.
Bai Luo grabbed the back of her neck, hoisted her up, and laid her flat on the grass.
After a thought, he scooped up the fish fry as well.
Sayu seemed to have passed out. Her limbs were still twitching, and water kept flowing from her mouth.
It was unclear whether it was the spring water she had swallowed or saliva secreted due to the sour taste.
Her eyes were rolled back entirely, showing only the whites.
She looked completely broken.
However, she was only "broken" in appearance; there was no danger to her life, so Bai Luo wasn't overly concerned.
The fish fry scattered on the ground, however, posed a problem, as he currently lacked a suitable container to hold them.
He looked at the wide hood on Sayu's head, then at the pile of lifeless-looking fish fry on the ground, and suddenly had an idea.
Lifting her up again and pulling back her attached hood, Bai Luo placed all the fish fry from the ground into her spacious hood.
As for the leaf on top of her head...
He didn't know if the thing was sewn on, but even after all that, it remained firmly attached to the hood of Sayu's mujina outfit, never falling off.
After doing all this, he glanced at the spring water again.
If he wasn't mistaken, some fruit pulp and juice must have flowed downstream with the spring water.
But it didn't matter. The spring water would eventually flow into the sea. After dilution, even if the taste remained a tiny bit sour, it wouldn't cause any accidents.
Little did he know...
"Hurry up! The new General was transferred here today. If she catches us slacking off, we'll definitely be punished!"
Downstream, a squad of soldiers dressed in Shogunate armor were carrying empty buckets, fetching water.
Originally, they had better water sources, but due to the Tatarigami, many streams had been affected and became undrinkable.
However, this spring water flowing from the mountain remained unaffected by the Tatarigami. Instead, it was sweet and refreshing, becoming the main water source for the Shogunate army.
After filling the water, one soldier noticed something: there seemed to be some flocculent matter floating in the bucket, looking... like the pulp of some fruit.
Considering this was likely harmless, and they had encountered similar things before, he didn't pay it much mind.
If he went back to fetch fresh water now, he would definitely be late.
The new General Kujou was rumored to be very strict. He didn't want to leave a bad impression on his new superior, so... better to just carry this water back for now.
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