The next day, Konoha's bustling streets hummed with life.
"Tengen, this looks good, buy it for me!" Anko said eagerly.
"Anko, don't you earn mission pay too?" Tengen raises his eyebrow.
"My pay's peanuts compared to yours." Anko shot back.
Fair enough. Tengen had amassed a decent sum, mostly from looting fallen ninjas, selling their tools or keeping it for himself.
"Peanuts? You're fleecing me, and I'm no tycoon!" Tengen grumbled.
"No worries, if you're broke, I'll spot you." Anko said generously.
Tengen glanced at her, shaking his head. "Whatever."
"Tengen-nii, I want this!" Yūgao, a blue-haired, adorable genin, said sweetly.
"Sure thing, it's yours." Tengen replied.
"Tengen, that's favoritism!" Anko protested.
"She's still in the academy, Anko. You're a ninja." Tengen smirking.
"Fine, but we're hitting the barbecue joint later." Anko conceded, nodding.
In the Hokage's office, Jiraiya puffed on a cigarette. "Sensei, what's up?"
Hiruzen's mouth twitched. "Jiraiya, since when are you a smoker?"
"These are way better than our crude stuff." Jiraiya exhales.
Hiruzen's eyes flickered. "Give me one."
Jiraiya tossed him a pack of Marlboro soft-pack cigarettes.
"Hm." Hiruzen lit it with a match, not Jiraiya's ninjutsu flair, and took a drag. "Fine tobacco, indeed."
They smoked, the room clouding with haze.
Moments later, Hiruzen snapped back to business. "Jiraiya, any leads on the Land of Wind's Kazekage situation?"
"No clear cause. Sunagakure isn't faking it. Other villages are probably investigating too." Jiraiya said.
"I see. The ninja world's on edge. I heard the Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was injured recently." Hiruzen noted.
"News to me." Jiraiya's surprised and shaking his head.
"How's Tsunade?" Hiruzen asked.
"Same old, maybe a bit better lately." Jiraiya said thoughtfully.
"Better?" Hiruzen paused.
"Probably Tengen's influence." Jiraiya said bluntly.
"Tengen." Hiruzen said, his cigarette stilling. "How's he doing under Orochimaru?"
"Great." Jiraiya grinned.
"With the Chunin Exams coming, Tengen's likely to participate." Hiruzen mused.
"Maybe." Jiraiya said. They discussed the ninja world further before Jiraiya left.
"Hey, Jiraiya, where'd you get those cigarettes?" Hiruzen called as Jiraiya neared the door.
"From Tengen. Ask him if you want more. See ya, sensei."
"Tengen, huh." Hiruzen murmured, pondering how to approach him.
Outside, Jiraiya hadn't gone far when a frantic figure collided with him, stumbling back and falling.
Jiraiya chuckled, recognizing the boy. "Asuma, you okay?"
It was Hiruzen's son, Asuma, a rebellious twelve-year-old.
"Jiraiya-san." Asuma looking up.
"Off to see your dad?" Jiraiya laughed, pulling out a Marlboro cigarette. "Here, Asuma, good stuff."
He walked off, waving.
"Cigarettes?" Asuma inspected one curiously. "Might try it."
...
That evening, at a Konoha barbecue restaurant, Anko patted her stomach. "Stuffed. Finally full."
"Anko, is your stomach a black hole? You ate a ton." Tengen exasperated.
"Black hole? I've got a healthy appetite. I'm growing!" Anko retorted.
"Got it, got it." Tengen said. "Time to head home, you two."
"Thanks, Tengen-nii!" Yūgao chirped.
"I don't need an escort." Anko huffed.
"Just burning off the meal." Tengen grinning.
"You said it." Anko feigning arrogance.
Tengen walked Anko and Yūgao to their homes.
"Hm." Tengen's expression shifted. "A new HD video signal. The location feels familiar."
Konoha occasionally spawned high-quality signals, but Tengen's past weakness kept him from risky areas.
Konoha was small, so he remembered the tougher spots.
"Let's check it out." Tengen vanishing.
Moments later, he stood before a building at Konoha's edge.
His eyes glinted. "As expected, Root's headquarters, one of Konoha's hidden forces."
He'd sensed a signal here before but lacked the strength to act.
Now, though, a spark flashed in Tengen's gaze.
He'd wait for nightfall.
The time wasn't right yet.
***
Every 5 reviews and 200 power stones, a bonus chapter will be dropped.
(5,10,15, 200, 400, 600, and so on then two bonus chapters will be dropped, 1 for 5 reviews and 1 for 200 power stones, so that's 2 bonus chapters!)
And if you want to read more than 50 chapters early, feel free to visit pat re on. com / Xelenea (remove space).