[Night]
A small village, deadly quiet.
Because it was close to Kirigakure, a thin mist had already started to hang in the air, making the moonlight that fell through look very blurry.
Gan had drunk a lot more; he was thoroughly drunk, swaying and staggering as he stumbled back to his wooden hut.
Inside the house there wasn't a single light, and it felt bone-chillingly cold.
Gan pushed the door open and sensed that something was wrong. He immediately cursed angrily, "You deadweight, what are you doing, why isn't even a candle lit? Slacking off again, are you? I bust my ass to earn money, and it isn't to support a lazy good-for-nothing who just eats and does nothing!"
But… he shouted for a long time and nobody answered. The house stayed dark and there were no footsteps.
Gan felt the wrongness. At other times, if he'd yelled like this, Hanami would've already come trembling over, apologized, and not dared to leave him standing like that.
'So that little brat isn't home now?'
'Has she run off again to be with that Makoto kid?'
Gan couldn't help but roar in anger, "You shameless bitch, not home at this hour, wait till I catch you at home and I'll beat the life out of you!"
It seemed Gan had long been prepared for his daughter being out. He walked to the table by himself, lit a candle, and the room's light was partly restored.
But one candle's flame flickered, and the whole room still felt dim and oppressive.
Gan didn't care; he plopped down on a stool and stared listlessly at the old, cracked ceiling.
He just sat like that, for a long time, and nobody knew what he was thinking.
Only after a very long while, when it was deep into the night, did Gan mutter, "Looks like she's not coming back."
His expression was both angry and sorrowful; within the sorrow there was also a hint of relief. He said, "If she's not coming back, fine, she's gone with that Makoto kid, then?"
Suddenly, Gan's tears fell, "Hanami, run. If running gets you a better life, run. Dad's sorry, I… just thinking that you're that man's daughter makes me. I can't bear it…"
Gan seemed to make a decision; the wine cleared from his head completely.
He stood up, went into the kitchen, took out the big kitchen knife that Hanami had sharpened until it was very sharp, and hurried out the door.
He was heading… for the Daimyo's manor of the Land of Water.
Of course, Gan didn't notice that a group of people were already standing in the distance, watching him in secret.
Among that group was even his daughter.
Ninjas learn intelligence-gathering from an early age; when dealing with a civilian, the Akatsuki naturally had various eavesdropping methods.
This time they used Sasori.
Sasori had taken a disguised flying insect and linked it to a puppet with a special thread.
The other end of the thread connected to his dedicated listening device.
From the device, every sound, down to Gan's breathing, came through clearly to the group.
Yahiko turned to the still stunned Hanami, "Looks like there's more going on. Your father hitting you may come from bitterness, but that bitterness is different from what we thought before."
"He seems to have another motive; he's forcing you to leave."
Hanami nodded dumbly, involuntarily recalling what her father had just said.
She murmured, "I'm that man's daughter, what did he mean by that?"
They were all just ninjas, not gods who could see five hundred steps ahead. Without hard intelligence, even the best deductive skills couldn't figure everything out.
Tobi said, "What exactly is happening might be related to what your father is about to do. Why not follow and see?"
They exchanged looks. The idea that Hanami's father might be hiding some secret piqued everyone's curiosity. After all, humans are naturally nosy.
So they quietly followed.
———
Gan walked a long way before he reached the daimyo's manor.
In reality, the manor wasn't just one building but a vast complex built like a palace.
The largest, most imposing building at the center was where the daimyo lived. The outer rings had several layers; the inner ring had many samurai patrolling, while the outer ring bordered the towns of the Land of Water and was full of people coming and going.
Gan didn't appear to be there to see the daimyo. He stopped at an outer building and knocked on the door.
Not long after, the door opened and out walked a richly dressed, pot-bellied man in his forties, thinning on top and wearing a small braid, looking down on Gan, "At this hour, what are you disturbing me for?"
Gan hid the knife behind his back and on the surface spoke respectfully, "Lord Tanaka Nobuyuki, your daughter is turning sixteen in a year or two, do you have any plans?"
Tanaka Nobuyuki showed a look of contempt, "Just some bastard from an occasional litter, worthy to be my daughter?"
But then his gaze showed l*st, "But well, your wife is plump; she should be plumper than my wife, right?"
After saying that, he took back the l*stful look and said lightly, "No need to wait until sixteen, fifteen will do. Every night after the day she turns fifteen, you send her to me. I'll train her properly."
Gan's hand gripping the knife clenched tightly for an instant, and he continued, putting on a front, "My lord, she is, after all, your daughter."
Tanaka Nobuyuki licked his lips, "What daughter, what not. Stuff like that is exciting. Maybe it's more exciting than screwing your wife."
Gan trembled all over, "So, my lord, you'd do to her what you did to my wife, play her to death?"
Tanaka Nobuyuki sneered, "That was an accident, and besides she was a commoner. If she died, she died. What, you got a problem with that?"
Gan lowered his head, "I dare not."
Tanaka Nobuyuki snorted, "I figured you wouldn't. Just do what I told you. She's got some relation to me, so I'll try to spare her life. After all… she's still young; if I get bored of her, I can always give her away…"
At that moment Gan had already slipped his hand to the knife and quietly closed the distance.
Tanaka Nobuyuki didn't suspect a thing, only casually saying, "Right, you've done me so many favors, even if you're a dog, you should get meat sometimes."
Having said that, he took a money pouch from his sleeve, counted out some coins, and tossed them at Gan's feet.
"Pick that up yourself."
This time Gan didn't stoop.
Instead, he stomped on the money with his foot.
Tanaka Nobuyuki's expression changed.
"You're rebelling, after this you still want my charity?"
Gan didn't speak. In an instant, he drew the knife from behind him, stepped forward, and with a single, fierce thrust drove the blade into Tanaka Nobuyuki's greasy belly.
"I'll be damned giving you charity!"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.