[Land of the Sea, Jiro Island]
"Didn't think we'd get here in less than half a day. Aoba, you really are fast."
Standing on the shoreline, Anko faced the sea breeze, looking at the island in the distance.
Aoba listened to her teasing, knowing she was implying something, "That's not what you were saying this morning."
Anko rolled her eyes, not the slightest bit embarrassed. Instead, she poked his chest, squinting her eyes as she said, "The environment here is so wild, want to give it a try here?"
Aoba was dumbstruck, 'What the hell, is this some kind of disciple of lust?'
"Aren't you afraid of being seen?"
"Even more exciting, isn't it?"
———
"Let me rest for a bit, we'll continue later," Anko was lying on Aoba's back.
"Anko-neesan, you really are weak but love to play," Aoba teased in return, carrying her along the coastline.
"You're practically a monster," Anko lay limply, her arms dangling weakly over his chest.
"I just wanted to have some fun, but you're trying to take my life."
"Isn't your stamina supposed to be pretty strong?", Aoba teased with a laugh.
Anko rolled her eyes again, complaining as she rested, "My stamina is indeed decent, but that doesn't mean you can just keep going without stopping, right?"
"Well, it's just that every time Anko-neesan is so eager, I can't help but want to test your body's limits."
"You're not testing my body's limits, you're testing my lifespan's limits."
Anko pinched him hard, "From now on you just lie there obediently, I'll do it myself. Three-on-one, no way I lose!"
"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you, Anko-neesan."
There was no point in continuing to argue about that topic, so Aoba changed the subject.
"So, should we start by looking for that girl called Isaribi? Or head to Demon Island first?"
Anko finally remembered the real task at hand, "I'm not too sure either. Don't you have Uzumaki blood? Can't you sense her?"
Aoba slowly explained, "Kagura's Mind Eye can sense chakra, but it can't distinguish chakra I've never seen before."
"Then we'll just have to search slowly. I only remember what she looked like when she was a child."
Anko couldn't help but sigh, "But this island is only so big, it shouldn't be too hard to find her."
Even though her memories had returned, she only remembered what the other looked like floating in nutrient fluid.
After Orochimaru left, that girl, along with some researchers, was abandoned in this country.
She had probably grown up quite a bit by now, but the marks of experimentation would still remain on her body, recognizable at a glance.
"That's all we can do then."
Aoba nodded. He wasn't in any rush, there was plenty of time, "Does Isaribi have any distinguishing features in appearance?"
"Let me think…"
Anko thought for a moment, "I remember her hair was purple, like mine."
"That makes it a lot easier then…"
Gurgle~
At that moment, Anko's stomach growled.
Aoba struggled to hold back a laugh, "Looks like finding a restaurant comes first. After all, we did just burn a lot of energy."
Anko didn't feel embarrassed at all. On the contrary, she perked right back up, patting Aoba's shoulder and shouting loudly.
"You know it, so hurry up! I want dumplings!"
"Didn't you say you were going to control your diet?"
"Didn't you also say intake should balance out with consumption? With that much exercise just now, I can eat more."
———
Dango was a common, cheap food even in the ninja world.
Even on this remote island, it was being sold.
Inside a simply decorated small eatery, Aoba was eating ramen while Anko was eating dango.
Two bites a skewer, the table was already almost covered in sticks.
"You're eating way too much, aren't you?", Aoba reminded her.
Anko waved her dango skewer, "It's fine. I'll be burning lots of water and energy again tonight anyway. I've calculated it all out, eating more won't matter."
As she spoke, she shoved the dango she'd just bitten into Aoba's mouth.
"You eat more too. Work hard tonight."
Seeing her smirking expression, she really was weak but loved to play.
Aoba swallowed the dango and turned to ask the busy chef at the counter, "Uncle, is there a girl with purple hair around here?"
"A purple-haired little girl?"
The chef was clearly taken aback, "Don't tell me you're looking for that kamikakushi person?"
The island wasn't big. Neighbors all knew each other, and purple hair was an obvious feature.
He immediately guessed who Aoba was asking about.
"Kamikakushi… you mean those who vanish without a trace?", Anko had stayed here before, so she knew the term.
The chef nodded, explaining, "A lot of islanders once suffered kamikakushi, vanishing without a word. Among them, only one purple-haired little girl suddenly came back on her own."
"This is a backward village with little culture, so everyone thought she was unlucky. If you're looking for her, she lives at the edge of the village."
Aoba and Anko exchanged looks. They hadn't thought it would be this easy to find her.
"Thanks, uncle."
They thanked him and headed to the village edge.
Sure enough, by the sea stood a small, lonely wooden hut.
But the hut was run-down, the windows broken, and the walls scrawled with all kinds of curses and filth.
"That's really going too far…", Anko muttered quietly to herself.
Aoba said nothing. Had this kind of situation become common across the ninja world?
He turned around and looked at a giant reef.
"Don't hide, I already saw you."
"Hm?"
Anko froze slightly, instinctively pulling out a kunai, "Aoba, enemy?"
Aoba shook his head, "Shouldn't be."
From behind the reef, a purple-haired girl wrapped in bandages walked out.
Her expression was somewhat cold, and her pure black eyes seemed devoid of any emotion, like those of a doll.
Isaribi.
But in that moment, her eyes clearly showed nervousness.
"Who… who are you people?"
She definitely hadn't seen that man turn around earlier, so why had she been spotted?
But once she clearly saw their appearances, her fear grew even stronger.
'They are Konoha shinobi.'
Aoba and Anko were both wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
Instinctively, she tried to lift her leg to run, but Aoba was faster.
His figure appeared by her side, his hand already pressed on her shoulder, stopping her escape, "You're Isaribi, right? We came here to find you."
"I… I…", Isaribi panicked even more upon realizing they knew her identity.
"Don't be afraid. We're good people, not bad ones."
Anko also walked up, showing what she thought was a kind smile.
Isaribi was almost scared to tears by that smile.
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