Team One, who had just created a small lava zone, collectively stared in shock at the three figures descending from Hagoromo's Ship.
Shen immediately figured the situation in the Hot Water Country had hit a stalemate.
Nayou only paused briefly before understanding everything.
Nawaki, whose face suddenly turned fearful, couldn't figure out why his older sister would come here.
More than an hour later, inside a five-story building personally constructed by a famous architect from the shinobi world.
The three powerful reinforcements, having finished explaining their reasons for coming, raised their glasses together and drank the chilled soda.
"Wow, you actually have this stuff here, Shen!" Jiraiya snatched the soda bottle from Shen's arms and refilled his empty glass.
"We were still drinking warm water back in the Hot Water Country!" He also poured another glass for Tsunade by his side.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Shen pulled out over ten bottles of soda and lined them up on the table. "Uh… Is all the water warm in the Hot Water Country?"
"Yeah yeah." x3
Seeing even Orochimaru silently nodding along, he began questioning his own understanding.
"No wonder there are hot springs everywhere over there," Shen muttered before getting back to business. "So you three came here specifically against Takigakure?"
Tsunade, who had just finished another drink, brazenly revealed their plan. "Flying around the map giving full support—what do you think, kid? Envious, aren't you?"
Looking between Nawaki and Tsunade, Shen suddenly noticed how similar this brother-sister pair could be in certain aspects.
"The Tsuchikage can fly and use Dust Release too. If you dare cause trouble in the Land of Earth, he'll shoot you right out of the sky."
Tsunade rolled her eyes dismissively. "What status does the Tsuchikage hold? Would he really stoop to dealing with little fish like us?"
"Sister's absolutely right!" Standing up, Nawaki kept flattering her. "Who else but my glorious elder brother Nawaki's beautiful and wise sister Tsunade could pull off such a perfect combo—a true goddess!"
"You said it!" Watching Tsunade lift her chin higher and higher, one couldn't help admiring her strong cervical spine.
Feeling completely out of place within this atmosphere, Mamba and Gerissen quietly picked up their sodas and downed them in unison.
"Ahhh…" Tiny bubbles fizzed in their throats as they both let out burps.
"Er, why are you all staring at us?" Looking rather embarrassed under everyone's gaze, Gerissen awkwardly refilled his cup again.
Looking weird, Mamba turned his head away while scooting sideways with his butt.
If the Third Kazekage saw how they were acting, wouldn't he exile them to shovel sand in the middle of nowhere?
"Cough cough," Orochimaru, considering himself slightly better versed in social etiquette, shifted the topic toward the Hot Water Country mission. "Practically speaking, we three will avoid going into the Land of Earth."
Shen, now free to continue his usual antics, immediately handed over command authority of his unit. "Auntie Tsunade, Uncle Jiraiya, and Snake Uncle—you three shouldn't underestimate my subordinates at all."
He then added with a sinister grin. "Perhaps we could find time to test out [Chakra Rockets]."
Orochimaru extended his tongue to lick his lips. "Takigakure is going to be very surprised indeed."
Aside from those two researchers, everyone else looked utterly lost.
The Chakra Rocket Launcher — this high-tech marvel Shen had been developing for two or three days as a secret project to enhance the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
It could be charged using chakra scrolls and featured an internal five-element conversion system. One rocket blast would likely take out a regular chunin ninja.
That said, it wasn't exactly budget-friendly — a single round cost about as much as a brand-new production car.
Shen, never one to care about costs, handed Orochimaru a hundred rounds right on the spot and told him not to hold back — that not using them all would be an insult to him.
This heavy dose of subtle flexing almost made Mamba and Gerissen chug their bottles down.
Both men found Konoha's vibe totally alien to their own Sunagakure sensibilities.
That night, a group of figures in white robes arrived at the camp.
Pouting slightly, Nayou spotted over a dozen clan members approaching quickly from afar.
"Oh? What do we have here? What are you guys up to?" Shen strolled forward with his usual nonchalant attitude, directly intercepting them.
"We're here to—"
"Step aside? This is my territory!" The lethargic-looking Shen quickly cut off the Hyuga clansman.
He stepped closer and casually placed his left hand on the man's shoulder. "I'll give you two choices — either behave yourselves, or get dragged back to your village in pieces."
Delivered with that posture and tone, none of the Hyuga clansmen thought these words were a joke.
Indeed, they had come to both protect and keep an eye on their young lady.
But when it came to actual ability, they certainly couldn't match Shen, who was known for being evenly matched with the main house in taijutsu.
"Fine, we understand." The dozen or so Hyuga members instantly backed down.
"Now that you're here..." Having just turned halfway around, Shen issued his command as Konoha's commander: "Tomorrow, all of you will head to the battlefield."
"You…" The same Hyuga clenched his fists but eventually let go after some consideration. "If anything happens to our young lady, we won't forgive you."
"No need to worry about that. Nayou is my good friend; I won't let any harm come to her." Saying this, Shen walked away without looking back.
Under the piercing gaze of a dozen Byakugan eyes, he grabbed Nayou's delicate little wrist and walked out of the camp as if no one else existed.
"Shen, thank you." Slightly moved, Nayou gently tightened her grip on that warm big hand.
"It's my duty." He completely covered her somewhat cold hand with his own. "Friends don't need excessive formalities."
Instantly, Nayou's fair face turned pink.
"Mm-hmm." Her slightly flushed face quickly lowered.
Looking up at the moon, Shen pretended not to notice anything.
Dating? Back in his past life, working 996 as an overworked salaryman, did he even have the luxury of love?
"Nayou, tonight's moonlight is particularly beautiful."
Not fully understanding, but still feeling something stir inside, Nayou simply smiled sweetly and looked up at him.
She didn't know why her heart fluttered warmly upon hearing these words.
Shen pretended to look profound but didn't dare voice his thought that she looked like someone right out of an old story about guarding melon fields at night.
He might not have any dating experience, but he wasn't as socially awkward as some others who always ruined the mood with inappropriate remarks.
"Shen, tonight's wind feels really gentle," Nayou said and immediately buried her head again.
She simply felt very comfortable beneath the gentle breeze sweeping across the Land of Grass.
Shen knew exactly what she meant—there were no hidden messages here.
Still, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
The dozen or so Hyuga clan members secretly tailing them from a distance all caught a strange whiff in the air.
It was a foul stench—sharp with acidity and rot.
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