"Yoen Village is a highly respectable place!" Ueto Miya declared righteously.
"So…" Ebara said, eyes gleaming.
"There are some, but not many," Ueto whispered.
"No worries, we wouldn't go anyway," Ebara said. "Show us other spots. Definitely not those places. Me and Shobi Saiji are upright men. We wouldn't linger there for a second!"
His face was the picture of moral virtue.
Ueto nodded loudly. "As expected from Iwa ninjas—truly honorable. I won't take you there. Let's explore elsewhere."
Under Ueto's lead, Ebara and Jiraiya toured Yoen Village, skipping those spots and a few secretive areas.
Ebara deliberately acted shifty, like he was hunting for shady places, even feigning impatience when Ueto showed them normal sights, all to throw him off.
In reality, he memorized Yoen's layout for their mission.
Jiraiya did the same, though he couldn't resist ogling pretty women.
At nightfall, after Ebara and Jiraiya's stern warnings, Ueto led them to an unfamiliar street.
"Rest here tonight. I'll fetch you in the morning," Ueto said, giving them a knowing guy look.
"Sounds good," Ebara said with a sleazy grin.
After Ueto left, they eagerly entered the street's first tavern.
"Madam, one room, some fine food, and wine. Oh, and two of your specialties. You know," Jiraiya said, winking at the charming tavern keeper.
She smiled. "Of course. Here's your key. Food and drink will be sent up."
Ebara grabbed the key, playfully scratching her palm like a cat. "Hurry up. We're impatient types."
"Naturally," she said, understanding.
She led them to their room.
After she left and Jiraiya confirmed no one was watching, Ebara dipped his finger in tea and wrote on the floor: We get Kushina and her mom out tonight. No delays.
Jiraiya nodded, writing: Agreed.
Ebara sketched Yoen's map, marking question marks on unvisited areas.
"Ueto didn't take us here," he wrote. "The prison's likely one of these."
He pointed southeast. "This spot's quiet. People passing through looked rushed, like they didn't want to stay."
Jiraiya nodded. "I thought so too. Let's grab a tongue to confirm."
An hour later, Ueto returned to the Flame Shadow's office.
"They're settled?" Tomo Hikari asked.
"Yes. They're drinking with some bar girls," Ueto said.
He'd lingered after dropping them off, confirming with the tavern keeper.
"What do you think of them?" Tomo asked.
Ueto, a jonin and Tomo's aide, smirked. "They've got skills, but they're total buffoons. No wonder they're special jonin."
Special jonin: skilled in niches but not full jonin.
"Don't underestimate them. Got eyes on them?" Tomo asked cautiously.
"Already assigned," Ueto said.
"Good."
Tomo frowned. "Why do you think the Tsuchikage sent them?"
Ueto mused, "Could be ulterior motives, but alliance-building's plausible. The ninja world feels like a storm's brewing."
Tomo nodded. "True."
Knock knock.
"Come in," Tomo said.
A masked ninja entered. "Lord Flame Shadow, confirmed: the two red-haired women are Uzumaki."
Tomo's eyes lit up. "Any sealing secrets extracted?"
The Uzumaki's physique was valuable, but their sealing jutsu were coveted. That was the pretext for wiping out Uzushiogakure (Chapter 43).
"No rush," Tomo said, thrilled. "The whole world's hunting Uzumaki, and we found them in our land. Guard them tightly. No mistakes."
"Understood!" the ninja said.
"I'm done," Jiraiya said, stopping his chakra. His body stilled.
Though not a genjutsu expert, he could manipulate civilians.
"What genjutsu did you use? Why that look?" Ebara asked.
The two bar girls wore blissful expressions.
"Gave them their dream fantasy. Otherwise, it wouldn't last," Jiraiya said.
"Let's deal with those pesky tails," Ebara said.
Jiraiya nodded.
They vanished from the room.
On a rooftop ten meters away, three ninjas watched them.
They noticed the girls collapse and Ebara and Jiraiya disappear.
"Report to Lord Ueto!" one ordered.
A genin moved, then froze as a cold voice spoke.
"He's probably busy with pleasant business. Best not disturb him."
Ebara clamped the genin's mouth, kunai at his throat.
The other two started to shout but heard another icy voice.
"Shut it."
Pain hit their necks, and they passed out.
"Just one chunin and two genin to watch us?" Ebara grinned at Jiraiya. "My daytime act worked."
"That dumb, sleazy, hypocritical act was acting?" Jiraiya asked.
"Of course!"
"Natural performance, huh?"
"Get lost!"
They cornered the genin, who looked terrified, as if wondering what they'd do.
"You really gonna do something that cruel?" Jiraiya asked Ebara.
Ebara smirked, eager. "That thing's a burden for men. Clouds the mind. Cutting it off makes life lighter."
Jiraiya hesitated. "But it's so important to guys. Isn't that too harsh?"
"Why so chatty? It's not your thing."
"Fair point."
"You sure you can do it?"
"Trust me. I've neutered plenty of boars in the village. Got experience."
"…"
Ebara slid the kunai from the genin's neck downward.
The genin, no fool, knew what was up. He sweated buckets, squealing like a pig.
"Mmmph!"
Ebara's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's the sound! Feels right!"
The genin: ???!!!
He broke down. He thought these Iwa ninjas had ulterior motives.
Not that they were psychos.
Ebara saw he was at his breaking point and loosened his grip, giving him a chance to talk.
Otherwise, their performance was for nothing.
"What are you doing?" the genin whimpered.
"Helping you lighten your load," Ebara said. "No thing, no worries—women, kids, all gone."
"Please, spare me. Cut someone else's. It's not a burden to me," the genin begged. "Find the real scum. They need it."
"Scum? Where?" Ebara asked, playing dumb.
"The prison!" the genin said, seizing hope. "It's full of bastards. Southeast. I'll guide you."
Jiraiya smirked. "No need. We'll go ourselves."
The genin panicked, about to resist, but his body locked up.
Ninja Art: Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation!
Jiraiya melded into the genin's shadow.
"Let's go," Ebara said, stowing his kunai, heading southeast.
They crossed areas Ueto avoided, moving through a thirty-meter forest.
A prison emerged, hidden by trees.
Jiraiya, controlling the genin, marched Ebara forward, scolding, "Move!"
Three ninjas blocked them.
"Who are you?" one demanded.
Jiraiya made the genin speak. "Those Iwa guys were fishy, as the Flame Shadow suspected. Too bad Shobi Saiji got away. Lord Flame Shadow ordered this one locked up."
"I see. Come in," one said. "I'll take you to the warden."
"Great," Jiraiya made the genin say.
Led by the three, they entered the prison.
The warden wasn't the top authority; that was the prison chief. In the chief's absence, the warden could handle tasks like detaining prisoners.
"An Iwa guy?" the warden asked, eyeing Ebara.
"Yup," Jiraiya's genin said. "But the Flame Shadow said, though he's a prisoner, he's from Iwa. Treat him well. We might release him, and if he's harmed, Iwa could make trouble."
"Got it," the warden grumbled. "Hate these special prisoners. No perks, just babysitting."
He glared at Ebara.
Jiraiya's genin leaned in. "Warden, one more thing the Flame Shadow asked me to pass on."
He glanced at the three ninjas.
"Scram!" the warden snapped. "You lot annoy me. Not one juicy prisoner today."
The three left without a word.
"What'd the Flame Shadow say?" the warden asked.
"Not him. My idea," Jiraiya's genin said, slipping him a money pouch.
"Warden, I heard two women came to the prison today."
The warden squinted. "What's your game?"
"I'm not! Just wanna see them. Heard they're redheads," Jiraiya's genin said, feigning awe.
"Look at you, all starry-eyed," the warden scoffed. "Pure Uzumaki blood. Of course they're redheads."
"So, let me peek. Just pass by their cell," Jiraiya's genin said, slipping more money.
The warden beamed but warned, "Only a glance from outside. Don't push it."
"Got it!" Jiraiya's genin said.
Two minutes later, they reached the dim underground prison, heavily guarded.
"There," the warden nodded.
Ebara and Jiraiya saw them: two red-haired women, one older, one younger.
Both striking beauties.
The older, like rain-soaked plantain; the younger, like pear blossoms in rain.
Heart-wrenchingly lovely.