The sudden appearance of the little beggars was, to Satoru and the others, nothing more than a minor episode.
Satoru hadn't taken it to heart. Though he was surprised that the begging bowl in the monk's hand could actually be exchanged for money, since the old monk himself didn't seem to mind, Satoru wasn't about to make an issue of it.
For a ninja traveling abroad, it was always better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Under the monks' guidance, the group soon arrived at a temple in the city. It wasn't a large one—aside from the Buddha statue in the front hall, there were also spirit tablets inscribed with specific names, giving the place a solemn, indescribable atmosphere.
In addition to the main hall, the side halls on both sides enshrined statues of Vajra Arhats, while their lodgings were arranged in the rear courtyard.
There were about a dozen monks in the entire temple, and when Satoru and the others arrived, they were in the midst of chanting sutras in the main hall.
The middle-aged monk who had received them was called Master Wuzhen, the abbot of the temple. After assigning rooms for Aburame Shibi and his group, he departed quietly, leaving them to their own devices. The temple truly felt more like an inn than a place of worship.
Their quarters were about twenty square meters—a large shared room. The air was thick with the scent of incense, soothing and calming.
"That Master Wuzhen doesn't seem simple," Shibi remarked after inspecting the room briefly. He then quietly closed the door and addressed the others.
"Not simple? What do you mean?"
Might Guy, pleased enough to have found free lodging, looked puzzled. His impression of the monk was entirely positive.
"That monk is powerful. My insects can feel it," Shibi said calmly, raising his hand. A single kikaichu rested on his fingernail, its wings trembling faintly.
Guy scratched his head, unconcerned. In this world, ninja weren't the only ones who could wield chakra and gain abilities beyond ordinary men.
Samurai, monks, and even some commoners could learn to manipulate chakra and perform techniques.
In the Land of Fire, while the shinobi villages formally trained ninja in chakra control, certain ancient temples also taught their monks to use chakra for protection.
The training methods, however, differed from the ninja system.
From what Satoru knew, there were at least two monks of exceptional strength—Chiriku of the Fire Temple, and Bunpuku, the first jinchuriki of the One-Tail.
Learning that Master Wuzhen was no ordinary monk didn't surprise Satoru much.
"Whether he's simple or not doesn't concern our mission," someone muttered.
"We just need to—"
Shisui stopped mid-sentence, his expression tightening as a thought struck him.
If that monk was truly as strong as Shibi claimed… why had he let a few street beggars knock him over? Why would he allow his begging bowl to be snatched?
The question lingered, and Shisui frowned in thought.
The others, except for Guy, also began to sense that something wasn't quite right.
"Even if it's unrelated to our mission, we should still stay on guard," Shibi said, cutting through their doubts. "It's still early. Let's tidy up, meet the informant, and if things go well, we'll move tonight."
After packing their things, the group left the temple while daylight still lingered. The monks, though clearly aware of their departure, neither questioned nor stopped them.
After they were gone, one monk went to the front hall and bowed before the abbot, who was kneeling before the Buddha statue.
"Master, they've left," the monk reported softly. "But their belongings remain. What should we do next?"
Silence fell over the hall. The chanting ceased, and all eyes turned toward Master Wuzhen.
He shook his head gently and continued reciting his sutra.
"Master," his disciple pressed, "are we just going to let them go like this?"
Only then did Wuzhen slowly open his eyes and reply, "They will return."
And with that, he resumed his chanting.
After leaving the temple, Shibi and the others asked around the city, questioning several shopkeepers before finally confirming the address of their informant.
Navigating through a maze of narrow alleys for nearly half an hour, they arrived at a small house and knocked.
The door opened to reveal a weary middle-aged man, about forty, thin and hollow-eyed, his gaze dull and lifeless. When he saw the strangers, his eyes lingered briefly on Uchiha Shisui and Satoru before he asked cautiously, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Shibi gave him a quick once-over, then took out a letter from his robe and handed it over with a polite smile. "We're looking for Mr. Hayano Hayata."
The man flinched slightly upon hearing his own name, a spark of awareness returning to his eyes. Quickly taking the letter, he stepped aside to invite them in, then glanced anxiously down the empty alley before shutting the door tight.
This was Hayano Hayata, their informant for this mission—a local contact for Konoha.
Cross-border bandit suppression missions usually came without pay, as they were considered cooperative duties between Konoha and the Land of Fire.
Once inside, Hayata poured tea for his guests, while the team discreetly assessed their surroundings.
It was a modest two-room home, around sixty square meters, sparsely furnished and plainly decorated.
Just as he set the teacups down, Hayata suddenly dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, bowing deeply. His voice trembled as he pleaded:
"Please… Konoha shinobi, I beg you—help me! Please help me!"
The abrupt gesture startled everyone. Shibi hurried forward to lift him up, speaking soothingly:
"Don't worry. We'll take care of those bandits. There's no need to be so formal. Please, stand up."
But Hayata shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks.
"No… it's not that…"
"I'm begging you—please, find my daughter!"
"She's gone missing. No matter how I search, I can't find her. Please, I beg you!"
"She's only ten years old… After my wife died, it's been just the two of us. I can't lose her too!"
His voice cracked with grief, and he began bowing over and over again, desperate and terrified of being refused.
"Your daughter?" Shibi asked, exchanging glances with the others. "We came here for a different matter but… if you don't mind, could you tell us about her first?"
He had intended to question the informant about the rogue ninja they were hunting, but seeing the man's state, he realized they'd get nothing useful until his emotions calmed down.
They needed to steady him first.
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