Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Your House is Next Door; Why Are You Sleeping in Mine?

Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Your House is Next Door; Why Are You Sleeping in Mine?



After handing over the mission scroll, Orochimaru patted Takuya on the shoulder, saying, "If you can find them, it's best to capture them alive. If that's not possible, eliminate them. If they've already escaped beyond the borders of the Land of Fire, your mission is considered complete."

"Understood." Without further ado, Takuya took the scroll, motioned to Nawaki and Minato, and turned to leave. Both followed closely.

For Takuya, this mission was as good as a freebie. The remaining four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would likely have either died or fled the Land of Fire, finding a hidden place to lay low. In the original story, those who escaped ended up defecting from Mist Village entirely, choosing exile over the punishment awaiting them at home.

Mist Village's "Blood Mist" regime was known for its brutality, and for ninjas, it was particularly harsh; one misstep could mean death. Even a minor infraction could result in a miserable end-let alone a failed mission. This is why Mist had the highest number of rogue ninjas among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

After gathering supplies, the trio set out from the camp. On the road, Nawaki sighed, "I'd always imagined fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen on the battlefield, and now they're done for before I even got the chance."

"I'd say it'd be them fighting you, actually," Minato interjected, ruining Nawaki's moment.

Takuya glanced at the bickering pair with a grin. "They were doomed from the start. Every member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen is on the level of an elite jonin; otherwise, they wouldn't have been selected. Their strength isn't lacking-it's just that you're

underestimating the Eight Gates."

"That monstrous taijutsu probably isn't easy to master," Takuya continued. Plenty of people would wish to learn the Eight Gates or Flying Thunder God Technique if they were in the Naruto world. But he personally wasn't interested. Flying Thunder God? Great if he could learn it, but no big deal if he couldn't. As for the Eight Gates, a technique that boosts attack at the expense of life? He'd leave that to others.

After a bit of banter, Nawaki and Minato quieted down. Having lost a minor exchange, Nawaki was sulking while Minato smirked and kept some distance from him, walking alongside Takuya.

They split up, each heading in a different direction to continue the search. Takuya held little hope of finding any traces; if it were that easy, Orochimaru would've sent Anbu instead. This was likely just an added precaution.

After two hours of searching, Takuya decided to give up. He would head back to Konoha and wait for Nawaki and Minato, to see if they had any luck.

Due to the ongoing war, trade caravans heading to Konoha had thinned considerably. Fortunately, the fighting hadn't spread into the Land of Fire itself, and Mist's ninja incursions were limited to border disruptions, keeping the interior relatively calm.

Back in Konoha, Takuya planned to shower and change into fresh clothes before anything else. But as he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of someone sprawled out on his couch, sleeping without a care. They were snoring softly, mouth open, drooling a bit as they clutched an empty snack bag.

So much for the idea that a beautiful woman always looks graceful in her sleep, he thought. "You even drank," he muttered, catching a whiff of alcohol as he approached. Takuya nudged her shoulder. "Your house is literally next door, so why are you sleeping here?!"

Not only had she come to his place to sleep, but she'd raided his snacks as well.

"Typical Tsunade," he grumbled.

Roused by Takuya's nudging, Tsunade snapped awake, springing up and reflexively reaching out to grab him. Takuya watched, bemused. Just moments ago, she'd been out like a rock, but now she was leaping up like a startled rabbit, barely awake yet ready to attack. Dodging her swipe, Takuya reached out and flicked her on the forehead with two fingers.

"Ouch!" Tsunade yelped, the loud thud of his flick bringing her back to full awareness. Fury sparked in her eyes as she glared at him. "Brat! What was that for?!"

Only Takuya dared to flick her like that. She hadn't even fully seen his face, but she knew it could only be him.

BONUS CHAPTER