Next Day, Land of Rivers, Near Orochimaru's Base – Downstairs at the Hotel
"Alright, you three can have a free day. We'll head back to the village tomorrow."
Link announced the free day. Initially, they'd planned to hurry back to the Land of Fire overnight, but midway he remembered Orochimaru's base. Deciding to take a slight detour to check things out, he changed their schedule.
After just defeating Sasori, Link's self-assessment had risen considerably.
In terms of raw physical attributes, he might still be somewhat behind the top elite fighters, but paired with his unusual jutsu and the "talent" he had for gathering intel, there were only a few Akatsuki members he felt he couldn't handle one-on-one: Pain, Konan, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Kakuzu.
Everyone else—Deidara, Sasori (now without his primary puppet body), and Hidan—he believed he had decent chances against. Especially Hidan; if the first surprise attack failed, his ritual-based jutsu was fairly easy to counter.
As for Orochimaru, Link doubted he could outright win, but he was almost certain he wouldn't be captured or killed. Orochimaru's methods, beyond his modified body, were essentially standard ninjutsu without any particularly unstoppable moves. Link could hold his own in a jutsu clash; for genjutsu, there was Fugaku Uchiha to cover him; and Baki's Wind Release compensated for Link's Earth Release being weak to Lightning.
In a short conflict, he wasn't afraid of Orochimaru.
"Link-sensei, should I come with you?" Temari asked brightly, immediately stepping forward despite the announcement of free time.
"No need," Link declined flatly. He wasn't there for sightseeing; bringing along an extra person would only be a burden.
"But you haven't eaten yet, either, have you? Let's grab a meal together," Temari persisted. "I'll treat you."
Link paused mid-step. "…You're paying?"
"Yup, my treat!" Temari said cheerfully.
After a moment's thought, Link nodded. "Alright. What do you feel like eating?"
Since he wasn't the one paying, he didn't mind where they ate. Until he could liquidate those human puppets into money, his finances were tight. Even after claiming his mission reward, he wouldn't have a ton of spare funds—he still needed to carry cash at all times in case he encountered a dangerous foe.
That money-binding jutsu had a ten-meter range. If he managed to get within that distance, he could subdue even an enemy like Sasori, a Kage-level threat, without giving them a chance to fight back. It was incredibly useful.
"You pick," Temari replied with a bright smile. Beneath the sunshine, she looked less like the confident kunoichi she usually was and more like a normal teenage girl.
Watching the two leave together, Kankurō shook his head. [My sister's being awfully forward… Women…]
He sighed. As he prepared to go back upstairs and catch up on sleep, someone grabbed his arm.
"G-Gaara, what is it?" he stammered, suddenly on edge. [Did I do something to upset him? And why am I the only one left here?!]
A sheen of sweat formed on Kankurō's forehead as he faced Gaara, whose calm expression always looked a bit ominous.
"Kankurō." Gaara spoke his brother's name, face as blank as ever. For Kankurō, it was terrifying. His heart pounded in his chest.
"…When Link-sensei patted me on the shoulder last night, I felt like hugging him. Why was that?" Gaara asked, his voice flat but tinged with confusion.
Kankurō froze. [Uh… wha—? He developed a… positive emotion?]
That seemed even more frightening. The monstrous Gaara from before suddenly wanting physical contact with someone? Wait a second, though—Link-sensei was also kind of a monster in his own right!
Feeling slightly relieved by that thought, Kankurō managed a suggestion. "Well… maybe next time, you could actually try hugging him?"
Gaara's expression flickered thoughtfully, then he headed upstairs without further word. His taciturn manner left Kankurō uneasy.
[No matter how scared I might be of Gaara, or how weird everything feels, he's still my brother—someone I can't just ignore,] Kankurō thought, watching Gaara vanish down the corridor. He also glanced in the direction where Temari and Link had gone.
"If you become my brother-in-law, you'd better let me borrow those puppets!" he muttered, newly supportive of the possibility.
…
The Town's Only Ramen Shop
"You know, Link-sensei, you really could've chosen a nicer place," Temari said. "Even if it's a bit expensive, I can cover it." She patted her small, sickle-shaped coin pouch. "I've saved up some money."
"I actually prefer ramen," Link replied without giving too many details.
He didn't want to freeload too much. After all, if he let a subordinate treat him to an expensive meal, he'd have to reciprocate in kind. Moreover, as a leader, demanding a costly treat from a teammate could reflect poorly on him.
"Fair enough," Temari laughed, her eyes curving into crescent moons. [No matter if it's for my village's sake or my own interest, I'm not letting this small man out of my grasp…]
As they stepped into the shop, a familiar voice echoed behind them:
"What's with you, Pervy Sage…?"
Recognizing it, Link turned.
"Oh, oh, oh! Link!" Uzumaki Naruto ran over, drawing stares from the cook at the counter. As usual, Naruto didn't care, plopping down on a stool.
"Long time no see! What are you doing here?"
"Been a while," Link said, spotting Jiraiya seated beside Naruto. "Just finished a mission and stopped here for a rest on the way back to the village."
[They're probably here for information about Orochimaru, too… He really draws a crowd, doesn't he?]
"I see," Naruto said eagerly. "Look, I learned a new super move!"
"Bonk!"
Before Naruto could show off, Jiraiya cuffed him over the head. "Don't you dare go using that dangerous jutsu inside someone's restaurant!"
"Owwww!" Naruto whined, rubbing his head. "That hurt, you old perv!"
Jiraiya ignored him and signaled the shop owner. "Two more over here!"
He carried himself like a typical eccentric uncle, cheerful and easygoing. Once they ordered their ramen, Naruto gleefully began chattering about his recent training, while Jiraiya listened with a contented smirk.
~~~
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