This was the place where they had the highest chance of making contact with the connector.
"Several customers, sorry, sorry! We've never heard of hot spring eggs with liquid whites and firm yolks."
After a brief wait, a middle-aged man was escorted by the clerk to Kazuki's table.
"Captain... Kazuki, let's go. We've come to the wrong place. Let's find another shop," Sunflower said, preparing to leave upon hearing the shopkeeper's response.
Before them, the shopkeeper continuously bowed in apology. "Sorry, sorry. I have neglected you all."
Kazuki's eyes flickered with understanding. "It's fine. Just serve the hot spring eggs you're able to make."
With that, he gestured to the dark-clad operatives at his side, signaling them to remain seated. At the same time, he caught sight of the shopkeeper discreetly making a covert hand sign—a signal to confirm the connection!
Kazuki, without hesitation, subtly responded with the corresponding gesture.
"Please wait a moment while I prepare your order," the shopkeeper said.
A short while later, a standard hot spring egg was served. After finishing their meal, the shopkeeper invited Kazuki and his team to a back room. It was there, amidst casual conversation and subtle jokes, that the first part of the connection code was spoken.
Kazuki smoothly responded with the next part of the code. The shopkeeper, after verifying all the responses, finally let his guard down.
The connector had been found—it was the shopkeeper!
Once both sides confirmed their identities, the shopkeeper let out a sigh of relief and apologized, "I'm sorry! The situation has been tense lately, so I had to be extra cautious."
Kazuki's expression darkened. "Konoha hasn't received any of your reports for the past three months. What happened?"
"It's like this…"
The shopkeeper began to explain their predicament. Recently, a mysterious faction had appeared in the Land of Hot Water, establishing a highly profitable casino. Given the abrupt rise of this establishment, Konoha had deployed scouts to investigate its origins.
However, something was wrong.
The scouts who had visited the casino would return to the shop but never exchanged intelligence as they once did. They would merely order food, avoiding any discussion of their findings. It was as if they had become strangers, no longer acknowledging the shopkeeper as their contact.
This raised a red flag.
The shopkeeper suspected that the scouts had fallen under some form of control, possibly due to genjutsu or coercion by the casino's operators. Since then, more and more unfamiliar patrons had begun frequenting the shop, making random, incorrect connection gestures and uttering disjointed passwords.
At times, someone would correctly state part of the code—only for the rest of it to be completely wrong!
This forced the shopkeeper to be extremely cautious.
Even when Kazuki and his team arrived and correctly responded to the first part of the code, the shopkeeper remained vigilant, engaging them in casual banter while verifying every single phrase of the connection protocol. Only when all responses were perfect did he allow himself to relax.
Of course… there was another reason for his skepticism—Kazuki himself.
He was too young.
It was only after Kazuki flawlessly recited every password that the shopkeeper could fully accept that this seemingly inexperienced youth was truly the designated contact from Konoha.
"A mysterious faction… a casino…"
Kazuki mulled over the information carefully.
"What is the rank of our missing operative?" he asked, referring to the scout who had disappeared.
"He was an elite Chūnin, but his combat prowess was near Jōnin level," the shopkeeper responded immediately.
"A Jōnin-level opponent…"
Kazuki fell silent, deep in thought.
Seeing his contemplative expression, Sunflower tilted her head and asked, "Captain, what are you thinking?"
"Captain…?" The shopkeeper blinked in shock. "He's the captain?!"
Sunflower turned to him with a bright, innocent expression and nodded. "Yep! He's our captain."
"I…" The shopkeeper trailed off, glancing between Kazuki and his operatives.
With the passwords confirmed, he finally accepted that the young Kazuki was indeed an ANBU operative sent by Konoha to establish contact.
Although the person who made contact with the shop owner was Kazuki, the one who spoke was also Kazuki.
But… what happened to the captain?
The young man in front of him couldn't be more than 15 years old, right?!
So young… yet a Captain of the Anbu?!
The shop owner's eyes flickered with doubt, and he subconsciously took two steps back, distancing himself from Kazuki and his team. He seemed to be weighing something in his mind.
Anbu operatives were all elites, trained to be highly perceptive. As an experienced Anbu, Sunflower immediately picked up on the shop owner's hesitation.
"Boss, don't be afraid," Sunflower said, offering a reassuring smile.
"We really are from Konoha. If not, how could we have provided the correct authentication codes?"
"Although Captain Kazuki is only 12 years old, he is indeed our captain. Please rest assured—Captain Kazuki possesses the strength of an elite Jōnin."
Anbu operatives weren't just skilled in combat; their training included psychological assessment, allowing them to analyze people's thoughts through expressions and body language.
"This… this, I…"
The shop owner stammered, visibly overwhelmed. After a moment, he bowed deeply to Kazuki.
"I apologize, Lord Kazuki. It was rude of me to question your identity."
Kazuki, who had been in deep thought, raised his head and offered a small smile.
"It's fine."
Taking a deep breath, the shop owner forced himself to accept the reality—this 12-year-old truly was an Anbu Captain.
"Lord Kazuki, what are your orders?"
Kazuki paused briefly before presenting three possible courses of action:
Launch an immediate assault on the mysterious casino and rescue their captured ally.Infiltrate the casino covertly, gather intelligence, and plan a strategic rescue.Withdraw and report the situation to Lord Hokage, allowing him to decide the next move.
As soon as Kazuki finished speaking, a wave of dissent erupted among his team.
Qing, one of his Anbu subordinates, immediately rejected the third option.
"How can we choose that?!" he demanded. "We were sent here by Konoha to assist! How can we abandon our comrade in danger?!"
His frustration was palpable, his tone sharp with defiance.
Haidao nodded in agreement, though he remained calmer.
"I also believe the third option is unsuitable. We should choose between the first two."
Sunflower remained silent, her eyes fixed intently on Kazuki.
Anbu followed strict protocols. In the field, the captain's decisions were final. It was their duty to obey.
Seated inside the tavern, Kazuki sighed as he observed his team.
Qing, in particular, seemed ready to explode with frustration, but Kazuki remained unshaken.
"Did you all forget our mission?" he asked calmly.
"Our objective is to determine why the intelligence operative from the Land of Hot Water failed to report back to the village—not just to storm in and conduct a rescue."
"As shinobi—especially Anbu—you should all understand the importance of prioritizing the mission."
"Hmph! Let's go, Haidao!" Qing snapped, turning to leave.
He and Haidao stormed out of the tavern, clearly unhappy with Kazuki's decision.
Sunflower hesitated before stepping closer to him.
"Captain Kazuki, they…"
Kazuki waved a hand dismissively.
"It's fine. They've probably just gone back to the inn."
By the time they arrived in the Land of Hot Water, night had already fallen. Kazuki had prearranged rooms at a nearby inn before initiating their operation.
"As the shop owner mentioned, the captured operative is a Jōnin-level ninja…"
"Controlling a living Jōnin is far more difficult than killing one."
"If we act recklessly, we'll be walking straight into a trap. The casino's influence is definitely not to be underestimated."
Glancing toward the direction where Qing and Haidao had left, Kazuki sighed.
"Young shinobi are always so impulsive."
"Uh…?"
The shop owner looked stunned.
Sunflower blinked in confusion before breaking into a small laugh.
"Captain, you're the youngest one here!"
Kazuki simply shook his head and ignored the remark. Rising to his feet, he stepped outside.
"The longer we stay, the more likely we'll attract attention. Let's head back to the inn."
"Yes, Captain!" Sunflower responded immediately, following him.
That night, under a rare, quiet sky, the stars shone faintly over the Land of Hot Water…
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