Naruto: Legend of the Skylark

The shop owner's explanation made sense to Hibari, and given his status, he figured the owner wouldn't dare to overcharge him.

Besides, he'd already made the offer to Orochimaru, and to go back on his word for a bit of money? Hibari prided himself on having some integrity; he simply couldn't do it.

So, Hibari gritted his teeth and handed the one million five hundred thousand ryo bill to the shop owner, saying, "Alright, pack it all up."

The shop owner, having landed such a large sale, was naturally in high spirits. He cheerfully took the silver bill, glanced at it, and then said, "Such a large amount isn't common. I'll go get your change, young master."

Before long, the shop owner indeed broke the one million five hundred thousand ryo bill for Hibari. Hibari counted it, found the amount correct, and put it away. He then helped Orochimaru bundle up all the books and handed them to him.

Then, Hibari pointed at Orochimaru and said to the shop owner, "This young fellow is a good friend of my sister, Tsunade, and he's like a half-brother to me. If he ever needs any books from your shop in the future, just put it on my tab. Send them to my house, and I'll settle the bill with you."

The shop owner first glanced at Orochimaru, who often loitered around his bookstore, then smiled at Hibari and said, "Alright, young master, I certainly trust your credit. I'll remember this. From now on, if this customer wants any books, he can just come to my shop. If I don't have them, I'll even order them for him."

Hearing the shop owner's words, Hibari nodded. This owner was quite good with words; no wonder his business was thriving.

Then Hibari patted Orochimaru's head and said, "Did you hear that?"

Orochimaru's gaze remained as calm as ever, but he didn't refuse. Instead, he said quite placidly, "I heard..."

Only then did Hibari nod. After bidding farewell to the shop owner, he and Orochimaru left the bookstore together.

Closing the shop door, Hibari chuckled and said, "I see you're eager to go back and read, kid. So I won't waste your time here. Go on home."

Orochimaru nodded, then without another word, turned to leave.

However, after taking two steps, he stopped again, turned to Hibari, and asked, "Why did you buy me books?"

Hearing Orochimaru's question, Hibari looked at the top book in the bundle Orochimaru was holding. Its title was Introduction to Chakra Energy Cultivation.

Then Hibari smiled and said, "I think you have a lot of potential, and you'll become an amazing shinobi someday. Plus, like I just said... I see you as a half-brother."

Upon hearing Hibari's words, Orochimaru softly murmured, "Half-brother...?"

Hibari just smiled and didn't say anything more to him, waving his hand and saying, "Hurry home and read your books, Orochimaru."

After saying that, Hibari turned to leave as well. Just then, he suddenly heard Orochimaru say from behind him, "Thank you, Hibari-nii."

This surprised Hibari slightly. By the time he turned his head, Orochimaru was already walking towards his home, clutching the books.

Watching Orochimaru's retreating figure, a smile also appeared on Hibari's lips, wondering what he was thinking.

"I promised Tsunade that little brat I'd buy her takoyaki. Since I'm out anyway, I might as well get her some, so she doesn't bother me again when I get back..." Hibari turned around, and after a couple of steps, suddenly remembered this, muttering to himself.

Then, with his newfound "wealth," he unhesitatingly turned towards the snack street. He refused to believe that buying takoyaki would cost him another one hundred forty thousand ryo!

Meanwhile, as Hibari went to buy takoyaki, a thousand miles away in Kirigakure of the Land of Water, Hozuki Reigetsu was in the First Mizukage's office, seemingly reporting something.

The First Mizukage, Byakuren, was a man with an injured left eye, one of the Five Kage who brought peace to the chaotic world. He single-handedly established Kirigakure in the Land of Water. His power was immense, and he also possessed an ambitious spirit; otherwise, he wouldn't have coveted Chomei, wanting to secretly bring the Tailed Beast to Kirigakure as a secret weapon.

"In the end, the mission failed," Byakuren said softly.

"My deepest apologies, Mizukage-sama!" Reigetsu said, lowering his head, filled with self-reproach.

"It's not your fault, Reigetsu. After all, according to the intel, this was supposed to be a Takigakure matter. I didn't expect Konoha's people to get involved. Sasuke is already a formidable figure, his son Hiruzen is also a good shinobi, and even Hashirama himself got involved in the end. If it were me, the mission would have failed too," Byakuren didn't lay any blame, but spoke with great understanding.

Hearing this, Reigetsu said, "Furthermore, that young one from the Senju clan is also worth noting. In my opinion, his potential is extraordinary, and his temperament seems incredibly decisive, with a fierce, fearless spirit."

At this point, he paused, frowned slightly, and then added with some confusion, "However, what's puzzling is that he seems to have some apprehension about 'water.' In several exchanges, he tried his best to avoid contact with water."

Byakuren, the First Mizukage, chuckled and didn't take it too seriously. He said, "Their Senju clan's 'Fastest of the Shinobi World' wields an unknown number of powerful Water Release ninjutsu. Perhaps that boy was traumatized by being taught a lesson. You say his talent is good, but he's still young. The times are different now; we can't just send people to assassinate him, can we? How about this: just keep a slight eye on him, and don't stir up any trouble."

After saying these words, Byakuren paused, then continued, "I'm old enough now, and I'm thinking of retiring soon to rest. Our Kirigakure is also gradually getting on track. I've pretty much done what I needed to do. Has your brother not made up his mind yet?"

Upon hearing Byakuren's words, Reigetsu immediately replied, "How can our Kirigakure do without you, Mizukage-sama? My brother is also afraid that he won't be able to meet your expectations, or lead the village to continued strength, which is why he's hesitant."

"How will he know if he can do it if he doesn't try? He has no confidence in himself? I, however, have great confidence in Gengetsu. He has the ability to do these things, and he has the qualifications to become our Kirigakure's Second Mizukage. When you go back, you must bring this up more often!" Byakuren said with a smile.

Would Hozuki Reigetsu be happy for his elder brother, Hozuki Gengetsu, to become the village leader? He'd be crazy not to be!

Once his elder brother, Gengetsu, became the Second Mizukage, the Hozuki clan's status in Kirigakure would definitely rise, and naturally, so would his own. He might even gain more power. Why wouldn't he be happy about that?

Therefore, Reigetsu nodded, saying softly, "Yes, Mizukage-sama, I will do my best to persuade my brother."

Byakuren nodded, then added, "Although this mission's failure isn't your fault, since your identity was exposed, we must give Konoha an explanation. How about this: I will inform Konoha that this was your personal action, and publicly announce that you've been confined to Cold Water Cliff for three months. Therefore, Reigetsu, you must not leave the village during this time..."

Reigetsu had no objections and nodded in agreement.

After these matters were handled, he quickly returned home and saw his elder brother, Gengetsu, teasing something in the courtyard's pond.

Reigetsu walked over. Before he could speak, Gengetsu's voice reached his ears.

"I heard your mission failed this time? And you exposed your identity?" Gengetsu said softly.

"I apologize for bringing shame to the Hozuki clan," Reigetsu said in a deep voice.

"Hahahaha, that's nothing. What shinobi doesn't fail sometimes? I was just asking casually, wanting to tease you a bit," Gengetsu said with a hearty laugh.

Seeing his elder brother's shameless demeanor, Reigetsu was speechless. He then said, "Mizukage-sama just asked me to convey a message to you, Anija. He said..."

"Alright, alright, the old man just wants to retire and wants me to take his place. You don't need to tell me; I understand," Gengetsu said with a smile, waving his hand to stop Reigetsu's words.

"Anija, the position of Mizukage..." Reigetsu said, looking at his elder brother's attitude with some confusion.

"Reigetsu, the old man is testing me. Do you really think he wants to retire? He wants to see if I can calmly take this final step. Only by truly calming down will I have passed this test and be qualified to be the Mizukage of Kirigakure. If I can't even maintain composure on something like this, would you confidently hand the position over to me?" Gengetsu said with a smile.

Reigetsu was stunned, then said, "Then, what do you mean, Anija?"

"Sigh, don't look at the old man's current good condition; he's actually just forcing it. Those old hidden injuries will never fully heal. In my opinion, the old man doesn't have much time left. In these final moments, let him depart peacefully, and let him know that he made the right choice in picking me. I am very patient and can remain composed," Gengetsu said with a sigh of emotion.

After speaking, Gengetsu seemed to have found new interest and said to Reigetsu, "By the way, I found an interesting little creature in the lake where the Three-Tails Isobu used to reside. Come take a look..."

Reigetsu took a few steps forward and saw a strange-looking creature swimming around in the pond. Before he could speak, Gengetsu said, "This little guy is quite interesting. I named him 'Samehada'..."

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