"Welcome~"
Tatsuma stepped into the night shop named "Dream Night," greeted by a gentle voice. Two lines of girls near the entrance beamed with welcoming smiles as they cordially acknowledged the duo.
In that moment, an even more refined and slightly older middle-aged woman approached. She effortlessly linked her arm with Tatsuma's and inquired, "Welcome, guests. Is this your first visit to our Dream Night? Judging by your and your friend's attire, I presume you are esteemed patrons from the Shiranami Hot Springs Inn, am I correct?"
Tatsuma affirmed with a nod. Their arrival at this location wasn't a mere application of Transformation Jutsu; even their choice of yukatas had been meticulously made, reflecting the pinnacle of expenditure associated with the hot spring inn in Shiranami Village.
The reason behind their distinctive attire was straightforward: a lack of funds. Opting for ordinary clothes would risk exposing their financial constraint if asked for payment upfront. Yukatas, on the other hand, provided a semblance of normalcy to their apparent lack of funds.
Furthermore, the entire village was aware that patrons of the Shiranami Hot Springs Inn were individuals of affluence. Astute proprietresses like the one at the nightclub might be inclined to extend the payment deadline or, perhaps, even accompany them to the hot spring inn for the settlement process.
After a nod, Tatsuma withheld his words momentarily. Instead, he adopted a discerning and critical expression, carefully observing the movements and postures of the girls within the venue. After a pause, he couldn't help but smirk and turned to Minato, who seemed somewhat uneasy, remarking:
"Zenzou, this place seems rather ordinary. How about we explore another establishment?"
Minato didn't reply immediately. He was still getting accustomed to the environment, but his hesitation was misconstrued as disdain by the nightclub madam. She promptly interjected:
"Guests! Guests! Why the rush? A jewelry store doesn't flaunt its best pieces for everyone to see, right? Come to this private booth, and I'll introduce you to our finest selection. Jun, fetch two bottles of sake and join these two guests for a couple of drinks."
Upon hearing the madam instructing the nearby girl to fetch the drinks, Tatsuma gently nudged the madam's shoulder, retracted his arm, and calmly remarked, "Pressuring a sale isn't the way to go."
"Consider what you're saying. How can these two bottles of sake compensate for your bill? Think of it as recompense for any inconvenience caused by the wait," the madam responded.
Upon hearing the madam's conciliatory words, Tatsuma finally revealed a smile, embraced the madam, and expressed, "Now, that's what I like to hear."
Maintaining her warm smile, the madam led the duo to a private booth. At that moment, the girl named Jun approached with two bottles of sake.
As she tidied up the table in the private booth, she inquired with gentleness, "Guests, would you prefer the sake warmed?"
Tatsuma responded effortlessly, "Certainly, warm. In this chilly weather, sake that isn't warmed feels as cold as dewdrops freezing on your body during a hot spring soak."
On the sidelines, Minato, initially fearing they were about to break their alcohol abstinence, breathed a sigh of relief, appreciating how Tatsuma's words deftly bought them some time. He couldn't help but feel a bit perplexed about Tatsuma's familiarity with the place.
However, Minato didn't dwell on the confusion for too long, assuming that Tatsuma had gathered information during his surveillance in the past few days.
Jun ignited a small charcoal stove, heating water in preparation to warm the sake. Once these tasks were completed, the madam entered with several other girls. With a casual wave, she signaled for Jun to leave and then offered a warm smile to Tatsuma.
Before any introductions could be made, Tatsuma gestured dismissively and declared, "Change them."
The madam's expression momentarily stiffened, but she swiftly regained her composure, forcing a smile as she responded, "Guest, you certainly have discerning tastes. Let me promptly find a few more options for you."
"Change them! If the next round doesn't meet our satisfaction, then you may enjoy this sake yourself," Tatsuma insisted.
However, Tatsuma promptly dismissed the second batch with a casual wave of his hand. The madam, sensing Tatsuma's authority, refrained from uttering a word and quickly departed with a few girls. After a significant amount of time had elapsed, likely allowing the warmed sake to lose some of its alcohol content due to evaporation, the madam returned with two new girls.
Simultaneously, Tatsuma and Minato's eyes brightened, for among the pair, one was none other than Yuko. Despite this exciting development, Tatsuma refrained from an immediate agreement. Instead, he scrutinized them with the precision of a seasoned ladybug, ultimately pointing to Yuko and remarking:
"Let's go with her. Zenzou, what's your choice?"
Minato hesitated in choosing the second option, or any other for that matter. In a moment of recollection, he thought about Tatsuma's earlier boldness in requesting a change, cast a glance at the madam, and felt the inclination to follow Tatsuma's lead in seeking an alteration, even if it meant prolonging the wait.
However, Tatsuma was mindful that the night club in this small village might not boast an extensive selection of girls. Furthermore, frequent requests for changes could potentially convey a troublesome intent to the madam. Thus, with a mischievous smile, Tatsuma preempted Minato and spoke up:
"Madam, it appears my friend here hasn't found a connection with any of the girls in your establishment."
"Oh? This..."
The madam found herself a bit perplexed. Before she could formulate a response, Tatsuma smoothly interjected, "But you're not bad. Zenzou, what's your take?"
Minato, momentarily caught off guard, realized he had fallen for Tatsuma's trick. He could only express his helplessness, "Isn't this a bit too awkward?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
The madam waved her hand, signaling for the other girl to leave. She then positioned Yuko between Tatsuma and Minato. Retrieving the slightly overheated sake with a smile, she said:
"This young lady is called Yuko. You can call me Yoshiko. I'm curious about the names of our two guests?"
"Sakata Gintoki," Tatsuma pointed to himself and then indicated Minato, saying, "Hattori Zenzou."
"Mr. Gintoki, Mr. Zenzou, would you like me to warm another cup for you two?"
Observing Yuko lowering her head and seemingly ignoring the guests, the madam briefly displayed a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. Nevertheless, she quickly raised her head with a smile, ready to warm sake for the duo again. However, Tatsuma intervened, taking the sake cup from the madam's hand and saying:
"Wasting warm sake is akin to squandering a girl's youth. I'm not as frugal as Zenzou in that regard."
With these words, Tatsuma emptied the sake cup that had long lost its alcohol content. He then cast a glance at Minato. Minato's expression darkened; he felt as if Tatsuma had been ribbing him all day, but he quickly caught on.
Declining a drink at a nightclub would raise suspicion. Taking the sake cup from the madam, he emitted a disdainful snort and swiftly downed it in one go. The madam, oblivious to any suspicion, promptly refilled their cups and commenced warming the sake again.
At this moment, a sudden influx of people burst into the nightclub, stirring up a commotion. Tatsuma feigned displeasure and glanced over. His eyes slightly narrowed upon recognizing the newcomers.
Within the group were not only Yusuke and others but also several other ronin. Most crucially, their primary target for the trip, the rogue ninja from the Waterfall Ninja Village, Nasu, was in their midst.
Yuko also caught sight of the newcomers. Her initially listless eyes snapped into focus, and an instinctual urge to stand up surged through her body. However, a restraining hand gently pressed down on her shoulder.
Tatsuma directed his gaze at Yuko and gestured toward the table. Although he didn't speak, Yuko understood his silent communication. She didn't want the guests to cause any disruptions, potentially jeopardizing the chance to deal with Nasu. Thus, she reached for a sake cup and handed it to Tatsuma, saying:
"Dear Guest."
"Tsk."
However, just as Yuko spoke, Tatsuma seized her hand, the one holding the sake cup. Startled, Yuko released the cup. The madam was on the verge of scolding Yuko, but Tatsuma swiftly intervened, remarking:
"A hand like this isn't fitting for serving drinks"
"What did you say?"
Yuko attempted to withdraw her hand, but Tatsuma remained fixated on the scar, stating, "Do you know what hands like these are best suited for?"
Yuko remained silent. Tatsuma shifted his gaze to Minato, who had incapacitated the madam with a neck chop, then refocused on Yuko, whispering, "They are perfect for seeking vengeance for your brother."
Yuko stood in stunned silence, still processing the abrupt move when Tatsuma seized her hand and tossed her aside. Simultaneously, wearing a fierce expression, Tatsuma exclaimed, "Crying and offering drinks with such an unsightly hand. Who do you take me for? I'm here to spend money, not to watch your hardships!"
"What's happening over there?"
Nasu, positioned at the entrance, also took notice of the unfolding situation, his brows tightly furrowed.
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