As the night unfolded, the duo maintained a vigilant watch. Numerous ronins frequented the establishment known as "Dream Night".
With their focus on the young woman named Murata Yuko. Every unfolding scene was meticulously scrutinized by both of them.
It was well past midnight when Tatsuma and Minato wrapped up their surveillance. Observing Yusuke and the others emerging and leaning against the wall, Tatsuma turned to Minato, saying, "I'll keep an eye on them while simultaneously tracking down Nasu's whereabouts. You focus on monitoring that girl, Murata Yuko. Ensure she doesn't impede our efforts against Nasu and his forces due to her brother's situation. If needed, limit her movements. I'll reach out to you once I gather relevant information."
Minato nodded expressionlessly, unsure of what emotions to harbor towards this task and its objectives.
In a matter of hours, he bore witness to a group of ronins supporting the rogue ninja. The brutal killing of a teenager unfolded before his eyes, and instead of fleeing, these ronins brazenly turned their attention to harass the sister of the fallen youth.
If Tatsuma hadn't stepped in and Minato hadn't made a solemn promise to Tatsuma about curbing his impulsive actions, tonight Minato would have found himself repeatedly tempted to cast aside his ninja identity and succumb to the urge to kill.
At this juncture, Minato had reached a state of almost numb calmness, yet he grasped the essence of Tatsuma's words. Despite the recent harshness in Tatsuma's communication, Minato understood that Tatsuma's underlying message was a directive for him to safeguard the girl named Murata Yuko.
Tatsuma left first, following the ronins who needed support to walk. Minato remained, waiting for the appearance of Murata Yuko.
After a while, Murata Yuko, walking somewhat unsteadily, returned to her home. She saw her brother's already cold body and the farewell letter he had left before leaving yesterday.
"Thud~"
Against the just-opened door, Murata Yuko collapsed, the sound resonating ominously in the silent night. The nearby residents, and even a few houses, illuminated their lights moments later.
Yet, inexplicably, not a single household dared to venture out into the midnight darkness. Even those who had initially lit up their homes swiftly extinguished their lights for reasons unknown.
In the stillness of the night, an undeniable chill hung in the air.
Having seated herself on the ground for a while, Murata Yuko summoned the strength to crawl toward Murata Yue's side. Upon touching her brother's already frigid skin and the dried blood scabs that crumbled at the slightest contact, Murata Yuko could no longer contain her tears.
Gazing at the letter spread out beside her, callously thrown on the ground with footprints marring its surface, Murata Yuko's sobbing gradually waned, yet her tears flowed more freely.
Cradling Yue, Yuko discovered something concealed within her brother's garments. With hands trembling, she delved into his clothes and retrieved a short knife, wrapped in strips of cloth, devoid of even a proper sheath.
No, it couldn't rightly be called a knife; it was more a narrow piece of iron honed to a keen edge. Running her fingers over the bloodstained yet untouched short blade, Yuko stared at her brother's unyielding eyes, unwilling to shut, and clenched her teeth.
By the time the sun began to rise, Murata Yuko, her tears now dried, cradled the short knife that Yue had carried with him in her arms. Lifting him onto her back, she took faltering steps toward the outskirts of the village.
Upon reaching the site of the tragic incident and witnessing the bloodstains on the white frost-covered grass turning black, Murata Yuko seemed to grasp some understanding. With her bare hands, she proceeded to excavate a not-so-large hole nearby.
In the early spring graveyard, the withered grass field lay beneath a blanket of frozen frost and scattered ice fragments. Murata Yuko's hands bore repeated scratches from the hard soil, mingling fresh blood with the graveyard's blackened and dried stains.
Upon gently placing Yue in the pit, the weary Murata Yuko leaned against a tombstone, murmuring softly, "Dad, Mom, Little Yue is coming to join you. I'm... I'm alone now."
Not far off, Minato shut his eyes, unable to endure the heart-wrenching scene.
After a brief respite, Yuko knelt by the pit once more, using her hands to cover her brother with soil, each handful tainted with a blend of blood and frost.
Having completed her somber task, Yuko continued to stagger back to the village. Upon her return home, Yuko's movements were no longer marked by a mere stagger; she couldn't even maintain an upright posture. Struggling to reach her room, she eventually collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
Minato, who had concealed his presence until now, could no longer resist. He entered the house, gently lifting Yuko onto the bed, covering her with a thin blanket, and then disappeared without a trace.
Over the next three days, Yuko didn't make her way to the nightclub for work. When questioned, she attributed her absence to illness, and indeed, she needed the rest. Although the wounds on her hands had formed scabs, numerous densely packed reddish-brown stripe marks remained. Even a slight movement threatened to reopen the recently healed wounds, causing them to bleed once more.
During this time, Tatsuma remained far from idle. By tailing Yusuke and his associates, he eventually pinpointed Nasu's location and discovered that Nasu collected "protection fees" at Dream Night, where Murata Yuko was employed, every tenth day.
Tomorrow marked the tenth day, and Tatsuma, along with Minato, devised a plan to seize this opportunity and carry out an operation to apprehend Nasu.
However, it became apparent that they were not the sole possessors of this critical information. Yuko was also in the know. On the tenth day, undeterred by the wounds on her hands that had yet to fully heal, she began grooming herself in the afternoon.
Observing the unfolding situation, the two of them grasped Yuko's intentions. Minato furrowed his brow and remarked, "Should we intervene? Her involvement might disrupt our operation."
Tatsuma pondered briefly, shook his head, and replied, "No need. Allowing her to proceed could indeed impact our operation, but with some guidance, she has the potential to be an asset for us."
"But tonight's operation is highly perilous, and she's just a civilian girl."
Before Minato could complete his thought, Tatsuma interjected, "She desires personal involvement in seeking revenge. If we obstruct her, it will leave a lasting regret deep within her heart."
In the evening, she changed into fresh attire, applied makeup, and made her way to the nightclub. The only notable difference was the concealed knife she now cradled in her embrace.
Simultaneously, a white-haired young man with naturally curly hair and an unassuming blond youth, both garbed in yukata, sauntered towards the entrance of the nightclub.
Unbeknownst to them, on the opposite side of the nightclub, within a hot spring inn, Jiraiya leisurely sipped his drink while observing them.
"Come on, Tatsuma, Minato. But really, entering a nightclub without money... that takes guts. Haven't they ever been roughed up for that?"
As he spoke, Jiraiya touched the area around his ribs. The injuries from his earlier years seemed to still cause him some phantom pain. Jiraiya suddenly had a somewhat wicked desire for Minato and Tatsuma to experience something similar.
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