"This... Is this the treasure map?"
With an old parchment map transformed by Kizaru's jutsu, Yahiko widened his eyes and curiously opened it.
As the map unfolded, Yahiko's excitement decreased by half as if doused with cold water.
On the map, there was only an outline of Amegakure and a simple route marked.
Looking down, Yahiko saw the words left by a pirate named Roger at the bottom of the map.
"Do you want my treasure? If you do, I can give it all to you. Go find it! I've placed all the treasure in Amegakure."
"Uncle, is this map really a treasure map?" Yahiko asked with some doubt as he handed the map to Konan beside him.
"Oh ho! Let's hope it is!" scratching his head, Kizaru laughed.
With a sigh, Yahiko looked at Kizaru helplessly, "Uncle, you're really carefree!"
"Oh ho ho!" Kizaru laughed even more cheerfully.
"Uncle, do you have a map of Amegakure?" After carefully examining the treasure map, Konan asked, "If we match the marks and routes on the treasure map with the map of Amegakure, we should be able to find the treasure."
Nodding excitedly, Yahiko clenched his fists in front of him and said to Kizaru, "Uncle, you should have a map for treasure hunting, right?"
"Nope!" lowering his hand from his head, Kizaru replied with a gleeful smile.
The atmosphere that had just lifted instantly stagnated, and Yahiko lowered his head in defeat.
"No map? Then how did you go treasure hunting before, Uncle?" Holding the treasure map, Konan looked at Kizaru, puzzled.
"Intuition, my intuition is quite accurate! Hahaha!" confidently replied Kizaru, even laughing at himself.
"How could you rely solely on intuition for treasure hunting?" Standing up excitedly, Yahiko shouted at Kizaru.
"How scary!" Kizaru, being yelled at, pouted and sarcastically remarked.
"Argh!" Frustrated, Yahiko yelled out, feeling angry and anxious.
"Yahiko!" Reaching out, Konan tugged at Yahiko's clothes, gesturing for him to calm down.
Sitting down angrily, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, Yahiko leaned forward and passionately lectured, "Uncle, how can you possibly find treasure like this?"
"Little brother, it seems like your fish is about to burn." Shifting his gaze, Kizaru pointed to the fish roasting by the fire, reminding him.
"I was telling you... Ah! My fish!" Shouting, Yahiko hurriedly removed the roasted fish and corn from beside the fire in a bit of a panic.
Checking the food on the three branches, Yahiko breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed they hadn't burned.
"Yahiko, let's eat first!" Seeing Yahiko getting too worked up, Konan suggested to calm him down.
Nodding, Yahiko looked at the food in his hand, then at Konan and Kizaru.
"Uncle..."
"I want the fish!" Shamelessly, Kizaru directly pointed to the only non-vegetarian item and declared.
Because of speaking, Yahiko's mouth froze instantly. He had been ready to share the food, but facing Kizaru's impolite demand, he hesitated to refuse.
But thinking of this uncle already suffering from a terminal illness, kind-hearted Yahiko felt that he should do his best to fulfill the uncle's request.
Knowing that Konan's favorite food was roasted fish, Yahiko looked at her with some difficulty.
Facing Yahiko's gaze, Konan knew what he wanted to express.
"I'll just eat corn, give the roasted fish to the uncle!" Smiling gently, Konan said softly.
Nodding, Yahiko used his left hand to take out the branch with the roasted fish from his right hand.
"Uncle, you have it!" Handing the roasted fish to Kizaru, Yahiko sincerely said.
"Oh ho ho! Then I won't be polite." Laughing, Kizaru took the roasted fish and bit into it without hesitation.
Watching the plump roasted fish being eaten by Kizaru, Yahiko and Konan, who rarely got to eat oily food as orphans, couldn't help but swallow their saliva hungrily.
"Konan, go ahead and eat!" Handing Konan a corn cob, Yahiko said reassuringly, "Tonight, I'll definitely catch you a big fish."
Smiling, Konan nodded and took the corn, eating it little by little.
While appearing to eat the roasted fish, Kizaru was actually observing the expressions and actions of the two. Appreciation flashed in his eyes.
After a simple lunch, extinguishing the campfire and standing up, Yahiko said to Kizaru beside him, "Uncle, let's help you find the treasure!"
"Thank you so much!" Slowly getting up, Kizaru smiled.
"We should go to the city first to buy a map." Standing beside Yahiko, Konan suggested.
Agreeing with a nod, Yahiko looked at Kizaru and asked, "Uncle, do you have money to buy a map?"
"I do," Kizaru replied.
"Then let's go!" Raising his right hand high, Yahiko exclaimed loudly.
Standing silently beside Yahiko, Konan, who always felt this uncle was strange, hesitated for a moment but still chose to support Yahiko's decision.
"This guy is really over the top! Absolutely shameless!"
Watching Kizaru, who had been hiding in the tree, "snatch" food from the two kids again and deceive them into treasure hunting, Matatabi couldn't help but complain silently in its heart.
Seeing Kizaru and the two kids walking towards the city, Matatabi, finished with its complaints, reluctantly followed them from a distance.
An hour later, in a bookstore, Kizaru and the others bought a relatively detailed map of Amegakure.
Using the tables and chairs provided by the bookstore, Konan held a pencil in her hand and sat next to Yahiko, leaning on the table, matching the marked points and routes on the treasure map with the newly bought map of Amegakure.
Standing beside the table and watching the two discussing earnestly and drawing on the map, Kizaru secretly used his Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The moment the shadow clone of Kizaru came out, it disappeared from its original position.
In a secluded alley not far from the bookstore, the shadow clone of Kizaru found Matatabi hiding above the cabinet.
"I say, how long do you intend to deceive them?" Seeing the approaching shadow clone of Kizaru, Matatabi asked impatiently.
"I want to test them with the treasure." Facing Matatabi's question, Kizaru replied with a smile, hands in his pockets.
"Boring!" With a grunt, Matatabi continued to ask Kizaru, "Why did you use a shadow clone to find me? What's the matter?"
"I want you to play the role of a monster guarding the treasure."
"No!" Shaking his head, Matatabi, with his elegant and gentle personality, firmly refused.
"Then I'll have to rely on you, Matatabi!" Not understanding cat language, Kizaru said to himself.
"You bastard, you..." Just as Matatabi began to speak again, he saw Kizaru dismiss his shadow clone by himself.
"You despicable fellow!" Even with a good temper, talking to Kizaru made it worse, and at this moment, Matatabi felt like it was about to explode.