Seeing Kain appear at this time, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his blood pressure rise. How could he have the nerve to ask what happened?!
But he knew there was little he could do. Even the space-time isolation barrier that blocked summoning techniques hadn't worked, and Hiruzen was running out of ways to deal with someone like Kain.
Now that Kain had returned, he was probably here to mock them rather than burn any bridges; otherwise, he could have just left and done business in other ninja villages, like the medical supplies that had already surfaced in Kirigakure.
"Kain-san, our preliminary investigation suggests an enemy tried to harm you. Fortunately, they didn't find you, or else it might have been dangerous," the Third Hokage said, hiding the frustration marked by nail imprints in his palms.
Losing three Anbu squads, including a captain, so close to a potential ninja war was a serious blow. Sarutobi Hiruzen regretted listening to Danzo, acting against Kain without solid intel or certainty.
"Another enemy? And they destroyed my home like this?" Kain looked visibly angry, turning his anger toward the supposed 'enemy'. "It must be Cloud Shinobi! Those underhanded scoundrels—they tried to attack me last time, and now they're back again!?"
Among the remaining ninjas were a few Uchiha Guard members who had been present during the previous Cloud Shinobi incident.
Hearing Kain's accusation, they recalled how Anbu had been involved in that incident as well, ultimately taking over the investigation from the Guard. And now, the same situation was repeating itself.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned pale, but he forced a smile. "While we haven't confirmed it yet, the likelihood of Cloud Shinobi involvement is high. They've always been aggressive and unrefined, so this could well be their doing. Rest assured, I'll update you as soon as we uncover anything."
"Of course, I trust the Third Hokage's word. It's just…my house and merchandise…" Kain looked regretfully at the ruins. In the rush of setting off the explosion, he had forgotten that a shipment had arrived just days earlier—now, everything was a total loss.
Thanks to the containment of the space-time isolation barrier, the explosion's radius was limited to about 30 meters, damaging three of Kain's shops and rendering the surrounding roads impassable.
Buildings within 100 meters were structurally compromised, and without urgent repairs, risked collapse.
After hearing Kain's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and said in a firm tone, "This time, Konoha's negligence allowed the enemy to infiltrate, so we will naturally bear the costs for the damage to the buildings."
For once, Sarutobi Hiruzen was careful not to overextend himself. He offered to cover the repairs for the buildings but did not commit to reimbursing Kain's inventory; Kain's dessert shop and pharmacy were the busiest in Konoha, and who knew how much merchandise he actually had in stock.
"My house... that's fine. Thank you, Third Hokage. I trust that under your leadership, Konoha will uncover the truth and make Cloud Shinobi pay for this!"
Kain knew that pushing further wouldn't yield anything more. Besides, judging by Hiruzen's grim expression, the Hokage had already suffered a significant loss tonight.
This explosive lesson would surely leave an impression. Any further provocation, and Kain could just as easily send a "present" directly to the Hokage building.
Meanwhile, Anbu and the guard ninjas started dispersing the lingering onlookers, and Uchiha left one team to monitor the area while the others went to calm the civilians.
The explosion had woken nearly the entire village, and the Guards needed to reassure the citizens.
Just as Kain was about to leave, Tsunade appeared beside him, wrapping an arm around his neck and saying, "Come stay at my place tonight. Don't worry—the Senju compound is well-protected."
"Tsunade, really, I—" Kain began to protest.
"It's fine. It's not like you haven't stayed there before!" she said decisively.
Jiraiya, observing from a distance, looked puzzled and... envious. What had happened while he was gone? And why was Kain staying at Tsunade's place?
The closeness between them—and the sight of Tsunade's fair skin—was almost too much for Jiraiya.
"Alright then," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with finality, glad to see everyone dispersing so they could collect the remains of the Anbu team. "Kain-san, I'll entrust you to Tsunade. I'll also station some Anbu to guard the Senju compound."
He turned to the others. "Jiraiya, Kato Dan, Sakumo, get some rest. We have a Jōnin meeting tomorrow."
Kato Dan and Hatake Sakumo both replied in unison, "Yes, Lord Hokage!"
As for Jiraiya, he was determined to figure out what had happened during his absence from Konoha Village. If Orochimaru wouldn't tell him, he wasn't leaving.
With this thought in mind, Jiraiya quickly told Namikaze Minato, then used the Body Flicker Technique to chase after Orochimaru.
"Let's go. We have plenty of time tonight," Tsunade whispered to Kain. She didn't believe for a second that this was the work of Cloud Shinobi spies. No spy would be foolish enough to bring tens of thousands of explosive tags to detonate all at once, just to assassinate Kain.
Besides, this happened right after the village purchased a large quantity of medicine from him at a high price. The Hokage's expression had been off as well, suggesting this incident might have been orchestrated within the village itself, much like the last time—though without Kushina's involvement.
Back at the Senju compound, only one house was lit, the rest standing empty and quiet. Tsunade opened the door and entered, with Kain close behind.
Kushina, who had been waiting in the living room, quickly ran to the door, her small slippers pattering on the floor. She started to speak, but upon seeing Kain, she smiled and asked, "Miss Tsunade, is the boss staying here tonight?"
As Kain changed his shoes, he replied, "Yeah, for tonight... maybe a bit longer, Kushina."
Kushina smiled and shook her head. "It's okay, Miss Tsunade won't mind."
"You two," Tsunade huffed, seeing how easily they reached an understanding. Frustrated, she took Kain by the arm and pulled him into her room.
As she went, she called back to Nawaki and Kushina, "You two get some rest. This doesn't concern you."
Once Tsunade had dragged Kain into her room, Kushina finally muttered with a slight pout, "Miss Tsunade is really something... Nawaki, what happened tonight? Why did the boss come here?"
"I don't know, but it was serious," Nawaki replied, his tone somber. Having been trained by Orochimaru, Nawaki was vigilant and had noticed signs of an enchantment barrier when he reached the remains of Kain's dessert shop.
Along with all the unusual behavior from Anbu, he doubted this had anything to do with Cloud Shinobi.
"If you want answers, you'll have to ask Kain-san or Sis," he added.
Though he suggested this to Kushina, Nawaki planned to ask Orochimaru himself tomorrow. A blast of this magnitude in the middle of Konoha wasn't something he could brush off easily.
If no explanations were given, he suspected that Konoha's civilians might very well storm the Hokage building.
"Honestly, what's going on?" Tsunade asked seriously after bringing Kain into the room.
Kain's brows furrowed as he looked around the room. Wine bottles lay scattered, gambling equipment was strewn about, clothes hung haphazardly, and something questionable was draped over the bed.
Noticing his gaze, Tsunade blushed, hurriedly gathering up the clothes and shoving them into the closet. No matter how powerful a kunoichi might be, it was still embarrassing to have her messiness exposed—especially when she was the one who'd invited someone in.
"Tsunade, I can only tell you what happened on my end," Kain began. "I noticed someone sneaking into my room late at night, so I got out by my own means. As for the huge explosion, those intruders might have triggered a trap I set up."
Pretending to puzzle over it, Kain added, "But the explosion seemed strange… usually my traps wouldn't have that much force, and it seemed almost… contained."
That's an barrier technique, Tsunade thought, biting her lip. Someone had arranged a barrier to confine the explosion, likely in an attempt to trap or eliminate Kain. But why place such a powerful barrier?
"Did you catch a glimpse of who it was?" Tsunade asked. She continued to question him, and Kain answered honestly—everything except for the true explosive he'd used.
"Alright," Tsunade said with a sigh, finally relaxing a little. "I'll look into this for you tomorrow. You should stay here until your place is repaired."
Kain nodded and replied, "Thank you. You should get some rest—you look like you've hardly slept."
Tsunade smiled and waved him off, and Kain went to the guest room he'd used on his last visit. He settled onto the bed, mulling over the events of the night.
I wonder how much Sarutobi Hiruzen lost in all this, he thought, grinning at the memory of the Hokage's frustrated expression. Well, tomorrow I'll see if I can get details from Orochimaru or Tsunade.
Suddenly, a quiet voice came from outside the room. "Boss, are you asleep?"
Kain got up and opened the door to find Kushina standing there, head slightly bowed. She tiptoed inside, softly closing the door behind her. Kneeling beside the bed, she looked up at him.
"Boss, what happened tonight?" she asked.
"Oh, just a big mess. Probably Cloud Shinobi spies. That explosion made my head ring," Kain replied, not wanting to drag Kushina into the political drama and choosing instead to blame Cloud Shinobi, known for their ruthlessness.
"Cloud Shinobi… so annoying!" Kushina grumbled in agreement. Noticing Kain rubbing his temples, she patted her knee and offered, "Boss, let me give you a head massage."
"What?"
"I'll give you a head massage," Kushina insisted, with a little breathlessness. "But you have to give me more snacks in the future!" She tapped her thigh, signaling Kain to lie down, as she'd seen in a book she'd once borrowed from Nawaki.
….
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