[NTU] [ARC-09-KYUUBI] Chapter : 126 (Patreon)

Konoha, Year Forty-Eight October 10th, Evening.

Nearly a year had passed since Namikaze Minato became Hokage.

As Toshiro gazed at the drifting clouds, he knew today was special. October 10th marked the birthday of the future child of prophecy, Naruto. And if all went as expected, Obito, thought to be dead, would attack Kushina Uzumaki as she gave birth.

Toshiro wasn’t sure if his warnings would change the fate of the Yondaime couple.

A week ago, Toshiro had controlled a prisoner to use the shadow clone technique, transforming into an ordinary bird to deliver a letter to Kushina. The letter warned her that her delivery date had been exposed and that an enemy with the Wood Release bloodline and space-time ninjutsu was targeting the Nine-Tails.

He wondered what preparations Minato and Kushina had made after receiving this news. Judging by the day’s events, Konoha seemed unperturbed. Life continued as usual, with people going to work and shopping.

However, there were subtle changes.

“Toshiro-sama the police force headquarters sent word today, advising all clans to be more vigilant against enemy invasion,” Hana reported, her tone tinged with helplessness.

“Hana, don’t worry so much. Our place isn’t likely to be targeted by enemies,” Toshiro replied casually. “Even if there is an enemy, their target won’t be Konoha Prison. The police force headquarters would be a better target.”

Seeing his subordinate’s reluctant expression, Toshiro continued, “I’ve left a shadow clone in the office. If anything happens, you can go to him directly.”

Since beginning his Mangekyo-related experiments, Toshiro has relied on shadow clones for work, enjoying the freedom they provide.

“But this time might be different. If something unexpected happens…” Hana began.

“Alright! Even if something unexpected happens, I trust you to handle it properly,” Toshiro said, looking steadily at his beautiful subordinate.

Despite being only sixteen, Toshiro appeared as a young man with a tall, well-proportioned figure, a high nose, slender eyebrows.

Hana felt her long-dormant feelings in her heart stir as he stared at her. She blushed and averted her gaze from his intense eyes.

“Haha, Hana-chan, don’t always look so serious. It’s better to look like this,” Toshiro laughed, waving his hand as he headed toward Konoha.

“Hey! Isn’t this Ebisu? And Genma too? Why are you just peeking outside instead of going in?”

At the entrance of Konoha Pleasure Street, Toshiro approached slowly. Seeing them in a transformation in disguise and looking at the entrance, he greeted them with a teasing smile.

“Ah! It’s Toshiro-senpai!”

Upon hearing their names called, the two seemed like they had been caught in the act and grew extremely nervous.

“Well…um…”

Ebisu was still a bit shy, but Genma Shiranui, the bodyguard of the Fourth Hokage, seemed more cool-minded.

“We were just wandering around the village after dinner and happened to glance this way accidentally,” Genma explained, adding seriously, “This kind of place, which goes against the three taboos of ninjas, isn’t for people our age.”

“Yes, yes! We just passed by here accidentally while wandering around,” Ebisu echoed nervously. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll leave now.”

Genma was relatively calm, but Ebisu, a bashful young man with small sunglasses, was uneasy. He grabbed Genma’s arm, preparing to leave.

“You’re already here; let me, your senpai, show you around,” Toshiro said, wrapping his arms around their necks and leading them into the brightly lit street.

At the entrance of the atreet, ladies wearing revealing clothes emitted a bright glow.

“Senpai… Senpai…”

“This really isn’t a place for ninjas our age… You should just go on your own!” Ebisu stammered, looking around nervously.

Being dragged into the adult world by Toshiro, the two young men looked panicked. The attention from passersby only added to their discomfort. Their feet froze in place, making a final attempt to resist. If not for Toshiro’s firm grip, they would have fled.

The tall lanterns and ladies waving under them made their hearts race.

“Relax! This is just a street for eating, drinking, and having fun. We’re just going to soak in hot springs and maybe try other things. Don’t be nervous!” Toshiro reassured them. “Also, do you want everyone in Konoha to know you’re here? Act more natural. The way you are now only attracts more attention.”

Releasing his grip, Toshiro walked calmly down the street, glancing at the young ladies greeting guests.

“Come on! This is the place!”

Guiding them into a fashionable-looking store, Toshiro led the way. Seeing that reality was less intimidating than they imagined, the Genma and Ebisu felt relieved and curious.

Sex and similar activities had always been mysterious to them. It seemed like a good opportunity to experience it firsthand.

This was a two-story Japanese-style building. While its architecture was rather traditional, the interior decor was quite fashionable.

Upon entering, they saw young ladies in various outfits sitting in the lobby, waiting to be chosen by their guests for the night.

“Welcome to New Paradise!”

Before Toshiro could say anything, a heavily made-up mamasan approached them.

“Mama-san, do you have a service called bubble bath?” Toshiro asked, showing no shyness despite it being his first time in such a place.

“Of course, we offer bubble baths as well as the main package.”

“Oh… you even offer that~”

“I’ll have a bubble bath, and for these two guys, give them the beginner's package!”

Toshiro licked his lips and motioned for Ebisu and Genma to choose two 'ladies' of their liking.

“Senpai, what is a bubble bath?” asked Ebisu, curiosity piqued by Toshiro’s different choice.

“It’s a bubble bath!” Toshiro grinned mischievously, touching the stubble on his chin. “No need to ask. You two should try the same as me.”

Turning to the mamasan, Toshiro said, “Find two experienced and enthusiastic young ladies for them, please… As for me!” He scanned the lobby and pointed to a curvy young lady with a youthful face. “I’ll take her!”

“No problem, please follow me.”

The mamasan led Toshiro, Ebisu, and Genma upstairs.

“Senpai, didn’t you agree on the beginner's package??” Ebisu protested. “What’s a bubble bath? Don’t make decisions for us so easily!”

“If I didn’t help, you two would bury your heads in your crotches instead of picking someone,” Toshiro retorted. “I changed them for you. What’s wrong with that?”

“Trust me, you’ll thank me later!”

They arrived at their respective rooms. “Just wait here. Someone will come to ‘entertain’ you later,” Toshiro instructed before closing the door to his room.

...

“no no… you can’t take this off!”

“Uh-oh~”

Soon, faint sounds emanated from the rooms on either side of Toshiro’s.

Hearing them, Toshiro couldn’t help but think of a past life event, reminiscing about getting into the wrong car after a colleague’s party. The memories were still vivid.

“You two, can you keep it down?” he muttered.

"How can I get in the mood if you guys keep making sounds like those?”

As if recalling a humorous experience, Toshiro threw a nearby magazine at the wall, creating a crisp sound. The faint noises from the adjacent rooms ceased immediately. Toshiro's mouth curled into a silent smile.

An hour later, in the same establishment, Toshiro, Ebisu, and Genma were soaking in a hot spring bath, all shirtless and relaxed.

“How's it going? I didn’t lie to you, did I? Don’t you feel like a whole new person from head to toe?”

With a white towel draped over his head, Toshiro looked at the two still-dazed men and grinned contentedly.

“The training of a ninja is grueling. It's essential to relax properly.” He picked up a glass of sake floating on a wooden tray in the water, raised it to his lips, and drank it in one gulp. His cheeks flushed slightly as he blinked at them. “Want a drink?”

“No, thanks!” Both Ebisu and Genma, who usually looked nonchalant, quickly declined Toshiro’s offer.

Being brought to this place by Toshiro had opened a new world for them. The so-called magazines and self-help seemed trivial compared to this experience—it was like children playing house.

After finishing his sake, Toshiro frowned. “Something seems off.”

With his sharp instincts, he felt a faint sense of unease starting to weigh on his heart. 'Is that guy Obito really here today?' Toshiro had suspected that Obito might not have died as everyone believed. A week earlier, he had warned Minato that Obito might attack Kushina. But judging by the present situation, the Nine-Tails attack seemed inevitable.

The question now was whether he should intervene. Although Toshiro had some clues about how to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan, his experiments were still in their early stages. He wasn’t ready to test it on himself just yet. As for the White Zetsu cells, their research is still a long way off.

“Senpai, what’s wrong?” Genma, who had been watching Toshiro closely, noticed a change in his expression. He looked around cautiously.

“I don’t know, but it feels like something big is about to happen!”

Ninja's intuition is remarkable. In Toshiro’s previous life, he would have called it a premonition. Shiranui Genma, personally selected by Minato for his guard and trained in the Flying Thunder God jutsu, had keen senses as well. If something hadn't already gone wrong, it surely would soon.

Something significant must have happened with Minato.