Naruto: I Kill, I Loot, I Ascend

Chapter 201 201: Nawaki Comes to Visit

"When is Orochimaru-sensei coming back…"

Hyuga Arin stared longingly into the distance at home.

He'd heard that Orochimaru's three-man squad was fiercely clashing with the Iwagakure forces. The latest news said they had wiped out an Iwa squad.

Anything beyond that was above his clearance.

"What kind of person is this Orochimaru you keep mentioning?" Machi finally asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

Lately, Arin had been bringing up that name constantly.

Arin thought for a moment.

His impression of Orochimaru right now was actually pretty shallow. Most of what he remembered was future Snake Auntie.

But explaining Snake Auntie required explaining a lot more.

"He's someone who can solve your identity problem," Arin said at last.

As long as he obtained partial command authority in Root, resolving Machi's identity would be easy. Root members had all erased their public identities. Strictly speaking, they were all undocumented residents.

If Root members could retire, Root could also fabricate new identities for them.

Machi's eyes lit up.

Right now, she was basically illegal in Konoha. The Uchiha Police Force had been strict lately; she always had to avoid patrol members carefully.

If her identity could be resolved, she could finally move around openly.

Now there were two people eagerly awaiting Orochimaru's return.

"Machi-nee, you're undocumented?!" Hyuga Natsuna stopped wiping the table.

She wore an apron and a white headscarf, looking like a tiny housewife.

At her young age, she carried the entire household on her shoulders.

Would someone please punish these two inhumane adults?

Wait—Arin was only fourteen. Not technically an adult.

Actually, the most evil one was Machi.

Arin glanced at her in disdain.

Didn't do housework.

Made child labor do it.

Didn't earn money.

Made the child laborer earn money to support the family.

Since when had he stopped putting her back into the Machi Summon Scroll?

So he really had summoned her here just to "host" her?

Machi narrowed her eyes at Arin.

Her instincts told her he was cursing her internally.

Well. At least he was thinking about her.

But then—

She turned a dangerous gaze toward Natsuna.

"If you tell anyone, you're dead."

Natsuna immediately shut her mouth.

Machi absolutely would do it.

"I work hard. I cook well," she muttered, emphasizing her value.

It was tiring here. Hard. Even life-threatening.

Going home and getting married didn't sound so bad anymore.

She wiped away a tear.

Choices she made herself—she'd see them through, even if crying.

"By the way, it's been a while. Why hasn't my mission come yet?"

Arin muttered.

Hiruzen had said once he became jonin, his mission would come soon.

Nothing so far.

Instead, he was peacefully waiting for Orochimaru.

"Big bro! Open the door! I know you're home!"

Nawaki's voice rang from outside.

Arin sighed and opened the door.

Nawaki stood there grinning, Aburame Mushihime beside him, and two tagalongs behind them—

Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

"What are you all doing here?"

Nawaki had vanished after returning to the village. Mushihime, on the other hand, dropped by constantly—for reasons unknown.

"I heard you became a jonin, big bro! I brought you a jonin gift!"

Nawaki proudly pulled out an exquisitely crafted kunai.

Arin's lips twitched.

"You seriously couldn't think of anything else, huh?"

Nawaki scratched his head awkwardly.

"And me," Mushihime added, her eyes somehow sparkling like stars.

"I'm giving you myself, Arin-nii."

"No thanks," Arin refused instantly.

Minato and Kushina pooled their money to buy a short sword.

Finally, a gift that looked like an actual gift.

Arin invited them inside.

Machi and Natsuna had already retreated to their rooms.

Until Machi's identity issue was solved, she couldn't appear in crowds. Though Konoha seemed celebratory after the war's victories, there was still quiet martial vigilance. Any unknown individual could be treated as an enemy infiltrator.

As for Natsuna—

She absolutely did not want the Hyuga clan finding her.

Arin had been curious about that for a while.

Just how incompetent was the Hyuga clan?

They couldn't even track down Natsuna.

He hadn't seen a single Hyuga around his house.

Even though he had revealed he could remove the Caged Bird Seal, no branch members had approached him.

Strange.

Hyuga Hikaru was still on the frontlines and hadn't returned yet.

…

They gathered around a tea table with snacks.

"Jonin all seem super busy lately. Why do you look so free, Arin-nii?" Kushina asked suspiciously.

Had he failed the jonin exam?

"I have no idea," Arin said lazily, blowing on his tea.

"Maybe the Hokage has his own considerations."

Nawaki muttered, "I think Third Uncle's just afraid big bro will go to the frontlines and kill so many people the war restarts."

Right now, the great villages could tolerate some losses.

But not too many.

With Arin's kill rate, it was easy to imagine other villages becoming so furious they'd launch everything just to eliminate him.

Honestly?

That was absolutely something Arin might do.

Nawaki was developing proper Hokage-level thinking.

Arin shot him a glare.

If you can't speak, don't.

"Anyway," Arin said, changing the subject, "what have you been doing lately? Haven't seen you in forever."

Nawaki grinned mysteriously.

"I've been doing hell training. I'm not the same as before."

Why did that line sound so familiar?

Arin scratched his head.

"So why are you here today?"

"Big bro—I'm challenging you!!"

Flames seemed to burn around Nawaki's body.

Beyond delivering a jonin gift, this was his true purpose.

"Kushina & Minato (in unison): Nawaki-nii will win!!"

The two unfurled a banner reading:

"Nawaki-nii Will Win!"

Since when did you two become Nawaki fan club members?!

Mushihime refused to be outdone.

She pulled out her own banner.

"Arin-nii — Invincible!!"

She locked eyes with Kushina and Minato.

Sparks flew.

The air grew heavy with gunpowder.

Wait.

Who's actually fighting here?

Arin and Nawaki stared at the trio speechlessly.

Why did it feel like they were the extras?

Arin looked at Nawaki.

"Perfect. Let's see how much you've improved."

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