Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 46 Game Theory

Due to limited resources, the Land of Waves only has a handful of taverns, and most of the customers aren't locals. However, there's always an exception. The Land of Waves's renowned bridge builder is a true drunkard; you can always find him at a tavern after get off work.

Today, Tazuna went to the pub for a drink as usual. With the bridge construction about to begin, he'd been working day and night revising the blueprints, and he simply couldn't get through the days without a drink. Just as Tazuna was getting into a good time, the chair next to him was suddenly pulled out, and a sexy woman sat down.

"Handsome, give me two jugs of the strongest liquor." The beautiful woman's light, whistling kiss left the young man at the counter completely mesmerized, and he casually went to fetch her the liquor.

Tazuna, though still appearing drunk, was actually quite sober, secretly sizing up the unfamiliar woman. Having lived almost his entire life on the island, he knew everyone there; this beautiful woman clearly wasn't from the Land of Waves. There were still plenty of empty seats in the tavern, and he, an old man, had nothing of note other than his bridge-building skills. Was she another spy from some external force?

"Hey... beautiful... pretty lady, drinking alone... hiccup?"

The beautiful woman's smile was captivating, and she spoke frankly, "I've long admired Mr. Tazuna's reputation, and I've come today specifically to invite you for a drink."

Ha, does he not know his own limitations? Ever since he started designing that bridge, he's witnessed firsthand what it means to be outmatched. He's drawn countless versions of the blueprints, and each one has its flaws pointed out, with better improvements offered. Moreover, some of these improvements are stylistically quite different, as if he were exchanging experiences with a group of master bridge builders. To be able to learn so much at his age—Mr. Taoli is truly remarkable.

"It's not that exaggerated, haha, it's just that it's somewhat famous in small places..."

"How could that be? My boss has heard of your name and wants to hire you to build a bridge."

"You've come at a really bad time. I haven't had much free time lately."

The two drank their respective drinks, clinking glasses several times, but Tazuna's drink was empty and he still couldn't get rid of the woman. Faced with the strong liquor she pushed towards him, Tazuna struggled internally about whether to retreat or continue, because he wasn't sure if she had any ill intentions. What if she really was a sugar daddy? If he could use his technology to earn some money for the Land of Waves, it would at least alleviate some of the financial pressure.

Just as he steeled himself and was about to take the wine jug, another person's hand slipped between the two and took it away. Tazner looked at Mr. Tori, who had tilted his head back and taken a large gulp, with some surprise, and suddenly began to wonder if he had drunk too much.

He was shocked to see Mr. Taoli enter the tavern and take a big gulp without batting an eye! He hadn't seen Mr. Taoli touch a drop of alcohol at the victory celebration banquet!

"It's still not quite right." Tao Li smacked his lips, glancing at Tazuna with a look of disdain, it was unclear whether he was complaining about the drink or the man.

Tazner shuddered and jumped up. He explained that he had been criticized by Mr. Taoli multiple times because of issues with the blueprints, which had become a conditioned reflex.

"Isn't the wine from our hometown stronger?" the woman readily agreed, raising her glass to Taoli. "It's really not easy to see you now."

At this moment, Dazner finally realized that the other party did indeed want to build a bridge, and now she had used just a few words and a pot of wine to get him to build the bridge.

"Water Mist actually sent you... Ha, are they out of options?"

"Shouldn't you know the reason best?"

After the old man left in a daze, neither of the two mentioned his name, and they chatted casually, one sentence at a time.

While "Hui's" intelligence network is vast, it's not capable of knowing everything, especially in the most chaotic Kirigakure, where even infiltrating as a villager is difficult. The reason they were able to obtain the intelligence first this time was purely because Mei Terumi's newly taken-over apprentice was too careless; her disguise, revealing her lack of hair dye, gave her away.

“Actually, I understand why you killed them back then. My students are about to take the Chunin Exams, and I don’t have to watch them fight to the death in fear. I guess that’s thanks to you.” As they chatted, the topic gradually shifted to playing the emotional card. Mei Terumi lowered her voice and said, “The Fourth Mizukage recently passed away.”

"What does that have to do with me?"

"...After his autopsy, traces of long-term illusion magic were found in his brain."

Tao Li's eyes opened slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Your guess back then was right, if you're willing to come back..."

"Go back where?" Tao Li swallowed the last mouthful of wine, looked directly into those deep green eyes, and said earnestly and calmly, "This is my home."

Tao Li left just like that. Mei Terumi sighed as she watched the receding figure. She knew very well that the policies of the Blood Mist Era had "killed" too many loyal and dedicated people of the village, and that man was one of them. Perhaps only when the world saw the true transformation of the Water Mist would they change their minds.

"Bill, please."

"Oh, beautiful lady, Mr. Taoli has already paid."

Mei Terumi paused slightly, noticing the counter clerk's teasing smile. That guy was still the same as always; he didn't like owing favors. What was she going to do now?

"The Hidden Mist Ninja haven't attempted an assassination yet, so it's almost certain that the most likely time for them to make their move is during the bridge's groundbreaking ceremony." After a day of observation, Kakashi gathered Team 7, asked Mr. Tori to name a few candidates, and held a meeting together.

"Our opponents are ninjas with bloodline limits, and we can't rule out the possibility that they have other helpers, so I still suggest that we consolidate our forces and fight them with all our might. What do you think, Mr. Tori?"

Tao Li grinned, but it wasn't her usual gentle smile; it was more like a demon having its mask ripped off.

"Kakashi Hatake, you truly live up to your reputation. You figured out how many ninjas are on the island so quickly. Unlike that brat before, who ran around for three days and probably didn't even figure out the island's barrier."

"You flatter me. It's because my team has an excellent sensory ninja." Kakashi might not be able to guess the other person's identity, but he could tell that Tori was an excellent ninja. He was always vigilant about his surroundings and never let his guard down.

"Now that we're teammates on the same front, shouldn't we openly reveal our respective strengths so that we can coordinate our efforts?"

Tao Li flexed her wrist, revealing a sealing formation hidden beneath her sleeve. A plume of white smoke rose, and with a loud thud, a massive blade, as tall as a man, plunged into the ground.

Kakashi almost instinctively lifted his headband, but a single glance at the sword was enough for him to understand the other party's identity. He never expected that the legendary demon would suppress his ferocity and build an island in a remote corner. Even more unexpectedly, he only mentioned revealing his strength, and the other party had already revealed his identity.

"My subordinates have risked their lives for me, and I know their capabilities. They're quite good at protecting ordinary people, but they're useless against opponents like that. Only Haku has some skill; his surname is Mizuki, so you should understand now. Kakashi with the Sharingan." Tori casually tossed the question back, and now it was Kakashi's turn to be chosen.

Should they choose to conceal their identities as traitorous ninja, or turn around and leave?

“I see your sincerity.” Kakashi had already guessed that this mission would be a huge problem, and the fact that he was a rogue ninja wasn’t surprising to him. He was a ninja who believed in himself and would only draw conclusions from the facts.

It's not surprising to come to this conclusion if one has carefully traversed the land of the Land of Waves.

Kakashi extended his hand and said, "Then, I look forward to your guidance on this mission, Mr. Momochi."

Taoli stood up and grasped the hand. "I am deeply grateful, Mr. Hatake."