"Hehe, sure." Orochimaru didn't ask further questions, only adding, "Do we kill Danzo?"
"Leave that for Sasuke to kill later."
Sasuke, standing nearby, overheard that Kano had some killing plan. He didn't recognize the names mentioned, so he assumed they had a grudge against Kano. But he didn't understand why she suddenly mentioned him and wanted him to kill someone.
"Why should I be the one to kill him?"
"He has a grudge against you, so I won't steal your kill. Once you finish your revenge and return to the village, I'll find your next revenge target. I guarantee it'll keep you motivated to continue getting stronger."
Sasuke was full of question marks; Kano was playing the riddler again. However, he was used to it. Kano knew many things; she would say what should be said, but for things that shouldn't be said, she would use riddles to brush him off. If he pressed her, she might tell him, but it usually wouldn't be pleasant.
Sasuke understood deeply that she kept secrets for his own good.
For example, when Kano mentioned "a mother's love." If they hadn't pressed her then, they would have been fine, but because they insisted on knowing the truth, Kano told them, and everyone ended up unhappy.
"Fine, if you won't say, I won't ask."
"Then I'm off. Goodbye, Sasuke! Like I said, I'll be waiting for you to come back to Konoha Village."
"Yeah, I'll be back."
As soon as the words were spoken, Kano vanished in an instant.
Of course she used Shadow Exchange to return to the city; otherwise, would she have to run back like a fool?
After returning, she first took a good rest at home. Her mother knew about Kano's Shadow Exchange and that she could return home at any time, so she called Kano to her side.
Kano chatted with her beloved mother for quite a while before asking where her big brother was now.
Upon learning that Shikamaru was at Konoha Hospital, Kano headed out shortly after.
Arriving at the hospital, she saw her old man lecturing Shikamaru. She didn't go over to interrupt, lest she be lectured along with him. She quietly sat down beside Temari and poked her.
"What do you think of my big brother?"
"A coward, a wimp, lacks masculinity."
Temari spoke the truth, but then felt she was being a bit too harsh, so she added:
"But he has a bit of a sense of responsibility, and he's very smart."
Kano giggled, starting to cook up some mischief in her head.
"Actually, my brother likes you a lot. He's been thinking about you ever since the Chunin Exams."
The sudden confession immediately made Temari blush.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could he possibly like me?"
"I'm his sister; I can definitely see through my brother's little thoughts. My brother is an honest guy and is too embarrassed to say it out loud. In truth, he likes you immensely; he's just good at pretending."
Kano intensified her offensive, striving to secure her sister-in-law as soon as possible.
"My brother is really great, so just consider it a favor to me. Can you spend the day with him to help him relax? He failed this mission, and his companions were seriously injured because of it, so he's feeling very down. I hope you can guide him, humor him as much as possible, and cheer him up.
I'm begging you. I know this is a lot of trouble, but I'll grant any one request of yours. As long as it's within my power, I'll help you. How about it?"
Temari thought about it seriously. She did have some good feelings toward Shikamaru, so helping out wasn't out of the question. More importantly, a request from the konoha songstress was very significant.
Whether it was her influence or her combat power, she was top-tier. Getting such an opportunity just for chatting and taking a walk with someone—no matter how she looked at it, it wasn't a losing deal.
"Fine, I agree."
"Thank you, Temari! I'll leave my brother in your hands. Take this money. You can't be expected to pay out of your own pocket while hanging out with my brother."
Kano took a sum of money from her wallet and quietly stuffed it into Temari's hand, hoping Temari would take the initiative to spend money during the date.
"Kano, don't think you can escape just by sneaking in and sitting to the side. You, this time..."
Shikaku, having finished lecturing Shikamaru, was about to start on Kano. Kano didn't want to hear any of that nonsense, so she threw out her backup plan.
"Wait!" Kano leaned against the wall, pulled a scroll out of her shadow and tossed it, whispering to Shikaku, "This is a new Ninjutsu I developed. Old man, go study the Ninjutsu first."
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