Saiki gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping across the group, his tone remaining perfectly calm. "I will leave as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding."
With that, he turned and took a step. In the next instant, his body vanished into the blizzard like popping foam, leaving absolutely no trace on the snow-covered ground.
He left the samurai staring at each other in dismay, though for some reason, they all saw a shared look of profound relief on each other's faces.
As the oppressive aura lingering in the air gradually dissipated, Okisuke and Urakaku exchanged a glance. "Lord Okisuke, are we really just going to let him go?"
Okisuke frowned deeply and replied in a low voice, "His strength is far beyond that of a normal human. We don't even understand how he appeared or vanished. Forcing a direct confrontation is not wise. Look closely—he walked across the snow without leaving a single footprint. We yield for now."
"Dispatch scouts to monitor his movements and ensure he doesn't pose a threat. Once we return, we will report this incident and wait for Lord Mifune to make the final decision." The two men turned in unison and led their troops in a tactical retreat.
Back at the cave, just as Tsume Inuzuka was finishing cleaning up the mess, Saiki suddenly materialized at the entrance like a teleporting ghost.
The shift in the lighting and her sharp canine sense of smell allowed Tsume to notice his arrival immediately, causing her hands to freeze mid-motion.
"Sensei Tsume, I'm back!" Saiki smiled and waved his hand cheerfully.
Looking up, Tsume asked, "How did it go? Is everything alright?"
Taking large strides into the cave, Saiki replied, "It's fine. Just some patrolling samurai from the Land of Iron. I explained the situation to them, and then I came right back."
Hearing this, Tsume asked for confirmation, "So this really is the Land of Iron? You didn't get into a fight with them, did you?"
"Yeah, we're in the Land of Iron. Everything's fine, why would I start a fight with them?" Saiki explained.
"That's good. We're in a sensitive period right now, and all the factions are on edge. We need to avoid unnecessary complications as much as possible. Pack your things; we're leaving soon."
"There's no need to rush, is there? How are you feeling, Sensei?" Saiki asked with genuine concern.
She had patrolled all night, only to be ambushed by the Hidden Cloud, surviving a brutal battle and a terrifying ordeal.
Before she could even recover from the spatial disorientation of the Reverse Summoning Jutsu, she had been forced to accommodate Saiki in dual cultivation—a relentless, passionate session that had lasted for over three hours.
After being tossed around and pounded like that, even a hardened kunoichi would find it difficult to endure!
Meeting Saiki's caring gaze, Tsume's face involuntarily flushed a deep red. She replied softly, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've mostly recovered. I just need a little rest, but it isn't safe for us to linger here."
Although her face showed traces of fatigue, the benefits of their dual cultivation were undeniable. Her complexion was a healthy, radiant pink, and even her base chakra signature felt significantly stronger.
If she had previously been an elite Chunin, her chakra reserves and physical constitution had now been elevated so dramatically that her combat prowess was bordering on Jonin level.
Seeing her determination, Saiki could only nod. "Alright. A cave isn't exactly the best place to rest anyway. We can head down the mountain and find an inn to sleep properly. It won't be too late."
"Let's eat something first!" Saiki pulled a scroll from his ninja pouch and unsealed two massive slabs of meat.
"Do you seriously not carry any other type of food?" Tsume asked with a helpless, amused smile.
Saiki replied, "It's freezing out there, and we desperately need to replenish our stamina. Meat is the best fuel for that. It won't take much time to cook."
With that, Saiki retrieved pots, bowls, some dry rations, and fresh water from the scroll and began preparing the meal.
Seeing him so dedicated, Tsume didn't protest further. She sat down quietly. Noticing the pants Saiki was currently wearing, she thought for a moment before asking, "Saiki, how are your internal injuries?"
Saiki, who was busy tending the fire, turned his head to look at her and smiled. "Thanks to your generous 'help,' Sensei, I've pretty much fully recovered after our dual cultivation."
"Is that so? That's a relief." Tsume gave a slight nod. For a moment, she didn't know what else to say, and the cave fell into an awkward silence.
After all, continuing this conversation would inevitably lead right back to the dirty details of their intense dual cultivation. Having had so much of his scalding, virile essence pumped deep inside her womb—even if Saiki was still technically a child, and she had used her chakra to clean herself out—Tsume couldn't help but feel a lingering fear of getting pregnant.
Amidst the silence, Saiki expertly pan-fried the chunks of meat, quickly filling the cave with a rich, mouth-watering aroma.
Saiki's culinary skills were excellent, and he had a full set of cooking gear. Combined with Tsume's highly sensitive canine nose, even though she was anxious to leave, her stomach betrayed her with an uncontrollable, loud rumble.
"Are you starving, Sensei? It'll be ready in a minute. Here, have some dry rations to tide you over," Saiki said, smiling as he handed her a biscuit.
She opened her mouth, intending to refuse, but ultimately accepted it. Tearing open the wrapper, she began to take small, quiet bites.
During their early-morning dual cultivation session, Tsume had done almost all of the vigorous riding and grinding. While the Yin-Yang exchange had miraculously elevated her physical and spiritual states, burning through that much raw stamina naturally left her ravenous.
Seeing Tsume eating with such appetite, Saiki turned his focus back to the cooking.
Before long, the thick, sizzling steaks were ready. Saiki was famished as well, and the two of them tore into the meal like a pair of starving wolves.
Savoring the delicious, savory juices melting on her tongue, Tsume found the meat cooked to absolute perfection—neither tough nor dry, yet satisfyingly chewy. She couldn't help but marvel, "Saiki, you're just a boy. Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?"
This wasn't the first time Tsume had tasted his cooking; she had eaten his meals during previous missions. But there were always other people around, so she hadn't paid it much mind or bothered to ask. Now, she was genuinely curious.
Naturally, this was a skill honed in his previous life. The Shinobi World's cuisine was basically identical to traditional Japanese fare—if it wasn't ramen, it was grilled fish or raw sashimi. There was zero culinary innovation.
So, he simply lied with a smile. "I learned the basics from my mother. Later, after Lady Tsunade took me in... well, you know how she is. It was either learn to cook for myself or starve. I guess I just perfected it over time."
At the mention of Tsunade, a flash of sympathy crossed Tsume's eyes. She sighed softly, "Lady Tsunade? That must have been tough for you! You're a very strong kid."
"Yeah!" Saiki gave a slight smile and went back to attacking his steak. Pumping all those thick, potent seeds into Tsume this morning had nearly drained his body's protein reserves; he needed to replenish his nutrients ASAP.
Soon, every scrap of food was devoured. After packing up the pots and pans and leaving some cash behind to pay for the firewood they'd used, the two of them set off.
They had burned a hunter's stash of dry wood, so it was only right to leave compensation—though whether the original owner would ever find the money was another question.
Stepping out of the cave, they saw that the massive, ominous vortex in the sky had completely dispersed. A rare, brilliant winter sun bathed them in its rays, casting a comforting, thawing warmth over their bodies.
Tsume took a deep breath of the crisp air. She felt her newly expanded chakra circulating effortlessly through her pathways, leaving her feeling a hundred times more vibrant than before.
Saiki looked up toward the distant horizon, silently calculating their next course of action.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder, maintaining a tacit, mutual agreement to completely avoid the topic of their steamy dual cultivation session, focusing instead on the path ahead.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse, snow-dusted branches, casting a dappled mosaic on the ground, as if paving their journey with a layer of golden hope.
Saiki broke the silence, asking, "Sensei, where are we heading next?" Tsume pondered for a moment before pointing toward the north. "We'll head deeper into the Land of Iron first. We can gather the intelligence we need from there."