It wasn't really that Midori was lonely—it was just that Kazuyama Gekkō was far better than him at teaching certain subjects.
Take stealth or ambush, for example. That guy was a master.
God knows if he spent every single day sneaking around, otherwise how could he be so damn skilled?
The moment Minato Namikaze heard Kazuyama's name, his head started aching. The first thing that came to mind was the twenty million ryō he'd burned through.
Twenty million ryō! Even if he sold himself, he wouldn't be worth that much.
Kazuyama Gekkō: Don't joke, your head alone would fetch a fortune on the black market!
Minato Namikaze: I @￥#￥!@!%, I treat you like a brother, and you treat me like pocket money?!
"He's on a mission. You know how crucial building an intelligence network is."
"You take care of the ANBU, if it doesn't work, ask Counsellor Sarutobi to help you?"
Midori's face went dark.
Listen to this. Really listen. Was that even human speech?
Ask his old man for help? That wouldn't be helping—he'd just end up dragging Midori into a lecture along with him.
"Heh... forget it. Guess I'll just fend for myself."
Leaving that bitter remark, Midori used the Body Flicker and vanished. If he stayed any longer, the current Hokage would kill him with frustration.
Once Midori was gone, Minato laughed to himself.
...
In the Land of Hot Water, Kazuyama Gekkō strolled out of the bathhouse refreshed and satisfied. With his sharp senses, he knew full well that his movements had already been spotted.
But that was fine. At last, people were recognizing his handsome face.
"Well, if it isn't my sensei."
"What's this? You finally decided to show yourself?"
"Hehe, if Mistress finds out, I wonder if she'll roast you into a mummy."
Kazuyama stretched lazily at the door when a familiar voice rang out.
Walking toward him, flowers in hand, was Terumi.
"Oh? Forget-me-nots. The language of flowers—longing. What's this, do you miss your sensei?"
"Or maybe you miss that masked Kakashi instead?"
The disciple turning her tongue on her master. Bold move.
But she must have forgotten who her teacher was. Back when Kazuyama was the one dishing out biting words, Terumi didn't even know where she was in life.
And now she dared to sass him? Hmph. She must be tired of living.
"Tch, rotten sensei. You actually know quite a lot."
"You even understand flower language? No wonder Yugito said you're rotten to the core but still annoyingly well-read."
"Schemer, through and through."
Terumi honestly hadn't expected Kazuyama to know about flower language. She herself had only learned about it after opening a flower shop.
And yet this rough, shameless man knew? Strange.
"Hmph, I know far more than that."
"You probably already guessed why I'm here."
"I'll admit, you've handled things much better than Yugito. That crazy girl charged into the Land of Grass like a tiger into the woods, making a mess of everything."
Kazuyama gave Terumi an approving look. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Future Fifth Mizukage—brains and power. Who else in Kirigakure could measure up?
"I figured. You're here to check if I've built the intel network."
"The Land of Hot Water's a lot simpler. Using the flower shop as cover, I've already gathered intel from all across the country."
Seeing Terumi's confident expression stirred something wicked in Kazuyama. The urge to crush her confidence.
Once the thought appeared, he couldn't hold it back.
"In that case, let me test you."
"I've heard Yugakure has a peculiar group... the Jashin Cult."
"You know where they are?"
Terumi froze. The Jashin Cult? What the hell was that?
She'd never even heard of it! She racked her brain but found nothing.
"Hey, bastard sensei, you didn't just make up this cult to put me down, did you?"
"I've been in the Land of Hot Water for ages and never once heard of it."
"If you want to stop me from being proud, just say so. No need to invent something that doesn't exist."
She gave him a look full of disdain, convinced he was spouting nonsense.
Kazuyama spat.
"Your intel work is sloppy, and now you doubt me?"
"I'm telling you, it's a cult in the Land of Hot Water. They worship Jashin."
"Pure evil."
His firm tone shook her confidence.
Could such a cult really exist?
No... impossible. The name itself screamed "cult." Yugakure had gone from war village to peaceful retreat—how could such a thing exist there?
"Don't doubt. Keep digging."
"The moment you find anything about them, report to me."
Terumi nodded and etched the words "Jashin Cult" into her mind. She'd have someone gather intel on it right away.
Then a sly smile spread across her face.
"Sensei, be honest—did you do something shady in Kumogakure recently?"
"Why else would they suddenly go under lockdown again?"
"I heard they suffered massive financial losses. Tsk tsk. Rumor says the Raikage himself caused it... but somehow, I don't buy that."
Kazuyama almost forgot about Kumogakure until she mentioned it. The thought of the Fourth Raikage waking up to find his cabinet of confidential documents and forbidden jutsu gone—while his body was scorched black—nearly made him laugh aloud. Would he rage himself to death?
"Don't talk nonsense. I just went looking for a forbidden jutsu. Who in their right mind would provoke that brute?"
Even as he said it, his grin nearly split his face. Terumi silently nodded to herself.
Case closed. The disaster in Kumogakure was clearly her sensei's doing.
He had mentioned going there back in Takigakure, and she'd known something was fishy.
But she never imagined it would be this big.
"Alright. Seeing things are fine here puts me at ease."
"I might not be able to come by for a while, so keep working hard. Oh, right..."
"Do you have enough money? If not..."
The moment she heard "money," Terumi's eyes lit up. Ever since running the flower shop, she'd started to enjoy the thrill of earning it.
But Kazuyama's next words dashed that hope.
"Earn it yourself."