Chapter Forty-Five: Evening Glow

The main force of Grass Ninja Village was fully prepared and set out at dawn. The grand procession began its journey home, marching into the rising sun, while Yuu Higashino and Kakuzu followed at the very end of the line.

“Sir, are you thirsty? Would you like some water?” Kakuzu asked, his tone verging on sycophantic.

Yuu Higashino shot him a speechless glance. Yesterday, he’d only meant to tease Kakuzu a little, but who would have thought Kakuzu’s reaction would be so extreme, turning him into this obsequious figure he was now.

“No,” Yuu replied coolly.

“Understood, sir.” There was not a hint of dissatisfaction in Kakuzu’s voice. “Would you like some fruit, then? I noticed you ate more of this kind yesterday, so I made a point of bringing some when we left.”

To think he would go this far?

Yuu looked at the fruit Kakuzu had produced from who knew where, feeling even more exasperated.

“Kakuzu, what happened to your old cold and aloof self? I preferred the way you were before,” Yuu said, somewhat unaccustomed to such overt friendliness—whether it came from him toward others or from others toward him.

Kakuzu paused for a moment, then his expression changed instantly.

“Yes, sir,” he replied, his tone reverting to a faint indifference.

However—

“So, sir, do you want some fruit?” Kakuzu asked, his voice cold but his words incongruous with the demeanor.

Suppressing a sigh, Yuu reached out his hand. “I’ll have some.”

As he ate, Yuu couldn’t help but reflect, Money truly is the devil—it can make people change so much.

But soon he realized it wasn’t really money, but his own transformation technique that had made Kakuzu act this way. So, was he himself the devil?

Oh well, devil or not, he didn’t really care. What mattered was that this version of Kakuzu was rather amusing.

Perhaps he should write this kind of scenario into his own book. If he did, how would he portray it?

Lost in thought over such questions, Yuu Higashino followed at the back of the troop, neither fast nor slow…

……

By midday, the group had returned to Grass Ninja Village. Yuu had expected to receive his bounty quickly, but the village elder informed him that they couldn’t gather a hundred million ryo in cash all at once. The earliest would be the day after tomorrow, and he hoped Yuu could be understanding.

At first, Yuu was skeptical, but after scanning the entire village with his spiritual power, he believed it to some extent.

If Leaf Village was like a grand city, this place truly was just a village.

“All right,” Yuu agreed, albeit reluctantly.

“We’ll prepare accommodations for you both immediately,” the elder said, relieved.

“Fine.”

Thus, Yuu Higashino and Kakuzu temporarily settled in Grass Ninja Village. Their residence was a traditional Japanese-style mansion, complete with a garden. Apparently, someone had been living there before, and the occupants had been asked to move out for their sake.

Not all of them, though; a few remained to act as hosts—and perhaps to keep an eye on them as well. But Yuu wasn’t bothered by such things.

With everything settled, the afternoon sun was still high, though already tipping westward.

“I’m going out for a walk,” Yuu told Kakuzu.

Since he’d have to stay here a day or two, he might as well use the opportunity to observe local customs and gather material for his book.

“I’ll come too, sir,” Kakuzu responded immediately.

“All right,” Yuu didn’t object.

Grass Ninja Village was far less bustling than Leaf. The buildings were fewer and less refined, the roads not as smooth or clean, and the shops lining the streets were sparse, offering mostly practical goods; food and entertainment were rare.

And most notably, there wasn’t a single Odd Jobs shop here. Disappointing.

“Sir, what are you planning to do?” Kakuzu suddenly asked as they walked into a more secluded area.

“Why do you ask?” Yuu regarded Kakuzu with curiosity.

“Because I noticed you were observing your surroundings, as if preparing for something,” Kakuzu replied. In his view, someone as powerful as Yuu wouldn’t act without purpose—every step would be calculated.

Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it. The bounty seemed a reasonable enough reason, and besides, he hadn’t cared so much about Yuu as he did now.

But now, after learning more, Kakuzu sensed that Yuu’s approach was deliberate: first recruiting him for the Akatsuki, then taking the mission in Grass Country—surely there was something Yuu wanted to accomplish here.

Before Yuu could answer, Kakuzu pressed on.

“Sir, is there anything I can help with?”

“No, I just want to observe the local customs and broaden my knowledge,” Yuu replied, expecting his explanation would put the matter to rest. To his surprise, Kakuzu said,

“I’m sorry, sir. My abilities must be lacking—I’m not yet able to help you.”

Seriously, Kakuzu, are you really going to misunderstand me like this?

Yuu’s gaze grew even more baffled. Ever since he’d shown Kakuzu his money-transmuting technique, Kakuzu’s attitude had taken a bizarre turn.

This change was amusing on one hand, and on the other, a little exasperating.

“I’m not up to anything,” Yuu explained again, then fell silent. If Kakuzu wanted to keep overthinking, so be it—it wouldn’t really affect anything… probably.

“Yes, sir,” was all Kakuzu said.

They wandered the village for a while, and Yuu found himself at its outskirts. Here, near the woods, the buildings grew sparse, the environment pleasant, the air fresh and the surroundings tranquil. The leaves rustled softly in the wind.

Such places were common throughout the ninja world, but after the recent chaos of battle and the village’s restless atmosphere, returning to a spot like this felt unusually soothing.

“Let’s rest here awhile,” Yuu said, making his way to a large tree. Not far from it stood a small, rather dilapidated hut, its door tightly shut. He wondered if anyone still lived there, but he couldn’t be bothered to care.

He settled beneath the tree, while Kakuzu stood silently nearby, not disturbing him.

Looking into the distance, Yuu saw the sun slanting low, the evening glow painting the clouds in red, pink, gold, and purple. The colors blended, casting a dreamlike spell—so enchanting, Yuu felt almost tempted to forsake reality and lose himself in it.

Kakuzu stood quietly beside him as well, whether truly appreciating the scene or merely humoring Yuu’s taste, he couldn’t tell.

After a long, peaceful silence, Yuu suddenly heard a door creak open. He looked toward the sound, and saw that the run-down hut wasn’t abandoned after all—someone still lived there.