C117(2)

In this volatile situation, even the daimyos of the two nations were powerless to intervene.

What's more, the daimyo of the Land of Lightning seemed to welcome the idea of Cloud Shinobi Village wiping out Mist Shinobi. Kirigakure's reckless actions had caused the Land of Lightning to lose tens of millions of ryo.

Kain couldn't estimate their total losses, but his Chamber of Commerce had flourished over the past six months. His shipping business had doubled, prompting him to buy four old ships and commission five new ones, which were soon to be launched.

This batch of medicine is likely part of the supplies prepared for the war. Once the fighting begins, it will be sent directly to the front lines.

"Shin-san, be cautious in everything. If you're ever targeted by the Third Mizukage, come and join me," Kain said during a private conversation.

When they spoke, Kain reverted to his original appearance.

Terumi Shin nodded and replied, "Please rest assured, Kain-san. I will act carefully. If anything happens, I'll send my people to the Land of Fire to seek your help."

This transaction with Kirigakure had proven highly profitable for Kain, and the added acquisition of Chakra metal was yet another advantage. It was a clear demonstration of the opportunities that arise during wartime.

Kain planned to keep half of the Chakra metal for himself and send the other half to Vanko and his son to study its properties and determine whether it could be used in weapons.

When the Shadow Clone transmitted its memories back, Kain was momentarily stunned. The unexpected interference during the transaction—Jiraiya's sudden appearance in the Land of Waves—left him uncertain whether it was a coincidence or deliberate.

After replaying the events in his mind, he concluded that Jiraiya hadn't uncovered anything significant. Slowly, Kain relaxed.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Kushina asked curiously.

Just a moment earlier, Kain had shifted his head slightly, brushing his face against her legs a few times. The warmth of his breath combined with the skin-to-skin contact made it nearly impossible for her to focus on the massage she was giving him.

After a brief pause, Kain said casually, "I feel like having some grapes, Kushina."

Kushina's cheeks puffed up slightly in annoyance. She realized that the plate of grapes on the table beside the sofa wasn't for her but for her to feed Kain. She liked grapes too!

Today, Kushina wasn't kneeling on the floor to offer a lap pillow but was instead seated on the sofa. This brought her physically closer to Kain, and the heat of his breath on her thighs stirred strange feelings she struggled to suppress.

'It's inconvenient to feed grapes right now,' she thought to herself.

Yet, despite her internal protests, her actions betrayed her thoughts. Unconsciously, she reached for the grapes, feeding one with care. The "blood-red pepper" had now turned into a "blood-red tomato."

While Kain relaxed at home, enjoying the peeled grapes Kushina fed him, rumors were beginning to circulate throughout Konoha Village.

"White Fang violated the ninja rules out of personal feelings, causing Konoha and the Land of Fire to suffer heavy losses!"

No one could say when or how the rumor started, but it had quickly become a favorite topic of street chatter. Some people doubted its validity, while others didn't care about the consequences.

"Even if the Land of Fire or Konoha suffers heavy losses, what does that have to do with us?" they would say. "Won't the compensation for those losses still come to us anyway?"

However, under the deliberate manipulation of certain individuals, White Fang's failure to complete the mission was eventually linked to the potential destruction of the country. This gradually shifted public sentiment, leading many people to complain about White Fang.

Even students at the ninja academy were aware of the rumors. After all, White Fang was Kakashi's father, and Kakashi was a prodigy who had graduated from the academy last year. It was said he had recently become a Chūnin.

When Nohara Rin heard the gossip about White Fang, she immediately sensed that something was amiss. She didn't understand the full picture, but she knew that if this talk continued, it would negatively affect Kakashi.

"Obito, let's go see Kakashi after school!" Rin said decisively.

Uchiha Obito frowned in protest. "Why should we? That guy became a Chūnin and hasn't even come back to see us!" Despite his grumbling, he relented under Rin's firm gaze. "Fine, I get it, Rin."

Rin smiled in satisfaction at Obito's agreement.

After school, Rin and Obito headed to the Hatake household. The Hatake residence was in a remote area of the village. Despite White Fang's status, which would have allowed him to purchase a home in a more central location, Hatake Sakumo preferred the tranquility of the village outskirts.

As they approached the house, Rin and Obito noticed two other figures on the same path. The strangers also came to a stop nearby.

"Hey, are you guys going to see Kakashi too? Wait—are you headed to Hatake's house?" Obito asked, waving a hand.

"That's right," one of the men replied. "We're the president and a reporter for Ninja Weekly. We hope you'll support the publication!"

The president of Konoha's newspaper smiled warmly at Rin and Obito before offering a business card to Obito. Noticing the Uchiha clan fan symbol on Obito's back, he greeted him in a friendly manner.

"I read every issue!" Obito said excitedly, taking the card. "It's always so interesting, Mr. President!"

Encouraged by the interaction, Rin and Obito learned that the two men were planning to interview Hatake Sakumo, hoping to gather some information for the paper. Their curiosity grew immediately.

Rin turned to the president and asked eagerly, "So you're here to interview Kakashi's father? Do you know what's going on? We're Kakashi's classmates, and we're really worried about him."

The president shook his head. "We don't know much yet," he admitted. "That's why we're here—to find out."

He added with a grin, "If you want to know more, you're welcome to follow us. But I can't guarantee Mr. Hatake will let you in."

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