Just as Terumi Mei was feeling uneasy, Tobi suddenly jumped up. His entire body exuded a sense of sorrow, and he raised his hand to cover his face, crying bitterly.
"I was originally planning to tell you guys a joke, but in the end, none of you wanted to laugh at all. Seems like I was just being sentimental, boohoohoo!"
Of course, no matter how dejected or miserable Tobi appeared, no one present sympathized with him. They only looked at his comical act with strange expressions.
Seeing this, Tobi stopped acting.
"Well then, what I wanted to do has already been done. From here on out, it's up to you guys,".After saying that, Tobi deliberately waved his hand at Terumi Mei.
"Little beauty, I wish you a perfect encounter with love~ Ja ne~"
Once he said that, Tobi raised his hand, slowly erasing his own existence from reality bit by bit.
When Tobi vanished without a trace, Terumi Mei, still in shock, turned her head to look at the Elder and asked, "Elder, who was he? Was that… an extremely advanced space-time ninjutsu?"
The Elder muttered, "A god, or a madman, who knows? As for the rest, ask Yagura."
Karatachi Yagura's expression turned serious again. He straightened his face and said solemnly, "Then let me introduce this mysterious man who was called, Senior Tobi."
After saying that, he began to explain slowly…
———
On the other side, Kakashi,ndisguised as "Mr. Handsome", stepped out the door. After darting swiftly through a few streets and confirming that no one was tailing him, he silently transformed into an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.
Blending into the crowd, he wandered aimlessly through the Mist Village. After a long and careful search, he finally spotted on the nameplate of an old-looking photo studio the small, intricate symbol that existed only in top-secret documents, the agreed-upon sign.
Kakashi let out a sigh of relief. The way this spy, hidden deep inside the Mist Village more than ten years ago, communicated with Danzo was still there. Meaning he hadn't forgotten his mission.
Of course, there was also the possibility that the spy had already been exposed, and everything Kakashi was seeing was merely bait.
But when it came to infiltrating one of the Great Ninja Villages to gather intelligence, how could there possibly be no risk? Compared to the priceless information he could obtain, such risk was well worth taking.
With that thought, Kakashi feigned casual curiosity and naturally walked into the photo studio.
The place was clearly doing poor business. Inside, it was cold and empty, with only an old man with thinning hair sitting behind the counter.
The old man glanced at the disguised Kakashi and gave a mysterious smile, speaking softly.
"Customer… are you here to take a photo, or to place a bet?"
Kakashi froze, 'Isn't this a photo studio? I can understand taking photos, but betting? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'
Seeing Kakashi's confused expression, the old man, clearly experienced, took out a registry book and handed it over.
"Ah, so it's your first time. Let me explain. 'Betting' means wagering on how many people will survive this year's Blood Mist Trial."
"There are many ways to play, two out of two, five out of three, etc. You can bet on a single round, or on the final victor. The customer places wagers based on their preferences and judgment."
Kakashi flipped through the registry and found that it recorded information about many academy students who hadn't yet officially become ninja.
The data was quite detailed, listing their ages, preferred jutsu, past grades, and more.
Of course, in the ninja world, battles were all about information warfare. Kakashi was sure the data was only of partial reference value, it didn't necessarily represent each student's real strength.
Even so, Kakashi still felt deeply uncomfortable. Although he had heard from Obito long ago about the Mist Village's bloody horror, he hadn't expected that beyond the fact that students had to kill each other to graduate, the villagers would even take pleasure in it, turning it into a gambling business.
Theoretically speaking, they were gambling on living, breathing human lives.
Kakashi couldn't help but say, "You guys really think this kind of business… is okay?"
The old man sighed helplessly, "You've seen how this photo studio's business is. The owner barely manages it, and for years now, it's been me keeping the place running. If we didn't branch out a little, I doubt the boss would even continue operating."
He paused, then continued in a coaxing tone, "Customer, it's your first time trying this kind of game. I understand it feels wrong, but whether you like it or not, this is reality, rules set by the Mizukage herself."
"People die anyway. Why can't they contribute something before they do? Trust me, play a few times, and you'll find it absolutely addictive…"
An inexplicable sense of fear rose in Kakashi's chest. But he also knew this wasn't something he could change. He pushed the registry back.
"I'm just here to take a picture."
The old man snorted, putting the book away and muttering, "Hmph, imagine that. Someone actually coming here just to take a photo. So, how do you want it taken?"
It was obvious that compared to gambling, photography didn't make much profit.
Even so, the old man still picked up the camera sitting on the table. It looked more like a dusty decoration, unused for some time. Carefully, he wiped off the dust with a handkerchief and began to adjust it.
Seeing this, Kakashi couldn't help but remark, "Looks like you used to be a photography enthusiast yourself."
The old man's hand trembled slightly, then he smiled bitterly, "Yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up working in a place like this. When I was young, I was one of the most famous photographers in the Land of Water."
"But… this thing hasn't put food on the table for years. Life's only gotten worse. These days, just staying alive is a struggle. No one wants their beautiful moments captured anymore."
Kakashi fell silent. After the old man finished adjusting the camera, he said, "No need to take my picture. Just take a shot of the storefront. Then send the photo to your boss, with this message written on the back: 'Old friends reunited, tomorrow evening, at the Mizuki Tavern.'"
The old man froze, then looked at Kakashi with suspicion, "You're… an old acquaintance of the boss?"
Kakashi took out 100,000 ryo from his pocket and slid it across the counter, "Consider this a deposit. Don't ask about anything else."
Then he turned and walked out.
The old man stared at Kakashi's departing figure with a strange expression. After a moment, he shook his head, pocketed the money, and lifted the camera.
"Well, that was easy money."
"Old partner, looks like we're going to fight side by side again."
———
After that, Kakashi wandered around the area near the Mizuki Tavern he had previously scouted, confirming that it was indeed just an ordinary tavern. Not one under surveillance by the Hidden Mist's ANBU.
He went inside, got used to the environment, ordered a drink, and sat at the small bar, listening quietly as the surrounding patrons chatted about the worsening state of the Land of Water.
By the time he finished his drink, night had fallen. Seeing that there was nothing useful to overhear, Kakashi stood up and left.