Backstage of the arena.
Shinju saw the legendary En Oyashiro.
This old man looked to be in his forties or fifties, sporting a thin mustache, sunglasses perched on his nose, and a sharp glint in his eyes.
But what caught Shinju's attention most was the man's yellow-white hair, its color very similar to Chino's.
Realizing this, Shinju quietly sensed the chakra of this weapon merchant…
"Never thought someone from Konohagakure would come to a place like this."
"Then again, only someone like Tsunade-sama, a regular at casinos, would be able to find this place."
"It's just… gambling here doesn't quite suit your status, Tsunade-sama…"
En Oyashiro opened with a long string of flattery, hoping to get closer to her.
The Tsunade disguise—Shinju's clone—followed his words.
"What's wrong with gambling here? Isn't it nice enough?"
En Oyashiro forced a smile. "Yes, yes, as long as Tsunade-sama is enjoying herself, that's a blessing for this arena. But this place isn't officially recognized, after all, and someone of your prestige—"
Hearing that, the real Shinju nearby couldn't help but grin.
"So this arena isn't legal, is that right?"
En Oyashiro spoke honestly.
"Of course. Ninja aren't crickets; raising them to fight in arenas was never legal to begin with—much less turning it into gambling…"
When he finished, Shinju felt as if a mountain of gold was waving at him!!
Operating an illegal arena… everything must be confiscated! ୧⍢⃝୨
"By the way, we've recently been attacked by self-destructing ninja. Sir, do you know anything about that…" The Tsunade-clone suddenly steered the conversation back to the real topic.
En Oyashiro frowned slightly, pretending to be pained.
"I truly feel very sorry about that."
"Why say that?" Shinju pressed.
En Oyashiro: "Some ninja I used to keep escaped earlier. One of them possessed the ability to create self-destructing ninja."
"That's a kekkei genkai—the Ketsuryūgan—passed down from the Chinoike clan…"
"Speaking of which, the Chinoike clan has ties to your Uchiha clan…" As he spoke, En Oyashiro turned toward Shinju.
Shinju's curiosity was hooked. "Explain."
En Oyashiro: "It's something older than the founding of the shinobi villages."
"In the Chinoike clan, a woman became the concubine of the daimyo of the Land of Lightning. Not long after, the daimyo mysteriously died. The daimyo's wife, who had always despised the concubine, framed her—declaring the Chinoike clan the source of all evil—and had the entire clan exiled to Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water…"
"And the ones hired by the official wife to deal with the Chinoike… were the Uchiha."
"I see. And does the Chinoike clan still live in Hell Valley?" Shinju asked.
En Oyashiro: "That, I don't know…"
"Anyway, the reason I invited the two of you backstage was because—"
Before he finished speaking, he looked up—and 'Uchiha Sasuke' and 'Tsunade' had already vanished!
...
Land of Hot Water — Hell Valley.
With Flying Thunder God, Shinju's speed was incredible.
He first teleported into the Land of Hot Water using one of his markers, then flew straight toward Hell Valley.
The whole valley was barren—nothing but red pools and beast bones everywhere, not at all like a place anyone lived.
After asking a few nearby villagers, Shinju confirmed that the Chinoike clan had long since disappeared from Hell Valley!
Standing alone in the empty ravine, Shinju pieced together the past few days.
First, the missing villagers of Konohagakure.
Then the self-destruct incident at the village gate.
Orochimaru had mentioned En Oyashiro by name.
Then, on Shinju's way to investigate En Oyashiro, he encountered two suspicious individuals…
Wait! Nowaki and Chino! Those two were looking for Sasuke!
If one of them belonged to the Chinoike clan, everything suddenly made sense!
Unidentified background, had fought in the arena before…
And why were they after Sasuke? As Chinoike descendants—seeking revenge on the Uchiha, of course!
But there was still something that Shinju couldn't quite understand…
...
Arena backstage.
Where En Oyashiro was.
Shinju suddenly returned!
But this time he wasn't disguised as Sasuke—he appeared as himself! And he brought two more people in with him!
When En Oyashiro saw the red-haired Shinju entering while holding Chino and Nowaki, he was stunned.
He stared at Shinju. "You are…?"
"Shinju. Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure. I'd like you to help me investigate something…" Shinju revealed his identity, smiling in a way that wasn't a smile.
As it turned out, Shinju's identity was truly effective—upon hearing the name, En Oyashiro was first shocked, then immediately behaved like a servant, rushing to pour tea…
"I didn't know Shinju-sama was arriving—please forgive the lack of proper welcome…"
"If you need anything, just ask. I will hold nothing back…"
Shinju sat down, his gaze falling on the tied-up Nowaki and Chino.
"Do you know these two?"
En Oyashiro: "I do. This girl used to be one of my fighters. She's from the Chinoike clan…"
Shinju nodded, then stared straight at En Oyashiro, eyes sharp.
"And you? What's your relationship with her? (*Ӧ)σ"
En Oyashiro hesitated and added water to Shinju's cup.
"I… used to be her master. Why would you ask that, sir… (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ"
Shinju spoke bluntly. "I can sense chakra. En Oyashiro, your chakra is extremely similar to Chino's. That only happens between close blood relatives."
"If she is Chinoike… then so are you."
The moment Shinju said that, En Oyashiro's expression shifted slightly. He removed his sunglasses—revealing a pair of crimson eyes!!
Shinju thought he was about to attack, so he immediately locked him down inside a Dust Release light barrier!!
"Let's see whether your eye technique is faster—or my Dust Release dropping on you is. (＾ワ＾)"
En Oyashiro: (Ő∀Ő)!
"You misunderstand, sir."
En Oyashiro gave a bitter smile.
"Your deeds in the Fourth Great Ninja War… I've heard of them. I'm not foolish enough to challenge you…"
"I only removed my sunglasses to reveal my identity."
"Yes… Chino and I are the last survivors of the Chinoike clan."
Shinju noticed that when En Oyashiro said that, Chino's face showed pure shock!
So he dispelled the Dust Release and folded his arms. "Tell me your story. ( ´▽` )"
En Oyashiro: "There's not much of a story. Back then, chaos broke out within the Chinoike clan. My wife was forced to her death. So I killed them all."
"After that, I took my daughter and became a merchant. Slowly, life just turned into what it is now."
Shinju looked at Chino, then at En Oyashiro. "Don't tell me you never told your daughter who you really are?"
En Oyashiro nodded.