I, Kankuro, Officially Support This Marriage!
Chapter 144 I, Kankuro, Endorse This Marriage!
The next day, Land of Rivers, a town near Orochimaru's base, downstairs at the hotel.
"You three are free to do as you please for the day. We'll head back to the village tomorrow."
Lin Ke issued the order for free time. Originally, they should have rushed back to the Land of Fire overnight, but he thought of Orochimaru's base along the way and decided to take a slight detour to check it out.
It would be a nice bonus if he could run into Orochimaru or find any of his subordinates.
Having just defeated Sasori, his self-assessment had risen considerably.
His physical stats were still embarrassingly low compared to the strong, but combined with his strange Ninjutsu and 'talent' for intelligence, he was confident that the only Akatsuki Organization members he had no chance of beating in a one-on-one fight were Pain, Konan, Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Kakuzu.
He had a chance of winning against the remaining members: Deidara, Sasori (without his original body), and Hidan. Especially Hidan, whose technique was easy to counter once you knew how it worked.
His chances of winning against Orochimaru were low, but the possibility of being captured or killed was almost zero. Orochimaru's methods were somewhat conventional; aside from his modified body, he only had standard Ninjutsu and no Ultimate move.
Lin Ke could briefly exchange blows with Orochimaru's Ninjutsu, Uchiha Fugaku could handle Genjutsu, and Maki's Wind Release could compensate for his Earth Release being countered by Lightning Release.
He really wasn't afraid of a short fight.
"Lin Ke Teacher, do you want me to keep you company?" Temari asked with a cheerful smile as soon as he announced the free time.
"Thanks, but no need."
Lin Ke refused directly. He wasn't here to play around; what was the point of bringing a burden?
"You haven't eaten yet either, right? Let's have a meal together," Temari continued, "My treat~"
Lin Ke paused in his stride. "Your treat?"
"Yes, my treat!" Temari said happily.
Lin Ke nodded. "Alright, what do you want to eat?" It wasn't his money anyway, so he didn't care what they ate.
Until he could cash in those human puppets, he would have to live frugally.
Even after returning to the village and receiving the reward for this mission, he still wouldn't be particularly wealthy. Moreover, he needed to keep a certain amount of cash on hand in case he encountered an overly troublesome enemy.
The range of the Body Binding Technique was within ten meters. As long as he could get within ten meters and provide enough money, even a Kage-level monster like Sasori could be captured without resistance.
It was really useful.
"You decide," Temari said with a bright smile, looking less like her usual heroic self and more like a young girl in the sunlight.
Watching the two leave, Kankuro shook his head. His older sister was being a bit too proactive. Women, huh…
Thinking this, he was about to go upstairs for a nap when he was suddenly grabbed by the arm.
"G-Gaara, is something the matter?" he asked, stuttering slightly.
Did I do something to upset Gaara? Damn it, why am I the only one left behind!
He looked at his dark-circled brother with a slightly sweaty and nervous expression.
"Kankuro," Gaara said his brother's name, his expression calm but somewhat frightening.
At least, Kankuro found it extremely frightening. His heart was in his throat.
"Why," Gaara's emotionless face showed a hint of confusion, "Why did I want to hug Lin Ke Teacher last night when he patted me?"
"..."
Kankuro's face went blank. "This, this, uh…" The sweat on his face increased. It sounded like his terrifying brother was experiencing some positive emotions.
But that was even scarier! The terrifying monster of the past suddenly wanted to get close to someone—
Wait, was Lin Ke Teacher even human? They were both monsters, weren't they!
Kankuro felt a little relieved and carefully offered a suggestion. "Why don't you try hugging him next time?"
"..." Gaara showed a thoughtful expression, then went upstairs on his own.
As expected, he still couldn't express his emotions.
Kankuro watched his brother leave after seeking help, feeling a little concerned.
No matter how afraid he was of Gaara or what strange ideas he had, he was still his brother, an inseparable member of his family.
He watched his younger brother disappear at the end of the corridor, then couldn't help but glance back in the direction Lin Ke and Temari had left.
"If you become my brother-in-law, you absolutely have to let me borrow those puppets for a bit!"
Kankuro had never been so supportive of this marriage as he was today!
...
—The only ramen shop in town.
"Actually, Lin Ke Teacher, you could have chosen a more expensive restaurant."
Temari couldn't help but say, "Even if we ate something a little more expensive, it would be fine." She took out her Kamaitachi wallet, patted it, and said, "I've saved up some money too."
"I actually quite like ramen." Lin Ke didn't say too much about his own thoughts, just replied simply.
Taking advantage of Mizuki, taking advantage of Danzo, and taking advantage of his own subordinates were completely different things.
If the people around him treated him to a meal, he couldn't accept it with a clear conscience. He would definitely have to return the favor. That's just how relationships work. If he ate something too expensive, it would be expensive to return the favor in the future.
Moreover, as a superior, letting his subordinates treat him to something expensive was a bit too greedy, and it wouldn't be good for his image.
"Hehe~"
Temari's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled.
Whether it was for the village or for her own preferences, she wouldn't let this little man go.
"What's with the pervy sage..." A familiar voice gradually approached.
Lin Ke turned his head to look.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh~ Lin Ke!" Uzumaki Naruto shouted as he ran over, attracting strange glances from the chefs inside.
He sat down next to him as if he hadn't noticed, and laughed, "Long time no see, what are you doing here?"
"Long time no see." Lin Ke glanced at Jiraiya sitting next to Naruto, and said, "Just finished a mission, preparing to return to the village, taking a break on the way."
They're probably here because of Orochimaru's information, right…
Orochimaru really is a hot commodity.
"I see." Uzumaki Naruto stretched out his hand like he was offering a treasure, and said excitedly, "I've learned a new ultimate move!"
"Thump!"
"You little brat, don't use such dangerous Ninjutsu in someone else's shop." Jiraiya interrupted his disciple's dangerous behavior with a punch.
The Rasengan wasn't a safe technique. If it touched anything even slightly, the entire large table would probably be destroyed.
"That hurts~" Uzumaki Naruto covered his head, a pained expression on his face.
"Waiter, two here~" Jiraiya waved his hand and called out.
He looked no different from an ordinary, strangely dressed uncle, with a very warm aura.
After the two of them ordered their ramen, he happily watched Naruto talk incessantly about his recent experiences and training.
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