"Yoru, will this become our new home?"
"Unfortunately, no. At best, this can only be a convenient foothold."
"Though…"
"We can build a lakeside villa here. When we're in a bad mood, or when we're tired, we can come here for a few days and think about nothing."
"But for now—get to work."
"You're a devil, meow! Let me rest, meow! I hate water, meow!"
Natural energy was released from the surface of the lake as moisture evaporated.
Which meant—
The source had to be submerged underwater.
So there was only one option.
They had to dive.
Miwa Masayo refused outright.
She already hated bathing. After what she had just gone through, she now hated any water deep enough to submerge her body.
"But if Lihua-chan doesn't help me, I won't have enough time within the mission window to search the entire lake."
"Then don't search it. Leave it to Maoyou and the others."
"Cat Sages are afraid of water. Ordinary cats would be even more afraid."
"Who's afraid of water?! I'm not afraid of water! I just hate it, meow!"
Realizing she had accidentally said she was afraid, Miwa Masayo panicked.
She turned and ran.
In a few leaps, she reached the slope, then glanced back and threw out a final line—
"I'm not afraid of water!"
Then she disappeared over the ridge.
…
Uchiha Yoru's attempt to coax her had failed.
So he could only enter the lake alone.
He searched inch by inch along the lakebed, looking for the source of natural energy.
He wasn't worried about Miwa Masayo's safety.
There were no large-scale chakra signatures nearby.
No powerful summon beasts.
No dangerous chakra monsters.
Ninja were good at hiding themselves—
But they would not casually attack unknown summon beasts in the wild.
That was a fundamental rule.
Every rule existed because someone had paid for it in blood.
And "do not attack summon beasts" was one of those lessons written clearly into textbooks.
Every properly trained ninja knew it.
The difference between summon beasts and chakra monsters lay in one thing—
Summon beasts had owners.
They had backing.
If you attacked a chakra monster, that was one thing.
If you were lucky, you could even subdue it and bring it back as your own summon.
But if you attacked a summon beast—
You were slapping its master in the face.
And that master would come for revenge.
Ninja guarded their secrets carefully.
It was extremely difficult to determine which ninja an unfamiliar summon beast belonged to.
And even setting aside whether that ninja was strong or not—
What if that person turned out to be your superior?
That would be… awkward.
Very awkward.
And your future would be miserable.
Some summon beasts were backed by entire clans.
Strike a small one, and a bigger one would appear.
For example—
A small toad might lead to something the size of a building…
Or even someone like Jiraiya.
So unless it was clearly an enemy—
No ninja would attack an unfamiliar summon beast.
Miwa Masayo's reputation was limited to the area around Uchiha Yoru and the Cat Castle.
Very few ninja in the wider world knew her.
As long as she didn't wander too far—
She would be safe.
…
Yoru focused completely on exploring the lakebed.
It wasn't until deep into the night that he finally dragged himself ashore, exhausted, preparing to rest.
The moment he reached land—
He noticed something was off.
His supplies had been disturbed.
The tent stored in his sealing scroll had been set up.
A campfire had already been lit.
And beside it—
Lay a rabbit with its neck snapped.
"Miwa Masayo really is an adorable ninja cat."
"Too bad she's not a spiral-shell cat-girl…"
The tent was a little crooked.
The rabbit hadn't been properly bled.
The supplies had been rummaged through.
The canned fish he kept as snacks had been completely eaten—
Though perhaps out of guilt, the empty cans had been stacked neatly.
It was obvious—
After causing a bit of chaos, Miwa Masayo had calmed down.
She had even tried to make up for it.
Though not perfectly—
Her intentions were clear.
Yoru could even sense her familiar senjutsu chakra nearby.
Strongly.
She was close.
But—
Perhaps out of embarrassment—
She hadn't stayed by the fire.
Nor curled up inside the tent.
Yoru carefully extended his perception.
He could tell she was circling outside—
But couldn't pinpoint her exact position.
He knew her too well.
And she knew him just as well.
She was deliberately staying right at the edge of his perception.
[A stubborn little cat… Looks like I'll have to bring out my trump card.]
Catnip.
A plant with irresistible attraction to cats.
A cat teaser.
A toy cats simply couldn't resist.
Combine the two—
Crush the catnip into juice, soak the plush tip of the teaser—
And you had the ultimate lure.
Fifteen seconds later—
A warm calico cat had fallen into the trap.
Caught by the back of her neck.
"No more running, alright?"
"You have to promise not to make me go into the water again, meow!"
"I promise."
"Then I forgive you, meow."
The two looked at each other—
And smiled.
"What's with this rabbit?"
"A pre-meal snack, meow. The real dinner is over there."
Following Miwa Masayo's direction, Yoru found—
A massive wild boar.
Charred black from fire.
It was enormous.
At least six hundred jin in weight.
Its tusks alone were over two and a half chi long—
Comparable to short blades used by many ninja.
This was no ordinary boar.
Such a creature shouldn't exist in the barren mountains of the Land of Rivers.
Its size alone qualified it as a mountain lord.
Yoru began a careful inspection.
After opening up the boar's body—
He finally sensed it.
Residual natural energy.
Chakra.
And even a faint trace of senjutsu chakra.
This was a boar that had likely begun mastering senjutsu.
No wonder he hadn't sensed any large-scale chakra presence earlier—
This greedy beast had probably hunted down other chakra creatures first, devouring them all.
Perhaps—
It hadn't been Miwa Masayo who found the boar.
But the boar that had found her.
And after misjudging her strength—
It had died instantly under her senjutsu flames.
The battle had taken place less than thirty kilometers away.
Yet Yoru hadn't sensed it at all.
Which meant—
It had ended in an instant.
Miwa Masayo's combat strength was far greater than he had estimated.
Far greater.
…
A six-hundred-jin boar was nothing to Yoru.
After removing the organs most likely to carry parasites, he hoisted five hundred jin of meat and returned swiftly to the lakeside camp.
The meat of a mountain lord was entirely different from ordinary boar.
Once cut open, it revealed marbled patterns—
Rich in intermuscular fat.
Tender.
Perfect for roasting.
So Yoru completely ignored the rabbit and focused on the boar.
He cut, cleaned, sliced, skewered—
Then fed the fire and began grilling.
High-quality ingredients required only the simplest methods.
With Miwa Masayo's precise control of flames—
The meat came out perfectly crisp on the outside, tender within.
Just a sprinkle of salt—
Was enough to release an aroma that made one's appetite surge.
With a light bite—
Hot juices flowed between the lips and teeth, bringing incomparable satisfaction.
Especially for two practitioners of the immortal path—
The natural energy infused within the cooked meat was an exquisite experience.
One leg—
Was nowhere near enough.
So Yoru began cutting the second.
But as his blade slid along the bone—
It struck something hard.
A clear metallic sound rang out.
At the same moment—
A strange force was triggered.
Yoru's heart skipped.
[Could this be…]
[The source of the lake's natural energy?]
[Miwa Masayo's luck is really this good?]
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