One tall, one small—the two of them walked along the narrow path in silence.
Jiraiya and Sakiya hadn't spoken a word since they left.
They had been walking for quite a while, but Jiraiya wasn't sure how to start a conversation.
After all, this girl was… different.
And then, a terrifying realization struck him.
"Wait… I'm traveling with a kid! That means… I can't gather inspiration for my research!"
His eyes widened in horror.
This was a disaster!
Not only that, but there were places he absolutely couldn't go now.
Like… the sacred hot springs.
Jiraiya suddenly felt like this whole mission was a complete failure.
A total disaster!
His frustration was interrupted by the girl's voice.
"There's a village up ahead."
Jiraiya snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.
Sure enough, a small village stood before them.
He perked up immediately. Since this was a major trade route, Konoha ninja often passed through here.
That meant one thing—it had entertainment!
Bathhouses! Tea houses! And, most importantly… bathhouses!
As he got lost in his excitement, Sakiya spoke again.
"Oh~ this human settlement seems quite lively."
Jiraiya flinched.
"Human settlement"?
"Why does she talk like she's not human…?"
He muttered under his breath, then cleared his throat.
"Let's take a break here before moving on."
Sakiya nodded, folding her arms.
"My Eye of Death absorbs energy from the land at all times, but as a human, I still require food."
Jiraiya stared blankly.
He had no idea what she just said.
This girl… what was she even talking about?!
With a forced smile, he chuckled.
"Haha… yeah. Sure."
Sakiya didn't notice his confusion and walked ahead.
As they entered the village, the streets were indeed bustling with life.
Sakiya's eyes immediately locked onto a snack stand.
She dashed toward it.
It was selling a kind of deep-fried pastry she had never seen before.
Her eyes sparkled as she admired its golden, crispy texture.
Without hesitation, she pulled out some coins from her pouch and handed them to the vendor.
"I'll take one!"
The shop owner grinned at the cute little customer.
"Sure thing!"
He packed several pieces into a neat little bag and held it out for her.
But instead of taking it, Sakiya stepped back.
The vendor blinked in confusion.
Then, Sakiya covered her left eye with one hand and pointed dramatically at the bag.
"The Hand of the Invisible Realm!"
Suddenly, a glowing pattern formed beneath her feet, and a second sigil appeared in her palm.
The shopkeeper felt a strange pull on the bag.
Hesitantly, he loosened his grip…
And then—
The bag floated in the air, slowly drifting toward Sakiya. She snatched it with one hand, and the glowing patterns beneath her feet disappeared.
Happily, she took a bite of her snack.
The spectacle had not gone unnoticed.
The shop owner, along with several onlookers, stared in awe.
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.
The vendor even clapped.
"Wow! That was amazing, kid!"
Jiraiya, standing off to the side, sighed and rubbed his forehead.
They were supposed to be keeping a low profile…
And here she was, showing off in front of an entire street full of people.
"Great. Now half the village knows about us."
But Sakiya?
She didn't care at all.
She chewed on her snack, soaking in the admiration like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Hmph~ This is the power of my Eye of Death!"
Jiraiya sighed again.
"If that's what the Eye of Death does, then I'm seriously disappointed."
They continued down the street, with Sakiya eating her way through the market.
And, of course, every time she used her glowing sigils to retrieve food, more people noticed.
By the time they reached the other end of the village, she had become a local legend.
People were already calling her "The Magical Girl."
Jiraiya was in pain.
As evening fell, he decided they should stay the night before continuing their journey. Sakiya had no objections.
Jiraiya picked an inn with a hot spring—because, of course, he did.
And, naturally, the baths were separate for men and women.
As they stepped inside, Jiraiya suddenly paused and turned to Sakiya with a hesitant look.
She blinked. "Huh? What's wrong?"
His face turned serious.
"Sakiya… Do you dare to sleep alone?"
For a moment, she froze.
Then—her face turned bright red, and her hair practically stood on end.
"I AM THE EYE OF DEATH!" she snapped. "AND I'M ALREADY FOURTEEN!"
Jiraiya stared at her.
"…Fourteen?"
Sakiya glared daggers at him.
"Hmph! Don't treat me like a kid! Of course, I can sleep alone!"
Without another word, she grabbed her room key and stormed off.
Jiraiya stood there for a moment, watching Sakiya walk off.
After a long pause, he muttered to himself,
"Fourteen, huh? Guess that's considered an adult..."
---------
Hot springs were a luxury.
Sakiya had enjoyed them a few times since arriving in this world, and now she had another opportunity.
There was no way she was letting it go to waste.
Back in her room, she hummed a tune, pulled a small scroll from her pocket, and unrolled it onto the floor.
With a quick hand sign, she called out:
"Release!"
Poof—!
A small cloud of white smoke appeared.
When it cleared, a neatly packed pile of clothes and essentials lay in front of her.
Grinning, she picked up a pink bear-themed bathrobe she had bought just for moments like this.
Holding it close, she stepped in front of the vanity mirror and took a look at herself.
The girl in the mirror had long, silky black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall.
She wore two small bows, tying her hair into slight twin tails.
Her delicate face was framed perfectly, and a cute eyepatch covered her left eye.
She was, objectively, adorable.
But Sakiya wasn't one to stand around admiring herself.
She quickly got to work.
First, she untied the bows, letting her hair fall naturally down her back.
Then, she removed her eyepatch, letting her left eye breathe freely.
She smiled at her reflection.
And with that—
She started undressing.
Her outfit was layered, resembling something between a long cloak and a retro-style robe.
It was easy to remove—just a few ties to undo before the fabric slid off her shoulders.
Her porcelain-like skin caught the light as she changed into her bathrobe.
Satisfied, she turned and headed straight for the hot spring.
By the time she arrived, the springs were already lively.
Several women were soaking in the warm water, chatting and playing.
The moment Sakiya stepped in, however, she stood out immediately.
Her pink bear bathrobe was very different from the standard robes provided by the inn.
Heads turned.
People whispered.
After all, who brings their own bathrobe to a hot spring?
The women in the hot spring smiled as they noticed Sakiya.
"Are you here alone, little sister?"
Sakiya gave a small nod, not particularly paying attention as she took in the relaxing atmosphere.
Without hesitation, she untied her bathrobe, revealing her petite, fair-skinned body before slowly sinking into the warm water.
The moment the heat enveloped her, a wave of relaxation washed over her.
Her cheeks turned rosy, glowing like a freshly picked apple.
"So comfortable~" she murmured, closing her eyes.
"It's been so long since I last had a holy spring bath..."
For a while, she simply soaked in peace.
But when she finally opened her eyes—
She was completely surrounded.
A group of young women had gathered around her, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Sakiya blinked, a bit startled.
"Umm... what do you all want?"
One of them grinned.
"You're adorable!"
"Your face is so red—it makes me want to pinch it!"
Sakiya instinctively took a step back, feeling as if she were being stalked by a pack of hungry wolves.
"D-Don't come any closer! I'm... very scary!"
The women laughed.
"Haha, sure, sure~ We believe you."
"Relax, we're just curious."
"You're traveling alone at such a young age?"
Still feeling cornered, Sakiya answered cautiously.
"Of course not! I have a... a companion."
"Mm-hmm. A human is with me."
One of the women tilted her head.
"A human?"
"Even the way she talks is cute!"
The group chatted with her, their curiosity replacing any initial teasing.
Soon, the conversation flowed naturally, and Sakiya started to relax.
—
Meanwhile, behind the women's bathhouse...
Jiraiya stood at the perfect peeping location.
But he hesitated.
Normally, this would be the prime opportunity to gather "research material".
But if he peeked and accidentally saw Sakiya...
That would be bad.
Really bad.
He scratched his head, conflicted.
"...No, no, it should be fine. I'll just avoid looking at the kid!"
Determined, he formed a hand seal, channeling chakra into his fingers.
With expert precision, he carefully poked a tiny hole in the wooden wall.
Slowly, he lowered his head, his eye meeting the opening—
Only to be greeted by a massive symbol of death glaring back at him.
________
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