Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

The next day, in a room on Flower Street.

"Listen, you all," said Denjiro, a grim expression on his face and a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Although I don't know what you want with Miss Hiyori if you cause trouble here on Flower Street, no one will be able to save you!"

Shin hadn't expected Denjiro to be so cautious, even while disguised as the Ushimitsu Kozo, keeping his real identity completely hidden.

'But how did he manage to keep Kozuki Hiyori concealed?' Shin wondered briefly. He recalled a detail from his memories: Hiyori always carried a blood bag, ready for a fake death at any time.

Denjiro's plan was much the same. In his view, the likelihood of the trio's assassination attempt succeeding was slim. If things went south, he'd pretend to kill Hiyori, allowing her to vanish from public view entirely.

In truth, if it weren't for the need to raise funds and support the civilians of Wano, Denjiro would have preferred that Hiyori stay hidden. However, Hiyori, despite being a noblewoman, was strong-willed and had repeatedly refused his attempts to persuade her otherwise.

'This way, Hiyori can finally be free from this place. I even considered having the kunoichi, Tama, use a transformation jutsu to take her place, but Hiyori would never agree,' Denjiro mused.

While he was lost in thought, Shin and the others had already entered Hiyori's room, joining her entourage as her "guards."

Kurozumi Orochi, with his obsession with Hiyori, frequently visited her on Flower Street to watch her dance. With the help of the traitor Kanjuro, it wasn't challenging to arrange for Orochi's arrival.

When Shin and his companions entered, they found Kozuki Hiyori seated gracefully, playing the shamisen. Several maids, including Tama, stood around her.

"Greetings, my noble friends," Hiyori said, pausing her music and bowing slightly to the three. "Thank you for helping Wano rid itself of the scourge of Kurozumi Orochi."

"Haha, no need to thank us. This is something I promised Tama a long time ago," Ace said, scratching his head with a bashful smile.

Shin, ever direct, asked, "Alright, so when exactly will the Kurozumi Orochi be arriving?"

Hiyori was taken aback by Shin's bluntness. She paused briefly before replying, "In about half an hour."

"Half an hour?" Shin murmured, rubbing his chin before clapping his hands. "Wood Clone Jutsu!"

Several wooden clones sprouted, transforming into replicas of Hiyori and her maids.

"Alright, Miss Hiyori, you should leave now," Shin instructed, gesturing towards the door. "The guard at the door, he's with you, isn't he?"

Hiyori froze, momentarily panicked, then attempted to dismiss his observation. "Denjiro is one of Orochi's trusted aides..."

"Don't kid yourself. His disguise might fool others, but not me. Does he think no one will recognize him just because he's wearing a cloth over his face? Isn't Kyoshiro actually Denjiro?"

Shin almost commented that Denjiro's disguise was obvious, but recalling the widespread face-blindness of pirates in this world, he bit his tongue.

"What? Kyoshiro is Denjiro?" Ace and Yamato exclaimed, both stunned. Even Tama looked surprised, indicating that Denjiro hadn't shared his true identity with her.

Shin shook his head, exasperated. 'The face-blindness around here is ridiculous.'

"Think about it! How many people in all of the Flower Capital have his squinty eyes?" he chided.

"Yes... now that you mention it..." Yamato and Ace exchanged embarrassed glances, their realization dawning.

Hiyori, now seeing her cover blown, offered a small, bittersweet smile. "Denjiro had no choice... It's not that he didn't trust you..."

"Don't worry; I understand why he did it," Shin nodded. "To us, Orochi is just a target. To you, he's a mountain of fear weighing on your people's hearts. Naturally, you place more significance on him."

Hiyori's cheeks colored slightly. "Thank you for your understanding. But I must say, Orochi won't be easy to deal with. If things go awry, please put your safety first."

Shin accepted her words graciously, though he had little concern about Orochi. He nodded. "Rest assured, Orochi relies too heavily on his subordinate's Barrier-Barrier Fruit ability. Though it offers protection, he's no match for us. Worst case, we can always escape."

This confidence was the reason Denjiro agreed to their plan. Based on what he knew of the trio's power, even if they couldn't break the barrier, Orochi could not capture them.

"Alright then, Miss Hiyori, it's time for you to go," Shin urged, glancing at the clock. "Staying any longer would be too dangerous."

Hiyori, recognizing her vulnerability in battle, accepted his advice. She bowed and said, "I wish you success in this endeavor."

With that, she left the room with her maids in tow.

Tama, however, looked eager to stay, her eyes gleaming with excitement. But Shin's wooden clone gently pulled her back, leading her out as well.

A short while later, Denjiro entered with a serious expression, inspecting Shin's wooden clones. Seeing how they accurately imitated Hiyori and her attendants, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He lowered his voice, saying, "Thank you for letting Hiyori escape this dangerous situation. I apologize for concealing my identity."

"Orochi will be here in about ten minutes," he continued. "If you feel even slightly unsure, I recommend waiting for another opportunity. The man with the Barrier-Barrier Fruit won't last forever. After all, it's been nearly twenty years, and your chances will only improve over time."

Shin finally understood why Denjiro and the others were so cautious about their plan. It was clear they placed heavy faith in Lady Toki's prophecy.

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