Kakashi is going to take Rika back, whether it's above board or disappearing. According to Rika's temperament, she naturally doesn't want to sneak away like an unsightly thief, she just wants to leave Dew Street with her head held high.

Rika took Kakashi to Kakashi, and said arrogantly, "I'm leaving, old woman." None of you can stop me this time. ”

The thugs of the Flower Drunken House stood nervously and waited to watch the lively prostitutes. The woman only dared to look from afar.

Rika raised her chin slightly domineeringly, with an arrogant expression that none of you can help me. - With Kakashi here, she's not afraid of these people.

Kakashi stood behind her with his hands in his hands. In his trouser pocket, the godless dead fish's eyes glanced nonchalantly at the people around him.

-- It's all ordinary people who don't know ninjutsu. Kakashi didn't want to get a hand on them if he could. After all, ninjas and ordinary people fight each other, and it is like cheating to win effortlessly.

Kano still had the same unhurried face, smoking a cigarette and looking at the silver-haired ninja, who even politely said "hello" to her, and Rika glared back fiercely.

With an indifferent expression that people didn't know what she was thinking, Sang said, "Well, let's go." ”

Rika was stunned for a while.

…… He said "Let's go" so calmly.

Rika thought that she would be arguing about "how much money was spent to buy you back", "how much money has been provided for you to eat, live and wear in the past few months, how can I make up for it" and so on.

But she didn't say a word about it.

Moreover, even knowing that Kakashi is a ninja, she did not please those as prostitutes as before. The ninja who came to the guest flattered him like that.

It was so unexpected.

What kind of person is Kano-Rika is getting more and more confused.

Unhindered by anything, Rika turned around and walked towards the door as if she didn't want to stay here any longer. Jia Nai looked at her back, and after she walked out of a distance, she suddenly remembered something, and called out to her: "Lily of the valley." ”

Rika hesitated for a moment, but finally stopped and turned around. Listen to what else you have to say at the end - her expression clearly suggests this.

Jia Nai evoked a smile: "Don't come back in the future, you are not welcome here." ”

The words were very mean, but her smile was genuinely sincere.

Rika snorted and said, "Don't worry, I will never come to this kind of place again." After finishing speaking, he stepped out of the door of the flower drunk house without hesitation, only to feel that the sky outside was much wider and brighter than usual.

"This street, should it be burned?" The girl seemed to be talking to herself, and it was like asking the young man next to her.

Before the silver-haired ninja could reply, a timid voice took a step ahead of him and said, "Lily of the Valley, if you burn this place, we won't even have a place to stay." ”

It turned out to be Kikuko who ran out with her. The girl flattened her mouth, with a sad look on her face, and even a sincere pleading in her tone.

Unlike Rika, who has a family eagerly waiting for her to come home, the women in Dew Street are either homeless or poor people who have no home to return to.

Willing or not, this street is where they live.

If one day there is no longer a zài in Dew Street, they will have to be displaced like wild cats and dogs, and have nowhere to live.

Rika stared at Kikuko with a straight face, and after a long time, she exhaled a breath: "...... Never mind. She then took a step in the direction of the street, Kakashi following beside her.

"Lily of the valley!" Kikuko's voice shouted from behind, and she shouted at her back as if she was out of the way: "There is one thing you may not know, Mama-san's biological daughter is called Lily of the Valley!" ”

I don't know if Rika heard it, but she didn't stop.

Rika and Kakashi's figures faded out of Dew Street.

On the balcony on the second floor of the flower drunk house, Kano smoked with her back against the railing, and stayed outside with her without fear of the cold wind, as well as Kikyo and Yuriko.

"It took so much thought to tune in. Teach, Lily of the Valley hasn't received guests as an Oiran yet. Just let people go, this time it's a big loss, Mom San. Yuriko said with a sigh.

Kikyo Wan'er chimed in, "That ninja doesn't look like a general, and Mama-san should at least ask him for the money he wants to ransom." ”

Kano looked up at the sky slightly, as if she was seriously thinking about something, and didn't pay attention to them immediately.

After a while, she changed her standing position, holding a cigarette stick in one hand and resting it on the railing with the other, and smiled with a sigh and said, "If someone comes to take you home, I won't charge you for ransom." Do you have one? ”

――Do you have anyone looking forward to your coming home?

Kikyo and Yuriko glanced at each other, and the corner of their lips was helpless and wry: "...... No. ”

"Mama-san's flower drunken house that took us in is our only home."

Jia Nai waved his hand disappreciably: "Don't say anything about taking in or not taking in, I will spend money to buy you back, you help me make money, and none of us owe anyone." If you have a chance to get out of Dew Street in the future, go as far as you can. ”

As she said this, she let her eyes look in the direction of the Iron Country—she could see nothing but the snow on the mountain peaks far, far away.

――If you have the chance to leave Dew Street, you will never come back.

The girl named Rika has a pair of shiny and stubborn eyes, which always reminds her of her daughter Lily of the Valley, who died of illness many years ago. If Lily of the Valley is still alive, she will definitely become such a slim and good girl.

Thinking like this, Kanai couldn't help but have an almost invisible smile on her face.

After all, it was just wishful thinking on her part. The real lily of the valley has long been gone.

The man who promised her for life has no return date, and her favorite daughter has long been separated from her, and the best memories of these two people are all inseparable from the place of Dew Street. - All Kanai can do is to keep this memory and count the days day by day, ah, and by the way, protect the poor girls who were sick with her when she was young.

***

If Kakashi were alone, it would only take four or five days to return to the capital from Kitano Castle, but with Rika, it would be roughly estimated that it would take more than a month.

Kakashi uses spiritism to summon ninja dogs and brings the news of finding the princess to Konoha and the Daimyo's mansion, as well as the other three members of the team.

"Now everyone can rest easy." The silver-haired ninja said with his eyes bent.

"I'm so sorry to worry everyone...... Do you think I'm going to say that! Rika glanced at him and snorted, "Speaking of which, how did you find it there?" ”

At the mention of this Kakashi's dead fish eyes drooped again, and he gritted his teeth a little and said, "That Yuninja ninja named Nakamura said ......"

Without having to finish speaking, Rika also knew what Nakamura said, and showed a smile that couldn't help but smile, and suddenly she was in a good mood.

At this time, I knew that I was gloating, what a bad little devil - Kakashi's eyes swept over her smile, and said half-truthfully with a bit of resentment, "Thanks to you, I probably won't be able to find a wife in the future." ”

- Forget about exchanging Kitano Castle for Konoha for a Hachiki Kakashi, once the rumors of the pig's nose spread, how much peach blossom luck will he lose! - But Kakashi doesn't really care if it's peach blossoms or not.

Rika smiled happily, and when she heard him say this, she blurted out without thinking about it: "Then I'll marry you!" ”

- Then he'd rather not find his wife!

Kakashi chuckled dryly, "...... Forget it. ”

Rika glared at him in annoyance. But suddenly a sentence popped up in my mind like an unbreakable bubble - I would rather marry a prostitute. Female, don't marry a princess, Rika's good mood disappeared all at once, and she pursed her lips sullenly and remained silent.

Kakashi saw that she was reacting differently and looked down and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

“…… It's okay. "The look of resentment on his face doesn't look like it's okay.

"It won't be because I said I won't marry you, and I'm lost like this, right?"

"Hmph, don't put gold on your face. I said marry you instead of marrying you, and you should be grateful for that alone. ”

"......" First Technician didn't know what had happened to her in Dew Street, but it was clear that her mouth was more than a little poisonous compared to before.

If you want to go in the direction of the capital, you must first cross the Songyang River. On the last day of December, Rika and Kakashi's boat sailed smoothly on the calm river, with many people on deck watching the sunset, and the magnificent sky was unbelievably beautiful.

"Although there have been frequent accidents in the Songyang River recently, we seem to have encountered good weather, so lucky, Captain San." The young crew made a gesture to look into the distance and said with a grin.

The experienced captain always feels unsteady for some reason, and such good weather is like the calm before a storm. When the previous ships had accidents, it was said that there was no warning in advance. The moody Songyang River is particularly disturbing in this regard.

"We can't be careless at any time, we are carrying the lives of dozens of passengers."

"Yes, yes."

That night, Yiqiē was impeccably calm, and the crew on duty began to doze off.

On the dark surface of the river, the wind is blowing.