Anna Karenina

Ah, that's the stuff!

Just can't help sounding like an old man, huh?

It just means that nothing beats relaxing like this!

Miss Tenten, I really can't thank you enough for bringing me my things.

Don't mention it!

I was planning to take some time off to go to a hot spring anyway.

Anyway, I'm so relieved that things are going smoothly

with you and the sensei.

After all, you know how Guy Sensei is, right?

I'm not quite sure if I'm fitting in, but I'm managing somehow…

I mean, he's the type to jump right in without thinking,

and stir up trouble, right?

Yeah, I sorta get the idea.

Knowing Guy Sensei,

I'm sure even now as we're here doing this,

something's gonna—!

That was Mr. Guy just now!

YOUTH

It appeared!

A ghost…appeared!

The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Haunted Inn!

How's Guy Sensei doing?

He's quietly sleeping right now.

Also…

You're a bodyguard, but a woman first.

Remember not to rush out naked like you almost did!

I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking.

And besides, there's not much you can do alone

if Guy Sensei's unconscious.

Especially if Kakashi Sensei's gone off somewhere.

Did you call me?

Kakashi Sensei!

Hey!

C'mon! Don't scare us like that!

Where have you been?

I went out to buy hot spring bean jam buns.

Please let me know when you leave!

What's the point of guarding you otherwise?!

Sorry, sorry!

I heard from an employee earlier that Guy collapsed?

What did he do?

Well…

We won't know what really happened

until Guy Sensei regains consciousness.

But he kept saying,

– "It appeared!" – It appeared!

What appeared?

A ghost.

But he probably…

mistook it for something else.

No…

Maybe a ghost really did appear!

Huh?

It wouldn't be unusual here…

…right?

This building, this ambience and all…

Especially,

– that room you two are staying in… – The ghost…

I wouldn't be surprised if it's haunted.

…appeared!

There's no such thing as ghosts!

It's more fun if there are!

No.

I'm responsible for security and I swept the room thoroughly.

The furnishings, appliances, the attic and behind the sliding doors…

There was some trash, but I didn't find anything unusual at all.

Maybe you should look again.

There might be a corpse plastered behind the wall.

There is not!

Now that you mention it,

the bean jam buns that were in the room…

They were gone before I knew it,

so I went out to buy more. It's so weird.

I figured Guy just ate them all.

But he insisted,

"I didn't eat them!"

Maybe it's the ghost's doing!

Can you please stop that, Miss Tenten?

Well, Guy Sensei is a weirdo, but he's not a prankster or a liar.

Hmm… You have a point there.

Right?

See, it's a ghost!

I understand!

I'll prove to you that there's no such thing as ghosts!

Let me be blunt.

This inn is haunted, correct?

Huh?

Earlier in the detached room, Guy Sens—

…our companion saw one!

Not only that, all the bean jam buns disappeared suddenly, and—

I'm sorry for asking such a weird question!

You see, she doesn't know what to say!

There's no such thing as—

He…saw it?

Huh?

Can you tell us more about it?

It's all right. We're shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village.

Hey! Miss Tenten!

We won't cause any trouble.

Originally, this hot spring was built during the feudal era

as a healing retreat for wounded soldiers.

In time, the wars ended and it became an ordinary hot spring inn,

but over time, rumors began to spread

about our guests seeing a ghost in armor.

To stop the rumors, a large-scale exorcism was conducted.

Since then, we've conducted our business with no problems at all.

But some strange things have been occurring these past few days.

I left a plate of food that a guest didn't finish over there,

and suddenly, it was gone.

It's happened several times that it creeped me out.

I would hear a thud in a room that's supposed to be empty…

And I'd find bedding scattered all over the place.

Several guests said they saw a figure in the outdoor baths.

But I went to look, no one was there.

It's a ghost, I'm sure of it.

There's no way!

With the leftover food,

an animal probably stuck its head through the window and ate it.

It's not unusual for stacked-up bedding to just fall over.

And the figure in the outdoor baths was probably just some steam.

You're trying real hard to convince yourself, aren't you?

We'll just verify each incident one by one.

First, let's go check out the kitchen.

But blaming a ghost makes things so much more interesting!

What is this?

Why isn't it attached securely?

That's not safe!

This is the only statue on a stone pedestal.

The rest are wood.

It's a pretty large stone.

Maybe this one just couldn't be moved.

Hmm…

Seems like it has some significance though.

Why don't you split the stone with your Chakra Blade?

Maybe you'll get cursed!

No way!

Are you being serious?

Just kidding!

Really!

And besides,

there's no way I can cut through something this solid!

Is your Chakra Blade that dull?

It's just that I haven't mastered using it.

Maybe my chakra isn't compatible with it as well…

Hey!

Guy's awake.

Hey!

I did not see a ghost!

What? But you were moaning…

"A ghost!"

It wasn't me!

There's no such thing as a ghost, right?

You probably mistook something as that.

Then how do you explain the bean jam buns

disappearing from this room?

Bean jam buns?

The outdoor bath, the kitchen, the bedding storage room…

Here at this inn… A ghost appeared in all of them.

I'll bet the ghost is behind the missing bean jam buns too.

No way! There's no way that would happen.

Stop saying such illogical things!

Illogical?

It's unusual hearing that word come out of your mouth, Guy Sensei!

You ate the buns, didn't you?!

No! I swear I didn't!

Of course, you didn't.

It was the ghost's doing!

That's wrong too!

Never mind that, Kakashi.

Let's go play ping-pong right now.

Why, all of a sudden?

Because there's a ping-pong table in the rec room!

I was gonna go take a soak now.

You can take a bath anytime!

I'm challenging you to a match of ping-pong, right now!

Let me take a quick soak, and you can wait for me here.

I want to play right now!

Oh, Guy Sensei…

Is there a reason why you don't want to stay in this room?

Are you scared to face the ghost who ate the bean jam buns?

Don't be ridiculous!

Anyway, let's go play ping-pong, Kakashi!

Damn it. Guess I have no choice.

He's really trying too hard.

Huh?

I've known him for a long time, so I can tell.

Guy Sensei's really freaked out by the ghost.

Wasn't it unnatural?

The way he brought up ping-pong out of the blue?

Really? To me, Mr. Guy always acts unnatural.

But is he really scared of ghosts?

Seriously, he's a real scaredy-cat.

Huh?!

Long ago, he just blurted out,

"Taijutsu is useless against ghosts, it doesn't work!"

I see.

I just thought of something really good.

It's going to get busy!

Miss Tenten?! Hey—!

Mirai, can you be our referee?