"Alright, since I've successfully infiltrated, it's time to gather some intel."
The so-called wandering writer, Jiraiya, was none other than one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
With security along the Sunagakure-Konoha border being too tight—even Root operatives had failed to infiltrate—Jiraiya chose to sneak in from the Land of Wind instead.
He quickly realized that relations between Sunagakure and the Land of Wind were strained. Sunagakure had even set up border checkpoints, yet despite this, a steady stream of people continued moving in and out daily.
Blending in with the crowd, Jiraiya managed to slip through. To dig deeper, he needed to get inside the village itself.
"I didn't expect Sunagakure to establish checkpoints this far out… Looks like they're hiding quite a few secrets. Too bad this is a desert—if I could summon the toads, gathering intelligence would be much easier," Jiraiya muttered, scratching his head.
Mount Myoboku had toads skilled in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, but in the middle of a desert, summoning them would be far too conspicuous.
As he moved deeper into Sunagakure's territory, Jiraiya followed his map, heading straight for the village. His plan was to capture someone traveling alone, use a transformation jutsu, and infiltrate the village unnoticed.
As long as he wasn't surrounded by a swarm of Sunagakure forces, Jiraiya was confident in his ability to escape. With the Fourth Kazekage Rasa dead and a significant number of shinobi stationed at the borders, the village itself was bound to be understaffed.
Before long, Jiraiya arrived near Sunagakure.
"Someone's there."
As he approached, he spotted seven people traveling together. From their direction, it seemed they had just left Sunagakure.
"Four Sunagakure shinobi and three others… That guy in the lead looks familiar."
Peering through his binoculars, Jiraiya pulled out the intelligence dossier Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him and flipped to the third page. The image matched.
"Keikou Sanmoku… A core member of the Keikou Trade Association, second only to the clan leader in status. Deeply trusted, managing assets worth billions of ryo. Damn, this guy makes more money than I have in all my years writing novels."
Scanning the rest of the group, Jiraiya used a sensory technique and found that the four Sunagakure shinobi weren't particularly strong.
"If I capture this guy, I can extract a lot of information. We're not far from Sunagakure, so I'll need to trap them with a barrier—best not to alert the village."
Keikou Sanmoku was a key figure in the Keikou family and not a shinobi. His ability to resist interrogation would likely be weak, making him an ideal target.
Jiraiya also noted that the group was leaving the village, not returning, meaning he would have ample time for questioning without interruption.
With his plan set, he used Earth Release to burrow underground, positioning himself along their path to strike at the perfect moment.
"Lord Keikou, why didn't you accept the Kazekage's invitation? This is the first time the Fifth Kazekage has personally asked someone to be her assistant," a Sunagakure chunin asked enviously. If it had been him, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second.
It was the Kazekage, after all. And she was beautiful. Just imagining working by her side every day—it was like a dream.
Keikou Sanmoku chuckled. "Because no one else can take over my responsibilities yet. Once I find someone capable, I will assist the Kazekage."
He was responsible for many affairs in Sunagakure, including the village's expansion and resource distribution. His work often required him to travel outside the village, which was why Pakura had assigned four chunin as his escorts despite the shortage of manpower.
"Sugiki, with everything going on, Lord Sanmoku hasn't had a proper rest in days. Don't bother him," an older Sunagakure shinobi interjected. The escorts were well aware of Keikou Sanmoku's workload. Even when they rotated shifts for rest, he continued working without pause.
His dedication to Sunagakure earned him their deep respect. They had no complaints about being his bodyguards—if anything, they considered it an honor.
"Understood. Lord Sanmoku, please try to rest—"
Boom!
Before the shinobi could finish his sentence, their surroundings warped in an instant. Suddenly, they found themselves trapped inside a narrow, fleshy tunnel covered in pulsating tissue.
"Enemy attack!"
The four Sunagakure chunin, all experienced in battle, immediately overcame their initial disorientation and formed a defensive formation around Keikou Sanmoku. The other two members of the Keikou Trade Association were left outside the perimeter—there was no choice.
If an enemy could teleport all seven of them into a new location in an instant, their strength had to be immense. Their priority was to protect Keikou Sanmoku at all costs.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
From the depths of the pulsating tunnel, long strands of white hair shot out toward them. The four chunin reacted swiftly.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
"Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm!"
They unleashed two wind-style techniques, severing some of the incoming hair, but even more strands surged forward. When they tried to counter with explosive tags and kunai, they found that the hair was both incredibly tough and unnaturally agile. Before they could activate the tags, they were completely restrained.
Keikou Sanmoku was next. The hair coiled around him, binding him tightly.
"Don't bother struggling," a voice echoed through the fleshy tunnel. "This is the stomach of the Rock Inn Toad from Mount Myoboku. No one has ever escaped. And you're facing me—the White-Haired Toad Sage, Jiraiya! Give up and answer my questions!"
Jiraiya stepped out of the shadows, stroking his chin as he studied his captives. But then, something felt off.
Keikou Sanmoku's expression was unnervingly calm. Even the Sunagakure shinobi were still struggling, their faces filled with panic—so why was a mere merchant so composed?
"Alright, let's start with you," Jiraiya said, pointing at Keikou Sanmoku with a serious expression. "This is the stomach of the Rock Inn Toad. If you don't answer truthfully, you'll be digested in no time!"
Keikou Sanmoku, still unshaken, simply replied in a flat tone, "So, you're Jiraiya of Konoha's Sannin."
Meanwhile, in a laboratory in Roran, Hyuga Mirai was testing a nanospace capsule when 18's voice suddenly rang through the lab.
"Sir, Keikou Sanmoku has been attacked. Based on fragmented signals, the attacker is Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Sannin. Keikou Sanmoku appears to be in a separate spatial dimension."
"Jiraiya? That guy is such a nuisance."
Hyuga Mirai paused his experiment and checked Ayaka Uzumaki's location, only to find that Orochimaru had sent her to Iwagakure, meaning she wouldn't be available to help.
"Fine, I'll handle this myself. 18, send me the last known coordinates."
"The location has been transmitted to your terminal, sir."
(End of Chapter)
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