At the main entrance of Kikyo Castle, two shinobi were acting as "security guards."
It would be accurate to call them genuine security guards, as their strength was roughly equivalent to that of a Genin. Shinobi of this caliber usually represent one of two extremes: either they can protect absolutely nothing, or they can protect absolutely everything.
Clearly, these two fell into the former category.
They were formerly affiliate ninja attached to the Akimichi clan of Reito Castle, so assigning them to security work here was considered making the best use of their limited talents. After all, everyone knows that security guards are mostly there for appearances; it is "uncertain" whether they will actually be useful in a crisis.
Therefore, when Jionguri entered Kikyo Castle through the main gate, he only underwent a simple registration process before being allowed direct passage.
However, this did not mean he had successfully infiltrated with a swagger. The reality was quite the opposite.
Jionguri had previously investigated the general situation of Kikyo Castle and had prepared a justification for his arrival to appear as open and aboveboard as possible. I am here to import weapons; I am a guest here, so what is there to worry about?
After wandering around the city for a while, he immediately noticed some peculiarities. For instance, the ninja here actually accepted missions issued by commoners. It seemed a department had been specifically established to undertake tasks from the civilian populace. Honestly, wasn't this concept a bit too ahead of its time?
How much funding could one possibly earn from civilian missions?
Yet, perhaps it was precisely because of such measures that the ordinary residents of this city got along so harmoniously with the entrenched ninja forces—a rare phenomenon indeed. After all, no one could deny that shinobi and commoners typically lived in two different worlds.
These strange occurrences piqued Jionguri's curiosity. But just as he intended to continue observing the situation, he was suddenly approached by two local ninja.
His abnormal behavior had been detected before he even entered the city. Once inside Kikyo Castle, the Hotaru organization had originally intended to observe his objectives covertly, but they hadn't expected him to start sightseeing.
To prevent further intelligence from being exposed, the organization had no choice but to confront him. In truth, the moment Jionguri stepped into Kikyo Castle, he was already a turtle in a jar—trapped.
The Hotaru organization of today was not the same as it was a year ago.
A year ago, to deal with a ninja like Jionguri, Hane Genma would have had to go all out. But now?
Jionguri remained a powerful and highly threatening shinobi, but he was no longer an opponent that required the organization to exhaust all its strength to handle.
Jionguri was intercepted by Nara Hideyuki and Akimichi Chuyu. After the two politely invited him to the roadside, Nara Hideyuki spoke up:
"Friend, are you here to pick a fight, or are you here to buy goods?"
Unknowingly, Hideyuki was already standing in the same shadow as Jionguri. This was equivalent to hanging a butcher's knife over the man's neck.
To be honest, the secret techniques of the Nara clan were exceptionally suited for ambushing people. Under normal circumstances, no one would suspect that the shadow beneath their feet could become a lethal weapon. Letting a Nara clan ninja fight on the front lines of a battlefield was truly a waste of talent.
Jionguri narrowed his eyes slightly. For some reason, he felt a massive threat radiating from the ninja before him.
His intuition told him that this man was at least a shinobi of the same caliber as himself, perhaps even faintly superior in strength.
This is bad. The ninja entrenched here aren't the country bumpkins I expected... Jionguri felt like he had kicked an iron plate.
But this was also within reason. If the ninja here lacked strength, how could they have achieved the unification of an entire region?
Jionguri had originally harbored thoughts of finding trouble, but under the deterrence of powerful shinobi, he decided to temporarily change his class to "Small-Scale Merchant."
"I heard that this city is controlled by the Fuma clan, so I came to purchase some practical ninja tools," Jionguri said in a raspy voice.
Nara Hideyuki and Akimichi Chuyu exchanged a glance. He felt the man's statement was a bit too deliberate.
In the beginning, the Hotaru organization had indeed hidden within the shadow of the Fuma clan, operating under their name. But with continuous development, especially after absorbing the Akimichi clan, the organization couldn't hide even if it wanted to.
The surrounding factions all knew that the ninja power behind the River Country was a shinobi alliance called "Hotaru." This was intelligence that was easily obtained.
For the visitor to mention only the Fuma and not Hotaru seemed slightly forced, appearing somewhat self-defeating.
"The Fuma clan is indeed here. Please follow me; I will take you to the Fuma clan's workshop."
Nara Hideyuki treated the guest normally, adopting a cordial "two-on-one" service approach. Summer had not yet passed, and the sun overhead was harsh, so the group moved continuously within the shadows cast by the buildings. This was perfectly logical, wasn't it?
Jionguri followed silently behind Nara Hideyuki. By this time, he had realized he had been discovered long ago. The sensory capabilities in Kikyo Castle are strong and sharp.
This meant that unless he could achieve a one-hit kill, he could not act rashly.
Jionguri quietly observed the back of Nara Hideyuki's neck. Hideyuki walked ahead seemingly unaware, yet no one noticed that the surrounding shadows seemed to grow increasingly gloomy, as if they possessed a life of their own.
The journey seemed peaceful, but it was actually fraught with tension. Eventually, the trio arrived at the Fuma clan's territory.
Fuma Goro came out to receive Jionguri.
Nara Hideyuki continued to stare at the guest, while Akimichi Chuyu quietly withdrew.
After looking over the Fuma ninja tools, Jionguri seemed rather dissatisfied. He probed, "These are ordinary. Do you have any weapons of greater value?"
Fuma Goro assumed the man was a ninja who had heard certain rumors. He looked at Nara Hideyuki, and after seeing a slight nod from him, he said:
"We do, but you will need to exchange items of equal value."
After passing the initial experimental stage, the organization naturally no longer accepted cash for transactions involving the Jiongu (Earth Grudge Fear) secret technique; they only accepted bartering.
"I am prepared."
"Please follow me."
The three entered the "VIP Reception Room" in the back. When Jionguri saw the "meat sprouts"—the living flesh buds—he nearly popped his eyes out.
The secret technique had indeed been leaked.
He hadn't expected Jionguma's end to be so miserable. Not only was he dead, but he had even been turned into a "petri dish" by the enemy.
After reading the pamphlet handed over by Fuma Goro, Jionguri was absolutely convinced that the ninja here had mastered the secret technique... not through cultivation, but through transplantation.
Honestly, under these circumstances, he couldn't even blame the deceased Jionguma. The man hadn't leaked the technique voluntarily; the enemy had stolen it through special means.
He took a deep breath, pulled two scrolls from his chest, and said:
"Advanced Medical Ninjutsu from the Kuroki clan and Earth Style Ninjutsu from the Ishikawa clan. Are these two items sufficient in value?"
Fuma Goro took the scrolls, and after appraising them together with Nara Hideyuki, he immediately recognized their worth.
"Very fair. We can reach a deal. If you wish to transplant it immediately, there are precautions..."
"No need. Since the deal is made, can I take this thing with me directly?" Jionguri asked.
"Of course."
Fuma Goro agreed without a second thought. He assumed the other party just wanted to take the flesh buds back for research. That was fine—if they could actually figure it out, it would be a miracle.
Subsequently, Jionguri left with the flesh buds. Nara Hideyuki did not continue to follow him, but Yamanaka Kei kept him under surveillance until he was far away from the Kikyo Castle perimeter.
Once the man had left, Nara Hideyuki suddenly spoke:
"That person had multiple heartbeats. Although he concealed it well at first, he was distracted and revealed it when he saw the secret technique flesh buds."
Fuma Goro, who was satisfied with the transaction, was startled by Hideyuki's words and almost didn't react in time.
"Huh? You mean..."
"Yes. The Jiongu secret technique had to come from somewhere."
Indeed, they were bold enough to unknowingly sell the pirated goods directly to the legitimate copyright holder.
Hane Genma was temporarily unaware that his subordinates' business practices had become so wild. He led a team across the plains of what would later be the River Country, traveling all the way into the great desert.
The village of the Furui clan was easy to find; it was located in a small oasis on the edge of the desert.
It was certain that this was not the location of the future Sunagakure; the Hidden Sand Village should be in the center of the desert.
Under the gaze of several Furui clan ninja, Hane Genma and his group of four arrived at the village entrance.
"Never seen those forehead protectors before. Who are you people?"
"We are from the River Country to the east. We wish to meet your clan leader, Furui Reto." Hane Genma handed over a letter explaining their intentions.
Seeing that the group was there for a formal visit, the guards quickly reported the news. The letter soon reached the hands of Furui Reto.
After reading the letter, Reto immediately instructed his subordinates:
"Bring me the information we've collected recently regarding the River Country and that 'Hotaru' organization."
Unbeknownst to Hane Genma, some individuals with long-term vision were already paying attention to his organization.
Reto was no ordinary man; after all, he would later become the First Kazekage.
After reviewing the data, Reto fell into deep thought. Even without considering the prospects of this ninja alliance in the River Country, the matters mentioned in the letter alone were enough to tempt him. If the leader of the organization dared to come here personally, it showed he possessed significant courage and boldness.
He just wondered how strong they were.
"Let them come in... treat them normally and receive them well."
Hane Genma's group was led into the Furui clan's village. This act was essentially no different from entering an enemy's lair; needless to say, it carried a considerable degree of danger. If the ensuing negotiations did not go smoothly, Hane Genma and his team would have no retreat.
However, thinking rationally, the probability of an extreme situation was low. Even if Furui Reto was a ruthless man, as long as he was rational, there wouldn't be a major issue. Both sides shared consistent interests, and communication and cooperation were built precisely upon this consistency.
Of course, Hane Genma was not without a backup plan. Before coming here, he had gathered a massive amount of chakra. If things became impossible, he was prepared to unleash a large-scale biohazard upon this village.
Shortly after, Hane Genma met Reto. His first impression was that the man was seasoned, prudent, and far-sighted.
Hane Genma walked at the front. Nara Noriyuki and Akimichi Kigetsu followed on his right, while Lan walked alone on his left. She carried a long blade horizontally across her back, her presence alone occupying the space of three or four people—giving off a rather domineering vibe.
Hane Genma was just about to open his mouth to greet him, but at that moment, a cone-shaped "small mountain" composed of iron sand suddenly soared into the air. Immediately after, it smashed straight toward Hane Genma.
It was Magnet Release... The founder of Sunagakure knowing Magnet Release seemed like a perfectly normal thing.
"Careful."
Before Hane Genma could move, Lan had instantly surged past him. The long blade in her hand was already unsheathed. An extremely exaggerated high-frequency Lightning Release instantly dyed the blade a deep azure blue, which then transformed into a blazing, intense white.
What Lan held in her hand was not a sword, but light capable of severing everything.
A crisp sound of metal colliding rang out, subsequently turning into a sharp, piercing screech.
The sound of high-frequency vibration lingered in everyone's ears. Looking again at Reto's Magnet Release attack, it had been vertically sliced in two by Lan.
Such intense Lightning Release forced the central part of the unified iron blade, which had been held together by magnetism, to revert into iron sand.
It was unclear whether Lan actually understood physics or had subconsciously used Lightning Release, but in any case, electric energy demagnetizing magnetism was scientifically sound.
Boom!
The iron block, split in two, crashed onto the floor.
Seeing his attack dissolved by such forceful means, a trace of surprise flashed through Reto's eyes. He immediately restored his expression and did not continue the attack.
"Apologies. Just testing your strength. This is the foundation for our conversation."
"So, Lord Reto, was our performance acceptable?" Hane Genma asked.
Reto noticed a bit of steam lingering around Hane Genma's body. He nodded and said, "Friends from the Hotaru organization, welcome."
Hane Genma patted Lan on the shoulder, signaling that she could sheath her blade. It was a good thing he was quick-eyed and quick-handed; otherwise, he felt she might have just charged up to chop the man down.
Magnet Release, huh... Hane Genma thought to himself. No wonder Sasori of the Red Sand couldn't resist making a mistake. Magnet Release ninja really are top-quality materials for life-sized figures.
"You intend to purge the enemies surrounding the River Country?"
"Yes. As long as we can establish a friendly relationship with your side, we will launch military operations immediately. The Furui clan's strategic direction lies to the West, while our River Country's strategic direction lies to the East. There is no conflict of interest between us; on the contrary, we can become an aid to you."
"That sounds like a good proposal, but how can you guarantee you won't extend your reach to the West?"
"Looking at it realistically, we do not possess the strength to contend with the Furui clan. Cooperation aligns more with our interests than conflict."
"You can only say that you do not possess such strength temporarily. However, inferring your development prospects from your current trajectory, the future of your Hotaru organization is vastly broader than that of our Furui clan."
Contrary to Hane Genma's expectations, Reto did not underestimate the Hotaru organization. Instead, the importance and even vigilance he attached to them far exceeded Genma's predictions.
Is this... really necessary? Isn't he being a bit too precautionary?
Reto continued, "But that is a matter for the future. It will not affect our cooperation at this stage."
Hane Genma thought to himself, Why do you talk with such dramatic pauses?
Just a moment ago, his stomach acid had surged, and he had nearly started "vomiting" on a massive scale.
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