Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
Under the moonlight, a figure moved swiftly through the forest.
Not knowing how long had passed, she finally halted atop an unremarkable tree.
First, she scanned the area cautiously. Then, expertly retrieving a scroll from a concealed tree hollow, she unfurled it beneath the moon's glow.
The scroll contained only two brief sentences:
Mission at Iwagakure completed.
Proceed immediately to the Land of Rain.
After reading, she set the scroll alight and watched it burn to ashes.
"Finally time to leave."
"But when will I ever go back?"
She whispered softly, then raised her gaze toward the southeast—the direction of Konoha.
Once the ashes scattered, she composed herself before turning away.
Her residence was far from town, chosen for easy escape.
It was a modest apartment building; at night, not a single streetlamp glowed nearby.
As the key turned, the door opened.
A card fluttered to the floor. Nonou picked it up before stepping inside.
Once the light switched on, the interior became fully visible.
Aside from essential furniture, the place was sparsely furnished.
Nonou removed her combat uniform, revealing her toned frame.
Her light brown hair now extended far past her shoulders, her delicate features more refined—more striking than ever.
Collapsing onto the tatami mat, Nonou closed her eyes, letting her thoughts fade.
This was her favorite part of the day.
About fifteen minutes later, she slowly sat upright.
She rubbed her face, thinking about how to slip away next.
"Let's hope Rain Country is the last stop."
Nonou didn't know what kind of mission awaited her there—but for now, going was her only choice.
This wasn't her first escape from a ninja village. She soon formulated a rough plan.
Still, this time demanded extra caution. After all, Iwagakure's strength couldn't be compared with smaller villages.
Standing up, she opened the wardrobe intending to pack some clothes, but thought better of it.
Everything needed to stay exactly as it was.
The next morning, Nonou met up with her squad like normal.
To avoid suspicion, she posed as a regular Chunin.
Hardly had the team assembled when their Jonin captain arrived, looking grim.
"Captain, why do you look so serious today?"
As the only woman on the team, Nonou got preferential treatment.
"Don't ask. We got chewed out again."
"Why are we involved in catching spies anyway?"
Their captain, needing someone to vent to, eagerly seized the opportunity.
"The Intelligence Division can't handle it themselves, and they say we're not diligent enough during patrols."
"That's why enemy spies got a chance."
"Isn't that just passing the blame?"
Gesturing while speaking, the captain clearly felt deeply annoyed.
"That's pushing it too far."
"So then?" Nonou played along, though inwardly she remained vigilant.
"Then the Tsuchikage flew into a rage."
"We poor bastards now have to work with the Intelligence Division until the Tsuchikage is appeased."
The captain rubbed his forehead. If even the professionals couldn't find her, where did they stand a chance?
"Do we have any leads at all?"
"We can't just run around like headless chickens, right?"
Nonou asked casually, secretly hoping to gather some intel.
Iwagakure had other spies besides her.
"Clues?"
"If only there were some."
At this point, the captain was getting more worked up by the second.
"That damn Intelligence Division."
"They say she's a female spy who's bounced between multiple villages already."
"She might be here in Iwagakure right now."
"They call her the Roaming Miko."
"Don't even ask about her looks—no one knows her height, face, or anything."
"At least we know she's a woman, though."
The captain let out a bitter laugh after saying that.
With barely any info, they still had the nerve to call that a clue.
I sure do appreciate it, you absolute legends.
"Now that's something."
Hearing this, the other two squad members couldn't help but speak up.
This was like looking for a needle in a damn ocean.
"Don't get mad, Captain. We'll follow orders."
"Whether we find her or not is just up to fate."
Nonou comforted the captain while inwardly sighing in relief.
Tracking her down wouldn't be simple.
"Alright, alright."
"Let's just walk around for now."
Clearly, the captain didn't expect their squad to locate the spy. He was going through the motions.
He probably never would've guessed it—the Roaming Miko was hiding right under his nose.
Under the captain's lead, the four dashed from one end of the village to the other.
Everyone looked completely ordinary; there wasn't a single lead to follow.
"This running around isn't helping."
"Has anything suspicious happened lately?"
Chewing on a blade of grass, the captain lazily squatted atop a small stone.
"My neighbor's old lady's daughter-in-law popped out eight kids at once."
"Count that as suspicious?"
This squad member was clearly a joker, cracking jokes now that the captain's mood seemed lighter.
"Pfft, is she a freaking pig or what?"
The captain threw the grass he was chewing toward him. Not a single trustworthy person on this team.
"With no direction at all, where exactly are we supposed to look?"
Dodging the grass thrown by the captain, the teammate began complaining.
Searching aimlessly like this was unbearably boring.
[This Chapter Isn't Over Yet]!
"Forget it. You're all dismissed."
Looking at the setting sun, the captain felt too lazy to keep searching.
It was only the first day, after all—plenty of time left.
Besides, they weren't the only squad loafing around.
"Got it. See you tomorrow."
As soon as Nonou heard the order to disband, she took off faster than a rabbit.
Right then, she had already devised a meticulous escape plan.
Several days passed, and Nonou's team continued returning empty-handed.
Of course, the same went for the other teams.
Ōnoki had lost his temper countless times, but all to no avail.
A week flew by, and Nonou completed her thorough preparations.
That night, Nonou shut her bedroom door without a moment's hesitation or regret.
It was time to vanish.
Following the previously scouted route, Nonou safely exited Iwagakure.
She then hurried toward the Land of Rain.
The next day, she still hadn't arrived at the meeting point. It was only then that the team captain realized something was off. Soon after, multiple teams reported missing ninjas.
This had truly kicked over a hornet's nest.
After Grand Elder Ōnoki flew into a rage, the entire Iwagakure was placed under martial law.
After careful searching, the Iwagakure ninjas came to a grim conclusion.
The missing ninjas were all dead—but some bodies couldn't be found.
Nonou was among them.
And the one responsible for the massacre was none other than the Roaming Miko.
From the faint clues left behind by Nonou, they were forced to accept the fact that the Roaming Miko had already left Iwagakure.
When this report reached Ōnoki's ears, he became furious—so angry, in fact,
he nearly beat the messenger within an inch of his life.
Finally, Ōnoki declared they would spare no expense to apprehend the Roaming Miko.
While all of Iwagakure's attention and energy focused on Nonou, the other spies were able to remain undetected.
This was the greatest contribution Nonou made through her sacrifice.
Making her way down the road to the Land of Rain, she felt like a bird soaring freely in the open sky.
...
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