"Please take care..."
Jiraiya bowed and nodded as he watched the Great Toad Sage dissipate into smoke, then turned angrily to shout at Akihara Kagura: "Kid, don't summon the Great Toad Sage anymore! If this keeps up, they'll scold me to death!"
"From the results, summoning the Great Toad Sage is the best choice."
Akihara Kagura, always result-oriented, explained: "Among the frogs of Mount Myoboku, my relationship with it is quite good, and it responded to my summoning, helping me pass Jiraiya-sensei's test."
"..."
Jiraiya really didn't know how to refute.
"Let's go."
Jiraiya weakly called for his disciple to follow.
"Yes."
Akihara Kagura nodded, looking at his gains.
[System Message]: [Skillfully use your Summoned Beast to infiltrate The Hidden Rain Village without alerting anyone. Task completed, reward: Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulated Jutsu.]
[Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulated Jutsu (hides in one's shadow and manipulates their actions, its concealment far surpasses other Shadow Possession Jutsu)]
It's a support-type jutsu.
Its powerful effect lies in being able to hide in shadows and control a person, a desperately sought-after infiltration jutsu for any ninja.
"Let's first gather some information in the village."
Jiraiya took out money and directly bought two raincoats, first helping Akihara Kagura put on a small one, then putting the hood over the little guy's head.
"Wear the hood properly, don't catch a cold."
"..."
Akihara Kagura silently didn't reply, only helping his teacher put on a large raincoat, also tiptoeing to place the hood over his head.
Jiraiya, watching his hardworking disciple, couldn't help but smile, softly saying: "Let's buy some food first and see if we can find out anything from the ordinary villagers..."
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion echoed through the street!
The civilians on the streets scattered in fright from the explosion!
A group of Hidden Rain Ninja immediately swarmed, killing the ninja who caused the explosion on the spot, a Rain forehead protector falling into the blood-mixed mud.
After killing, the Hidden Rain Ninja instantly started hunting for the ninja's accomplices, even two slow civilians were taken out with shuriken.
"What is this..."
Jiraiya couldn't help but frown.
"It's like this every day."
An old woman shopkeeper, seemingly indifferent to life and death, sat motionless in her shop watching the distant Hidden Rain Ninja, her eyes showing a hint of despair.
"Every day someone wants to rebel..."
"Every day someone dies from inexplicable fighting..."
"Every day someone is killed by them as an accomplice..."
"When will this war end... Doesn't matter who wins... Just when will it end... Isn't the village's leader known as the Ninja Demigod?"
"..."
A group of searching Hidden Rain Ninja was already approaching.
Jiraiya placed his hand on Akihara Kagura's shoulder, leading his disciple into a small alley since, as unfamiliar faces, they were likely to be mistaken as cohorts by the Hidden Rain Ninja.
"Let's go."
Jiraiya's expression was clearly a bit despondent.
Even though Jiraiya had roamed the Ninja World for years and seen much suffering, he still felt uneasy seeing this.
However...
Due to identity, due to strength.
Jiraiya had no way to help.
"Continue gathering intelligence."
Jiraiya glanced at The Hidden Rain Village's environment, called out: "Let's capture two Hidden Rain Village ninja, get information from them, and compare the truths..."
After saying this, Jiraiya led the way, searching for lone ninja in The Hidden Rain Village while educating his disciple: "If you're outside, and only through interrogation can you gather enemy intelligence, you have to capture more than two people to verify the truth..."
"Understood."
Akihara Kagura nodded.
Jiraiya truly bore the responsibility of an Instructor Jonin, teaching Kagura these everyday ninja basics, leaving nothing unmentioned.
Of course.
Jiraiya actually had a simpler method.
Such as summoning a miraculous frog from Mount Myoboku to disguise itself as a shop, luring Hidden Rain Ninja inside.
But...
Jiraiya worried about Akihara Kagura summoning the Great Toad Sage.
Just in time.
The Hidden Rain Village had a patrol with only two people.
Akihara Kagura and Jiraiya leaped forward, simultaneously taking down the two Hidden Rain Ninja, restraining their throats!
"Make sure to question them separately."
Jiraiya indicated for Akihara Kagura to take the other captive to another area, then began questioning his own: "Do you know the Akatsuki Organization? What's the relationship between Salamander Hanzo and the Akatsuki Organization? If what your teammate says doesn't match yours, you might not survive..."
"Akatsuki... is Lord Hanzo's enemy."
This Hidden Rain Ninja was also straightforward, spilling everything: "Those guys are gathering forces to challenge Lord Hanzo's rule, we're searching everywhere for Akatsuki members..."
The entire Hidden Rain Village knew about the adversarial relationship between Salamander Hanzo and Akatsuki, aware that the organization was gathering forces, stirring up rebellion and civil war in the Land of Rain.
The two Hidden Rain Ninja's statements were consistent.
Jiraiya felt a bit puzzled, frowning deeply: "The Akatsuki Organization... isn't led by Salamander Hanzo?"