After reporting to Nara Shikashin, Namikaze Minato and his two companions lingered at the rear of the delegation. The moment the diplomatic mission crossed the border into the Land of Rain, the trio detached like a lizard shedding its tail, vanishing toward the northwest according to their map.
Aburame Shikuro, who had been keeping a close eye on Minato's movements, felt his heart tighten.
'As expected. Lord Danzo was right.'
But just as he prepared to quietly slip away from the delegation to maintain his tail on Minato, a voice called him back.
"Aburame Shikuro. Lord Shikashin has requested your presence for a briefing."
Near the northern border of the Land of Rain, four ninjas clad in the dark teal raincoats common to the region were sprinting southward.
To a casual observer, they looked like an ordinary Amegakure squad rushing home to rest after a completed mission. However, their silent, disciplined, almost mechanical coordination betrayed their true identity.
To combat the combined might of Konoha and Suna, Hanzo had long since drafted every capable shinobi into the heart of the country, leaving only the elderly and the infirm to guard the borders. The ninjas currently on the move were clearly elite—far too skilled to be part of the local dregs.
Given their point of entry, their true origin was obvious.
Iwagakure.
"Break," the leader commanded.
Even an elite squad required rest, especially in the unfamiliar and treacherous terrain of the Land of Rain, where a sudden ambush could occur at any moment. Seeing that it was already noon, the four halted and climbed into the canopy of a nearby umbrella tree. They sought shelter from the perpetual downpour while using soldier pills to replenish their stamina and chakra.
The leader, finally pulling back the hood of his raincoat to reveal his face, was none other than the Iwa Jonin, Fumikawa. It was he who had proposed the plan to assassinate Nawaki to incite a conflict between Ame and Konoha, buying Iwa the time it needed to mobilize.
He was efficient. Having proposed the plan only yesterday, he had already handpicked three Anbu elites and crossed the border by morning.
However, despite his speed and outward confidence, Fumikawa was currently finding the situation incredibly thorny.
The latest intel from their sleeper agents indicated that their target, Senju Nawaki, was currently under the protection of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. If they wanted to successfully assassinate the boy, they would first have to deal with the "Toad Sage."
A man's reputation precedes him like a tree's shadow.
The Sannin had become legends a year ago, and their recent feat—crushing the Suna main camp, killing General Parashia, and driving the Sand out of the country—had only added to their mythos. While Fumikawa had brought three fellow Jonin, making a four-on-one fight against Jiraiya theoretically winnable, breaking through the Sannin's guard to kill a protected target was another matter entirely.
Furthermore, even if they disregarded their own lives to kill Nawaki, they wouldn't be able to retreat unscathed. They would likely leave at least one body behind.
If that happened, their identity as Iwa shinobi would be exposed immediately. Not only would they fail to sow discord, but the threat of Iwa would also likely push Amegakure to double down on its alliance with Konoha. Iwa would then face a two-on-one war before they were even ready.
But Fumikawa was in a "ride the tiger" situation. Onoki had already issued the mobilization orders based on his suggestion. If he dared to turn back now, Onoki would likely use Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World to turn him into inorganic dust on the spot.
'I'll just have to play it by ear.'
"Are we finally heading back to the village?"
Inside the house belonging to Yahiko and his friends, Nawaki stared at the slug that had suddenly appeared with the latest news. He felt a strange sense of surrealism.
Ever since being rescued, he had known that his goal of returning home alive was within reach, but now that the day was actually here, he felt a sudden, unexpected wave of anxiety.
"The weather in the Land of Rain really isn't suitable for Big Brother Dan's recovery," Hatani remarked, sounding far more casual.
"To be honest, I'm sick of the rain myself. I can't wait to see the sun again."
He wasn't just being dramatic. As someone who wasn't born in this perpetually weeping country, the climate was starting to grate on his nerves. The only thing that had made the stay tolerable was "milking" Jiraiya for all the Wind Style knowledge he could offer.
But now, the well was running dry. He had already secured all the Wind Style techniques Jiraiya possessed. The rest would require him to meditate on the essence of the wind himself to further evolve his Windranger traits.
For instance, he still hadn't found a solution for his "Focus Fire" project based on the Vacuum Sphere.
While Jiraiya possessed other mouth-watering techniques—like his hair-based Needle Jizo or Wild Lion's Mane—they didn't hold much appeal for Hatani. For someone with a DOTA system, the system's growth was always the top priority.
Right now, his priority was returning to the village and taking on missions to see if he could farm more gold.
Through his tireless efforts (and constant Shadow Clone spamming), the cost to unlock Phantom Lancer had dropped to 1,600 gold. Combined with the nearly 600 gold he already had, he only needed another 1,000 to unlock his second hero.
Furthermore, the price drop for Phantom Lancer had given him a major spark of inspiration.
If a jutsu like Shadow Clone, which mirrored Phantom Lancer's abilities, could reduce the unlock cost, then surely other ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu could do the same for related heroes.
Take Juggernaut, who was next in the queue.
As a master of the blade, would Hatani's own achievement in Kenjutsu reduce the gold needed to unlock him?
As the saying goes: Eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot.
Greed is a universal human trait, and Hatani was no exception. If there were no opportunity, he wouldn't obsess over it, but the chance was staring him in the face.
Jiraiya's swordsmanship was mediocre at best, but Konoha was home to several masters of the blade.
The Gekko clan's private techniques were off-limits to an outsider, and Sakumo Hatake was a living legend who was too high-profile to approach easily. However, there was another man in the village—unassuming, nameless, yet possessor of a formidable blade.
The Eternal Genin, Maruboshi Kosuke.
Once he returned to the village, Hatani could find a way to get on Kosuke's good side. He didn't expect the man to teach him his ultimate move, Konoha-Style: Willow, but even learning some fundamental Kenjutsu would be a massive gain.
Besides, Hatani had technically saved Nawaki's life. With that merit, combined with his status as a student of the Hokage's faction, asking to learn basic Konoha-Style Kenjutsu was a small request. Given Hiruzen's habit of favoring "his people," he likely wouldn't refuse.
With a bit of effort, he could probably shave at least 500 gold off Juggernaut's price.
By then, with Wind Style, Kenjutsu, and Phantom Lancer's masterful use of illusions, he would finally be a force to be reckoned with in the Hidden Leaf.