Seeing this, Kurokawa Yasumasa wisely stopped delving into the topic and softened his tone.
"Elder Takahashi, I have found out. The reward money that the villagers raised is at most rated as C-rank in Konoha's mission system. According to Konoha's usual practice, such missions are usually only carried out by Genin, with at most one Chunin leading the team. These people have limited abilities and are not difficult to deal with, but they represent Konoha."
He deliberately slowed his speech to make his words sound more persuasive: "We don't need to clash with them and increase the risks. Since they want to complete their mission, let them complete their so-called mission. Afterwards, they will return to Konoha to report back, and everything will be none of our business."
Elder Takahashi remained silent for a moment in the shadows, then his hood shifted slightly, and a chilling voice rang out: "In that case, I must also be present when you meet with the ninja from Konoha."
Kurokawa Yasumasa frowned slightly, quickly weighed the options, and nodded in agreement: "Alright, you will act as my butler and stand by my side, but you must not make any rash moves! Everything will be done according to my plan."
"The end times are coming; we must turn to our god, whose son has come to earth to bless all living beings."
Elder Takahashi didn't speak, but simply murmured a religious mantra before his figure slowly blended into the shadows behind him and disappeared.
The secret room returned to silence.
Kurokawa Yasumasa's lips curled into an undisguised sneer.
A bunch of brainwashed idiots!
He had indeed read the so-called holy gospel, like any other cult texts filled with superstition, it was rife with pronouncements such as the end times will come in a few decades and only by devoutly believing in the true God and welcoming the birth of the holy son, so that our God may truly appear in the world, can believers be led through the catastrophe and into the new world.
Decades later, will the end of the world come?
That's utter nonsense!
Even if there's a tiny bit of truth in that nonsense, what kind of bullshit doomsday will actually happen in a few decades?
Who cares? His body, ravaged by illness day and night, might not even last two years.
Catastrophe? A new era? What does it have to do with him?
The reason he tacitly allowed the church to operate here, and even reluctantly became one of them, is quite pragmatic: What they gave him, that blood-red liquid supposedly a gift from the holy son, could indeed suppress the excruciating pain of bone cancer that made him wish he were dead and slow the progression of his condition.
And... the faintest, most elusive hope deep in my heart that this terminal illness might truly be cured.
.......
Three days later, in the northeastern part of the Land of Fire, at the edge of a dense forest near the border.
Two figures emerged one after the other, stepping out onto the soft, humus-covered soil of the forest.
Suddenly, a clearing opened up before them, revealing a gently sloping hilly area, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and the outlines of fields visible in the distance.
"Narumi Town is just ahead."
Kosuke Maruboshi, who was walking ahead, stopped and introduced the town in a calm tone.
"This place is located on the northeastern edge of the Land of Fire. The climate is a bit cooler than Konoha. There are many mountains and forests. The farmland is not very fertile, but the mineral and timber resources are quite good. The local people are a bit more rugged than those in the inland areas, after all, it is close to the border."
He turned to the side so that Shinichi could see ahead more clearly, and continued, "Go northeast from Narumi Town, and cross that not-so-high border mountain range, and you'll reach the Land of Hot Water. It's a very interesting country with beautiful scenery, especially hot springs that are found all over the country. It's known as the land of health and wellness, and even the country's name comes from it. Many nobles and wealthy merchants like to go there for health and wellness vacations."
Along the way, Kosuke Maruboshi did not simply teach Shinichi essential ninja skills such as mission reconnaissance, trace identification, and wilderness survival.
Whenever he passed through a place, he would recount its geographical features, customs, and even some anecdotes in great detail, as if he knew them intimately.
These seemingly trivial pieces of knowledge are actually the most intuitive understanding of the Shinobi World accumulated by an experienced old ninja, which is now being passed on to the young man behind him without reservation, subtly broadening his horizons.
Shinichi followed his gaze and looked towards the distant border mountains shrouded in mist.
The Land of Hot Water…
That place was not only a source of inspiration for Jiraiya but, in the original timeline, also seems to be the birthplace of Hidan, a future member of the Akatsuki organization.
A guy who worships an evil god, possesses an immortal body, and has bizarre curse techniques.
However, based on the timeline, Hidan shouldn't have been born yet.
The origins of the evil cult and the evil God he mentioned are unknown.
Shinichi withdrew his gaze from the distance and brought his thoughts back to the present.
"Senior, after we arrive, should we go to see the client first, or go to the police station in Narumi Town to exchange information with the local guards?"
Kosuke Maruboshi pondered for a moment before speaking, "The clients are scattered in several villages outside the city, while the police station is inside the town. Since it's on the way, let's go into the town first. Official records and details of on-site investigations are sometimes clearer than anxious villagers' accounts, and it will save us from having to make another trip."
Without further delay, the two quickened their pace and soon arrived at the entrance to Narumi Town.
The walls of this border town are not very high, but the guards are quite strict.
Kosuke Maruboshi stepped forward and calmly presented Konoha's mission credentials.
After carefully inspecting the two men's headbands, the captain of the foot soldiers guarding the gate turned and whispered a few words to one of his subordinates. Then he politely said to the two men, "You two must be the ninjas from Konoha who have come to investigate the case of the missing children. The magistrate of the town has instructed that when you arrive, you must come to the mansion for a chat. Please follow me."
Kosuke Maruboshi and Shinichi quickly exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.
Konoha indeed holds a superior position in the Land of Fire, and the Hokage is nominally the supreme military commander of the Land of Fire.
However, when it comes to local affairs, especially investigations involving civil cases, there is no clear hierarchical relationship between Konoha ninjas and local administrative officials.
The usual procedure is for ninjas to directly contact the person who commissioned the mission or to cooperate with local law enforcement agencies in intelligence gathering.
Local officials rarely intervene directly or proactively unless the case involves a very high level of authority.
Moreover, the two of them were only Genin.
For a magistrate who governs an entire town and holds a high position, to invite two low-ranking ninjas to his residence so quickly and solemnly seems, in terms of both manners and reason, somewhat... excessively courteous.
Their original plan was simply to go to the police station, review the case files, question the officers in charge, obtain preliminary official leads, and then leave.
"Thank you for leading the way."
Kosuke Maruboshi gave a calm, even somewhat simple, smile, as if he were just an ordinary old ninja who had accepted a kind invitation, showing no sign of anything unusual.
He turned slightly to the side, gesturing for Shinichi to follow.
Shinichi nodded silently and followed half a step behind Kosuke Maruboshi. The two followed the guards and walked steadily through the city gate, heading towards the most conspicuous mansion in the town.