Time continued to pass, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had gone by, bringing the New Year ever closer.
According to reports from returning ninjas, the battle with Cloud Shinobi Village in the Land of Lightning was gradually nearing its end.
Meanwhile, Kaito Fujiwara continued living at his own pace.
Putting aside his undercover identity, he was actually enjoying his time in Konoha. Between eating and drinking, he spent his free time after school working at Uncle Ippongi's ninja tool shop, forging iron. During these moments, he took the opportunity to explore Konoha Village thoroughly.
Konoha was indeed the largest ninja village. Its population far exceeded that of Rain Shinobi Village, and its area was four or five times larger. This vast population base contributed to the overwhelming number of Konoha shinobi, supported by the village's favorable climate and fertile land.
Thinking of this, Kaito couldn't help but recall his old friend Shun, who was still in Rain Shinobi Village. A small smile crept onto his lips.
That guy, Shun, was probably enjoying himself with his two wives right now! Damn it, I should have introduced him to the plump widow selling orange soda at the entrance of Kabukicho.
Every time Kaito thought about Shun basking in the joys of multiple wives, he felt envious and a little jealous.
But more importantly, what about the letter he sent to Hanzō of the Salamander? It had been over six months, and still, there was no reply.
No, it's been too long. It's time for them to send someone to support me!
With that thought, Kaito sighed quietly, quickened his pace, and entered the classroom just before lessons began.
The dull school day passed quickly, and as always, school ended at 3:30 in the afternoon.
Kaito, still preoccupied with thoughts of Hanzō's delayed response, didn't linger. He waved goodbye to Jiraiya, who stayed behind for extra lessons, and headed straight for the school gate.
When he returned to Uncle Ippongi's house, Aunt Anzi was helping Rie practice her writing. As soon as she saw Kaito, Rie excitedly stretched out her arms.
Kaito chuckled, lifting his little sister and twirling her around. Anzi watched with a warm smile.
"Oh, right." Anzi suddenly remembered something and took a thin letter from the desk drawer. "Kaito-kun, there's a letter for you."
Kaito's heart tensed slightly.
Without a doubt, this letter had come from Rain Shinobi Village.
Maintaining a calm expression, Kaito balanced Rie with one arm and took the letter with the other, nodding in thanks.
"Thank you, Aunt Anzi."
"It's nothing," Anzi replied with a gentle smile.
Both Kaito and Anzi were well aware of each other's true identities. However, they continued their charade, keeping their expressions neutral.
Taking the letter, Kaito bid a polite farewell to Anzi and Rie before returning to his room.
After locking the door, he sat down, opened the letter, and read its contents.
It was a simple message, signed by a man named Yuwa. The letter stated that a four-man spy team had arrived outside Konoha and required Kaito to retrieve them.
Though the letter lacked details, Kaito could easily deduce the situation.
This so-called Rain Shinobi team—led by someone named Yuwa—had reached the outskirts of Konoha but had failed to infiltrate. Whether due to Konoha's tight security or their own incompetence, they had been forced to send word to Kaito for assistance.
"Hah... pathetic." Kaito frowned and tossed the letter onto the table.
"Brother, has someone come from your village?" Rie, who had learned quite a few words, glanced at the letter curiously.
Kaito's serious expression vanished, replaced by a warm smile as he ruffled Rie's hair.
"No, Rie~"
After reassuring her, Kaito dipped a brush into ink and wrote "one o'clock in the morning" on the envelope before heading out with Rie.
Meanwhile, hidden within the house, an Anbu wearing a dog mask silently emerged from the rafters, glanced at the letter, then disappeared just as quietly.
The Anbu had already examined the letter before it was delivered to Kaito.
Later that evening, Kaito returned home with Rie. Nothing in the room had changed—except for a small red circle in the lower right corner of the letter.
He smirked.
Konoha had approved his movements for one o'clock in the morning.
---
The village was silent, blanketed in the stillness of the night.
In his darkened room, Kaito's eyes snapped open. He rose, slipping into a black short-sleeved shirt and strapping on his shinobi bag. Silently, he stepped out into the cold night air.
Walking through Konoha's streets, Kaito's mind churned.
If the people Rain Shinobi sent were idiots, he would dispose of them on the spot. That would also demonstrate his value to the Anbu monitoring him.
If they turned out to be particularly cunning, he would help them "sneak into" Konoha. Either way, they would serve his plan.
From the moment he arrived in this world, Kaito had never underestimated anyone. The person he was most wary of was not the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, nor the future Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, but Hanzō of the Salamander.
Hanzō had kept Rain Shinobi Village afloat in an era of chaos. His intelligence and strategic acumen were formidable.
But even the most suspicious minds could be swayed with time. One trusted agent was suspicious. Two? Three? When a pattern repeated itself, even the most cautious individuals would start to relax their guard.
He wasn't interested in playing the role of a loyal strategist like Chen Gong. No, he aspired to be like Jia Xu—controlling the board from the shadows.
With these thoughts in mind, Kaito walked past Konoha's gates unchallenged and headed towards the meeting spot in the forest.
---
The moment he crossed a stream and entered the dense foliage, a kunai pressed coldly against his throat.
"Wandering around at night isn't safe, kid," a teasing voice sneered from the darkness.
Kaito paused, sighing internally. Disappointment filled him.
A late-night meeting with a seven-year-old wandering the woods? How careless. Even if they knew he was an agent, approaching so recklessly was foolish.
Still, he kept his expression calm.
"I am Kaito Fujiwara, seeking Yuwa."
The kunai didn't move. "Prove it."
"There's a Rain Shinobi forehead protector in my bag."
The shinobi opened Kaito's bag and retrieved the forehead protector.
"Alright," the shadowed figure muttered. But then, without warning, the kunai slashed across Kaito's upper arm.
A stinging pain. Blood seeped from the cut. "Sorry," the man said mockingly, "just making sure you're not using a Transformation Jutsu."
Kaito forced a smile. "Oh, very professional."
Inside, however, he was seething.
Damn idiot! I wore short sleeves on purpose to expose my forearms, yet you just had to cut the upper arm! These clothes cost 200 taels, you bastard!
As Kaito was dragged deeper into the forest, he came upon a hidden cave, where three other men sat around a campfire. At the center sat Yuwa.
"Kaito Fujiwara," Yuwa smirked. "I've heard plenty about you."
Kaito knew him. A former intelligence agent, Yuwa was among the few survivors from Rain Shinobi's intelligence unit collapse.
Yuwa leaned back, studying Kaito. Then, with a sneer, he said, "Alright, here's your job..."
But little did he know—he would never leave that cave alive.
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