Chapter 301: Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Suspicions【9k】
【PS: Please vote with your monthly tickets】
Konohagakure, main gate.
A dusty, slightly disheveled team slowly passed through the massive wooden gate.
At the core of the team was not a Konoha Ninja, but a luxuriously decorated noble horse carriage pulled by four steeds.
Around the horse carriage, Konoha Ninjas wearing green vests mixed with Root Ninjas in combat uniforms and animal masks, forming a tight guard circle, but the atmosphere was unusually oppressive and somber.
The horse carriage curtain was suddenly pulled open, revealing the sharp face of a middle-aged man twisted with anger and anxiety.
He was wearing the ornate robes symbolizing the Land of Wind’s Daimyo, but now the robes were stained with dust, and his hair was somewhat disheveled. He was the Land of Wind’s Daimyo, Sato Masaki, who had fled here.
He incessantly complained to the mounted guards outside the window, his voice shrill and piercing:
“Useless! All of you are useless! Every year, I spend so much gold, silver, grain, and supplies to support the entire Sand Village with tens of thousands of people and two thousand Ninjas! And what happened?! Not even seven days! They didn’t hold out for even seven days! They were completely annihilated by that Land of Stars that came out of nowhere! That idiot Rasa! And that old hag Chiyo! They’ve completely disgraced the Five Great Nations!”
His complaints continued nonstop. Ever since entering the Land of Fire and confirming safety, this pampered Daimyo seemed to have transformed all his fear and lingering dread into incessant anger and accusations, annoying the Konoha Ninjas guarding him to no end, yet they had to endure it.
Beside the horse carriage, two people were riding side by side.
One was Shimura Danzō. He leaned on a cane, his single eye slightly narrowed, his face expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard the Daimyo’s complaints, but the chilling aura emanating from him made those nearby feel uncomfortable.
The other was Kakashi Hatake wearing a mask. His exposed dead-fish eye looked listless, but upon closer inspection, one could see a deep fatigue and helplessness hidden within.
At the rear of the team, Might Guy sidled up to Kakashi, lowering his voice with a rare look of irritation on his face: “Kakashi, how long is this Daimyo Your Excellency going to keep complaining? All along the way, he’s either complaining about poor accommodations or food not suiting his taste, and he even demanded we find him a hot spring to bathe in… We’re on a guard mission, not serving some noble master on a tour!”
On the other side, Yamato wearing an Anbu mask vigilantly scanned the surroundings. His squad and Danzō’s Root Ninjas appeared to be coordinating the guard duty, but in reality, they kept a clear divide, maintaining a subtle distance and wariness from each other.
Danzō seemed deaf to the Daimyo’s words, and occasionally even turned his head to soothe Sato Masaki in the horse carriage: “Daimyo Your Excellency, please calm your anger. Travel fatigue is taxing; take care of your health. Once we reach Konoha, everything will be fine.”
His tone was flat, without much sincerity, more like completing a necessary procedure.
Danzō thought coldly to himself that this Daimyo, having lost his country and army, now had his greatest value in the gold, silver, and fine items he carried with him.
But fleeing in haste, how much could he have brought?
In a few years, he would exhaust his reserves without tax revenue, and the Land of Fire’s Daimyo and greedy nobles would have plenty of ways to squeeze the last drop of oil from this fallen relative.
Finally, the team arrived at the luxurious post station arranged for the Land of Wind’s Daimyo and his group.
With attendants helping him down from the horse carriage, Sato Masaki continued to grumble, declaring he would immediately go pay respects to the Land of Fire’s Daimyo, “I must make Konoha dispatch their most elite troops to exterminate those damned Star Ninjas! Reclaim my territory!”
Danzō watched him enter the post station with an expressionless face, then slowly turned to Kakashi: “Kakashi Captain, come with me to the Hokage’s Office to report the mission. This operation needs to be explained in detail to the Third Hokage.”
Kakashi nodded: “Yes, Lord Danzō.”
He turned to command his subordinates: “Yamato, lead the Anbu squad to assist with post station defense and ensure the safety of the Land of Wind’s Daimyo and his group. Guy, lead the other team members to escort the wounded to the hospital and properly settle them.”
“Yes!” Yamato and Guy responded in unison, the latter flashing a thumbs-up with a grin of shining white teeth: “Leave it to me!”
This support mission was a thorough failure.
When they urgently rushed to aid Sand Village in the Land of Wind, they received the devastating news that Sand Village’s main force had been completely annihilated and the Kazekage captured.
What followed was the invading Star Ninja army storming into Sand Village!
Faced with the Land of Stars’ ninja legions at the height of their momentum, unstoppable like a hot knife through butter, Danzō and Kakashi were powerless to turn the tide and could only decisively retreat. On the way evacuating the Land of Wind, they rescued the fleeing Land of Wind’s Daimyo and some of his family and retainers, escorting them all the way back to Konoha.
There were no major personnel losses, but morale had suffered a heavy blow.
Inside the Hokage’s Office.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind the large desk, puffs of blue smoke rising from his pipe.
Advisors Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sat on either side, their faces equally grim.
Danzō and Kakashi stood in the center of the office, respectively reporting the detailed events of the mission and what they had seen and heard.
From the shocking defeat news upon arriving at Sand Village, to encountering Hizashi Hyuga leading the Land of Stars’ main force storming into Sand Village, a brief clash with them, then fighting and withdrawing while encountering the fleeing Land of Wind’s Daimyo, and the observations during the escort.
After hearing the report, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long puff of smoke, his voice heavy with fatigue: “Your decision to retreat was correct. The situation at the time was truly beyond saving. Forcing intervention would only drag Konoha into the quagmire of war.”
He picked up an encrypted file from the desk and handed it to Danzō: “This is the latest intelligence just received. The Land of Earth side… has also been defeated. Third Tsuchikage Onoki has personally gone to the Star Capital to sign a ceasefire agreement. The Land of Earth has ceded a vast territory of five eastern provinces and made huge concessions in politics, economy, military, and more… Essentially, it has become a vassal state of the Land of Stars.”
“What?! That old fox Onoki too…” Danzō took the file and quickly scanned it, a flash of incredulous shock in his single eye.
That cunning, stubborn-as-rock Onoki had actually been forced to sign such a humiliating treaty?!
Just how terrifying was the strength of the Land of Stars?!
Homura Mitokado added sharply: “After annexing the Land of Wind, the Land of Stars’ strength and territory have greatly expanded, and now it has forced the Land of Earth into submission… Its rise is unstoppable! We must quickly come up with countermeasures, or the balance of the entire Ninja World will be completely shattered!”
Koharu Utatane adjusted her glasses and analyzed calmly: “But the current external environment is not favorable to us. The Land of Lightning’s Cloud Village is far away in the northeast of the Ninja Continent, too distant from the Land of Stars. The Land of Water’s Kirigakure has been in self-imposed isolation since Fourth Mizukage Yagura took power, with the Bloody Mist Policy causing internal chaos, making it unreliable. Forming alliances with other great nations to contain the Land of Stars lacks sufficient opportunities and common interests.”
“Unless… like the previous Ninja Wars, we find an opportunity to ignite contradictions across the Ninja World and plunge the situation back into chaos.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s brows furrowed deeper.
The Land of Stars’ power lay not only in its military might, but in the “Star Will” behind it—a system starkly different from traditional great nations, filled with dangerously seductive appeal.
The ideology of overthrowing nobles, equally sharing resources, and developing through technology and systems held fatal attraction for long-oppressed commoners and low-ranking Ninjas.
This was the true thing shaking the foundations of the great nations’ rule!
“First, properly settle the Land of Wind’s Daimyo and his group, and quickly communicate with the Land of Fire’s Daimyo’s Mansion to probe their stance.” Hiruzen Sarutobi finally issued instructions: “Homura, Koharu, handle this matter yourselves. Danzō, have your Root continue intensifying intelligence infiltration into the Land of Stars. I need more information on their internal structure, technology sources, and real intelligence on that ‘Shura’.”
“Yes.” The three responded in unison.
Danzō, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane left the office first.
As Danzō passed by Kakashi, his single eye gave him a meaningful glance.
Only Hiruzen and Kakashi remained in the office.
The atmosphere became even more subtle and heavy.
Hiruzen set down his pipe, leaned slightly forward, and looked sharply at Kakashi, lowering his voice: “Kakashi, regarding the secret mission I assigned you before… the investigation into the ‘Ten-Tails’ appearing in the Sea of Death and that abnormal ‘Nine-Tails’, any progress?”
Kakashi’s expression tightened, and he respectfully replied: “Yes, Third Hokage. Based on intelligence risked by our spy embedded in Sand Village, combined with information from some routed Sand Ninjas, we can basically confirm that the direct trigger for the war between Sand Village and the Land of Stars was Fourth Kazekage Rasa discovering what seemed to be a ‘Nine-Tails’ and an abnormally massive ‘Ten-Tails’ in the depths of the Sea of Death.”
“Rasa tried to capture them but was intercepted and attacked by Shura, and the One-Tails Jinchūriki was taken by the opponent, sparking full-scale war.”
He paused, then took out several specially processed, somewhat blurry black-and-white photographs from his bosom.
“Due to the harsh environment and remoteness of the Sea of Death, we couldn’t dispatch squads for deep reconnaissance. These are images captured from a distance by Sand Anbu during initial scouting—the most direct evidence we have.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi solemnly took the photos and examined them closely.
The photos were taken from an extreme distance, the images rough and noisy, but two suffocatingly massive silhouettes were still discernible!
One monster was unimaginably huge, estimated over five hundred meters tall!
It lay sprawled in the sand sea, its form indistinct, but ten serpent-like tails could be vaguely seen thrashing wildly in the air, exuding a violent, soul-shaking aura!
That was the legendary Ten-Tails?!
The other figure, though relatively “petite,” was still about a hundred meters tall, its form clearly identifiable!
It was unmistakably a ferocious demon fox!
Nine massive tails blazed and swayed like flames behind it!
Its oppressive presence was heart-palpitating even through the blurry photo!
But this Ten-Tails’ size and chakra were far beyond any records Hiruzen knew!
In the photo’s background, some ant-like tiny Sand Village ninja troops could be seen, further accentuating the terror of these two Tails!
Kakashi added: “According to intelligence, Fourth Kazekage Rasa deployed the One-Tails Jinchūriki to confront it but was utterly defeated. The One-Tails was taken, Ebizo and others died in battle, leading to the subsequent war.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face darkened as he slowly set down the photos, looking profoundly at Kakashi: “Kakashi, you should be aware that the Nine-Tails… has always been sealed inside Naruto.”
Kakashi nodded: “Yes.”
As the Fourth Hokage’s disciple, former Anbu Squad Leader, and current Anbu Commander, Kakashi naturally knew Naruto’s true situation.
Hiruzen’s voice grew even lower: “But there’s one point very few know.”
“When the Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tails, he didn’t seal the complete Nine-Tails into Naruto. Using the Reaper Death Seal, he split the Nine-Tails’ chakra in half: one half sealed into himself, devoured by the Shinigami along with the caster; the other half sealed into the newborn Naruto. So, the Nine-Tails in Naruto is actually only half.”
Kakashi’s heart skipped a beat as he instantly grasped Hiruzen’s hint: “You mean… the Nine-Tails in the photo… very likely…”
“Mm.” Hiruzen nodded heavily, stood, and walked to the window, gazing at the peaceful Konohagakure outside.
“The Nine-Tails in Naruto shows no abnormal reaction. The only explanation is that the Land of Stars’ Shura somehow obtained the half belonging to Minato that was sealed in the Shinigami! As for that ‘Ten-Tails’… I’ve scoured the Book of Seals and all ancient texts, finding no definite records. Its very existence is a huge mystery.”
He turned, staring at Kakashi: “What unsettles me most is that Shura seems to have extraordinary knowledge of our Konoha. How did he locate the Reaper Death Seal and unravel that ultimate Sealing Jutsu? What is his true purpose?”
The office fell into dead silence.
Moments later, Hiruzen seemed to steel his resolve. He walked to Kakashi, his expression gravely serious: “Kakashi, I have an extremely important and dangerous mission that requires you to handle personally.”
Kakashi knelt on one knee: “Please give your orders, Hokage-sama.”
“According to reliable intelligence, the Land of Stars is vigorously promoting a brand-new education system domestically, even opening the path to becoming Ninjas to ordinary commoners. At its core is an ideology called the ‘Star Will’.” Hiruzen’s voice was extremely low, as if fearing eavesdroppers.
“I want you to secretly infiltrate the Land of Stars, obtain at all costs the textbooks they use, especially the core materials on the ‘Star Will’, and bring them back! We need to understand what ideas they’re instilling in the next generation!”
Kakashi raised his head and responded solemnly:
“Yes! Mission guaranteed!”
…………
Land of Stars, eastern border city, Shimono Castle.
As the vital gateway connecting the Land of Birds and the Star Capital, Shimono Castle’s scale far surpassed that of ordinary border towns.
Towering walls built of solid rock gleamed coldly under the autumn sun.
The city gate bustled with traffic, merchant caravans from across the continent queued in long lines waiting for entry inspections.
The air was filled with the smell of livestock, cargo scents, and a sense of orderly busyness.
Jiraiya and Konan blended into a mid-sized merchant caravan, slowly moving forward with the crowd.
Jiraiya’s white long hair was tied back, casually surveying the surroundings.
Konan looked around curiously, full of novelty toward this city so different from Rain Village.
Their attention was soon drawn to the Land of Stars personnel handling inspections at the city gate.
These people wore uniform deep blue outfits with simple lines and armor plates—not traditional ninja attire, more like rigorously trained police or border guards.
Their movements were efficient, expressions serious; checking documents, registering information, issuing passes—everything proceeded smoothly and highly efficiently.
What most surprised Jiraiya was their “demeanor”.
Their chakra fluctuations were generally weak, not even matching Konoha’s ordinary Genin, but every stance, step, even gaze exuded an indescribable discipline and uniformity.
Standing guard like unmoving statues, patrolling in perfectly synchronized steps, like parts in a precision instrument.
This high level of organization and discipline was something Jiraiya had never seen in any other ninja village.
Even he, accustomed to looseness, felt a faint discomfort in this atmosphere.
‘Star Ninjas… as the rumors say, truly unique.’ Jiraiya thought to himself.
‘To defeat Sand Village and Stone Village with fewer numbers, it’s not just relying on top fighters like Shura and Uchiha Hikari. This terrifying discipline and execution permeating the grassroots is their true horror.’ He recalled his experiences in the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars; while ninjas in major villages trained, emphasis was on individual ability and squad coordination—this kind of strict militarized management was unheard of.
Soon, it was their merchant caravan’s turn for inspection.
A Star Ninja inspector who appeared to be a Captain walked over, his sharp gaze sweeping over Jiraiya and Konan, lingering a moment extra on Konan’s Rain headband and Jiraiya’s seemingly casual yet aura-laden strong practitioner stance.
His tone calm yet serious, he asked: “You two, please state your identities and purpose of entry.”
Jiraiya laughed heartily, adopting a flamboyant literati pose, pulling a novel with his personal signature from his bosom《Paradise of Passion》, and handed it over: “Hahaha, Inspector, I am the bestselling novelist ‘Jiraiya’ traveling the countries. This is my assistant Konan. We’re coming from the Land of Rain side. Hearing that the Land of Stars has unique scenery and novel customs, we’ve come to gather inspiration for writing!”
His face thick-skinned, lies came effortlessly.
Konan quickly played along, bowing slightly with just the right touch of embarrassment and sincerity: “Yes, Inspector.”
The inspector glanced at the novel’s cover, then closely at Jiraiya’s “signature,” a subtle expression crossing his face, as if recognizing the book.
But he quickly resumed his official demeanor.
He nodded, his tone softening somewhat: “We’ve heard of the internal chaos in Rain Village. Recently, many wandering Ninjas and Samurai from various countries have entered the Land of Stars. We welcome law-abiding travelers, but must remind you two that the Land of Stars’ laws and regulations differ greatly from other nations—strictly comply.”
He signaled his team member behind him to hand over two finely made hard cards, “Temporary Passes”, and two thin booklets with covers reading《Star Country Foreign Personnel Conduct Rules and Legal Guidelines》.
“Temporary Passes are valid for one month; before expiration, go to the local police station to renew, otherwise considered illegal stay.” The inspector pointed to the booklets and continued: “Please read these guides carefully.”
“They clearly list prohibited behaviors in the Land of Stars, such as large-scale gambling gatherings, abusing ninjutsu to damage public property, etc., and correct procedures for disputes or emergencies, like reporting to the local police station for professional enforcement—do not resort to private force. Remember, this is not a place for casual use of force.”
Konan hurriedly accepted the passes and manuals with both hands, thanking repeatedly, and paid the not-too-high entry fee as required.
The entire process was standardized and clear, without any hint of troublemaking or bribery, surprising the two accustomed to exploitation across the Ninja World.
Smoothly passing the checkpoint and entering Shimono Castle proper, the sight made Konan let out a soft gasp of amazement.
Wide, flat streets clean almost spotless.
Neat rows of simple yet modern-style buildings lined the streets, glass reflecting sunlight.
Pedestrians and vehicles in their lanes, orderly; shops abound, goods plentiful, clothing plain but faces ruddy, steps brisk, eyes brimming with upbeat vitality.
The whole city brimmed with vibrant energy and prosperity, worlds apart from Rain Village’s perennial gloom and decay.
“This place… so prosperous, so clean!” Konan sighed sincerely.
Jiraiya flipped through the conduct guide casually while observing the streetscape, equally shocked inside.
The guide’s clauses were meticulous, covering public hygiene, traffic rules, ninjutsu restrictions, dispute procedures—revealing a highly legalized and finely managed society.
This starkly differed from the weak-eat-strong, chaotic norm he knew in the Ninja World.
In his travels across Ninja World countries, he’d never seen such a city.
Walking along, they saw a four-person team in deep blue police uniforms with armbands on patrol.
These police were well-equipped with kunai gun-like gear and communicators, expressions serious, but local citizens seeing them didn’t flee or fear—instead, some nodded greetings, and the police politely responded, the atmosphere harmonious.
“Eh? Those are the Land of Stars’ police?” Jiraiya stroked his chin thoughtfully: “I’ve long heard the Land of Stars established a security force unlike traditional Ninjas—seems true. They seem… more focused on maintaining public order and enforcement, rather than assassination or sabotage military tasks.”
Konan tilted her head observing: “They don’t feel like pure Ninjas. More like… um, rule-enforcers? Like the guards in Rain Country towns, though those are nobles’ hired private soldiers.”
The two walked and watched, gaining initial, subversive understanding of the Land of Stars’ societal operations.
Crossing the bustling downtown, they reached the west city exit, preparing to continue along the wide highway to the Star Capital.
At that moment, a low rumble approached from afar!
Looking toward the sound, not far outside the city, two parallel metal tracks lay on the roadbed; a streamlined steel dragon of multiple cars hurtled past at astonishing speed!
The locomotive spewed faint white steam and faint chakra glow, speed jaw-dropping!
“That… what is that?!” Konan’s eyes widened; it was her first time seeing such a massive, swift vehicle.
Jiraiya’s face showed shock too—this speed far exceeded the fastest horse carriages or ordinary Genin’s running!
“Hahaha! You two clearly aren’t locals of the Land of Stars!” A hearty laugh came from nearby.
An elder with dark skin, spry and spirited, driving an ox cart, chuckled at them.
The ox cart behind was piled high with daily supplies.
Jiraiya quickly asked: “Elder, what is this?”
The elder lit his pipe, took a satisfying puff, and proudly explained: “This is called a ‘Thunder Train’! Powered by chakra—a real beast! It goes so fast, thousands of kilometers a day easy! Carries tons of goods and people! Now many major cities in our Land of Stars’ provinces are connected by it—super convenient!”
Jiraiya keenly caught the key, frowning: “Elder, building these Thunder Trains and tracks must cost a fortune, right? And these tracks take up land—what about the farmers whose land was requisitioned?”
He knew well that in other countries, land requisition often sparked public resentment.
The elder looked approvingly at Jiraiya: “Hey, you hit the nail on the head! Whether Thunder Trains are expensive, this old man doesn’t know, but land requisition…”
He smacked his lips, sighing: “It’s worlds apart from back when the Land of Bears’ Daimyo and nobles were in power!”
“Back then, the nobles would take a liking to any piece of land, send a few lackeys over, and seize it on the spot—did they dare ask the lords for money?! We commoners dared to complain? Light punishment was a beating, heavy was family ruin and death! Now the Land of Stars government seizes land, they pay compensation based on the land’s annual output, a one-time payment of a full twenty years’ worth of silver! And they arrange new jobs for the displaced farmers, either in factories or helping build roads and railways—anyway, they give a way to live, so people can settle down peacefully!”
Jiraiya’s expression grew increasingly grave the more he listened.
Though he didn’t know how much powerful financial support and efficient, clean administrative system this required, such generous compensation and resettlement policies—none of them could possibly take root in other countries. He knew those nobles best.
The social governance ability displayed by the Land of Stars far exceeded his imagination, more profound and terrifying.
Konan asked curiously, “Elder, are you heading back to the village?”
“Yes, yes.” The elder pointed his pipe toward the direction the thunder cart had gone: “Our village is right there at the foot of Gunma Mountain, not far from the railway. If you’re going to the Star Capital, you can ride with my ox cart the whole way—someone to chat with on the road, so it won’t be boring.”
Konan looked at Jiraiya, saw him nod slightly, then happily agreed: “Great! Elder, I’m Konan, this is my employer Mr. Jiraiya, we’re heading to the Star Capital!”
The elder chuckled and introduced himself: “I don’t have a daimyo, everyone in the village calls me Elder Yamashita, since I live at the foot of Gunma Mountain!”
Thus, the three traveled together.
Jiraiya walked beside the ox cart, seemingly casually continuing to chat with Elder Yamashita, but actually probing the actual situation in the Land of Stars intentionally or not.
“Elder, from what you say, after the Land of Bears… became the Land of Stars, life for us commoners really got better?” Jiraiya asked, his tone probing.
Hearing this, the wrinkles on Elder Yamashita’s face smoothed out, his tone filled with heartfelt gratitude: “It’s not just a little better! It’s a complete upheaval! Before, crushed under the nobles and the daimyo, those days weren’t fit for humans!”
“Working from dawn to dusk planting fields year-round, after paying rent and taxes, the remaining grain barely kept us alive! Every few days there were natural disasters or man-made calamities, starving to death was commonplace! Ever since Lord Shura brought the Star Ninja lords and drove away those leech-like nobles, dividing fields to us poor folk, reducing rents and taxes, and in disaster years the government waives taxes and distributes relief grain! The government lords now are completely different from before—no airs, no bullying, they even come down during spring planting and autumn harvest to organize group farming and grain collection, and if a family has difficulties, they really lend a hand! These days have real hope!”
Konan’s eyes shone brightly as she listened, hardly able to believe there was a country in the world that thought so much of the commoners.
This place and the Land of Rain were like two completely different worlds.
Jiraiya remained outwardly composed, but inside his heart surged with shockwaves.
He had traveled many countries, seen too much suffering, and deeply understood the hardships of the common people.
The Land of Stars’ approach completely overturned traditional rule, tilting benefits toward the commoners—what kind of boldness and means did this require?
That “Shura,” what exactly was his purpose?
Merely to build an ideal nation?
Jiraiya instinctively felt it wasn’t that simple—after all, Shura was the “Child of Darkness” prophesied by the Great Toad Sage!
There must be deeper, more dangerous schemes hidden behind this.
At dusk, the sunset dyed the sky orange-red.
The ox cart rumbled to the foot of Gunma Mountain, where a quiet, peaceful little village appeared before them.
However, the scene at the village entrance clashed with this tranquility.
Dozens of villagers were gathered there, expressions anxious, murmuring, the air thick with unease.
Seeing this, Elder Yamashita hurriedly urged the ox cart to speed up.
Just as they reached the village entrance, a sturdy, dark-skinned young man came forward, face anxious: “Elder Yamashita! You’re finally back!”
“Village Chief Oiwa, what happened?” Elder Yamashita jumped off the ox cart and asked urgently.
The young man called Village Chief Oiwa gritted his teeth: “A gang of bandits from who-knows-where in the mountains raided the village this afternoon, stole grain and livestock from several homes! They even declared that we have three days to gather 100,000 taels of silver and send it to the mountains, or they’ll slaughter the village!”
“100,000 taels?!” Elder Yamashita gasped, his face instantly paling.
For an ordinary village, that was an astronomical sum, impossible to come up with!
Those bandits were clearly deliberately making trouble, up to no good!
At that moment, Jiraiya stepped forward boldly, patted his chest, and declared loudly: “Looks like you’ve run into trouble! But no worries! With the Toad Sage Jiraiya here!”
The villagers all turned their gazes to this unfamiliar white-haired man, eyes filled with doubt and a glimmer of hope.
Village Chief Oiwa asked cautiously: “And this is…?”
Elder Yamashita quickly explained: “Oh, this is a traveler we met on the road, seems like… a wandering ninja from another country?”
Hearing “ninja,” the villagers’ eyes lit up at once, as if seeing a savior.
Village Chief Oiwa was even more respectful: “So you’re a ninja lord! Thank you so much for stepping up! However…”
He changed tack: “We’ve already sent someone to report to the police station in Ageo City! I’m sure the police officers will arrive soon to handle it!”
“Police?” Jiraiya and Konan exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.
Faced with bandits threatening extortion and village slaughter, these villagers’ first reaction wasn’t to seek help from the “powerful ninja” passing by, but to trust and wait for the government’s “police”?
This trust and reliance on official power once again overturned their understanding.
Just then, in the sunset’s glow, at the end of the dirt road outside the village, several fast-moving figures appeared!
A half-grown child came running back from that direction, panting and shouting excitedly: “Village chief! Village chief! The police officers are here! The police officers are here!”
Joy and relief appeared on Village Chief Oiwa’s and the villagers’ faces, all tiptoeing to look toward the road.
Jiraiya and Konan also focused their gaze.
Four figures were approaching with steady strides!
They were uniformly dressed in special Land of Stars police uniforms, postures agile.
The leader was very young, about fourteen or fifteen, with black medium-short hair, stern features.
Beneath the police uniform, the collar of deep blue clan robes faintly visible, embroidered with a tomoe clan crest!
What shocked Jiraiya most was that the young police officer, now slightly raising his head to gaze at Gunma Mountain in the deepening dusk, had eyes with a crimson base, a black tomoe slowly rotating within!
Jiraiya’s pupils contracted sharply, his heart chilled: ‘Uchiha?!’
【PS: End of the month, begging for monthly votes!】
【PS: Announcing last issue’s answer, it’s long-haired ‘Uchiha Sarada’—sure enough, Uchiha beauties need long hair.】
