Chapter 31: Visitors from Amegakure

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Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed. The New Year was just around the corner.

According to shinobi returning from the frontlines, the war with Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning was gradually drawing to a close.

Rinjin continued living his life at his own pace.

Setting aside his identity as a spy, he was actually living quite comfortably.

Apart from eating and drinking every day, he spent his afternoons forging weapons at Ippongi's ninja tool shop. With plenty of leisure time, Rinjin took the opportunity to explore Konohagakure thoroughly.

It had to be said, Konoha truly lived up to its reputation as the largest hidden village. Not only was its population far greater than that of Amegakure, but its land area was also four or five times larger.

This massive population base naturally gave rise to a large number of shinobi, all thanks to the favorable climate and fertile soil.

Thinking of this, Rinjin couldn't help but recall Mizuguma back in Amegakure, a smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of his mouth.

That guy Mizuguma was probably rolling around with his two wives at this moment! Damn it, I should've introduced him to that plump widow selling orange soda outside Kabukichō back then.

Just the thought of Mizuguma enjoying his "blessings" filled Rinjin with envy and resentment.

But still, hasn't there been any reply to the letter I sent to Hanzō of the Salamander?

No, it's been over half a year now. Shouldn't they have sent reinforcements by now?

Sighing inwardly, Rinjin quickened his pace and entered the classroom just in time for lessons.

Another boring day passed quickly.

At 3:30 PM, school ended on time.

With his mind occupied by thoughts of Hanzō's response, Rinjin didn't linger. He waved goodbye to Jiraiya, who stayed behind for extra lessons, and walked out of the school gate.

Back at Uncle Ippongi's house, Aunt Anko was teaching Rie how to write. Upon seeing Rinjin enter, Rie immediately clamored to be held by her brother.

Anko stood nearby, her face lighting up with a smile as she watched Rinjin twirl an ecstatic Rie around.

"Oh, by the way," Anko suddenly remembered something. She pulled a thin envelope from the desk drawer and handed it to Rinjin. "Rinjin-kun, there's a letter for you."

Rinjin's heart tightened at her words.

He didn't need to think twice to know this was a letter from Amegakure.

Maintaining a calm expression, Rinjin cradled Rie in one arm and took the letter with the other, nodding in thanks.

"Thank you, Aunt Anko."

"It's nothing," Anko replied with a wave, her smile unwavering.

Although Rinjin knew Anko's true identity and she was aware of his role as a spy, both maintained a facade of calm indifference, their expressions betraying nothing.

Taking the letter, Rinjin excused himself politely and returned to his room with Rie.

Closing the door, he sat down and pulled out the letter, his eyes scanning its contents.

The message was brief, signed by someone named Amagawa.

It stated that a four-man covert team had arrived outside Konohagakure and needed Rinjin to rendezvous with them.

Though the letter was vague, Rinjin could glean some information from its tone.

This ninja named Amagawa, along with three others, had reached the outskirts of Konoha. Perhaps due to the village's tight security or their own incompetence, they hadn't managed to infiltrate. Instead, they had sent a letter requesting Rinjin's assistance.

"Tch, useless." Rinjin frowned, leaving the letter openly on the desk instead of hiding it.

"Brother, is someone from your village here?"

Rie, who recognized quite a few characters, glanced at the letter on the desk and asked curiously.

Rinjin's stern expression softened as he patted Rie's head with a smile.

"No, Rie.~"

With that, Rinjin picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote "1:00 AM" on the envelope before leaving the room with Rie.

Inside the now-empty room, an ANBU operative wearing a mask resembling a mongrel dog silently descended from the ceiling beams. Without a sound, they approached the desk, glanced at the letter, and disappeared just as quietly.

In fact, the letter had already been inspected by the ANBU before it reached Rinjin.

Meanwhile, Rinjin took Rie for a stroll before returning to the house.

The room was exactly as he had left it, except for a fresh red circle marking the bottom right corner of the letter.

Rinjin understood—Konoha had approved his midnight activity.

...

Late at night, the entire village of Konoha was shrouded in darkness, peaceful and serene.

In the quiet room, a pair of bright eyes suddenly opened. Rinjin got up, slowly and deliberately pulling on a black short-sleeved shirt, fastening his ninja pouch, and quietly sliding open the door to step outside.

Walking leisurely through Konoha's streets, Rinjin's mind raced with calculations.

If the people Amegakure sent were idiots, he'd deal with them directly. That would also give the ANBU tailing him a demonstration of his capabilities.

If the covert team turned out to be cunning, he'd help them "infiltrate" Konoha.

Rinjin wasn't worried about overly clever operatives disrupting his plans. On the contrary, experienced covert agents could help him gain Hanzō of the Salamander's trust.

Since his arrival in this world, Rinjin had never underestimated anyone. Among all the figures he kept an eye on, it wasn't Tobirama Senju or even the future Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who concerned him the most—it was Hanzō of the Salamander.

For someone capable of leading Amegakure through these chaotic times, Hanzō's abilities and intellect were not to be taken lightly.

And a skilled covert agent would be instrumental in manipulating Hanzō.

Suspicious people rarely lower their guard against anyone—but what about two people? Three people?

When most of the intelligent individuals around them repeat the same thing, even the most paranoid person would gradually let their guard down.

Rinjin had no desire to become a "chief strategist" like Chen Gong. Instead, he aspired to be someone like Jia Xu—cunning and adaptable.

As his mind wandered, Rinjin strolled out of the village, heading toward the rendezvous point.

Crossing a stream and entering the dense forest outside Konoha, Rinjin suddenly felt a presence behind him.

A black-clad figure appeared out of nowhere, pressing a kunai against his throat.

"Kid, wandering around at this hour isn't a good idea!" a man's mocking voice sounded.

Rinjin froze momentarily, sighing inwardly. His disappointment in the operatives sent by Hanzō deepened.

A seven-year-old wandering the forest in the dead of night—how could they not find this suspicious?

Even if they knew he was a spy, they shouldn't have approached him so recklessly!

Suppressing his frustration, Rinjin remained calm.

"I'm Kōhei Iwai. I'm looking for Amagawa," he said evenly, his voice carrying through the silent woods.

The figure behind him didn't budge, the sharp kunai still pressed against his throat.

"Prove it," the man demanded.

"In my pouch, there's an Amegakure forehead protector," Rinjin replied flatly.

The ninja pouch was opened, revealing a brand-new Amegakure forehead protector.

"Alright." The kunai was slowly withdrawn from Rinjin's neck.

But just as Rinjin relaxed, the blade suddenly slashed across his arm.

In the next moment, his sleeve was torn, and blood seeped out. The man's mocking, cruel voice sounded again: "Apologies, just making sure you're not using a transformation jutsu. Heh."

Rinjin's mouth twitched, but he feigned indifference. "No problem. You guys are... very professional."

Internally, however, Rinjin was fuming.

Damn it, I wore a short-sleeved shirt on purpose to expose my forearm, and you still went for my upper arm!

This shirt cost me 200 ryō! Bastard, you're dead!

After confirming Rinjin's identity, the figure led him deeper into the forest.

Through twists and turns, they arrived at a hidden cave.

Inside, three men dressed as civilians sat around a campfire. When Rinjin entered, their gazes locked onto him.

"Kōhei Iwai. I've heard a lot about you," said the young man seated furthest inside.

He had an entirely unremarkable face—average eyes, an average nose, and an average mouth that curved into a faintly mocking smile.

If he didn't smile, he'd actually make a decent covert operative.

Rinjin recognized him.

This was Amagawa, an Amegakure covert agent who had previously worked gathering intel at bounty exchange offices. He was one of the few survivors after Amegakure's intelligence network was attacked.

Amagawa sat by the fire, surrounded by large bags of luggage. Squinting, he scrutinized Rinjin, the smirk on his face growing wider.

Kōhei Iwai—he knew the name.

In fact, most shinobi in Amegakure had heard of this kid.

After all, he was Hanzō of the Salamander's disciple.

As the leader of Amegakure and a figure known as the Demi-God of the Shinobi World, Hanzō was deeply respected by the Rain shinobi.

And the more they revered Hanzō, the more they resented this lucky brat named Kōhei Iwai.

Not for any particular reason—just because Rinjin was Hanzō's disciple.

But now, this kid had fallen out of favor.

Thinking this, Amagawa sneered internally, adopting an air of superiority as he spoke.

"Kōhei, we called you here because there's something we need you to do."

"Please, tell me," Rinjin replied, feigning timidity.

Seeing Rinjin's meek demeanor, Amagawa's smirk deepened.

"First, draw us a map of Konoha's defenses. Then, arrange identities for the four of us. Finally, share any intel you've gathered recently."

Hearing this, Rinjin nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Understood, Amagawa-sama. But first, I'd like to know about Mizuguma-sensei's current situation."

"Silence!" Amagawa's expression turned stern.

"That's not something you're qualified to ask about!"

This was his usual tactic—start with a benevolent facade, then deliver a stern reprimand to establish authority, followed by a bit of kindness to win loyalty.

At this moment, Amagawa already considered Rinjin his subordinate.

But Rinjin wasn't intimidated by Amagawa's attitude.

Instead, he squinted, carefully observing Amagawa's every move.

He was assessing—did Amagawa actually know anything about Mizuguma? Did this guy have any remaining value? What should his next move be?

Unfortunately, it seemed that Amagawa either knew nothing about Mizuguma or simply didn't want to share.

Realizing this, Rinjin decided to keep playing along, putting on a stubborn expression.

"Tell me about Mizuguma-sensei!"

Amagawa's interest was piqued by Rinjin's outburst, and he began to smirk internally.

Ha, this kid is sentimental!

This could actually be useful—he could exploit Rinjin's attachment to Mizuguma to make him work harder.

"Once you've completed the tasks I've assigned, I'll have someone bring you information about Mizuguma."

"What?!" Rinjin's face contorted with anger.

"You don't have any information on Mizuguma-sensei?! Hanzō-sama promised you'd bring it!"

"You insolent brat!" Amagawa suddenly roared.

"How dare you refer to Hanzō-sama by name! Where's your respect?"

Amagawa's scolding was harsh, reminiscent of a tyrannical boss berating an underling.

Rinjin said nothing, merely glaring at Amagawa with a defiant expression.

His assessment was complete—Amagawa knew nothing about Mizuguma.

If he did, this pompous, self-important man would've dangled that information in front of him by now.

The fact that he hadn't mentioned Mizuguma even once confirmed it—Amagawa was clueless.

Rinjin's face darkened, and he muttered under his breath.

"Idiot, wasting my time."

Unaware that Rinjin had already sentenced him to death in his mind, Amagawa shifted to the "carrot" part of his routine.

Having reprimanded Rinjin, it was now time to offer a reward to motivate him.

With a practiced smile, Amagawa pulled out a thick stack of bills and an envelope from his luggage.

"Here you go, Kōhei. Didn't you request operational funds? Here's 5,000 ryō."

He made a show of generosity, peeling off a single 5,000-ryō note from the stack and handing it to Rinjin along with the envelope.

Rinjin didn't bother hiding his disdain, rolling his eyes as he reluctantly accepted the money.

Seriously? Five thousand ryō? What am I, a beggar?

Following Hanzō really is a dead end when it comes to finances!

Amagawa, mistaking Rinjin's disdain for gratitude, felt even more superior.

"Cheer up, kid. Take the 5,000 ryō and buy yourself some candy. What does a child need so much money for anyway? The envelope contains a letter personally written by Hanzō-sama. Read it now."

Hearing this, Rinjin felt his blood pressure spike.

This guy's mouth never stops running, does it?

Meanwhile, outside the cave, seven or eight figures in black cloaks and animal masks had surrounded the area, leaving no gaps.

In the deepest shadows, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene around the campfire with great interest.

If his guess was correct, Rinjin would likely arrange for these four operatives to infiltrate Konoha.

And that was exactly what Hiruzen wanted.

As the largest of the Five Great Nations' hidden villages, Konoha couldn't entirely prevent covert agents from infiltrating.

But if they could secretly control these agents, they could turn a liability into an asset—not only preventing leaks but also using the agents to further their own goals.

Hiruzen's confidence in Rinjin's intelligence led him to believe the boy would easily manipulate these four fools.

Unfortunately, this time, he was wrong. Rinjin had no intention of letting these four leave alive...