Chapter 17: The Risk of Exposure

The inn, a dimly lit room, shrouded in an eerie silence.

Ketsu held a brush in her hand, scribbling furiously.

At this moment, she had no desire to exchange another word with Rinjin, whose thought process was completely alien to her.

She just wanted to finish her task.

Before long, every word Rinjin had said was meticulously recorded onto the scroll.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, a week had gone by.

The awkwardly tense Ryuto Squad completed their patrol mission and returned to Kumogakure.

After reporting their mission, the four members disbanded, each heading their separate ways.

Watching her three teammates leave in a hurry, Rinjin clicked his tongue in exasperation and leisurely strolled home.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Amai had received the scroll—the one containing the intelligence gathered by Ryuto Squad.

Sitting in her office, the youthful and voluptuous Amai slowly unrolled the scroll.

Initially intending to read it from the beginning, her eyes were suddenly drawn to the final section.

"The price of pig iron in the Land of Iron has risen by eight percent, and exports have decreased by ten percent."

"The exchange rate between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning has been adjusted from 1:1.1 to 1:1.2."

"Due to the war, the market for crop seeds is unfavorable, with prices rising significantly."

"The Land of Fields has signed a pork supply agreement with Konoha."

"The cost of hiring mercenaries in the Land of Wind has dropped."

...

As she read this intelligence, which seemed completely out of place, Amai's delicate brows furrowed.

As the secretary assisting the Third Raikage in managing the village, she was responsible for handling all sorts of matters, big and small, that would eventually reach the Raikage's desk.

This also meant that this alluring and capable secretary was not only highly sensitive to shinobi affairs but also exceptionally attuned to economic and political matters.

Sensing the weight of this intelligence, Amai pursed her luscious lips and shifted her focus, carefully re-examining the information Rinjin had reported.

"The price of pig iron in the Land of Iron has risen by eight percent, and exports have decreased by ten percent?"

That was indeed true, though not investigated in such detail.

But why would the Land of Iron shoot themselves in the foot by restricting their own exports?

Pondering this, Amai recalled intelligence related to the Land of Iron.

The Land of Iron, separated from the Land of Lightning by only a strait, was a permanently neutral nation and the land of samurai. Its greatest exports were durable katana and iron ore.

It was the extensive iron trade that supported the Land of Iron's semi-independent neutrality.

Lost in thought, Amai's gaze suddenly fell on the last line.

"The cost of hiring mercenaries in the Land of Wind has dropped?"

How did I not know about this?

Where did this guy get this intelligence?

Wait!

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.

The Land of Wind, Sunagakure, the Third Kazekage's kekkei genkai—Magnet Release! Iron Sand!

In an instant, Amai's mind cleared.

No wonder! No wonder the Land of Iron restricted iron ore exports and raised prices. They're trying to sabotage the Land of Wind!

The Third Kazekage uses Magnet Release to gather iron ore and sell it cheaply, which has angered the Land of Iron.

But as a permanently neutral and northern nation, the Land of Iron is no match for the Land of Wind. So, they decided to raise iron prices.

Doing so would inevitably upset their long-term buyers.

Some buyers would turn to the Third Kazekage for iron, but the Kazekage, as one person, couldn't possibly match the production output of the entire Land of Iron.

The remaining buyers unable to secure iron ore—would they blame the Land of Iron?

No, because they're businessmen. They buy iron ore to conduct business.

And what do businessmen hate most? Not competitors, but those who disrupt the rules of commerce.

So, these immensely wealthy businessmen would band together to boycott the Third Kazekage.

Even though the Third Kazekage is powerful, as the leader of a village, would his villagers stop living? Could the impoverished Land of Wind afford to import other goods?

Out of desperation, the Land of Wind had no choice but to lower mercenary prices, signaling surrender.

Realizing this, a cold sweat broke out on Amai's flawless face.

Terror, a profound terror, spread through her heart.

It wasn't just fear of the power of money; it was also a deep dread of Rinjin.

This man's intelligence wasn't just about the words on the scroll—it revealed the intricate, hidden dynamics of the shinobi world.

Coming back to her senses, Amai patted her chest, her breathing gradually steadying as her ample figure quivered.

"Could the exchange rate adjustment between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning also be related to the treaty between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields?"

Though she was reluctant to admit it, she knew there must be a connection.

After a moment of contemplation, Amai pushed down her confusion and opened the scroll fully, carefully reading through it.

Skipping over the bulk of the mission records, a seemingly innocuous sentence suddenly caught her eye.

"April 12th, at the Land of Hot Water, Rinjin: 'So this is Hanamichi First Avenue's main establishment!'"

The moment she read this line, Amai shot to her feet, her beautiful light-green eyes widening to their limits.

Seeing those familiar words, an image of a young face involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Gritting her teeth, Amai spat out two words:

"Rin! Jin!"

In fact, Amai had already sensed something was off when Rinjin had tea in her office.

Normally, when someone drinks good tea, they'd say something like, "This tea is great; it smells wonderful."

But in Amai's memory, there was one kid who had said, "This water tastes great. Where's it from?"

It was at that moment that Amai began to suspect Rinjin's identity.

Nearly three months ago, the village was attacked, shrouded in a dark cloud of uncertainty.

To this day, the mastermind behind the attack remained unknown.

But amidst the chaos, aside from the many brave shinobi who were commended, one kid stood out.

That kid was Rinjin.

And now, this same person had uttered the words, "So this is Hanamichi First Avenue's main establishment!"

It was worth noting that during her time undercover in Amegakure, there was a small shop across the street called "Hanamichi First Avenue."

Realizing this, Amai's breathing quickened, her chest heaving as she became more agitated.

She stood up, grabbed the scroll, and prepared to rush out of her office to report to the Raikage.

But then, she suddenly froze.

No! I can't act rashly!

Although her instincts as a woman told her that Rinjin must be who she suspected, everything was still just conjecture! There was no concrete evidence!

If I tell my uncle, he'll definitely believe me. But knowing his temper, he'll storm out of his office in a rage and confront that guy.

By then, Rinjin will undoubtedly escape! And he'll definitely succeed!

After all, based on the abilities of the mastermind behind the previous attack on the village, Rinjin definitely possesses space-time ninjutsu.

And it's the kind of long-range space-time ninjutsu that can transport someone directly from the Kumogakure Strait to the Wind-Lightning Temple!

If my uncle fails to capture him and the situation escalates, how will I explain myself to the other shinobi and villagers?

Should I tell them that I suspected the hero who saved countless shinobi based on just two sentences? That I persuaded the Raikage to capture this hero?

No way!!!

Absolutely not!!!

That would shake my uncle's authority!

Even if the rescued shinobi don't voice their discontent, they'll harbor resentment in their hearts!

Realizing this, Amai slumped back into her chair.

The same sense of helplessness she felt three months ago returned to her body.

Silence once again enveloped the small office.

After an unknown amount of time, as the sky outside began to lighten, Amai suddenly stood up.

After thinking all night, she had come up with a plan.

This matter must not reach my uncle's ears. Otherwise, with his temperament, he won't sit still for even a second.

Most importantly, after a night of calm reflection, she began to doubt herself again.

After all, aside from his personality, Rinjin's appearance hadn't changed at all from before!

If... if I'm wrong, the consequences would be disastrous. Losing my position as secretary doesn't matter.

The real issue is that the other clans in the village would seize the opportunity to accuse the Raikage of nepotism.

Although this wouldn't affect the Third Raikage's position—after all, his fists are the strongest—it would greatly impact my family.

My uncle's son, my cousin, might lose his chance to become the Fourth Raikage.

And the Eight-Tails would no longer belong to our family!

For a moment, Amai felt that exposing Rinjin's identity carried enormous risks, with far more disadvantages than benefits.

No!

If Rinjin truly is the one I suspect, then his danger level is far too high. He cannot be allowed to stay!