Chapter 094 – How am I supposed to show my face around anymore?

Grease? Oily?

Kei Yamanaka instinctively touched his face. Well, truth be told, his current appearance really did match that description.

But come on—this was the first time in his entire life someone had criticized his looks.

No, no—missed the point entirely.

The real problem was who was trying to trick who into sleeping together!

Did he look like that kind of guy?

"Phew… When I said 'sleep together,' I meant you'd just take a nap—not literally *that* kind of sleeping together," Kei exhaled deeply and patiently explained to Nonou Yakushi.

"A covert extraction route?"

Nonou Yakushi frowned slightly but inwardly relaxed.

She knew that some top-secret operations required transferring people while blindfolded or unconscious to maintain absolute secrecy.

If such a route existed, it would be much safer than her original escape plan.

"Hmm, in or out?" Kei scratched his cheek and shot back.

Honestly speaking, escaping Kumogakure under full lockdown wasn't a big deal for him.

The simplest solution was using the Flying Thunder God technique for spatial teleportation.

As for how to explain things when reporting back to the Third Hokage—it all depended on how the elders acted.

If they didn't give him any trouble, he wouldn't mind enjoying some peace and quiet for a while longer.

He could just say he used the Hydrification Technique to travel through the underground aquifers and leave it at that.

But if those stubborn old men were asking for trouble... then maybe it's time for Lord Hokage to step aside. This is our generation's time now.

"Can this route handle multiple people being relocated? Earlier, I also discovered two Konoha spies."

Nonou asked again.

Although intelligence operatives generally didn't know each other and were strictly forbidden from contacting or revealing their identities,

she had already pinpointed two more Konoha spies through careful observation and analysis while collecting intel.

Given the current situation in Kumogakure, delaying their retreat risked all three getting caught.

Once crucial village secrets got out, no one could guess how bad things might get.

"...Sure. In one hour, Training Ground No.14 on the eastern side."

Kei hesitated briefly, then specified a spot near an underground stream.

While he had no idea exactly how many Konoha spies had infiltrated Kumogakure,

since these individuals had worked so hard for Konoha's cause, he didn't mind offering a helping hand if possible.

"Understood."

Nonou didn't bother meeting up with Kei again and turned toward the mission assignment office.

An hour later.

Training Ground No.14, Kumogakure.

Nonou Yakushi arrived at the training ground alongside two male ninja, approaching from different directions.

Hidden underground using [Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage], Kei checked the skill profiles of the two newcomers.

Confirming without a doubt that they were indeed Konoha spies,

he slowly surfaced from the ground and signaled them with the prearranged code to confirm their identities.

"Phew!"

Two male ninja displayed delighted expressions and quickly returned the code signal.

This morning, when they learned that Kumogakure had implemented a full lockdown and begun large-scale espionage investigations, it felt like the world was ending!

They could only brace for the worst—destroying all documents and intelligence before awaiting deeper scrutiny, hoping to somehow slip through unnoticed.

They knew better than anyone what happened to captured spies.

Now having an opportunity to evacuate felt no different from a miracle in desperate times!

"Shrine Maiden, shall we get started?"

Kei Yamanaka didn't directly call Nonou Yakushi by name but used her codename instead.

"As soon as possible. The operation was too rushed—I can't be sure we left no evidence behind."

Nonou Yakushi nodded.

The other two male ninja followed suit with nods.

[Nirvana Blissful Slumber Jutsu]!

Kei Yamanaka clapped his hands together, white feathers drifting down around the three.

Staring directly at him, the three suddenly felt dizzy, then overcome by an irresistible drowsiness, sinking into a deep slumber.

His right hand caught Nonou Yakushi as she began to slump.

His left hand gripped the belts of the other two ninja.

Closing his eyes briefly to focus, he quickly located the Flying Thunder God marker dozens of kilometers beyond Kumogakure using the exceptional spatial awareness from the Purple-Tier Trait [Space-Time Insight].

Kei Yamanaka activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly vanishing along with the three.

Swish~

The scene before his eyes changed.

The rocky pillars and earth of Training Ground No.14 transformed into lush, dense forests and shrubs.

This place lay more than fifty kilometers west of Kumogakure.

Already far beyond the daily patrol range of Kumogakure's security forces.

When Kei Yamanaka traveled from the Land of Iron to Kumogakure, he had rested midway here, allowing the eagle-falcon Bi Diao to recover its strength.

He retrieved a map of the ninja world from a storage scroll.

Quickly marked their current position on the map, then placed it in Nonou Yakushi's hand.

Glancing at Nonou, whose sleeping expression had shed its usual feigned innocence and pitiful charm, appearing more tranquil and peaceful.

He smirked, closed his eyes briefly to focus, then reached up and patted her thigh.

"I hope you like this gift."

With a twisted, amused grin.

Clapping both hands together, Kei Yamanaka left behind a shadow clone before his main body swiftly returned to his home inside Kumogakure.

The shadow clone observed the surrounding environment.

Weaving hand seals, he cast the somewhat clumsy [Earth Release: Earth Shift], lowering the ground where the three slept slightly.

Then he used [Earth Release: Earth Cover] to form a camouflaged layer over the lowered ground.

Ensuring that nothing seemed out of place to anyone passing by, he finally sank beneath the earth, concealing his form.

Approaching midnight.

After nearly ten hours of sleep, Nonou Yakushi fought her way free from the dream induced by the Nirvana Blissful Slumber Technique.

Squeezing the special paper map in her hand, she cautiously scanned the darkness, confirming her own safety along with the other two Konoha spies'.

After a brief, careful search, she finally used a kunai knife to carve an opening through the [Earth Cover] above.

Starlight gleamed in her eyes.

Under the starlight, she checked the map marking the positions of their group and felt her tense body relax slightly.

Returning to the crater, she double-checked the conditions of her two comrades. Seeing that neither would awaken anytime soon, Nonou Yakushi, the pharmacist, turned her gaze toward the nearby river only a hundred meters away.

With the intention of reapplying her disguise, she set up a simple warning trap before diving into the chilly river.

Quickly washing off the facial makeup and removing the scent on her body, shortly afterward, she looked at the mark on the front of her thigh—about the size of her palm, highly conspicuous: "+++T."

She refused to accept it and kept rubbing the spot for ages.

At this moment, even though she had been professionally trained, tears almost spilled down uncontrollably!

Ten? Seventeen times?! What the hell?

It was just borrowing a covert extraction route...

"Uh… maybe nothing really happened?"

Nonou carefully checked her physical condition, confirming she was completely unharmed before holding back her tears. Her face flushed red, then repeatedly paled.

Good news: she hadn't actually been molested.

Bad news: there's no way this mark came from clothes being worn over it!

And... clearly, this was clearly a sealing technique, something beyond her ability to remove!

If she tried to explain this to others, would anyone believe her?

How could she go to hot springs in the future?

How could she swim?

How could she face people again?

"Rogue! Despicable creep! Pervert! Scum! Damn bastard! Filthy, greasy pervert..."

Nonou ranted under her breath.

Even if she accepted his help and escaped safely from Kumogakure.

The price…

————————————

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Back in Kumogakure, Kei Yamanaka sneezed one after another late at night.

He received the memories from the dispelled shadow clone.

A grin stretched across his lips.

Looks like Nonou Yakushi really enjoyed the gift he gave her.

"See how bold you are about suspecting me next time."

He mumbled inwardly.

Standing by the windowsill, Kei looked out at Kumogakure still ablaze with lights past midnight.

Kei silently pitied the spies from other hidden villages for a brief second.

All ninja had been restricted to staying home tonight, yet merely within the area he could see, there had already been three skirmishes since evening.

Meaning at least three spies had been captured.

To swiftly root out internal threats before formally declaring war on Kiri, Kumogakure's leadership truly wasn't pulling any punches this time!

Boom~

As Kei stood gazing absentmindedly into the night sky,

a swirling mass of deep blue flame streaked with jet-black light erupted from a distant alley several kilometers away.

???

Two-Tails' chakra flame?!

Nii?!

Did you all swallow a truckload of crap? Your brains are worse than Danzo's!

Just when Hachibi's Jinchuriki B got into trouble not long ago.

At a time like this, you didn't even prevent these spies from counterattacking in their dying moments, letting them get close to Nii—the Two-Tails Jinchuriki?

And where were those Anbu? Weren't you guys always one more arrogant than the next before?

Why does everyone panic and fall apart the moment it matters most?

Kei Yamanaka's expression flickered with conflicting emotions.

Logically speaking, as a Konoha ninja, why should he even care about a Jinchuriki from Kumogakure?

Yet hadn't he remained in Kumogakure precisely for Nii's sake?

What if his so-called butterfly effect wiped that poor little girl out entirely—would he even be able to sleep at night?

He thought of that little girl hugging her knees, crouching pitifully by his door, recalled the pure, boundless joy on her face while playing games, and all those memories...

"Damn you, Kumogakure officials—you truly deserve to die!"

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