[Inventory: Kunai (45), Explosive Tags (53), Shuriken (99), Steel Wire (15), Windmill Shuriken (5)…]
He had never fought such a wealthy battle before.
If Hiruko hadn't stopped him, he could've taken even more.
"It's just a shame there were no shields, spiked clubs, or three-section staffs…" Hyūga Ming muttered in dissatisfaction.
"What more do you want? Should I hand over my position as commander too?" Hiruko snapped, completely unable to maintain his usual gentle persona.
Losing that many supplies hurt—badly.
"…That wouldn't be impossible," Hyūga Ming murmured.
"Get lost!!" Hiruko roared.
He grabbed Hyūga Ming by the collar and dragged him straight out of the supply tent.
Letting this guy inside was like throwing a rat into a granary.
No wonder he didn't want to supervise him personally.
What kind of ninja pouch was that anyway?
How could it hold that much?
At the edge of the camp, Hiruko finally let go and tossed a scroll at him.
"This is Konoha's summoning scroll. If you obtain any intelligence, use summoning to send it back. I'll keep a private communication channel open."
He just wanted to throw Hyūga Ming out as fast as possible.
He didn't want to see this kid again.
"Got it, got it," Hyūga Ming replied perfunctorily, opening the scroll.
After glancing at the markings, he said quietly,
"Sensei… I don't actually know how to use summoning."
That wasn't something the Academy taught.
Hiruko frowned.
"Tsunade didn't teach you?"
She only taught him medical ninjutsu.
Nothing else.
Hyūga Ming looked at Hiruko with a deadpan expression.
Hiruko rubbed his temples.
"Fine. I'll teach you now."
Summoning wasn't particularly difficult.
"Hand signs: Boar–Dog–Rooster–Monkey–Ram. Chakra circulation…"
Hiruko explained everything in detail.
"You can practice freely. I'm your instructor—whatever random things you summon, I won't mind."
Hyūga Ming nodded seriously.
By his judgment, summoning was a standard C-rank technique—nothing complicated.
"But," Hiruko added solemnly,
"without a summoning contract array, never use summoning recklessly. You could call something uncontrollable—or even be transported to an unknown location."
Hyūga Ming fell into thought.
So… random monster summon?
Or random dungeon teleport?
That actually sounded kind of interesting.
Seeing the look on Hyūga Ming's face, Hiruko immediately regretted agreeing to Tsunade.
No—
he regretted it the moment this kid started looting the tent.
"Enough. Get going. Do your mission."
Hiruko shoved Hyūga Ming straight out of the camp, his face full of disgust.
Hyūga Ming flipped through the air and landed lightly on the ground, muttering as he looked toward the border of the Land of Rain.
"…You never told me how I'm supposed to actually get into Amegakure."
Before he could turn back, Hiruko came out again.
"Sensei, are you coming with me undercover?" Hyūga Ming asked with bright eyes.
Think something nice for once, Hiruko cursed internally.
"I'm helping you solve your identity issue."
He'd calmed down enough to realize the mistake.
If Hyūga Ming entered the Land of Rain alone, he might never even encounter an Amegakure ninja.
Land of Rain
A country perpetually shrouded in rain.
Clouds rarely parted—only a few clear days each week.
Civil wars had plagued the land for years.
War. Disease. Famine. Death.
Almost every misfortune gathered here.
Some called it the land untouched by sunlight.
And yet, as the outside world drifted closer to chaos, the Land of Rain fell into an eerie calm.
Like the silence before a storm.
Hyūga Ming and Hiruko had altered their appearances as they walked through one of the cities.
The roads were muddy—years of rain had softened the earth so much that every step left a footprint.
"Sensei, where are we going?" Hyūga Ming asked, scanning his surroundings.
The Land of Rain and the Land of Fire were worlds apart.
At least in the Land of Fire, you didn't see people barely clothed.
Here, patched clothing was the norm.
Some wore garments clearly not their size.
Compared to them, Hyūga Ming and Hiruko—clad in patchwork outfits—actually looked wealthy.
"To draw out the Hidden Rain ninja," Hiruko replied calmly.
He scanned the area.
No visible ninja.
They had entered openly through the border.
Such obvious movement should've drawn attention—but it hadn't.
"These people are surprisingly patient," Hiruko sighed.
Neglecting border security this much showed they had no intention of openly defending their nation.
Foreign ninja—especially rogues—could easily cause chaos.
In the Land of Fire, rogue ninja moved like mice, terrified of Konoha noticing them.
That was the deterrence of a great village.
But here?
Almost no defense at all.
"Use your Byakugan. See if there are any ninja nearby," Hiruko said.
"Byakugan."
A faint silver shimmer passed through Hyūga Ming's disguised pupils.
Hiruko glanced at him in surprise.
"Your Transformation Technique is impressive."
Most transformation techniques collapsed once another jutsu was activated.
But Hyūga Ming hadn't reverted.
Ignoring the comment, Hyūga Ming scanned the surroundings and pointed.
"Two locations near the city entrance. Chakra signatures—both low-level. Genin-tier."
Hiruko followed his gaze to two three-story buildings.
From there, the city entrance was clearly visible.
At that distance, without sensory ninja, detecting intruders would be difficult.
"So they are monitoring us," Hiruko nodded in realization.
"Let's move."
Their figures vanished.
Mu Yu sat by the window, discreetly observing the city entrance.
Calling it an entrance was generous—it was just a few stone blocks forming a wall.
Everyone who passed through was recorded.
"When will this ever end…" Mu Yu sighed.
He'd thought the end of civil war would bring peace.
Instead, the Hidden Rain chose isolation.
No missions. No exposure.
He'd heard rumors of rising tensions abroad—but what did that have to do with the Land of Rain?
He didn't understand.
Suddenly, pain bloomed at his neck.
Confused, he turned his head—
—and saw two figures standing inside the room.
When did they get here?
That question never received an answer.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/KuroTL