18: Wonderful food tips, the spiritual connection of Myoboku Mountain

Konoha Village, bustling streets.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light spots, and the air was filled with the scent of roasted meat mixed with various delicacies.

The three figures moved through the crowd, seemingly aimlessly, but in fact, every step was under Tang Yan's guidance.

The vendor selling goods moved.

He pushed his small cart, following them unhurriedly, and finally, at a corner, blocked their path.

“Three, Ninjas from Hidden Sand Village?”

The vendor had a kind smile on his face, but his eyes were dead, without a hint of a businessman's enthusiasm.

Zi Luo frowned and spoke bluntly, “Yeah, Uncle, what’s up?”

Qian crossed her arms, observing the other party with interest, a playful curve on her lips.

“Is this how Konoha treats its guests, by interrogating them?”

The vendor's smile remained unchanged as he pulled out a scroll and an identification from his 懷.

“Routine procedure. The Konoha Military Police Force and Anbu are working together for the Village's safety, requiring all visiting outsiders to register.”

He unrolled the scroll, which was covered with densely packed entries.

“Name, age, affiliated unit, Ninjutsu specialty, Bloodline Limit presence or absence…”

“What the hell! Is this a household registration check?” Zi Luo's eyes widened, a look of displeasure on his face, “We came with a merchant caravan, with official approval! Are you treating us like thieves?”

Qian gently pulled Zi Luo and smiled sweetly at the vendor.

“Big Brother, we are just Genin, here to gain experience with our teacher. We don't have something like a Bloodline Limit. As for our specialty Ninjutsu…”

She extended her slender finger, and a dancing butterfly illusion emerged from her fingertip.

“They are just little tricks for girls, nothing impressive.”

The vendor's gaze swept over the two of them, finally landing on Zi Luo's thick arms and calloused fists.

Zi Luo's iron hand, like Tang Yan's large storage scroll, was not carried on him.

“Little brother, you seem to have good Taijutsu.”

“That’s right! I'm going to be the Hidden Sand Village's top Taijutsu master!” Zi Luo puffed out his chest.

Tang Yan also portrayed himself as a Ninja good at sword techniques.

Perfect.

A simple-minded, brawny Taijutsu Ninja.

A female Ninja who excels at useless Genjutsu, fond of beauty and prettiness.

“Alright, registration complete.” The vendor put away the scroll, a crack finally appearing in his smile, “Welcome to Konoha, I hope you enjoy your stay.”

With that, he pushed his small cart and turned to blend into the crowd.

But Tang Yan knew that the ‘Root’ interrogation was just the beginning.

For the next two days, the liveliness and prosperity of Konoha Village were overshadowed by an invisible iron curtain in the eyes of the three.

No matter where they went, eyes followed them like shadows.

Sometimes it was a passerby brushing past them at a street corner, a corner of an expressionless animal mask peeking out from under their straw hat; sometimes it was a silent diner in a ramen shop, eating a bowl of noodles for half an hour, but barely moving their chopsticks.

The three walked into a Ninja tool shop, where various Kunai and Shuriken hung, gleaming coldly.

“Boss, how much are your explosive tags?” Zi Luo picked up a stack of explosive tags and asked bluntly, “If I buy a lot, like a few hundred at once, is there a discount?”

The shop owner was a middle-aged man with squinting eyes. He wiped a short blade without looking up. “Little brother, Konoha has been peaceful for a long time. Why buy so many explosive tags? Are you planning a terrorist attack?”

“Our Hidden Sand Village is short on supplies, and our training consumes a lot too.” Zi Luo chuckled awkwardly.

“Oh? Is Hidden Sand Village's training so luxurious that they use explosive tags just to hear them go off?” A cold voice came from the side. A man in a hooded cloak was selecting steel wire. He slowly turned his head, and under the shadow of the hood, was a painted mask.

Zi Luo's smile froze on his face.

Qian immediately stepped forward to smooth things over. She picked up an exquisite Shuriken with a purple tassel and gave the shop owner a sweet smile: “Boss, don’t listen to him. We want to bring a souvenir for our teacher. What do you think of this? How’s the Ninja tool market recently? Have material prices fluctuated?”

She cleverly shifted the conversation to the root of strategic materials—raw material prices.

The shop owner finally raised his eyes, which were devoid of any ripples. “Our store has clearly marked prices, fair to all. As for prices, they have always been stable.”

For several days in a row, whether it was the Ninja tool shop, the medicine store, or the tavern where information brokers gathered, they encountered them. Those masked Ninjas would always appear at just the right time, either warning or disrupting, rendering many of their probes useless.

Inside the hotel room, the atmosphere was oppressive.

“These guys are like plaster, impossible to shake off!” Zi Luo irritably slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups hum, “Can’t find out anything! Can’t get prices, and not a single word of intelligence about border defenses!”

“They are not ordinary Anbu.” Qian sat by the window, watching the patrolling security forces downstairs, her voice carrying a hint of gravity, “Anbu operate covertly, emphasizing striking once and then retreating a thousand li. But these people, they don’t care about exposure; they are just like a wall, silently blocking our way. They have no emotions, no personal will, like…”

“Like puppets.” Tang Yan, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Zi Luo and Qian looked at him simultaneously.

Tang Yan's gaze penetrated the window, as if seeing an invisible net spread throughout the Village, and he uttered a cold word.

“Root.”

“Konoha’s darkness, Danzo’s private armed force, a group of war machines whose emotions have been erased, living only for missions.” Tang Yan’s voice was light, yet every word carried weight.

They were like maggots on a bone, pervasive, monitoring them 24/7 without interruption, giving Tang Yan no chance to leave the team and act alone.

“So annoying!”

After another “chance encounter,” Zi Luo finally couldn't help but explode at their lodging.

“Are these guys ever going to stop?!”

Qian’s expression also looked a bit grim.

“These people are really like maggots on a bone, tireless and endless.”

“It’s time to give them something to do.”

Tang Yan’s voice came from the corner of the room; he was maintaining the spider puppet.

“If this continues, my plan won’t be able to proceed.”

Zi Luo and Qian looked at him simultaneously.

“Yan, what do you want to do?”

Tang Yan looked up and made a dangerous expression.

“They like to tail us, don’t they? We’ll deliberately inquire about sensitive topics to lure them into making a move.”

According to his memories from his previous life, he knew a lot of Danzo’s dirty laundry; just leaking a little bit would attract Danzo’s attention.

“We will create an opportunity for them to act.”

“And then, make a big fuss.”

The next day, Konoha shopping street.

Tang Yan and the other two strolled as usual, but this time, their route was a bit special, specifically choosing to walk through secluded alleys.

Three dark figures, like ghosts, silently descended from the rooftops on both sides.

They wore uniform outfits and different plain painted masks, forming a triangular formation, completely blocking the alley's exit.

“Three, Hokage-sama requests your presence.”

The voice of the leader sounded like two stones rubbing together, dry and grating.

“Huh?” Zi Luo exaggeratedly picked his ears, looking bewildered, “Hokage? Looking for us? What did we do? Did we get caught peeking into the women’s bathhouse?”

Qian shrank behind Zi Luo, timidly speaking: “Big Brother, is there some mistake? We’re just Genin who came out with our teacher to gain experience; we haven’t committed any crimes…”

The masked leader tilted his head slightly, seemingly scrutinizing their performance.

“Come with us, and you’ll know.”

“Hokage-sama is busy with myriad affairs, so it’s truly an honor for him to summon a few humble Genin like us.” Tang Yan, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice as calm as if discussing the weather, “However, shouldn’t the Hokage’s orders be conveyed by Anbu directly under the Hokage? May I ask, what department are the three of you from?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the air seemed to solidify.

The gazes under those three masks instantly focused on Tang Yan.

Others might mistake them for Anbu, but how could Tang Yan be mistaken?

This aura, emanating from their very bones, completely devoid of emotion, could only belong to Danzo’s “Root,” and no one else.

"What if we don't go?" Tang Yan spoke again, his voice chilling.

"Then we'll just have to offend you!"

Before the leading Ninja finished speaking, his figure had already transformed into an afterimage, his five fingers forming a claw, striking directly at Tang Yan's throat! In his opinion, this seemingly weakest youth was the easiest breakthrough.

"I've been waiting for you!"

Tang Yan sneered inwardly, advancing instead of retreating, his Ninjutsu blade unsheathed in 0.1 seconds!

"Tang Blade Horizontal Method: Slice!"

A sharp silver light cut through the dim alley, too fast for the eyes to track!

The Root Ninja's pupils suddenly constricted to a pinpoint! He never expected this target's counterattack to be so swift and ruthless! This strike was not for defense or to force a retreat, but aimed to take his life!

Under the threat of death, he could only abandon the capture, his body twisting into an extremely contorted posture as he rolled backward. Even so, the blade still carved a deep mark on his mask.

"Attack!"

The other two reacted extremely quickly, launching their attacks simultaneously.

But, it was too late!

"Finally, I can stretch my muscles!" Zi Luo roared, not dodging, but instead charging directly towards one of the Ninja like an enraged wild bull!

"Seven Day Breathing Method: Raging Waves!"

His muscles bulged all over his body, veins protruding, and the stone slab ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch with a "crunch"! He slammed into them with the purest, most savage physical force!

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the Root Ninja was sent flying like a sandbag, crashing heavily into the wall at the end of the alley, raising a cloud of dust.

At the same time, Qian's hands had already formed the seals.

Facing the last approaching enemy, her usually sweet smiling face was now icy cold.

"Genjutsu: Flower Burial!"

Without any earth-shattering commotion, the Root Ninja's world instantly turned upside down.

The alley, his comrades, and his enemies all vanished, replaced by pink petals flying everywhere, beautiful yet carrying a deadly killing intent, engulfing him from all directions.

The Ninja's body stiffened, stopping in place, and he began to wildly wave his Kunai, slashing at the air, clearly trapped in an inescapable illusion.

A sudden ambush, in just a few short seconds, saw the tables instantly turned!

...

Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was puffing on his pipe, his brows tightly furrowed.

Across from him, Maki wore an expression of "fury" and "humiliation."

"Hokage-sama! Is this Konoha's way of hospitality?!"

"We, Sunagakure, came with sincere intentions of peace for trade, yet you treat us like criminals, monitoring us twenty-four hours a day! Now, you even attacked my team members without cause!"

"If my team members weren't strong enough, they would probably be corpses by now!"

"There's a peace treaty between our two nations! Is this how you, Konoha, uphold agreements?!"

Maki's voice was resonant, every word like a heavy hammer striking Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

Beside him, Danzo Shimura leaned on his cane, expressionless.

"Maki Jonin, please calm down. It was just a misunderstanding by the subordinates. I have already sternly reprimanded them."

"Misunderstanding?" Maki sneered, "What a misunderstanding! My team member is still lying in the medical ward! Who will take responsibility for this?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of thick smoke, his eyes sharpening.

"Danzo, withdraw all the surveillance personnel. Since they are guests, we must treat them with hospitality."

"But, Third..."

"Withdraw them." Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone was unquestionable.

He looked at Maki, softening his tone: "This is our fault. All expenses for the Sunagakure merchant caravan during their stay in Konoha will be borne by us, Konoha. If any team members are injured, we will arrange for the best medical Ninja to treat them."

"I hope this 'misunderstanding' will not affect the friendship between our two Villages."

Maki "reluctantly" nodded. Having achieved his objective, he no longer pressed the issue.

Stepping out of the Hokage Building, Maki looked back, a cold sneer, unnoticed by anyone, playing on the corner of his mouth.

That brat, Tang Yan, is getting better and better at playing games.

He exchanged the smallest cost for the greatest initiative.

The night was as dark as ink.

The clamor of Konoha Village gradually subsided.

A dark shadow, like a civet cat, moved silently across the rooftops.

It was Tang Yan.

With the surveillance withdrawn, he was finally free.

His goal was clear—to find the Mount Myōboku contact point, the "Distant Well."

According to his memories from his previous life, this special well could connect the real world to Mount Myōboku, serving as a passage for the toads to "visit" the human world.

However, the location of these wells was extremely hidden and would move irregularly.

Tang Yan searched for several nights in a row, investigating dozens of old wells within Konoha Village, but found nothing.

Just as he was about to give up, in the backyard of an abandoned shrine, he finally discovered a unique well.

The well opening was not large, but its walls were covered in strange moss, glowing faintly green in the moonlight.

He held his breath, lurking in the shadows, waiting quietly.

He didn't know how long passed.

"Plop!"

With a soft sound, the well water rippled.

Immediately after, a palm-sized green toad, carrying a scroll and wearing a small blue vest, popped its head out of the well.

"Hehe, I can come to Konoha to play again! This time I must try that new dessert shop!"

The toad muttered to himself, appearing exceptionally excited.

He's here!

Tang Yan's heart stirred.

Kosuke! The Mount Myōboku contact toad!

He stepped out from the shadows.

"Hello there, little fellow."

"Woah!" Kosuke was startled, his entire toad skin tensing, "You, you, you... who are you?!"

Tang Yan showed a friendly smile and spread his palm.

In his palm lay a few translucent, slightly wiggling insects.

A strange, sweet scent, detectable only by animals, emanated from the insects.

Kosuke's nose twitched twice, his eyes instantly widening, and drool uncontrollably trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"What... what is this? It smells so good!"

"My name is Tang Yan, a chef who enjoys researching gourmet food." Tang Yan said with a smile, "These are 'Honey Worms' that I exclusively cultivated. They taste quite good. Would you like to try some?"

Kosuke's wariness instantly crumbled under the temptation of the delicious food.

He flicked his tongue to grab a worm, chewed it a couple of times, and stars of happiness appeared in his eyes.

"Mmm! So delicious! A hundred times better than honey cake!"

Tang Yan watched him devour the worms and continued to throw out bait.

"I heard that Shima, the Sage of Mount Myōboku, is the greatest culinary master in the Ninja World. I've admired her for a long time and always wanted to taste her cooking."

Kosuke mumbled in agreement while eating: "Yes, yes! Lady Shima's cooking is the best in the entire universe!"

"I still have a lot of these worms here," Tang Yan shook a small box in his hand, "Consider this a small token of appreciation from a humble chef to Shima, the Sage. Could I trouble you to deliver it to her?"

Kosuke was eating happily and agreed without thinking.

"No problem! Leave it to me!"

"Thank you so much." Tang Yan handed over the box and then "casually" asked, "So, if I have new ingredients in the future, how can I contact you?"

Kosuke wiped his mouth, tore a small piece from the scroll on his back, and threw it to Tang Yan.

"Just inject Chakra here and say my name. But you can only use it three times, it's temporary!"

After speaking, he hugged the box of "Honey Worms," looked at it like a treasure, then jumped back into the well with a "plop" and disappeared.

The well water returned to calm.

Tang Yan held the scroll fragment with the special Chakra imprint in his hand, feeling greatly pleased.

His personal objective in coming to Konoha was achieved.

The contact method for Mount Myōboku was obtained.

He looked up at the night sky, where a bright moon hung high.