19: Youth meets a weirdo, trade turns into ambush

The moonlight was like water, and the night wind carried a hint of coolness.

Tang Yan’s figure moved silently across the roof tiles, like a flickering leaf.

Since the last conflict with “Root,” the overt eyes had indeed disappeared.

But he could feel that there were still eyes peering from the shadows.

He stopped on the roof of a residential building, overlooking the secluded alley below.

He was preparing to control his puppets to infiltrate several important shops and steal some account ledgers.

This had been his daily routine for the past few days.

Deep in the alley, a little girl in pajamas, holding a doll, was drawing something on the ground, illuminated by the faint light from a window.

Suddenly, two dark figures silently glided out of the shadows.

They were wearing Wood Leaf Hidden Village ANBU uniforms and patterned masks on their faces.

It was “Root” again.

One of them moved swiftly, covering the little girl’s mouth.

The other skillfully prepared to carry her away.

The little girl’s eyes widened with terror, and her faint whimpers were muffled by the hand pressed tightly over her mouth.

Was it to capture potential orphans again for brainwashing and Renovation?

Or to provide them to Orochimaru for live experiments?

Danzo’s methods were as despicable as ever.

Tang Yan’s expression remained unchanged.

He was just a passerby, a spy, and should not meddle in others’ affairs.

But they saw him.

One of the “Root” Ninja, perhaps overly sensitive, looked up for a moment, and his gaze met Tang Yan’s on the rooftop.

There was no surprise in those eyes, only cold killing intent.

He gestured to his companion, signaling to continue taking the girl, while he prepared to silence the witness.

Tang Yan’s lips habitually curled into a mocking arc.

Since he had been seen, there was nothing he could do.

His fingertips twitched slightly.

A palm-sized, pitch-black spider puppet rapidly crawled down the wall’s shadow.

Just as the “Root” Ninja was about to leap onto the roof, he felt a barely perceptible sting in his ankle.

It was like a mosquito bite.

He looked down, but there was nothing there.

He frowned, not paying much attention.

Such a minor detail was not worth mentioning during a mission, and he had no time to investigate it closely.

However, when he looked up at the roof again, Tang Yan’s figure had already disappeared.

An alarm bell rang in his heart, and he immediately signaled to his companion: “Retreat!”

The two were just about to leave with the little girl.

But the Ninja who had been stung by the spider puppet suddenly felt a violent dizziness.

His heart felt as if it were being fiercely squeezed by an invisible hand.

He widened his eyes in horror, a gurgling sound escaping his throat, and his lips instantly turned purplish-black.

With a thud, he fell straight to the ground.

Black blood flowed from his seven orifices, his body convulsed a few times, and then he was silent.

His companion watched this scene in horror, completely unaware of what had happened.

A poisoned needle flew, and a crimson dot appeared between his eyebrows; the battle ended before it even began.

On another rooftop in the distance, Tang Yan withdrew his gaze.

The poison on that little spider’s needle was a neurotoxin he had specially formulated with Sasori’s poison and several herbs.

Colorless and odorless, it would kill within seven steps, sealing the throat upon contact with blood.

“The darkness of this Village is even more terrifying than the quicksand in the desert,” he murmured softly, his figure merging into the night once more.

He couldn’t be bothered with how to clean up the aftermath; he still had his own mission.

Over the next few days, Tang Yan’s team began their data collection work.

During the day, Tang Yan led Zi Luo and Qian, continuing to play the role of curious tourists, strolling through various shops, seemingly casually inquiring about prices.

At night, Tang Yan’s spider puppet became the main character.

The small puppet silently infiltrated the storerooms of Konoha’s largest Ninja tool shops, grain stores, and pharmacies.

Recording thick ledgers of incoming and outgoing goods.

Inside the hotel room, the lights were dim.

Qian spread the organized data on the table.

“The results are out.”

“The prices of regular Ninja tools like kunai and shuriken have increased by fifteen percent in the past three months.”

“Strategic materials like military rations and medical bandages have increased by twenty percent.”

“Grain prices are the most stable, but the inventory of several large grain merchants is significantly lower than in the same period last year.”

Maki frowned, looking at the data.

“Rising prices and decreasing inventory indicate a sharp increase in demand in a short period.”

“Konoha is indeed preparing for war.”

“And this.” Qian handed over a blueprint pieced together from a pile of scrap paper.

“I extracted it with genjutsu from a drunk warehouse manager; it’s an encrypted inventory sketch.”

“It mentions a codename—‘Black Iron.’”

Tang Yan added.

“I’ve checked the Village’s records, and ‘Black Iron’ most likely refers to a rare metal called ‘Chakra Resonating Black Iron.’”

“This metal is a core material for making high-level sealing jutsu and weapons targeting Tailed Beasts.”

The air instantly became heavy.

Weapons targeting Tailed Beasts.

Had Konoha’s fangs been bared already?

“Enough.” Maki put all the data into a mini scroll.

“This intelligence is enough for the Kazekage to make a decision.”

“Going deeper now, the risk of being discovered is too great.”

“Our mission can end.”

On the last day before the mission ended, everyone decided to go to Ichiraku Ramen one last time, marking the end of their trip.

“Boss! The usual! Three bowls of your signature Tonkotsu Ramen, and an extra serving of char siu for mine!” Zi Luo shouted, already familiar with the place.

Among the crowd eating noodles, a young boy with a bowl cut and a green jumpsuit suddenly turned his head.

Under his thick black eyebrows, a pair of eyes burned with raging flames.

“Oh! My friend, you are also full of youthful vitality! What a great opponent!”

Beside him, a boy with goggles and messy hair irritably tapped his head.

“Idiot Guy, keep your voice down! You’ll disturb others eating noodles.”

“You’re more disturbing than him.” A young boy with short silver-white hair and a masked face, appearing only six or seven years old, spoke in a precocious tone.

“The passion of youth cannot be suppressed.”

“Kakashi is right!” The boy called Guy immediately puffed out his chest.

Zi Luo chuckled, looking at these people.

“Hey, are you Ninja too?”

“Of course!” Might Guy slapped his chest, announcing loudly.

“I, Might Guy, am a Genin who just graduated from the Ninja Academy this year!”

“This is my rival, Kakashi Hatake! And Uchiha Obito and Rin Nohara!”

“Tch, I’m the man who’s going to become Hokage!” Obito shouted defiantly.

Tang Yan’s gaze fell on the white-haired boy named Kakashi, wearing a Chunin vest.

A genius who, at six years old, had already been promoted to Chunin and entered the battlefield.

“A six-year-old Chunin, Kakashi is indeed a genius. With his promotion to Chunin, White Fang will soon be out of the picture.”

Tang Yan mused inwardly, while also glancing at the boisterous Uchiha Obito and the gentle, serene Rin Nohara.

The Fourth Hokage’s team, and the future Azure Beast of Konoha.

The influential figures who stirred the times after the Third Great Ninja War, the Sixth Hokage, and Might Guy, who almost kicked out the ending, were now just a few noisy children in a ramen shop.

War is truly terrible; cherish the current peaceful times.

The ramen meal was a chaotic mess.

Zi Luo and Might Guy almost fought over who could eat more, and were frantically pulled apart by Qian and Rin.

Bidding farewell to these future powerful Ninja, Tang Yan performed his second summoning that night.

He infused Chakra into the scroll fragment and softly chanted: “Mount Myōboku Kosuke.”

With a plop, a green toad wearing a blue vest jumped out of thin air, still chewing on something.

“Tang Yan! Your bugs are amazing! Lady Shima is very satisfied!”

Kosuke’s eyes lit up when he saw Tang Yan, as if he had seen a loved one.

“Glad you like them.” Tang Yan smiled and handed him an even larger box.

Inside were several flavors of “Honey Worms,” neatly categorized: wasabi, barbecue, and even spicy.

Kosuke’s mouth instantly watered.

“I came this time to ask you for a favor.” Tang Yan’s expression turned serious.

“I want to sign a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku.”

Kosuke’s movements paused, and he forgot to swallow the worm in his mouth.

“A contract? But… you’re not a Konoha Ninja.”

“I am Tang Yan of Hidden Sand Village.” Tang Yan stated his identity frankly.

“I know Mount Myōboku and Konoha are allies, and I don’t ask for anything else, only to be able to sign a contract with a toad exclusive to me, to grow together. An exclusive summoned toad will not involve other toads, nor will it affect our respective stances.”

Kosuke’s expression became solemn.

This was no longer a simple exchange of delicacies, but a major matter involving Mount Myōboku’s stance.

“I… I can’t make that decision.” Kosuke said with difficulty.

“This matter must be conveyed by Lady Shima to the Great Toad Sage, and he will make the prophecy and decision.”

“Then I’ll trouble you.” Tang Yan pushed the box filled with new flavored bugs over.

“Regardless of the outcome, these are a small token of my appreciation.”

Kosuke looked at the box of alluringly scented bugs, swallowed, and nodded solemnly.

“You wait for my news.”

“Next time, and the last time, when you summon me with this scroll, I will give you an answer.”

With that, it picked up the box, and with a “plop,” disappeared.

Did it work?

Uncertain, but a heavy weight lifted from Tang Yan’s heart.

Regardless of the outcome, he had submitted his application.

The next day, early morning.

The Sunagakure merchant convoy was fully prepared, ready to set off back to the Land of Wind.

Maki was doing the final inventory.

Tang Yan and his two companions stood by, watching the sky gradually turn pale.

This trip to Konoha had been quite fruitful.

Just then, a sharp, high-pitched eagle cry pierced the sky!

A magnificent sand eagle descended from the sky, circled once, and then landed precisely on Maki’s outstretched arm.

It summoned a black metal tube.

It was an urgent secret letter from the Kazekage!

Maki’s expression instantly changed, and he quickly took out the secret letter and unrolled the scroll.

With just one glance, his pupils suddenly contracted.

A cold surge of killing intent uncontrollably emanated from him.

“Teacher, what’s wrong?” Qian keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Maki slowly raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives, his voice terrifyingly low.

“Urgent mission.”

He handed the scroll to Tang Yan.

The writing on it seemed to carry a scent of blood.

“A guard from the Kazekage’s personal escort has defected.”

“He stole the detailed war deployment map against the Land of Fire, which the Fourth Kazekage had just finalized, and is preparing to flee to Konoha to seek asylum.”

Tang Yan’s heart sank sharply.

War deployment map!

That was almost Sunagakure’s highest secret!

“Our new mission,” Maki’s voice, every word, seemed to be squeezed out through clenched teeth.

“Intercept and kill him before he enters Konoha! Note, it’s an interception and kill! Leave no survivors!”

“And, at all costs, recover or… destroy the map!”

“Additionally, we need to find out Konoha’s level of knowledge and attitude towards this matter.”

He quickly gave instructions: “Qian, you go inform the convoy manager to postpone the return date. Tell them to stand by, keep a low profile, seal off information, and not act without my command.”

Maki turned to Tang Yan and Zi Luo, continuing: “I will immediately go see the Third Hokage and request a mission change. The official story will be: a Ninja responsible for confidential matters in Hidden Sand Village has defected, stealing a batch of important funds from the Village. The Fourth Kazekage is furious and has specially ordered us to pursue him.”

His eyes were deep, and his tone carried a hint of solemnity: “The Third Hokage, that old fox, will certainly give us the green light on the surface, and might even feign assistance. But secretly, Konoha’s eyes, especially the Anbu and ‘Root’ spies, will definitely Stare us like sharks smelling blood. The three of you immediately leave the Village and wait at the designated location. Once I finish my negotiations with the Hokage, we will meet up and act immediately.” With that, Maki disappeared on the spot.

“Yes, Teacher Maki.” The three responded simultaneously.

“This is going to be fun. Let’s get ready. We’ll go all out. The Kazekage’s guard is a Jonin after all,” Tang Yan said, crossing his arms.