Chapter 77: Numerous Difficulties
Swish! Swish!
Not long after Tonbo Tobitake arrived and began contemplating the infiltration plan, the other three appeared.
"Sensei, long time no see! We finally get to do a mission together again, and such a high-level one at that!" Excitement was written all over Mibu Shinobu's face as he greeted Tonbo.
Tonbo nodded toward him, feeling very satisfied. Mibu was the most talented student he had trained, and he had always held him in high regard. He then shifted his gaze to the other two teammates.
"You two. Although I have your basic profiles, I need a more specific understanding of your abilities to ensure the mission's success."
Both were unfamiliar faces. One was a burly man with a scruffy beard. The other had a slender frame and a fair, scholarly face. However, through Tonbo's perception, he realized both possessed chakra levels comparable to Kakashi's. This meant their strength was not to be underestimated.
It seemed Danzo took this mission very seriously. And he had to—after all, it concerned the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths.
The burly man spoke: "I am Enkui. Specialized in Earth Style, Taijutsu, and assassination."
The slender youth followed: "I am Murakumo. Specialized in tracking, assassination, and various support roles."
Both introductions were delivered with deadpan expressions. They gave the bare minimum of information, and their faces revealed nothing.
"Very well. Check your equipment. Once ready, we move toward the Land of Rain in a wedge formation," Tonbo ordered. He also double-checked his own supplies. Seeing his pouches full of explosive tags, kunai, and various tools, he finally felt at ease. The others did the same.
"Then, let's move."
Whoosh!
Leaping across the tree branches toward the Land of Rain, Tonbo kept his perception focused on the two newcomers. There was no resistance, no talking—they were perfectly obedient.
Tough customers, he mused. He knew Danzo's Root produced nothing but "talents." The quieter they were now, the more trouble they would likely cause later. It was quite possible Danzo had given them orders that clashed with Tonbo's own goals. If two Jonin-level ninjas decided to go rogue during the mission, it would be a massive headache.
Fortunately, he still had his loyal student. Mibu Shinobu was alert on the flank, constantly scanning for danger. He truly had grown; he was no longer the boy who had to be traumatized into studying by the Psycho Mind Transmission technique.
As time passed, the humidity in the air began to rise. A layer of dampness settled on Tonbo's skin. The Land of Rain had a unique geography; it was perpetually shrouded in dark clouds, with rain falling nearly every day. Compared to other nations, the air was significantly heavier. It was further from Konoha than the Land of Iron; at their current pace, it would take about three and a half days to arrive.
The four of them moved in bursts, stopping to rest periodically. The two ANBU ninjas never complained or rushed him, following silently. Keeping his perception on them was starting to feel a bit boring for Tonbo. Mibu, meanwhile, spent his breaks tinkering with his ninja tools.
After three days, they approached the border. From a distance, they could see the kingdom of perpetual thunderstorms.
Tonbo came to a halt and looked at Enkui. "I'll have to trouble you."
"..."
Enkui remained silent, but since Tonbo was the captain, he began weaving hand signs.
"Earth Style: Earth Abode!"
Rumble!
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain, a sturdy earth house rose from the ground. Enkui looked at Tonbo with a hint of impatience. Tonbo just smiled back.
Ever since learning this guy was an Earth Style specialist, Tonbo had thought of Yamato and his Wood Style houses. He had wondered if an Earth Style user could do something similar for resting, and as it turned out, he could.
Mibu Shinobu was impressed. "Man, this doesn't feel like a rough-and-tumble mission at all. If only I could master Earth Style nature transformation!"
The moment he saw the house, he was envious. Life would be so much easier for the whole team if he had that skill.
"Focus on your Space-Time ninjutsu and Wind Style," Tonbo patted his shoulder. "With your talent, learning Earth Style nature transformation would take another two or three years. Don't overreach."
Once again, he marveled at Danzo's resources. The man had a specialist for everything. He still didn't know the full extent of Murakumo's skills, but it didn't matter as long as they didn't interfere with him. If they did, he'd show them his true power.
Under the silent drizzle.
"According to the Hokage's intel, three elite squads were sent into the Land of Rain previously, and all failed," Tonbo began reviewing the information. "We can infer that the interior is likely blanketed by a sensory barrier. We cannot use conventional infiltration methods, nor can we make a large disturbance."
The other three nodded.
"The teams sent by the Hokage approached from the directions of the Land of Grass, the Land of Birds, and the Land of River. All failed. This confirms that infiltrating from any direction—including our own border or the borders of Wind and Earth—will likely be detected."
The analysis was simple: the Land of Rain was small and surrounded by six nations in a triangle. If every approach had failed, the enemy's sensory capabilities were extraordinary.
Tonbo knew about Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique, but he had to go through the motions of analysis with his team. Otherwise, how would he explain his knowledge when he rarely left the village?
Regarding that technique, Tonbo felt a mix of disdain and envy. Disdain because it was a massive waste of chakra, but envy because Nagato actually had that much chakra to waste. A jutsu that covered an entire country! If he had that much chakra, he wouldn't even have to worry about the heavy hitters of the ninja world.
Mibu asked, "Then how do we get in?"
That was the crux of the problem. If the previous elite squads failed, how could they succeed?
Tonbo looked at the two assassination specialists. Enkui shook his head. "It won't work. Lord Danzo also sent teams in aside from the Hokage's; they all ended in failure."
If it were easy to get in, Tonbo wouldn't have been summoned.
"I see. A direct assault is out too; that would cause a major diplomatic chain reaction. If the other Great Nations get twitchy, we could be looking at the Fourth Shinobi World War," Tonbo said with a sigh.
It seemed Danzo's Root was lacking truly elite infiltrators at the moment. If the "Walking Priestess" (Nonō Yakushi) were still in Root, this probably wouldn't be his problem. Tonbo had read many memories and knew that the ninja world was full of countless secret techniques beyond those in the Scroll of Seals. There were many ways to bypass tracking and perception.
The Walking Priestess had successfully roamed through various nations to get intel for Danzo; she could have handled the Rain. But now, she was likely busy being the director of an orphanage. Or perhaps, she had already tried and failed here too.
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