Chapter 83: Swirl
Swish! Swish!
Tonbo Tobitake continued his search as part of the Hidden Rain squads, meticulously playing the role of Hayakawa. He made sure to keep a surreptitious eye on the movements of Konan and the Six Paths puppets, while carefully avoiding the high tower where Nagato likely resided.
With such a massive commotion and the entire village on high alert, he knew he could forget about active intel gathering for the time being. He decided to play it safe and just be "Chunin Hayakawa."
However, while he remained stationary, the Rain Village and Danzou did not stop. Realizing they were being hunted, Danzou's men hid even deeper, yet Konan continued to root them out and execute them one by one.
As spies fell, the intensity of the search remained mind-bogglingly high. It was clear Nagato was determined to keep his secrets buried. At such a critical juncture, Tonbo didn't even dare risk contacting his teammates to tell them to run.
It's only a matter of time before someone slips up, he thought. Better prepare an exit strategy.
He didn't trust that he could play a Rain Chunin forever in a world filled with bizarre secret techniques. He began mapping out multiple escape routes in his mind: flight through the sky, swimming through the waterways, tunneling underground, or simply walking out the front gate with a brazen face.
"It's a good thing we didn't rush out, or we'd be dead for sure."
In their underground hideout, Murakumo spoke to the other two while looking at the intel he had just gathered. Using the unique properties of his Super Beast Imitating Drawing, he had been handling the scouting while Tonbo was away.
"Any news from the Captain?" Mibu Shinobu asked.
Murakumo shook his head. "The heat is too high. I doubt the Captain would risk sending a signal back right now."
They knew Tonbo had infiltrated the village, but they had no idea what he was specifically doing.
"So, we're effectively cut off?" Enkui asked.
"Yeah. For now, we rely on ourselves. The Captain's barrier technique is amazing, though. We haven't been detected even with this wide-scale sensory net active." Murakumo popped a stolen piece of sushi into his mouth and chewed.
He was genuinely impressed. When he used his secret techniques to scout, he barely escaped detection despite his experience. Yet, the barrier Tonbo left behind stood firm against the Rain's scrutiny.
Mibu Shinobu felt a wave of worry for his teacher, but also a sense of frustration at his own inability to help. He felt he still wasn't doing enough to lighten Tonbo's load.
Konoha.
Bang!
Shimura Danzou slammed his fist onto his desk. "Dammit! Another failed infiltration. It seems the enemy's sensory capabilities aren't limited to just one method."
Before him stood a Root ninja who had just delivered the news regarding the situation in the Rain and the fate of the agents sent there.
"Send word: Even if there are sacrifices, we must crack every single one of the enemy's sensory methods." He would never give up on the power of the Rinnegan.
Six months passed.
Hidden Rain Village.
"Captain Hayakawa, training again? You're so hardworking! I heard you just finished another B-rank assassination mission," a ninja remarked to Tonbo at the training grounds.
Tonbo retracted his kunai and smiled slightly. "It's all thanks to God and Lady Angel that the village has so many contracts. Praise God, praise Lady Angel."
"True. Praise God and Lady Angel," the ninja echoed. Ever since "God" replaced Hanzo, their lives had improved significantly.
"But this lockdown has been going on for a long time," Tonbo said with a feigned look of lingering fear. "Every time I go on a mission, I'm afraid my own comrades might stab me in the back by mistake!"
"Eh, can't be helped," the ninja replied. "Those foreign ninjas are too despicable, sending in so many spies. But I heard the spies are mostly dealt with. Things should return to normal soon."
"That's wonderful news," Tonbo said.
He was surprised himself. He had managed to stay in the Hidden Rain for six months without being discovered. Is this identity really that effective?
Over the past year, he had been a diligent Rain Chunin. And he hadn't expected the Rain to maintain such a high level of alert for a full six months.
It's about time to go back. Dammit, my son and daughter are almost a year old. I miss them like crazy.
He had gathered roughly 80% of the intel he needed. Ironically, the village-wide chaos had forced many Rain ninjas to reveal their skills and routines, giving him a perfect vantage point for observation. He had counted around 30 Jonin and over 500 Chunin. While they might not be as "refined" as Konoha's elite, the Rain's military strength was formidable.
Though intel on Konan and Nagato personally remained sparse, his mission was essentially complete. The Third Hokage just wanted to understand the state of the civil war to maintain strategic awareness.
Back at his temporary "home," Tonbo wove signs. A small earth-construct pangolin tunneled through the soil, heading toward his teammates' hideout.
"Checkmate."
Mibu Shinobu moved his piece, defeating Enkui. The three were dying of boredom. Due to the lockdown, they couldn't wander or train outside. Even for trained ninjas, six months in a "black room" was soul-crushing. They had resorted to various games, mostly Shogi.
The appearance of the small pangolin immediately snapped them to attention.
"Mission complete. Retreat!" the pangolin spoke.
Their eyes lit up. For Enkui and Murakumo, this had been six months darker than their time in Root. For Mibu Shinobu, it was the hardest test of his career. They packed their gear and left the cave without looking back, feeling a profound sense of liberation.
Just as they vacated the cave, a figure emerged from the ground nearby.
The figure wore a black cloak and a white swirl-patterned mask that covered the entire head, with only a single Sharingan peeking through.
"How interesting," a playful voice chirped from behind the mask. "To think someone could stay hidden under Nagato's nose for half a year. What a capable spy."
"We don't need to deal with this ourselves," another, more stable voice replied. "Let Nagato handle it. It looks like they've finished their intel mission and are leaving the village. Their information will serve as a nice bargaining chip to make Nagato trust my strength."
"Hey, hey, can we catch them and make them poop?" the playful voice asked. "I really want to know what the 'urge to go' feels like. I heard it feels great once you let it out."
The stable voice replied, "Boring."
With a swirl of spatial distortion, the masked man vanished.
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