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The Land of Earth and the Land of Fire are separated by several smaller nations, including the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass.
After reviewing the route, Ye Zi decided to take the path through the Land of Grass. He vividly remembered the war that took place along the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, where a vast area had been reduced to rubble. That was his first time participating in a war and his first encounter with its brutal realities.
Though Ye Zi wasn't entirely convinced by the route provided by Danzo, he was unfamiliar with Iwagakure, having rarely been to the Land of Earth. He only knew that the village was surrounded by mountains, so for now, he had to rely on the route map to navigate.
Stealing information about their defenses and supplies—this mission was undoubtedly difficult. Iwagakure was known for being extremely isolationist, unlike Amegakure, where even rogue ninjas could enter. The only way into Iwagakure was through cunning.
Most of Ye Zi's previous missions were assassinations, and he wasn't a specialist in infiltration. Sneaking into Iwagakure unnoticed wasn't realistic. The only feasible method he could think of was to gather intelligence first, then target a mid-ranking Iwa-nin, capture them, and use forbidden techniques to extract their memories. Afterward, he could disguise himself as the target and move freely within the village. This was the only method that came to his mind.
"Kid, are you confident?" Shokui communicated with Ye Zi through their soul connection.
As Ye Zi leaped through the dense forest, he calmly responded, "Not at all."
Shokui suggested, "Heh, in that case, just give it up. Don't accidentally get yourself killed—I don't plan on dying with you."
"One of Root's creeds is that failure is acceptable, but giving up isn't. While I don't believe in that creed, I can't just abandon this mission without even trying. Root has its intelligence channels, and if I approach this mission half-heartedly, the only outcome will be the pursuit of a hunter squad."
"Haha," Shokui let out a piercing laugh in Ye Zi's mind, causing the latter to frown slightly.
"Come on now, haven't you already been thinking about leaving for a while? Why not just pretend you couldn't complete the mission and abandon the village out of shame? As for the hunter squad—heh—I'll devour them one by one."
Ye Zi replied coldly, "I haven't gotten my hands on Konoha's forbidden scrolls yet. I won't leave that easily."
Shokui tempted him, "I know how desperate you are to return to your original world. I've already told you—don't count on those so-called forbidden scrolls. Even if there are time-space jutsu in them, they won't help you much. Trust me—if you just swallow that girl for me, I might have enough energy to open the portal. At the very least, I can guarantee your power will skyrocket."
Hearing Shokui's temptation again, a cold smile appeared on Ye Zi's face. "You really think I don't know what you're plotting?"
In the desolate world where Shokui resided, sitting atop a mound of yellow earth, he grinned with a human-like sneer, his gaping mouth stretching as though it would reach the back of his head.
"No matter what I'm plotting, your only option is to rely on me. Without me, you have no way of returning."
Ye Zi's brow furrowed. It was true—if there was a way to open the time-space portal, only Shokui, as an outsider, could do it. But there was a contract binding them, and Ye Zi wasn't foolish enough to fully trust Shokui. If Shokui's power grew beyond his control, it could end with Shokui turning on him, and then he would wreak havoc on this world.
"At first, I thought this world's power system was pretty primitive, but after seeing that girl and that boy with the strange eyes, I have to admit I underestimated the people here. Who knew that mere human bodies could contain such vast energy? Kid, it looks like you still have a chance to go home after all."
"But even so, you'll still need my help to open the time-space portal. And to do that, you'll need a huge amount of energy. I'm telling you, even if you can't bring yourself to devour that girl right now, you can at least find more people like her. There's no way a world this big doesn't have a dozen or twenty people like that. Let me swallow them all, and I guarantee you'll be able to go home instantly. How about it? Excited? Looking forward to it?"
"So, this useless mission—you should just drop it. You don't need to stay in that village or worry about those trash scrolls. Just kidnap that girl and slowly devour her somewhere."
"I'm telling you in advance—don't ignore me and risk your life on this mission. If things go south, don't come crying to me!"
"Hey, are you listening? My suggestion is pretty good, isn't it? How about giving it some thought, huh?"
"Gulp."
Shokui even made a swallowing sound as he talked.
Ye Zi sighed and then quietly cut off the connection, silencing Shokui's constant chatter.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—that's the information he had. Aside from the Nine-Tails, there were eight others like it. If Shokui's words were true, then devouring all nine tailed beasts might indeed provide the energy needed to open the time-space portal.
It was a method that might work, and Ye Zi had been tempted, but the risk was too great. He wouldn't act rashly, primarily because of Shokui...
This creature, who devoured everything, was only manageable now because of the contract binding him. If Shokui ever gained more power than Ye Zi, he would surely turn against him, and all hope would be lost. Ye Zi didn't believe for a second that Shokui would kindly expend energy to open the portal for him.
If this really was the only method, Ye Zi would need to ensure success before attempting it. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare try. Failure would mean the end of everything.
He didn't trust Shokui's words. Without a clear method, this was the last resort. Until then, one of the methods he planned to try was obtaining Konoha's forbidden scrolls. If he could get those, he would then defect from the village. After all, other villages likely had their own forbidden techniques.
From the moment he opened his eyes in this world, he was destined to make enemies.
After traveling for several days through the Land of Fire, Ye Zi finally reached the border.
He wore a white fox mask, adorned with three lightning patterns. His black and white short hair fluttered in the wind, and he was dressed in a black, tight-fitting combat suit, with a short blade strapped to his back.
This was Raiga.
Since the mission was undertaken under the identity of Raiga, Ye Zi didn't take off his mask.
He pushed his stamina to the limit, traveling non-stop for several days until he reached the border of the Land of Fire. Finding a hidden place, he took a well-deserved rest.
After recuperating, he resumed his journey and soon arrived in the Land of Grass.
Having some past connections with Kusagakure, he didn't stop there and headed straight for the Land of Earth.
First, he needed information...
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Currently on Chapter 182 - Minato's Brush with Death