Yakushi Nono didn't know much about Yamanaka Shinno. Previously, she had only been vaguely aware that such a person existed in the analysis team.
But after this first real interaction, her impression of him was at least…
Competent?
The Kida-in Clan's nearly imperceptible face-reading jutsu, the stealth technique that had evaded her watchful eyes, and the Mind-Body Disturbance Technique that rendered her completely helpless in an instant.
He certainly seemed well-suited for high-difficulty assassination missions.
However…
"Why is there an outsider at the meeting location?"
Yakushi Nono frowned slightly, questioning the situation in the room.
As a spy, nothing was more intolerable than unexpected developments or the presence of unrelated individuals.
Both increased the risk of exposure.
"The place you picked is practically drugged. I hid in a corner for two hours, and at least eight pairs of lovebirds showed up. If I didn't make some noise, they would've kept piling in."
Yamanaka Shinno rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Two hours ago, when he first arrived to scout the area, he had already heard muffled groans coming from the corner.
Just as one pair finished up and left, another arrived within minutes!
And just as they were about to get started—
He quickly cast a genjutsu to relocate them to the alley next door.
But then, more people showed up!
In the end, he had no choice but to summon two White Zetsu to cause a commotion. Otherwise, the cycle would never end.
"Unrelated individuals," Yakushi Nono reiterated, sweeping a glance around the room.
"Dead bodies."
Shinno waved a hand dismissively. White Zetsu might look human, but they weren't.
Calling them dead bodies wasn't wrong, was it?
Nope, no problem at all!
"…You know Water Release?"
Yakushi Nono nodded slightly. Having witnessed the darkness of the ninja world, she wasn't unfamiliar with using "disposable tools" for missions.
She didn't like such methods, but as a trained ninja, all she could do was restrain herself from using them.
Anything more was beyond her power.
"Eh, I know a little."
"Earth Release?"
"That one I really only know a little."
"???"
"I can reliably use about twenty techniques. The rest… I can fumble through if needed."
Seeing Nono's skeptical expression, Shinno could only be honest.
He didn't even have a proper trait for Earth Release.
If not for the Sage's Body giving him an affinity for all elements, he probably wouldn't be able to use it in actual combat at all.
Of course, when he said "actual combat," he meant against at least a jōnin-level opponent.
Against weaker enemies? No problem at all.
"Pick one—clean up the scene."
Yakushi Nono unfastened the clasp at the front of her robe, reached into her chest, and pulled out a small scroll about the length of a finger.
She tossed it to Shinno before glancing at his current appearance. Without another word, she turned and left.
Greasy, sleazy, unkempt, weak…
Yeah, this Seisai disguise was definitely memorable.
"Got it."
Shinno caught the scroll, still faintly warm from body heat, and felt a bit awkward.
That was… quite the hiding spot.
Watching Yakushi Nono disappear into the alley, Shinno used the dim moonlight to unroll the scroll.
After scanning the contents—practically written like a diary—he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
ANBU just loved doing things the hard way.
A single sentence would've sufficed, but no, they had to turn it into an elaborate puzzle.
Without the decryption key, you wouldn't even know what the hell it said.
Shinno studied the encoded sequence on the scroll and retrieved the corresponding key from his King of Knowledge, then began decoding it word by word.
"Reidby… Third Raikage's… nephew, jōnin, supports attacking… Kirigakure? Twenty-six years old, specializes in… Lightning Release… Kenjutsu…"
The small scroll contained detailed information on the target, his daily routines, and the rendezvous method for after the mission's completion.
Shinno rubbed his slightly sore eyes.
A Rasengan quickly formed in his hand, reducing the scroll to dust.
"Damn it, even when I cheated on exams back in the day, I never wrote my notes this small."
Muttering complaints under his breath, Shinno was about to step into the courtyard to retrieve the two controlled White Zetsu.
Just then, a middle-aged man, fumbling to undo his belt, rushed into the alley with a seductive woman clinging to his arm.
They came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Shinno just about to enter the courtyard.
From inside, the sultry sounds of indulgence could still be heard.
The pair hesitated for a moment before exchanging odd glances.
"What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I'll drag you both in!"
Annoyed, Shinno shot them a glare.
What kind of cursed place was this?
Even the red-light district in the Land of Fire was more reserved than this.
"…If that's what you want, Ninja-sama, we wouldn't mind…"
"…The hell?!"
Seeing the middle-aged man's silent yet excited expression, Shinno nearly lost it.
Without hesitation, he cast another genjutsu and sent the couple on their way!
This place was definitely cursed—no doubt about it!
Quickly sealing away the two White Zetsu, who had been under illusion and sealing techniques for over an hour, Shinno—feeling thoroughly exasperated—disappeared into the night.
He had the target's information now. It didn't matter when he made the move.
The sooner he finished, the sooner he'd get his reward—and the sooner he could go home!
...
Half an hour later.
After verifying his identity at the gates of Kumogakure and chatting briefly with the familiar gate guards, Shinno used the excuse of "going home early to see his kid" to bid them farewell.
With no effort at all, he slipped into the village under the guise of Seisai.
Using the memories of his borrowed face, he soon found his target—Reidby—drinking at an izakaya with seven other jōnin.
After thinking for two seconds about how to frame Kirigakure for this, Shinno subtly released a faint killing intent directed at Reidby.
Veteran warriors who lived on the edge of life and death were highly sensitive to killing intent.
Reidby's hand hesitated briefly over his cup before smoothly resuming his drunken revelry.
He casually threw an arm around a comrade's shoulder, pretending to reminisce while discreetly exchanging information.
In under five minutes, the seemingly intoxicated Reidby stood, bade his companions farewell, and staggered out of the izakaya.
He barely walked a few streets before slipping into a secluded alleyway.
Clearly, he intended to use himself as bait to lure the assassin into striking.
Shinno, now disguised under another transformation jutsu, struck from the shadows—kunai in hand!
Reidby instantly shed his drunken facade, drawing his ninja sword to meet the attack.
But in the next instant—
His sword passed clean through Shinno's water-transformed body.
A severed head, eyes wide open, rolled to the ground.
"Reidby! Damn it! It's the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique!"
A nearby Kumogakure jōnin roared, forming hand seals—
Lightning Release: Thunder Orbs!
Golden spheres of electricity sealed off the alley.
Shinno, having achieved his goal, crashed through a nearby wall and used the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
Seeing his goal achieved, Shinno crashed through a nearby wall, avoiding the lightning jutsu before vanishing into the night.
...
The village-wide alarm rang through Kumogakure.
Blending into the gathering crowd, Shinno overheard a soft, childish voice beside him.
"Mister, what happened?"
He turned and saw a tiny girl—shorter than even Kurenai had been as a kid.
When he registered her face, he instinctively took a step back.
Shit!
Loli version of Nii Yugito!
The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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