Slob?
Yamanaka Shinno instinctively touched his face. Well… given his current appearance, that description wasn't exactly wrong.
Still, in all his years, this was the first time someone had ever criticized his looks.
Wait, no. That wasn't the point. The real issue here was—who the hell was trying to deceive someone into bed?!
Did he look like that kind of person?
"Phew... When I said 'get some sleep,' I meant literally just sleep. Not sleep with me."
Shinno took a deep breath, forcing himself to patiently explain to Yakushi Nonō.
"A classified route?"
Nonō's brows furrowed slightly, but deep inside, she felt a wave of relief.
She was well aware that some highly classified routes existed—routes where transferred personnel would either be blindfolded or sedated to ensure maximum secrecy.
If such a route was available, it was indeed much safer than the escape path she had originally planned.
"Yeah. So, are you coming or not?"
Shinno scratched his cheek, throwing the question back at her.
For him, escaping from Kumogakure—even under a full lockdown—wasn't a difficult task.
The simplest method was to use the Flying Thunder God to teleport away instantly.
As for how he'd explain it to the Third Hokage when he reported back to the village… well, that depended on what kind of attitude those old geezers decided to take.
If they left him alone, he wouldn't mind taking it easy for a while.
He could use the excuse that he escaped via Water Release techniques by moving through underground water sources. That should be enough to smooth things over.
But if they tried to make trouble for him—then sorry, Hokage-sama, but it was about time you stepped down. The next era belonged to the younger generation.
"Can this classified route handle multiple people? I recently identified two more Konoha spies."
Nonō pressed on.
Although intelligence operatives weren't supposed to recognize each other—let alone make contact or expose their identities—she had managed to pinpoint two other Konoha spies during her reconnaissance.
Given the current situation inside Kumogakure, if they didn't escape soon, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
And once key village intelligence was leaked…
No one could predict the catastrophic consequences that might follow.
Shinno paused for a moment before finally designating a specific location.
"...No problem. One hour later. Training Ground No. 14 to the east."
He chose a spot conveniently close to a subterranean water source.
He wasn't sure exactly how many Konoha spies had infiltrated Kumogakure, but these two had been working hard for Konoha's sake.
If it was within his power to lend a hand, why not?
"Understood."
Nonō didn't linger. Instead, she turned and headed straight for the mission reception area.
...
One hour later.
Training Ground No. 14, Kumogakure.
Nonō and two male shinobi arrived at the meeting point, each coming from a different direction.
Hidden beneath the earth using Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique, Shinno carefully examined their trait pages.
Once he confirmed they were indeed Konoha spies, he slowly surfaced and flashed an identification signal to them.
"Whew—"
The two male shinobi's faces lit up with relief, quickly returning the signal.
Ever since they learned about the village-wide lockdown that morning, they had felt like the sky was falling.
They had already prepared for the worst—destroying all their intel and bracing themselves for the inevitable interrogations, hoping they could somehow slip through.
No one knew better than they did what awaited a captured spy.
Now, with a chance to escape, it felt like they had been pulled back from the brink of death!
"Priestess, shall we begin?"
Shinno didn't address Nonō by name, referring to her by her codename instead.
"As soon as possible. This operation was rushed—I can't guarantee I didn't leave any traces."
Nonō nodded, while the two male spies also gave a solemn nod.
Nirvana Temple Technique!
Shinno clapped his hands together.
Soft white feathers began to drift down around them.
The three spies barely had time to register the sight before an overwhelming drowsiness took hold, and they collapsed into unconsciousness.
Catching Nonō with one hand and grabbing the two male shinobi by the waistbands with the other, Shinno closed his eyes.
Using the advanced spatial awareness granted by his Spatial Awareness trait, he locked onto a Flying Thunder God marker located dozens of kilometers outside Kumogakure.
Then, in an instant—
Shun!
They vanished.
...
The scenery shifted in a blink.
The rocky terrain and dusty ground of Training Ground No. 14 transformed into a lush, dense forest filled with shrubs.
They were now over fifty kilometers west of Kumogakure—far beyond the patrol range of the village's security forces.
This was the same place Shinno had rested during his journey from the Land of Iron to Kumogakure.
Retrieving a Shinobi World Map from his storage scroll, he quickly marked their current location and stuffed it into Nonō's hand.
His gaze lingered on her sleeping face—without her usual facade of naïve cuteness, she looked much more serene and at peace.
Shinno smirked.
Closing his eyes, he focused for a moment before reaching out and giving her thigh a firm pat.
"Hope you enjoy the gift."
With a wicked grin, he clapped his hands together, leaving behind a shadow clone while his real body teleported back to his residence in Kumogakure.
...
Meanwhile, the shadow clone surveyed the surroundings.
After confirming there were no immediate threats, he performed a half-learned Earth Release: Earth Core Shift to sink the ground beneath them slightly.
He then layered it with Earth Release: Earth Cover to disguise the terrain, ensuring no one would stumble upon them by accident.
Only after completing these measures did he burrow underground, concealing his presence completely.
...
Near midnight—
After nearly ten hours of sleep, Nonō finally stirred from the dreamscape induced by the Nirvana Temple Technique.
Clutching the special paper of the map in her hands, she carefully assessed her surroundings.
Once she confirmed both her safety and the well-being of the other two spies, she hesitated for a moment before cutting a small opening in the earth cover above her.
Moonlight spilled in, illuminating her eyes.
Using the light to examine the map's markings, she finally relaxed a little.
After double-checking the condition of her unconscious comrades, her gaze shifted toward a river just a hundred meters away.
Wanting to reset her disguise, she set up a few simple alarm traps before slipping into the chilly water.
She quickly scrubbed off her makeup, washed away any scents, and then—
...paused.
On the front of her thigh, in bold, palm-sized characters, was an unmistakable marking:
"正正正丅"
She furiously scrubbed at it.
Again.
And again.
Yet the mark wouldn't fade.
For the first time in her highly trained career—she almost burst into tears.
Seventeen times?!
She had merely borrowed a classified escape route—how had it come to this?!
…Wait.
She quickly checked herself.
No pain, no discomfort—her body was completely fine.
The tears retreated. But her face cycled between pale and flushed.
Good news: she hadn't actually been… violated.
Bad news: there was no way this mark had been imprinted with her clothes on.
And worse—it was clearly sealed with fūinjutsu.
She couldn't remove it.
How was she supposed to explain this?
How was she supposed to go to hot springs?!
How was she supposed to go swimming?!
How was she supposed to face people?!
"Shameless! Degenerate! Pervert! Bastard! That filthy, greasy, sleazy creep—!"
Nonō ranted endlessly.
She had escaped Kumogakure safely…
But at what cost?
...
Back in Kumogakure.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Shinno sneezed violently.
As the memories from his shadow clone flooded back, he grinned.
"Looks like Nonō really liked my gift."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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