The night was deep and heavy clouds obscured the sky, dimming the already faint moonlight. Thirty kilometers southwest of Kumo, a bustling town named Crescent Street was brightly lit.
Even though it was nearing midnight, the noise of chatter, shouting, and laughter remained constant. This place was similar to North Street near Konoha, both serving as leisure spots for ninjas to relax after completing their missions.
However, due to its strategic location as a crucial stop along the north-south trade route, the constant flow of merchants made this town far more prosperous than North Street.
Gambling halls, bars, entertainment districts, hot springs, shopping streets…
It had to be said that while the Land of Lightning's geographical position was not as advantageous as the Land of Fire's, its current daimyo was highly skilled in governance.
At the very least, in terms of economic growth, he had made the nation the strongest among the Five Great Countries.
In the bustling crowd, a young girl, wearing black-framed glasses, with a gentle and charming demeanor, appeared to be unwinding after a mission. Carrying shopping bags full to the brim in her left hand, she hummed an unknown tune as she cheerfully stepped into a dark alley.
From a nearby bar, several drunken men regretfully withdrew their gazes.
"She's young, has a great figure, and such a cute face…"
"If only she wasn't a ninja…"
Ninjas, in this world, were often synonymous with cold-blooded killers. They might not always hold the highest status, but they wielded power far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Even the arrogant noble lords of the capital knew better than to casually offend a ninja. Let alone mere wealthy merchants like them.
Twisting and turning through the dark alleys, the girl arrived at an old-looking mansion.
Noticing a set of small stones arranged in a specific pattern by the door, she confirmed the rendezvous point.
Nonō stood there, her expression darkening as she listened to the faint sounds of indulgence coming from within the courtyard. It was normal for ninjas to have desires.
Every ninja had their own way of releasing their inner stress after completing missions. But to be so indulgent even during a mission? This made her seriously doubt whether the person inside was truly a qualified ninja.
This mission was extremely important.
If Konoha's current situation could not be changed, then once war broke out, Konoha would become the primary target of all other villages. At such a critical moment, she could understand why the Root ninjas hadn't been sent.
But for this person to be so reckless… Could it be that the one inside was the infamous, perverted legend—Jiraiya? If it was him… well, that would make sense.
Swoosh—
A small stone rolled to her feet, disrupting the pattern of the stones at the entrance.
Nonō's body stiffened slightly, every hair standing on end. Maintaining a smile, she feigned surprise as she turned toward the direction the stone had come from.
A middle-aged ninja with a scruffy beard, wearing a Kumo forehead protector, stood in the shadows of a nearby building, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Murasa, what are you doing here?"
"Osoi-senpai? I didn't expect to see you here! I was just out shopping and, uh, I think I got lost."
Nonō scratched her head with an embarrassed smile, perfectly portraying a respectful yet absentminded chunin.
Meanwhile, she rapidly recalled the information on Osoi.
A Kumo chunin, who was a team member of Toroi of the Magnet Release. Cautious and experienced in missions.
Lost his wife a few years ago and had a son named Musai, who recently graduated from the academy as a genin.
It seemed this guy was already suspicious of her.
If he was already near forty and still a chunin, he likely had a major weakness in strength. As long as she covered her tracks well, eliminating him would be the best option.
"Tsk— I have a cat at home that can do backflips. Do you want to see it?"
Osoi's gaze openly scanned Nonō's figure.
The greasy aura of a middle-aged man practically oozed toward her.
"... A ninja cat? I heard that in Konoha, the Uchiha and Izuno clans have close ties with ninja cats."
Nonō's eye twitched slightly. But on the surface, she tilted her head in feigned curiosity, appearing intrigued by the topic as she subconsciously stepped closer to Osoi.
"It's the Izuno clan."
Transformed into Osoi, Kei still maintained the greasy expression of a middle-aged man, his narrow eyes gleaming with ill intent.
"Huh? Did I remember it wrong?"
Swish—!
A faint blue chakra glow suddenly flickered in Nonō's previously empty right hand.
A sharp chakra scalpel shot straight for Kei's throat.
But in the next instant, her body stiffened on the spot. Her chakra scalpel dissipated involuntarily, and she reverted to her obedient and innocent girl-like stance, standing still.
"Come on, I already responded to the code phrase. Isn't this a bit rude?" Kei looked at Nonō with a helpless expression.
"My cat can do backflips" and "Izuno" were prearranged code phrases. The fact that Nonō had correctly responded meant she had already confirmed his identity.
And yet, she still attacked him—wasn't that a bit much?
"The Yamanaka clan's mind techniques? What's with your appearance… this isn't the Transformation Jutsu."
Now under the influence of Mind Body Disturbance Technique, Nonō had basically confirmed that the person before her was indeed a Konoha ninja.
But this disguise—showing no trace of transformation—along with the unmistakable stench of sweat and the lingering air of debauchery…
"Face Copying Technique, a secret jutsu of the Kedōin clan. It allows me to perfectly mimic a target's face and aura, to the point that even ninja hounds can't tell the difference. The drawback is that the person being copied has to be present, and the transformation process takes some time."
Kei shrugged, explaining the secret technique he had used.
The Kedōin clan was somewhat well-known in the Land of Fire, though they had never joined a ninja village. Instead, they relied on their unique jutsu to become trusted confidants of many nobles.
Assassinations were common in the shinobi world.
And the Kedōin clan, capable of creating perfect doppelgängers, had built a solid reputation—making them the go-to choice for nobles seeking body doubles.
As for how Kei learned this technique… It all started when Konoha's Police Force once captured a Kedōin clan member who had impersonated another woman's husband and lived in Konoha for several years.
That man was something else.
He had his eye on another man's wife, so when her real husband left the village, he took the opportunity to kill him and take his place.
However, just one day after arriving in Konoha, the woman reported him to the authorities, and he was thrown straight into Konoha's interrogation room.
According to her statement, her real husband lasted at least thirty minutes every time. But this guy? He couldn't even hold out for thirty seconds! If that wasn't suspicious, then what was?
"Kedōin… Analysis Team… Kei?"
Nonō frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then directly stated his name.
"Am I that famous?" Kei was stunned. Since when were professional spies this terrifying?
He had only said a few words, and she already guessed his identity?
"… I just happened to have heard about you."
Nonō's eye twitched again.
Most people wouldn't know about this incident, but back then, the Kedōin clan had to make several concessions to Konoha in order to ransom their captured member.
One of those conditions was providing temporary training in disguise and transformation techniques for Konoha's ANBU training program.
And the "Thirty-Second Incident" had been a hot topic among the trainees at the time.
Every detail of the story had been dug up.
She even remembered thinking back then—the Psycho Mind Transmission was truly an ideal technique for spies.
Unfortunately, her own spiritual strength didn't meet the requirements, so she couldn't learn it!