"Lord Jiraiya, you've traveled to so many places in the shinobi world. Could you tell us what kind of place the Land of Water is?"
"Yeah, yeah. When I left home, Father and Mother both told me that if I ever ran into something I didn't understand outside, I should ask elders with rich life experience like Lord Jiraiya for advice…"
"I heard that after the Fourth Mizukage came to power, Kirigakure has been working hard to change the stereotype outsiders have of it as the Village of the Bloody Mist. But with so little time, could their way of doing things still be as cold and cruel as before, Lord Jiraiya?"
…
Perhaps because the exchange team had already reached the border of the Land of Fire, the Ninja Academy students who had originally managed to maintain a relaxed mindset, almost as if they were sightseeing, now almost unanimously developed a complicated mix of worry, curiosity, fear, nervousness, and other emotions.
In order to avoid making any unpleasant mistakes once they entered the Land of Water and came into contact with Kirigakure's shinobi, they all gathered around Jiraiya and began asking this battle-hardened Konoha veteran about the things they cared about.
It had to be said that although these Ninja Academy students might not be exceptionally talented as shinobi, since they had been chosen by their clans as the first batch of exchange students, they did have some commendable qualities when it came to reading the room and interacting with others.
For example, right now, even though Itachi Uchiha was the youngest child in the team and had not interacted much with the other students since their departure, when they came to ask Jiraiya for advice, they still called Itachi Uchiha over as well instead of treating him like air.
"Uh, well…"
Jiraiya rubbed his nose and said rather awkwardly to the curious little brats in front of him,
"To be honest with you, although I've traveled through many countries in the shinobi world, this is my first time coming to the Land of Water too, just like you."
"Eh? How can that be!? Even Lord Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, knows very little about Kirigakure?"
Hearing one of the students cry out in surprise, Tsunade, who was also accompanying the team because of a certain deal Kirigakure had specifically proposed, took a small sip of sweet rice wine and answered lazily,
"Looks like you often zone out during class, little girl… When your Ninja Academy teachers talk about the state of the shinobi world, they should mention that Kirigakure is the most closed-off of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, shouldn't they?"
"Uh…"
The girl Tsunade singled out blushed, then nervously pressed her fingers together.
"S-Sorry, Lady Tsunade. I-I didn't mean to zone out during class…"
"That's not exactly a big problem."
Tsunade waved her hand casually, then turned her gaze toward Itachi Uchiha, who stood out especially clearly among the crowd, and said offhandedly,
"Hey, Uchiha kid. If you were asked to explain why Kirigakure was able to isolate itself to that extent, what answers can you think of?"
Itachi Uchiha froze for a moment after suddenly being called upon.
Meeting Tsunade's gaze, which carried a hint of examination, he nodded thoughtfully. After slightly organizing his thoughts, he spoke in a calm tone.
"First, it should be because of geographical factors. The Land of Water is the only ocean nation among the Five Great Nations. Its natural advantage of being surrounded by the sea, combined with Kirigakure's particular expertise in Water Release ninjutsu, naturally created a situation where foreign enemies found it difficult to invade."
"Second would be Kirigakure's tradition. Starting from the era of the Second Mizukage, Kirigakure began implementing a policy of secrecy. By the era of the Third Mizukage, that policy continued as well. The Land of Water's geographical advantage, combined with Kirigakure's strategy, naturally made Kirigakure the most closed-off village among the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"As for the last reason…"
"It was probably because the person who used the Sharingan to control the Third Mizukage, the one suspected to be Madara Uchiha, deliberately used a policy of national isolation to reduce the chance that others would discover Kirigakure's abnormalities."
Itachi Uchiha's first two answers had already given Tsunade a fairly good first impression of his knowledge level, and also helped her understand a little why the Uchiha clan would let him become part of the first batch of exchange students.
But when Itachi Uchiha said the third point, whether it was Tsunade, Jiraiya, or the surrounding Ninja Academy students, all their expressions changed drastically.
Jiraiya flashed to Itachi Uchiha's side in an instant and used the Wild Lion's Mane Technique to protect him. Then he turned his head slightly and said helplessly to this child, who was still far from being considered a youth,
"That's not something you can just casually bring up, kid…"
"But if we're discussing why Kirigakure isolated itself and gradually became the Village of the Bloody Mist, then this viewpoint publicly stated by the Fourth Mizukage is a topic that cannot be avoided."
Itachi Uchiha shook his head and answered very seriously.
"Before Big Brother Shisui left Konoha to carry out a mission in Roran, he told me that the matter of the Third Mizukage being controlled is not a forbidden topic in Kirigakure. On the contrary, the Fourth Mizukage even specifically organized a group of scholars responsible for studying how that person suspected to be Madara Uchiha transformed the relatively open Kirigakure of the Second Mizukage's era, step by step, into the Village of the Bloody Mist—and how he made the people of Kirigakure accept that fact without much awareness or objection."
"He also said that if he had not had an unavoidable mission, he actually really wanted to join that project team for a period of further study… Lord Jiraiya should know as well. We have always wanted to understand why Big Brother Shisui chose Kirigakure without hesitation."
"Tch. I forgot your clan has someone in Kirigakure whose relationship and position are both rather delicate."
When Itachi Uchiha mentioned Shisui Uchiha, Jiraiya's expression immediately relaxed.
He exchanged a glance with Tsunade, who had also withdrawn her tension, then released his protection over Itachi Uchiha. After that, he sighed, reached out, rubbed the little boy's head, and asked with a mix of emotion and curiosity,
"In that case, your Uchiha clan could actually be considered the side in Konoha that knows the most about Kirigakure's intelligence? If it's convenient, could you reveal anything worth paying attention to?"
"Mm, about that…"
Itachi Uchiha hesitated for a moment.
Several interesting stories about Kirigakure that Shisui Uchiha had once casually mentioned flashed through his mind. After confirming that this information should not count as confidential, he nodded and said softly,
"Then I'll simply talk about one piece of information Big Brother Shisui revealed to me…"
"That is, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure has always been trying to popularize and commercialize high-level ninjutsu. Reportedly, one series has recently completed its early development stage, and they are currently selecting interested Ninja Academy students and genin to undergo the corresponding training."
"According to him, if this project can be successfully promoted, its annual profits should easily reach more than seventy percent of Kirigakure's total annual mission revenue…"
"S-Seventy percent!?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged a glance.
At the same time, they both saw shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.
As members of Konoha's higher echelon, they naturally knew just how enormous the income a large shinobi village could earn through mission commissions truly was. Even if Kirigakure's mission resources and manpower could not compare to Konoha's, they were still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. The revenue their entire village gained from completing missions had to be at least more than fifty percent of Konoha's.
Even calculating based on that lower limit of fifty percent, the economic value of the industry Itachi Uchiha mentioned was so enormous that it was suffocating.
"Then… did he say exactly how this commercialized ninjutsu makes money?"
After holding back for a long while, Jiraiya finally asked Itachi Uchiha with a solemn expression.
"Big Brother Shisui did not explain that in detail."
Itachi Uchiha scratched his head in embarrassment.
"But judging from some of the information Big Brother Shisui mentioned, the target audience of this ninjutsu should be the entire female population of the shinobi world?"
"The female population?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly sensed a rather large chakra source approaching from the sea. Her gaze sharpened, and she was about to warn the surrounding Konoha shinobi—
"Hey, aren't you all moving a bit too slowly, everyone from Konoha!? I've been waiting in the sea so long I'm about to be marinated through!"
Splash.
A massive wave struck the shore.
Along with it came a bright and energetic female voice.
The Konoha shinobi looked in the direction of the wave. What entered their eyes was a black-haired female shinobi standing atop the head of a giant summoned serpent. She was wearing cool clothing that looked almost like a one-piece swimsuit.
And her face was not unfamiliar to some of the Konoha shinobi in the group.
It could even be called familiar—
"An…ko?"
Hearing Kakashi Hatake, whose eye was narrowed, mutter those words in confusion, Tsunade, who had not returned to Konoha for a long time, showed no particular reaction.
But Jiraiya, who had always been in the village, instantly widened his eyes and urgently asked Kakashi Hatake,
"Kakashi? Which Anko are you talking about? Anko Mitarashi, the one who used to follow Orochimaru as his student?"
"It should be her."
After losing his Sharingan, Kakashi Hatake's eyesight had naturally declined considerably.
However, that did not affect his ability to analyze intelligence.
Looking at the giant summoned snake, which was absolutely not something one person could afford to raise, as well as the vaguely familiar contours of the other party's face, Kakashi Hatake nodded, confirming that point.
Then Jiraiya immediately appeared beside Anko Mitarashi with a Body Flicker, grabbed her wrist, and asked urgently,
"Where is Orochimaru!?"
"Eh? Eh, eh, eh!?"
Anko Mitarashi, who had not expected Jiraiya to launch a sudden attack, was startled.
However, when she heard the urgent question he asked, she immediately calmed down from her original intention of activating the Cursed Seal of Heaven and giving this pervert a painful lesson. Then she put on a harmless expression and greeted Jiraiya helplessly,
"Long time no see, Lord Jiraiya…"
"But even if you missed me, there's no need to get this close the moment we meet, right? You are my elder, so I don't really mind, but Lady Tsunade over there might not be very happy about it, right?"
"That kind of thing can wait until later! At worst, I'll just get beaten up by Tsunade! Right now, I only want to know whether Orochimaru has been staying here in Kirigakure ever since he disappeared after leaving Konoha!"
Jiraiya did not relax his grip on Anko Mitarashi. Instead, he asked with a stubborn expression.
"Not exactly."
Anko Mitarashi shook her head.
"When Lord Orochimaru first left Konoha, he was active in the Land of Rice Fields north of the Land of Fire. It was only a few months ago that he came to Kirigakure because of a cooperation project with Lord Fourth, and from then on, he settled down here."
"Is he still in Kirigakure?"
"He is, he is. If you have something you want to say to him, after we reach Kirigakure proper, I can take you to visit him when he has time. Now, can you let go of me? It hurts…"
Since she had already said that much, Jiraiya finally released Anko Mitarashi's wrist, awkwardly took a few steps back, and apologized to her.
"Sorry. Because the person who came to receive us was you, I got a little too excited all of a sudden…"
"But you've really changed a lot over these past two years, Anko."
"Mm-hm. Of course. If a girl in her growth period can eat whatever she wants without restraint, she'll naturally develop very well~"
Anko Mitarashi proudly patted her increasingly exaggerated pectorals. Then she directed her giant summoned snake to crawl forward until it reached the Konoha exchange team. She leapt down from the snake's head and walked cheerfully to Tsunade's side, whose gaze was rather unfriendly. Then she enthusiastically took Tsunade's hand and said,
"You must be Lady Tsunade, right? Nice to meet you. I am Anko Mitarashi, team leader of the Cursed Seal Group under Kirigakure's Ninjutsu Development Department. Barring any accidents, I should be the person responsible for coordinating with you for the next while."
"Ninjutsu Development Department? Cursed Seal Group?"
Tsunade frowned.
Looking at the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Anko Mitarashi's neck, which had a shape similar to a snake bite, she could not help feeling an indescribably strange sensation rise within her.
"The cursed seal you're talking about… don't tell me it's that thing on your neck, the one that has been continuously consuming your vitality and chakra?"
Facing Tsunade's question, Anko Mitarashi shrugged without concern and smiled casually.
"That is just the most primitive Cursed Seal of Heaven used for combat. I basically don't use it much anymore… Of course, if necessary, I can still explosively push it to the second stage all at once, like the members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"…Aren't you worried that your life will be devoured by that thing?" Tsunade asked with a complicated expression.
"There is no need to worry about that, Lady Tsunade."
Anko Mitarashi shook her head, her tone rising slightly as she said,
"The problem of cursed seals devouring life was perfectly solved by Lord Fourth long ago. Rather, precisely because we mastered the ability to suppress that side effect, it became Kirigakure's first ninjutsu to walk the path of commercialization."
"A commercialized ninjutsu? This is the one!?"
Tsunade first turned her head to glance at Itachi Uchiha, who did not know what had happened, before turning back to stare at Anko Mitarashi. Her brows furrowed tightly as she asked,
"That joke is not funny, Anko Mitarashi."
"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. After we reach Kirigakure proper, Lord Fourth and I will make you believe that we have the ability to do this."
"For now, I'll take everyone to board the ship first. Lord Fourth has been looking forward to your arrival for quite some time…"
"Especially you, Itachi Uchiha."
Anko Mitarashi looked at Itachi Uchiha, whose expression suddenly became serious, and smiled with rather wicked intent..
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