Note: if you want to get access to +20 Advance Chapters before everyone else and help Translate and pay for the Chapters because we start paying for every chapter from the author Support me on patreon.com/flokixy
( Translator: I miss some paragraphs for almost all the chapters and I added them sorry )
Two days later, having detected that they were being monitored, the two individuals had already left Konoha. At this moment, they were walking through a forest that still belonged to the Land of Fire.
After traversing a dense forest, the sight before them was the ruins of an abandoned city—Kūki (Empty Zone).
Karin felt a sense of oppression as she gazed at the desolate and lifeless ruins. "Is this the place?"
"Yeah, let's go. Granny Neko's underground black market is here. I've been commissioning her to gather sealing techniques scrolls from the Uzumaki clan for years now. I've obtained quite a few things, though it's also cost me a fortune."
"I see. What kind of person is Granny Neko?" Karin asked curiously, wanting to know how Mujin lived when she wasn't around.
"Granny Neko? She hails from a family of black-market merchants who specialize in intelligence, ninja tools, and scrolls. Back in her youth, she left her family to strike out on her own, whether due to ideological differences or some other reason. Thanks to her good reputation and upright character, she built up a vast network of contacts, which allowed her to acquire high-quality ninja tools and scrolls. Because of this, she has a big name in the underground world—arguably even surpassing the Underground Exchange."
"By the way, the Underground Exchange is a widespread black-market network across the ninja world. They mainly handle various commissions and bounties. However, the Exchange has no moral bottom line—you'll often find requests there for wiping out entire clans or villages. Their bounty boards frequently list the names of elite shinobi. For example, Konoha's Sarutobi Asuma. As the son of the Third Hokage and a former guardian ninja serving the Fire Daimyō for several years, he's widely considered the top candidate to become the Fifth Hokage. His bounty is set at 35 million ryō."
"3… 35 million?!" Karin was utterly shocked. She had never even heard of such an amount of money, let alone seen it. When her mother was alive, their meals often consisted of just three bowls of rice with a side dish of pickled vegetables.
"Don't believe that nonsense, meow! If you're not strong enough, the Exchange will devour you whole, bones and all, meow!"
Mujin and Karin turned around. The speaker was a pair of cats wearing clothes.
"These are… ninja cats?" Karin had never seen anything like them before.
Mujin nodded. "Yeah, Rina and Tahi. They're Granny Neko's pets."
"Pets?! We're partners, meow! You brat, you're still as annoying as ever, meow!"
"Stop complaining and lead the way already." With that, Mujin tossed two cans of cat food toward them.
"Ohhh, a brand we haven't seen before, meow! Is this new? Well, I suppose we can forgive you this time. Follow us, meow!"
Mujin held onto Karin and explained, "The Empty Zone has been abandoned for so long, and Granny Neko's base is underground. The paths we used last time might be blocked by collapsed rubble when we return, so we need them to guide us."
The ninja cats led them through a labyrinthine series of tunnels deep underground, leaving both Mujin and Karin feeling dizzy after all the twists and turns. Finally, they arrived at Granny Neko's location.
Granny Neko sat there with a pipe in her mouth, while seven or eight kittens rubbed against her affectionately. "Well, well, look who it is—a rare visitor indeed. It's been a while since you've come around."
"Oh, so you've found another sealing technique scroll from the Uzumaki clan?"
"What kind of joke is that? Sealing technique scrolls from the Uzumaki clan are treasures even within the Great Hidden Villages. Do you have any idea how many I've found for you over the years? You greedy little brat!" Granny Neko knocked her pipe irritably, pretending to be angry, but in truth, she was a soft-hearted individual beneath her gruff exterior.
"I haven't skimped on paying either."
"Hmph. All I've got for you this time are a few barrier scrolls. They came from some small clan that's long gone. Take a look." After saying this, her granddaughter, Koharu, emerged from behind her and handed over several scrolls to Mujin.
Mujin opened the scrolls and gave them a quick once-over. These barriers were unique—they didn't impose restrictions but instead continuously generated flames or lightning within a certain range to attack enemies. The pros and cons were obvious, but they were still excellent references.
Without further inspection, Mujin tucked the scrolls away. "No need to check. I trust Granny Neko's judgment. The main reason I'm here today is to ask if there's any news about the previous commission I gave you."
But he'd already finished looking!
Granny Neko paused upon hearing this, then sighed. "Sigh… Well, considering how much you paid, I can confirm that what you're looking for is indeed stored in the confidential archives. I truly hope you're not foolish enough to try sneaking into the Hokage Tower to steal it."
Actually, I'm planning to break in, Mujin thought to himself.
"That's good to hear," Mujin said with a smile. He then pulled out a thick envelope and tossed it over. "Here's payment for the scrolls. Additionally, I want to spread two pieces of information. First, rumors are spreading among Konoha's shinobi that they're dissatisfied with the Daimyō. They believe powerful shinobi shouldn't take orders from someone as useless as him but should instead act independently. Second, Shimura Danzo of Konoha intends to run for Fifth Hokage. To gain the support of the jonin, he plans to demand an additional 50% in supplies and funding from the Fire Daimyō. Ensure these two messages reach the ears of the Fire Daimyō within twenty days."
At these words, Cat Granny's expression turned grave. "What exactly are you planning to do? The intelligence you've purchased so far has been about the strength of various nations and the locations of their bases—and now this. Unlike those who can only see what's right in front of them, your focus has always been on the hidden villages and the daimyos. Are you planning to start a war?!"
Mujin didn't answer her question but instead took Karin by the hand and turned to leave. "Then, I'll leave it to you, Cat Granny."
"Damn brat! Don't think of coming back here again!"
"I got it, I got it."
After leaving the Empty Zone, Mujin and Karin began their journey back to Grass Village. He still had matters to report to the village elders.
After several days of travel, they returned to Grass Country. Mujin left Karin behind and continued alone into the village.
He waited only half a day before being summoned by the elders.
Grass Village did not have a Kage; all decisions were made collectively by the elder council. Upon entering the Hall of Elders, he was greeted by the four elders representing Kusa no Mi (Fruit of Grass)—one of two factions within the village.
Kusa no Mi and Kusa no Hana (Flower of Grass) were ancient factions that had existed in Grass Village for centuries.
A thousand years ago, Grass Village had obtained a legendary treasure known as the Pandora's Box, said to grant any wish of its opener. With it, Grass Village nearly conquered the entire ninja world—but ultimately failed. The village was destroyed once, and when it was rebuilt, it split into two opposing factions.
One faction, the radical Kusa no Mi, sought to reopen Pandora's Box and rule the world. The other, the pacifist Kusa no Hana, feared that reopening the box would lead to another catastrophic collapse and thus opposed it vehemently.
For a millennium, the two factions waged an unrelenting struggle, escalating their conflict to life-and-death extremes.
By Mujin's generation, Kusa no Mi had finally gained dominance over Kusa no Hana.
They built Gingetsu Castle as a prison for criminals from across the nations, ostensibly to detain dangerous individuals. In truth, however, they secretly used the chakra of these prisoners in attempts to unlock Pandora's Box—with no success thus far.
The amount of chakra required by Pandora's Box was simply too vast for ordinary shinobi—or even prisoners—to provide.
It was then that Mujin, one of the most zealous members of Kusa no Mi and notorious for his brutal suppression of the Hana faction, proposed a new idea:
If shinobi couldn't supply enough chakra, why not try using tailed beasts? And among the tailed beasts, whose chakra could surpass that of Kurama, the Nine-Tails?
Thus, Mujin volunteered himself for a mission to infiltrate Konoha and uncover the true identity of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
"Mujin! We sent you to infiltrate the Chunin Exam candidates—not kill genin and take their place in the exam! Do you understand the gravity of such a crime?!"
"Hmm, I understand." Mujin nodded calmly. "But let's set aside these trivial matters for now. While in Konoha, I discovered some leads. The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki is likely among the genin participating in this Chunin Exam."
Upon hearing mention of the Nine-Tails, the elders immediately dismissed their earlier concerns, their tones brightening with excitement. "Oh? You've already found traces of the Nine-Tails? Have you identified him?"
Mujin shook his head. "I haven't had enough time yet. It may take until the third phase of the exam to pinpoint his exact identity."
At this, the elders sobered up once more.
"We must wait another month?"
"Patience," Mujin replied coolly. "We've waited decades already."
"And why have you returned now?"
Mujin's expression grew serious. "I need manpower. Once we confirm the identity of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki during the third phase of the exam, I'll require assistance to capture him."
"You intend to act within Konoha...?" The elders hesitated. Konoha wasn't just any village—it was the strongest hidden village, having survived three Great Ninja Wars and remaining at the pinnacle of power.
Their hesitation drew a cold sneer in Mujin's heart. He offered a suggestion: "Of course, I won't act under the name of Grass Village. Sound Village in Rice Field Country has only existed for a few years, yet they've absorbed many rogue shinobi and fallen clans, making their ranks highly diverse. We can disguise ourselves as Sound shinobi. Besides, I won't make a move unless the opportunity arises."
Mujin's proposal gave the elders pause. After a moment of contemplation, one elder suddenly asked, "Why are you so invested in this matter? You volunteered to scout Konoha, and now you insist on personally capturing the jinchūriki. What benefit does this bring you?"
All four elders fixed their gaze on Mujin, preparing to strike if his answer proved unsatisfactory…