The Adventurous Gamer Ninja - Daichi Hekima [Vol. 02]

Chapter 354 - A Convincing Bait in The Land of Earth

The afternoon sun hung high in the sky as Danzo, Jiraiya, and Tobirama stood atop a rugged cliff overlooking the desolate expanse of the Land of Earth. Tiny rocks whipped through the air, carried by the infamous "Rock Rain" that swept over the mountain range from the north. The barren landscape stretched out before them, a sea of jagged rocks and dusty plateaus.

Tobirama closed his eyes briefly, extending his sensory perception across the terrain. After a moment, he opened them. "There's no one near us," he confirmed. "We have a few minutes to plan our next move."

Jiraiya shielded his eyes from the harsh sunlight. "This place is as unwelcoming as ever," he muttered.

Danzo surveyed the rocky landscape, his expression unreadable. 'The environment hasn't changed since the last time I was here. It seems time hasn't softened this land's edges, nor its people's.'

He turned to the others. "It won't be easy to draw Sanada Ryozo out of hiding. He rarely leaves his base camp."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Sanada Ryozo... That name rings a bell."

"He's the third son of the Minister of Infrastructure," Danzo explained with the other two closely paying attention.

"Despite his name meaning 'the virtuous third,' he's anything but. Ruthless, lawless, cunning, and ambitious. His father is the minister in charge of overseeing construction projects, infrastructure development and maintenance of roads, bridges and buildings of the country. That gave his son access to valuable intel. Sanada learned the entire terrain of the country like the back of his hand along with learning several other precious secrets. And when the time was right he left his family to amass his own power using this intelligence. Soon he became a warlord."

Tobirama nodded thoughtfully. "And because he's the son of a minister, he's been allowed to operate freely, am I right?."

"Exactly," Danzo replied. "He maintains a certain order among the chaotic elements here, which benefits those in power."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "So, how do we get to him?"

Danzo looked out over a narrow pass winding through the mountains. "I know a route where Sanada's men often patrol. If I get caught there alone, carrying the scroll with ten million ryo, they'll take me directly to him."

Jiraiya frowned. "You're suggesting we let you get captured on purpose?"

"Yes," Danzo affirmed. "It's the most direct way to reach him."

Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "You'll be alone and vulnerable."

"I can handle myself," Danzo replied calmly. "And, I doubt I'd be alone. You'd be following me won't you Lord Second."

Tobirama merely crossed his arms and answered the obvious question with silence.

Danzo continued averting his gaze. "Besides, with that amount of money, they'll be more interested in taking me to Sanada than harming me."

Jiraiya shook his head. "I don't like it. What's to stop them from just killing you and taking the money?"

Danzo met his gaze steadily. "Sanada's men are greedy but also loyal. They'll see more value in presenting me to their leader. Especially if they know my identity."

Tobirama considered this. "I'll follow you discreetly. If anything goes wrong, I'll intervene."

Danzo gave a slight nod. "I understand."

Jiraiya sighed. "Alright, but how do you plan on making Sanada answer your questions once you're in front of him? You'll be surrounded by enemies and based on what you said about him, I doubt he'd just tell you what you want to know."