Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

Chapter 90 Jiraiya's Investigation!

In a forest somewhere in the land of rivers.

Jiraiya stood on the edge of a cliff, his clothes fluttering in the mountain wind.

His gaze passed over the abyss beneath his feet and landed on the distant, rolling mountains. His usually languid eyes were now much sharper than before.

During this period, he was desperately investigating.

"Tsunade, wait for me—"

He muttered to himself, his hands clenching slightly.

"We'll find you soon."

Based on the information relayed from Konoha, plus the clues he had gathered along the way.

A traitor from the Mist Village, possessing the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse) and having stolen the Byakugan.

The Nine-Tails appeared on the night of the incident, spying on the Sharingan and attracting the attention of Konoha, which led to another mysterious person attacking Kushina while she was giving birth.

Although, according to the investigation, the two events should be considered a coincidence and there should be no corresponding relationship between them.

But Jiraiya didn't believe it either. How could there be so many coincidences? There must be some connection between them.

The traitor from the Mist Village, after drawing everyone's attention, remained in Konoha and, possessing the ability to fly, eventually escaped after the Nine-Tails was sealed.

This person's use of the Corpse Bone Pulse technique is not limited to physical skills, but has developed many more combat methods.

Jiraiya chewed over these fragmented pieces of information countless times, and each time he thought about them, the anger in his chest burned even brighter.

Because of their presence, the Minato couple sacrificed themselves.

Kushina — Minato —

Jiraiya closed his eyes, and the smiles of the two children appeared in his mind.

His prized student, the Hokage on whom he placed his high hopes, has departed.

He had to personally investigate and get to the bottom of this grudge.

However, just as he was doing his best to track down the culprit, the mysterious masked man, news came that Tsunade had been captured.

At that moment, Jiraiya's expression changed drastically.

He changed direction almost without hesitation, heading first to Tanabata Street to find the witness and question him carefully.

I went to the scene of the battle again, spent a long time observing the area, and analyzed the opponent's fighting habits and the ninjutsu they used.

As more and more fragmented information accumulated, and with Danzo, under pressure from the daimyo, proactively providing some intelligence, Jiraiya was finally able to pinpoint the general location of the enemy.

The other party should be within the territory of the land of rivers.

He had already found the trail and was getting closer and closer to the other party.

Just then, a clear cry of an eagle came from the sky.

Jiraiya was taken aback. He looked up and saw a ninja hawk circling high in the sky, its wings gleaming familiarly in the sunlight.

It's the Ninja Hawk of Konoha.

He immediately whistled, the unique tone spreading through the air.

Once the ninja eagle confirmed its identity, it folded its wings, swooped down, and landed steadily on his arm.

Jiraiya removed the intelligence document tied to the eagle's leg and unfolded it to take a look.

The first paragraph clearly states: Tsunade is safe and currently located near Tanabata Town; her life is not in danger.

In that instant, Jiraiya's tense heart finally relaxed.

He let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had escaped from a long period of suffocation, and even his breathing became lighter.

"It's good that you're alright—it's good that you're alright—"

He murmured to himself, a relieved smile even appearing on his lips.

However, as he continued reading, the smile gradually froze, and his brows slowly furrowed.

The report also stated: Although Tsunade has escaped danger, she seems to have encountered some unknown situation, is emotionally unstable, and refuses to return to Konoha.

The Hokage hopes you can go and check on her condition, and—try to persuade her.

Jiraiya's brows furrowed again.

"It seems—something has happened after all."

He put away the intelligence and looked up into the distance, in the direction he had just locked onto—the place where the mysterious person might be hiding.

He has been investigating for so long that he is almost certain that the other party is there.

But on the other side—

He turned around and looked in the opposite direction. That was the Land of Fire, the Tanabata Town, where Tsunade was.

Jiraiya remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and made his choice.

"There's no other way, we have to turn back."

He spoke in a low voice, his tone tinged with helplessness, but without the slightest hesitation.

Compared to those, Tsunade is more important.

He put away the Ninja Hawk, took one last look at the distant mine, and strode away.

In the wind, only his receding figure and a drifting whisper remained.

"Wait for me, Tsunade."

Shortly after Jiraiya left, a large skeletal bird fell from the sky and landed on the edge of a cliff.

"This is it, Sister Yecang!"

Momono jumped off the bird's back and pointed to the obvious footprints not far away.

She had previously sensed ninjas intruding into the warning area while inside the base, so she used [Kagura's Mind's Eye] to investigate.

"I sensed it from inside the base; someone had entered the warning zone."

Ye Cang landed right behind him, his gaze sweeping across the ground. The marks on the ground were very clear, indicating that someone had indeed been there and stayed for some time.

"But it's strange,"

Momono asked, somewhat puzzled, "This person stayed here for a while, then left without going any further or doing anything."

She closed her eyes and sensed it again; the chakra had gradually faded away.

She could vaguely sense that the other party was very strong, much stronger than herself, and possibly even stronger than Sister Ye Cang.

"What does the other person look like?" Yecang asked, turning his head.

"Long white hair, wearing a headband with the character 'oil' engraved on it."

Momono reminisced.

"Wearing a red outer jacket over a brown ninja outfit, and wooden clogs, he was a middle-aged man."

There was a hint of smugness in her tone. When she used Kagura's Mind's Eye to sense the other person, she made a point of memorizing their characteristics.

Yekura hesitated for a moment. White hair, an oil-colored headband, a red outer robe—are there such strong individuals in the ninja world?

At least in her memory, there didn't seem to be any famous ninjas who could match her.

But it's not her fault, since Jiraiya was dressed normally during the war.

After the war ended and he left Konoha, he gradually let himself go and became increasingly unreliable.

Moreover, he kept a very low profile, always either collecting materials or in the process of collecting materials.

"The other party has left." Ye Cang snapped out of his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "The alert is temporarily lifted."

She looked up at the sky; the sun was setting.

"I'll report this to Lord Izumikawa later. But he's in the lab right now and has instructed us not to disturb him, so he must have something important to discuss."

"Yes, I understand, Yekura-nee!" Momono nodded.

"Try not to distract him; we'll handle what we can ourselves."

Momono's eyes lit up: "Don't worry! I've been training really hard lately, watching a lot of scrolls and mastering quite a few new abilities!"

She waved her little fist, as if to prove herself.

"If Lord Izumikawa needs anything, I'll definitely be able to help!"

Ye Cang looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and reached out to rub her head.

"Then keep up the good work."

After checking the surroundings again and confirming that no traces had been left, the two jumped back onto the skeletal bird.

With a sudden flap of its bony wings, it carried them into the air and flew towards the base.

On the bird's back, which was gradually disappearing into the distance, Momono suddenly looked back.

"Ye Cang-nee, what exactly is that uncle doing here?"

Yecang did not answer, but just stared into the distance, his gaze thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Tsunade and Shizune were on their way out of the Land of Fire.

They planned to temporarily leave this land and travel to neighboring small countries, partly to relax and partly to avoid the people and things they didn't want to face.

However, the third generation was still worried.

The day after Tsunade contacted Konoha to report that she was safe, a team of Anbu members set off on their pursuit.

After a day and a night of rapid travel, they finally caught up with their target.

-

"Lady Tsunade!"

A figure descended from the sky and blocked their path.

Tsunade paused, and after seeing the distinctive animal mask on the newcomer's face, she immediately rolled her eyes.

"I knew it—"

She spoke irritably, her tone full of disdain.

"If they contact Konoha, it's never going to be good."

Shizune stood to the side, a helpless smile on her face.

"But Lady Tsunade," she argued softly, "if we don't contact them, the Hokage will definitely be even more worried. They might send even more people looking for us then—"

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Tsunade waved her hand impatiently, interrupting her.

She wasn't blaming Jingyin; the girl was right, it was only right to let her know she was safe.

She just didn't want to be bothered by Konoha.

Knowing the old man as she did, she knew he would definitely send someone to confirm the situation after receiving the message, and then ask all sorts of questions, endlessly.

The problem is, they can't tell anyone about their current situation.

Even the Dark Division is not an option.

The Three Ninjas, who would believe it if I told them they were controlled by others? But it's the truth.

Moreover, she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a princess personally appointed by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

If the news were to leak, the consequences would be unimaginable, a disaster for both her personally and for Konoha.

Tsunade took a deep breath, suppressing her agitation, and looked at the Anbu members in front of her.

"So—what did the old man send you here for?"

Her tone was far from friendly; in fact, it carried a hint of impatience.

"If you're here to check on my condition, let me tell you, I'm perfectly fine right now. I can eat, drink, and fight."

She crossed her arms and raised her chin.

"Once you've confirmed it, go back quickly and don't bother me."

The members of the Dark Division were also having a headache; there wasn't much they could do about this person.

However, because of the Third Generation Lord's orders, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say it.

"Lady Tsunade, we were sent by the Third Hokage to protect you—"

"unnecessary!"

Before the other person could finish speaking, Tsunade stomped on the ground, shattering it and sending pebbles flying.

The members of the Anbu took a few steps back and continued respectfully, "We were just following orders and were guarding you until Lord Jiraiya arrived."

Tsunade frowned, displeased, and said, "Jiraiya?"

"Yes, as soon as Lord Jiraiya arrives, we will leave and return to Konoha to report."

Seeing that Tsunade's attitude had softened, the members of the Anbu hurriedly said, feeling relieved.

Although he knew it was a thankless and arduous task, as a member of the ANBU, he had no choice.