Starting with the Uchiha clan, they began cultivating demonic arts.

Chapter 173 Infiltration

The changes in the nobility of the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire only briefly crossed Jiraiya's mind before he forgot about them.

Jiraiya's long-standing habit as a ninja caused him to overlook a certain possibility. Of course, even if he knew that the high-ranking officials of various countries were now under the control of genjutsu, it wouldn't really matter.

"Anyway... let's infiltrate the Sand Village and find out if there's any information about Uchiha Touya!"

"Once we find out Uchiha Tou's purpose, we'll be able to tell whether he's friend or foe!"

Jiraiya and his two disciples were still discussing intelligence, while Uchiha Touyu, who had been observing them, frowned.

"Jiraiya and the others actually possess the power of Yin-Yang Release?"

Just now, Uchiha Touya used the crystal Sharingan in the sky to cast a genjutsu. Although the power of the genjutsu was greatly reduced without the array plate, theoretically even a Kage-level ninja would definitely not be able to withstand it.

However, Jiraiya and his two companions seemed completely oblivious to the genjutsu, which had been broken without them even noticing its existence.

"But if they're completely immune to Sharingan genjutsu, why didn't they detect its existence? Hmm... does it seem like they had external help?"

Controlling the crystal Sharingan in the sky, constantly magnifying the images of the three people, Uchiha Touyu soon discovered black earrings on their ears.

"These earrings... must have been made using Yin-Yang Release. I understand now. Nagato used these earrings to infuse them with Yin-Yang Release-level chakra, which is why they became immune to my genjutsu."

"I'm afraid it's not just that. Now, Jiraiya and the other two are probably like Pain, able to use some of the Rinnegan's ninjutsu. And as living people, while possessing the power of Pain, they can also use their own various ninjutsu."

In the original work, Nagato used corpses to create the Six Paths of Pain, but this does not mean that living ninjas cannot become the Six Paths of Pain. It should be noted that Obito Uchiha even used Jinchuriki resurrected by Edo Tensei to act as the Six Paths of Pain, which shows that the Six Paths of Pain do not necessarily require corpses.

However, if he used living people to represent the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato would definitely not be able to fully control them, so he ultimately chose to use corpses instead of living people who were theoretically stronger in combat.

However, the current Nagato is not the cripple he was in the original story, and he trusts Konan, Yahiko, and Jiraiya completely, and is worried about their safety. It is normal for him to share the power of the Rinnegan with them.

"Tsk... Looks like there's no way to deal with them using the simplest method!"

Uchiha Touya snorted lightly, already preparing to personally take to the field.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya and the others were completely unaware of the illusion, but the earrings on their ears trembled twice, and then Nagato's voice rang in their ears.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Yahiko, Konan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Nagato? What's wrong? Was something amiss just now?"

Yahiko asked, somewhat puzzled, and then he heard Nagato's heavy voice:

"Just now, I felt the Yin-Yang Release chakra left in the earring being activated. If I'm not mistaken, someone has secretly attacked you."

"Moreover, the person who made the move must have used power close to the ultimate Yin-Yang Escape technique, otherwise it would have been impossible for them to trigger my Yin-Yang Escape technique without you noticing."

Jiraiya's expression turned serious, and he spoke in a low voice:

"So well concealed... the opponent must be using genjutsu, and genjutsu is precisely what the Uchiha clan excels at!"

"But we didn't see any enemies at all!"

At this moment, Xiao Nan, who had been silent all along and had the most immature personality, spoke up with a blank expression.

Jiraiya shook his head and said earnestly:

"While the vast majority of illusions must be cast face-to-face, some of the most advanced illusions can be cast even while being observed!"

"So, he's nearby?"

Yahiko turned and looked around, then asked Jiraiya. Jiraiya hesitated for a moment before replying:

"It's hard to say. I didn't find any ninjas with strong chakra around me just now... Maybe the other party was hiding too well and I didn't notice them, or maybe they used some medium to cast a genjutsu."

There is another possibility that Jiraiya did not mention: that the opponent used ninjutsu such as a telescope or crystal ball to directly use genjutsu at a very long distance!

Even with Jiraiya's vast knowledge, the thought of such a situation seemed far-fetched. Could such a level of illusion magic really be used by a human?

"Anyway, everyone should be careful. Although we haven't reached Sunagakure yet, we're already in the Land of Wind, which is their territory..."

Jiraiya was halfway through his sentence when Yahiko suddenly frowned:

"Jiraiya-sensei, they shouldn't know our purpose, right? Why would they suddenly attack us under these circumstances?"

"this……"

Upon hearing his apprentice's reminder, Jiraiya finally realized what was happening, and his expression changed slightly:

"Or perhaps they've been monitoring the entire Land of Wind, and any powerful ninja who enters will be trapped in the illusion..."

"Or perhaps they've already obtained our information through some means..."

Upon hearing this, the three of them looked rather grim. If it was the former, just how powerful would the other party be?

If it is the latter... besides Jiraiya and his three disciples, only a few high-ranking members of the Akatsuki organization know the details of their actions!

"It seems this operation won't be so peaceful!"

Jiraiya said with some emotion, just a moment ago he thought that Uchiha Tou might not be the world-destroying demon, but now he was certain of his thoughts.

Regardless, although no one was injured or killed, a shadow fell over the hearts of all three.

The three of them couldn't just retreat like that. They had to at least check on the situation in Sunagakure before deciding whether to leave. Otherwise, they would have run away as soon as they entered the Land of Wind without gathering any information at all!

At that moment, through the kaleidoscope crystal ball in the sky, Uchiha Tou saw that Jiraiya and the other two had discussed for a while before walking into the desert, and he immediately smiled.

"Tsk... Is it really a case of knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still venturing into the tiger's den? But now, why do I feel like I'm the villain even more?"

"Forget it—I'm one of the biggest villains in the ninja world anyway, I'll just wait for Jiraiya and the others to arrive in Sunagakure!"

"But before that, let's make some preparations! These guys have Nagato as a backup; they might be summoned back by Nagato using a summoning jutsu halfway through the fight!"

The eye techniques derived from the Rinnegan have endless uses, and can even allow humans to communicate with each other. At this moment, Jiraiya and the other two are carrying Nagato's Yin-Yang Release artifacts. Using these as coordinates, Nagato will definitely summon the three of them back if they encounter danger.

"Fortunately, I also have a way to block the power of Yin-Yang Release, but I need to make some preparations first."

……

Jiraiya and his two companions stepped into the desert of the Land of Wind. The environment in the Land of Wind has improved a lot. Even the once vast desert has been divided into several sections by green vegetation, making it much easier to walk around than before.

Although their bodies felt much lighter, the three of them remained very depressed. After being awakened by Nagato, they were extremely cautious, especially Jiraiya, who had mastered Sage Mode. Under these circumstances, he did feel a faint sense of being observed.

That was the Sharingan crystal ball in the sky, constantly staring at the three of them. It was precisely because of this gaze that Jiraiya felt uneasy, and his two disciples, under his prompting, remained on edge.

This resulted in the three of them feeling quite exhausted when they had traversed several deserts and were nearing the Sand Village.

"Stop! This can't go on. We just want to secretly observe Sunagakure, not start a direct war with one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!"

Jiraiya waved his hand and said something to Konan and Yahiko, who immediately stopped in their tracks.

"Teacher, are we still being monitored?"

"We haven't escaped their sight at all... If I'm not mistaken, they're using a ninjutsu similar to a telescope technique. By recording our chakra and then using some kind of crystal ball or similar medium, they can observe our every move."

Both the Great Toad Sage and Jiraiya's teacher, the Third Hokage, possessed this technique called the Crystal Ball Telescope Technique. Although Jiraiya couldn't use this ninjutsu, he at least had some understanding of it and knew its abilities.

"Escaping the crystal ball spell is both simple and difficult..."

Jiraiya glanced at his two disciples and said in a low voice:

"The simplest way—just dive to the ground!"

After saying that, Jiraiya grabbed his two disciples with both hands and immediately activated Earth Release:

"Earth Release - The Technique of Stealth Movement in the Earth!"

The three quickly disappeared into the soil, vanishing without a trace before Uchiha Touyu could even process it.

Jiraiya believed that Uchiha Hiu used a ninjutsu similar to the Crystal Ball Telescope Technique, which was why he used this method of infiltrating underground.

However, it must be said that his move was a lucky accident. The Sharingan satellite that Uchiha Touyu placed in the sky was indeed unable to see what was happening beneath the earth.

"No... to be precise, most sensory ninjutsu can be bypassed by hiding underground. As long as you hide deep enough underground, even the Byakugan or Kagura's Mind's Eye probably won't be able to find you."

"Jiraiya is very experienced. He seems to be heading straight for the Sand Village, but he probably already has a plan in mind. It's impossible that he walked straight into a trap."

Seeing Jiraiya's actions, even Uchiha Tou felt a bit of a problem. After the other party hid underground, it would be difficult for him to find their whereabouts. Even if they came out of the ground again, he would have to use the Sharingan satellite above his head to scan the entire Land of Wind to find them.

But how much effort would it take for him to scan the Land of Wind? And how much effort would it take for the other side to infiltrate underground and dig a hole? This puts Uchiha Hiyu in a difficult position.

"A bunch of troublesome guys... but whatever, if all else fails, we'll just cut off their supply lines!"

"If you're in danger, Nagato can pull you back, but if Nagato is in danger... then who can rescue him?"

Having made up her mind, Uchiha Touyu summoned Natsumi Hoshino and handed her a Flying Thunder God kunai.

"Summer Star, you possess the Peacock Technique's flight ability, making you the fastest in the entire Sand Village. Now, you will take my Flying Thunder God Kunai and head to Rain Village!"

"Once we arrive at the location, we'll use chakra to activate the kunai's power."

Xia Rixing accepted the Flying Thunder God Kunai, knelt on one knee, and respectfully replied:

"Understood, Lord Feiyu!"

Seeing Uchiha Touya wave his hand, Xia Rixing left the Kazekage's office. Then, a pair of magnificent wings sprouted from her back, and she soared into the sky, disappearing into the heavens.

Jiraiya and the others circled underground several times before emerging again. As soon as they came out, Jiraiya closed his eyes slightly and became completely "silent".

This is a method of calming the mind that Jiraiya comprehended through practicing Sage Mode. In this meditative state, he can not only sense the natural energy between heaven and earth, but also maximize his own perception.

A moment later, Jiraiya, who had been as silent as a stone statue, suddenly came to life and opened his eyes:

"Hahaha, we did it! That feeling of being watched is gone. This time we've shaken off their surveillance!"

Hearing Jiraiya's words, Yahiko and Konan breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and smiled.

"Get ready! Before they find us, find a way to conceal your identities. I've already taught you the Toad Shadow Technique. Find a Sand Ninja to control, then infiltrate the Sand Village!"

Jiraiya's Toad Shadow Technique is a ninjutsu that involves infiltrating into the opponent's shadow, turning one's body into a thin sheet, and attaching oneself to the shadow to control the opponent. Unless there is a face-to-face confrontation, it is impossible to detect using long-range sensory ninjutsu such as the Telescope Technique.

Having found a solution, Jiraiya and his two companions quickly located a patrol of Sand Ninja near the village of Sunagakure.

Jiraiya and his two companions first used genjutsu to control the group of Sand Ninja and extract some information. Although Uchiha Touu always wore a mask when he was in Sand Village, there were too many unusual things about him, which allowed Jiraiya and his companions to obtain some information.

(End of this chapter)