Stepping back onto land, Gekko Chizan felt like he'd come back to life.
The same was true for Yugito.
Although Island Turtle had its own isolated environment, it was still surrounded by the sea.
"Kurohebi, thanks a lot."
"That's it? I'm telling you, you don't get to use me for free—a whole basket of snakeberries!"
Hearing the word "snakeberries," Gekko Chizan chuckled and patted his chest in assurance.
"Relax, next time we go to Ryūchi Cave, I'll make sure you get plenty."
Only then did Kurohebi disappear in a puff of white smoke by the sea, seemingly satisfied.
"What's a snakeberry?"
"Is it tasty?"
At this point, Yugito felt like anything was better than grilled meat or grilled fish. After living on Island Turtle for so long, she was almost ready to become a vegetarian. If not for the massive physical demands of daily training, she wouldn't touch meat again.
"It doesn't taste good, but snakes love it."
"Alright, let's get going. We're on the southern edge of the Land of Fire."
"There should be a town nearby. Let's find something different to eat for once."
The two of them quickly moved north. Just as Gekko Chizan had said, it wasn't long before they spotted a decently sized town.
Upon entering, they didn't hesitate to find a restaurant.
Curry rice, tempura, rice balls, udon—they devoured them like mad.
But with unspoken understanding, neither of them ordered any meat dishes.
After eating and drinking their fill, Gekko Chizan brought Yugito to a hot spring hotel and booked two rooms, handing one of the keys to her.
"You go take a nice soak, relax a bit."
"I'm going to gather some intel, see what happened while we were away from the mainland."
"Oh, right, take this."
He casually handed her a special kunai.
On the kunai was engraved: お父さんが来た (Daddy's here!)
Yugito's face instantly twisted in disgust.
"Do I have to take this? It just looks so..."
"Hey, you little brat, I made this kunai myself. People would kill to have one."
"Anyway, go take your bath. I'm off to gather intel."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gekko Chizan vanished with a Body Flicker.
Just in case, he had left a formula seal in his room.
Then he made his way into the town.
Every town in the Land of Fire had designated intel points, but they were all well hidden. Gekko Chizan only learned about them after becoming a member of the Anbu.
The intel point in this particular town was inside a casino.
He first used a Transformation Jutsu to alter his appearance—he was still a minor, after all, and didn't want to be thrown out for walking into a casino.
The war hadn't affected this seaside town one bit. The casino guests were gambling without a care. Gekko Chizan walked straight to the front counter.
"Yo? Customer, here to try your luck?"
The manager's tone shifted the moment he noticed the Konoha forehead protector and a mask.
His expression turned serious.
"So you're a distinguished guest. This way, please."
Gekko Chizan put away his items and followed the man behind the casino.
After several turns, they entered a private room. The man looked back at Gekko Chizan.
"A Konoha ninja showing up at the coast during wartime?"
"What, planning to escape the chaos by sea?"
Gekko Chizan frowned slightly at those words.
There was a lot of intel hidden in that comment—it seemed the situation had changed again.
"I'm on a special mission. Just got back."
"Since you know who I am, spill it. What's the current state of the war?"
The manager eyed the dusty and travel-worn Gekko Chizan, then rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.
Seeing the gesture, Gekko Chizan cursed under his breath.
"Tch, asking for money, huh?"
But he quickly let it go. These intel brokers weren't under Konoha's control—they were part of the underground world, just like the info dealers in the Land of Grass. They made their living selling intelligence.
He casually tossed a wad of cash to the man, who accepted it happily and began laying out the current situation.
"Iwagakure killed the Third Raikage. The fighting in the Land of Fields has settled—Iwagakure won."
"In the Land of Grass, both of Iwagakure's Jinchūriki participated in the battle. Konoha's defenses were completely overwhelmed and had to retreat to the border of the Land of Fire."
"Meanwhile, in the Land of Rivers, Sunagakure launched a fierce offensive. Rumor has it the tide of battle has turned completely."
This string of defeats caught Gekko Chizan off guard.
Losing in the Land of Grass was one thing, but now the Land of Rivers too?
Didn't the old man send anyone to reinforce them? That doesn't make sense.
"Surprised, aren't you?"
"But that wad of money only covers those three pieces of intel. If you want more, you'll have to pay extra."
Gekko Chizan didn't feel like arguing. He tossed another wad of money without hesitation.
The man accepted it and delivered a piece of intel that made Gekko Chizan frown.
"Kirigakure has launched a full-scale invasion of the Land of Hot Water. They've also begun attacking Konoha."
"They've deployed a large number of troops, and their offensive is fierce."
So that's it. No wonder Konoha lost in both the Grass and River fronts—Kirigakure joined the fray too.
With enemies on three sides, holding onto outposts outside the Land of Fire was nothing more than a pipe dream.
"Still want to buy intel?"
"What else you got?"
"Want a missing person notice? Eh, I'll give you this one for free. It's one of yours, anyway."
Missing person notice? What the hell?
Did someone important from the village go missing? Got kidnapped? Or maybe assassinated?
As Gekko Chizan stared in confusion, the man counted his money and said:
"Jōnin from Konoha—Gekko Chizan. Been missing for over a month."
"If anyone can provide solid intel, they'll get a 100,000 ryō reward. Of course, the info has to be accurate and useful."
Gekko Chizan: ...
What the hell? There's a missing person notice... for me?
Didn't I leave a message saying I went to the Land of Lightning?
What the hell is going on here?
"Do you know who posted that notice?"
"Heh, of course. Word is, it was Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin."
Hearing his teacher's name, Gekko Chizan immediately understood.
So Orochimaru's looking for him? That made sense—but what for?
Could it be some new research breakthrough?
If so, Gekko Chizan needed to hurry back to the village. If there were good things involved, he didn't want to miss out.
...
Having gotten the intel he needed, Gekko Chizan left the casino and returned to the hotel.
While enjoying the soothing comfort of the hot springs, he began planning his next move.
There was no way he could take Yugito back to the village. The Land of Fire was still engulfed in war. He'd have to send her back to Island Turtle.