Chapter 197: "The Saint"

In a certain teahouse in the Land of Sea, Shisui tore a fish cake into pieces and soaked it in hot tea. After hesitating for a long time, he swallowed it whole.

"Huh?" The young Uchiha with the Sharingan lit up, "This way of eating is odd, but surprisingly, it tastes pretty good."

"Stop showing off, Piggy Uchiha." A white-haired girl glared at him, "Why don't you just follow sensei's lead, make a cut on your forehead protector, and stay here to open a fish cake shop?"

"...Please don't say that in front of others." Shisui smiled bitterly.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Shisui placed a newspaper on the table, "As the team leader, I'll go over the intel one more time."

"This is a publication from the Land of Sea, and it's quite popular here. It covers current affairs, political commentary, and such. The last page usually features a serialized fantasy story."

"The information from sensei is hidden in this issue's anecdote."

"Toyama Hiramoto is a team leader at a fish processing factory. One day, he worked late, had some drinks with his colleagues, and accidentally wandered into a forest. The summer island is full of mosquitoes... buzz... buzz... buzz..."

*Bang!*

The white-haired girl expressionlessly punched Muta in the stomach. "Stop making bug sounds. Do it again, and I'll turn your skin into sushi. Piggy Uchiha, continue."

As Muta's eyes rolled back, even whiter than those of the Hyuga clan, Shisui wiped cold sweat from his brow, too afraid to complain about being called "Piggy." He continued seriously:

"To escape the mosquitoes, Toyama Hiramoto wandered deeper into the forest and unexpectedly came across a small house."

"In the house was a man."

"Seeing an unexpected visitor, the strange man didn't drive him away. Instead, he invited Toyama in, and with a gentle touch of his palm, healed all of Toyama's mosquito bites."

'Are you a shinobi?' Toyama asked.

'Yes, this is the Mystical Palm Technique,' the man replied.

"Since shinobi haven't appeared in the Land of Sea for a long time, Toyama felt both scared and curious, asking the man question after question. The man was very patient, answering everything."

"Eventually, the conversation turned to the topic that most concerns the islanders of the Land of Sea—'Do you think our lives, without chakra, are worse than yours?'"

"The man first praised the Land of Sea, saying it's the most peaceful and prosperous place he's seen in his travels."

"However, the man's next words made Toyama's face turn pale."

"'But this world ultimately belongs to those with chakra. Without shinobi, the Land of Sea has no real military power. If a great war that sweeps across all nations occurs, the Land of Sea will surely perish, just like the Land of Whirlpools.'"

"Toyama didn't agree. He said that three great wars have already happened, and the Land of Sea was never affected."

"But the man just smiled and shook his head without arguing."

"They talked for a long time, and when Toyama finally noticed it was getting late, he bid the man farewell."

"Before leaving, Toyama once again stated his belief that the Land of Sea has never been touched by war and never will be. It's a paradise, now and forever."

"The man sighed and said, 'Toyama, how long will you keep burying your head in the sand? Just because you're isolated doesn't mean war won't find you. You don't even have the courage to open your eyes and look into the abyss. Your cowardice exceeds my expectations...'"

The mood at the table suddenly grew heavy.

Every word Yuto spoke on that crimson night, every action he took, had been recorded and analyzed by the higher-ups of Konoha. The three former members of Team 9 could recite it all by heart. In the underground base of the first division of the ANBU, beneath the "Unagiya" tavern, Yuto had said similar words before killing his branch family member, Naoto Hyuga.

The phrasing may have changed slightly, but given the use of the Mystical Palm Technique and the tone of the conversation, there was a high probability that the mysterious man Toyama encountered was that Notorious S-rank rogue shinobi.

At the very least, it was worth a trip for Shisui and his team.

"Alright, whether or not it's sensei, we'll find out when we get there." Shisui sighed, "Every time I read this intel, I get a surreal feeling... For four years, sensei has been impossible to track, and now suddenly this comes up... This kind of... code that only Konoha could detect, is it just a coincidence? Or... intentional?"

He slapped his cheeks, forcing himself to stay alert. "Let's move out. First, we need to find Toyama Hiramoto and have him take us to the forest cabin... Hmm, he works at the Stone Processing Factory."

"I'll do it." Ruri Mochizuki stood up, "I have my own secret technique for gathering information."

"Secret technique?" Shisui asked curiously, "I've known you for seven years, and I've never heard of this. Is it a new type of jutsu?"

The white-haired girl turned back with a bright smile, pointing to the shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth. "This face of mine is an unbeatable secret technique."

As Ruri bounced toward the teahouse owner, Shisui whispered to Muta, "Is this what women are like? She's really confident in her looks... Though I admit she's very pretty... Maybe the most beautiful in the world?"

However, before they could say much more, Ruri loudly called them over.

The middle-aged owner, wiping a teacup, looked at the teenagers and chuckled, "I was wondering why you were acting all secretive with that newspaper... You're here to find the Saint, aren't you?"

"Saint?" Shisui felt a bit incredulous.

"Isn't that just the mysterious man Toyama Hiramoto met that night? The news spread a long time ago!" The owner spoke animatedly, "You should've seen it; so many people rushed into the forest to find him, with over a thousand people searching at night. Finally, through their relentless efforts, they found the Saint."

"The Saint is such a good person; he cured many people's ailments. Really, I've met many shinobi from other places, but I've never encountered anyone as powerful as the Saint."

"No matter how severe the injury, he could heal it instantly with just a touch. The Saint even modestly claimed it was just the Mystical Palm Technique... How could that be? It's clearly a miracle!"

"You want to see him? It's easy. Just head down the street, go west into the forest, and keep going with sincerity in your hearts. You'll meet others going the same way. Remember, be sincere! Sincere!"

...

The three from Konoha left the teahouse in a daze, exchanged glances without saying a word, and followed the owner's directions into the forest.

Along the way, they saw many people headed in the same direction.

The Land of Sea is far from the mainland, so it's difficult to update medical knowledge, resulting in many incurable diseases. Many people were being carried in, while those who could walk bowed their heads every three steps, their expressions full of reverence.

Finally, deep in the forest, the former Team 9 members saw the small cabin and the handsome young man sitting cross-legged with a smile.

He had a head of striking red hair.

(End of Chapter)