Malphegor
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IUTT: Ch. 129
🕑 Added 2025-06-09 16:36:42 +0000 UTCUnlike Tsunade and Minato, who were traveling slowly, Shin was moving much faster. In just one day, he reached the coastal border of the Lan
Unlike Tsunade and Minato, who were traveling slowly, Shin was moving much faster. In just one day, he reached the coastal border of the Land of Fire, and the journey had been completely uneventful. The three people accompanying him had also been very obedient, following his every command, which made him momentarily wonder if Hiruzen hadn't actually planned anything against him after all.
Of course, that was just an illusion. In reality, those three had been itching to make a move from the start. They thought they were being subtle, but Hiruzen and Danzō had already sold them out.
Even if those two hadn't leaked anything, in front of Shin, their tricks were as good as invisible. But Shin was feeling a little bored and didn't mind toying with them for a bit. However, until they had absolute certainty, the three of them would continue to behave themselves. After all, he had already shown off his power in front of nearly everyone in Konoha.
With the level of power he had displayed, and his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, even Hiruzen didn't turn on him easily.
Koharu had actually considered labeling Shin as a missing-nin while he was away on a mission. After all, he had always been under scrutiny and surveillance, and it wasn't impossible that he might take the opportunity to defect. But as soon as she brought it up, Hiruzen shot the idea down.
First, Shin was now Tsunade's fiancé, and the two were very much in love. Just how crazy would he have to be to abandon such a good relationship and choose to run away?
Second, he had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique years ago, everyone in Konoha knew that. If he wanted to flee, he would have done so long ago. There was no need to wait until he was assigned a mission outside the village. So if he defected while on a mission, no one in Konoha would believe it. And the timing would look incredibly suspicious, of all times, he just so happened to defect the moment Hiruzen gave him a mission?
Even a baby wouldn't buy that.
If things went south, he would walk away unscathed, while Hiruzen would be the one caught up in the mess. After all, Shin was no longer some lone wolf, he wasn't someone they could just manipulate like before.
If they pushed this and labeled him a traitor, once Shin returned, it would tear their relationship apart completely. And if things weren't handled properly, this wouldn't just be a case of defection anymore, it could lead to a full-blown rebellion. Just thinking about the current terrifying strength of Shin and Tsunade, plus all the allies they had now, made it clear: unless he died silently and without a trace, Hiruzen would never be foolish enough to make such a move.
"Here, your roasted rabbit," Noda said cautiously, respectfully handing over a freshly roasted wild rabbit to Shin.
"Mm, thanks for your effort," Shin said, taking the rabbit and biting into it right in front of her.
For this mission, all four of them had packed plenty of Military Rations Pills, especially ones provided by him. The taste of the pills had been specially adjusted by him and came in various flavors. Technically, they could completely replace meals. But seeing how anxious the three accompanying him were, Shin suddenly brought up the idea of wanting to eat wild game.
When he unexpectedly expressed this craving, aside from the one guy who had gone ahead to scout, the two present tried hard to conceal their emotions, but saying they weren't excited would be a lie. They had been waiting for this moment for an entire day, so of course they acted on it immediately.
"You're not eating?" Shin pointed at the wild rabbit still roasting over the fire and asked the two beside him.
"You go ahead. These aren't fully cooked yet," another ninja replied respectfully, his name was Hayakawa.
Shin just nodded and, without paying them any more attention, began eating heartily. Seeing him eat like that, the two finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Their plan to take out Shin was very simple: poison him.
And it wasn't just any poison, it was a special one provided by Danzō. This poison was colorless, tasteless, and undetectable. But once ingested, it would throw the victim's chakra into chaos, rendering them unable to use ninjutsu.
"Delicious!" Shin exclaimed, tossing aside the skewer and rubbing his belly in satisfaction.
Although Military Rations Pills were fine, nothing beat the feel of a hot, freshly cooked meal.
"Your grilling skills are amazing. How did you learn? Teach me, I want to make this for Tsunade when we get back."
Noda was stunned for a moment, but still patiently began explaining her technique. The atmosphere grew unexpectedly warm and harmonious.
Not long after, the sensory ninja who had gone ahead to scout returned. He quickly came up to Shin and respectfully reported, "Lord Shin, the ship has been arranged."
"But..."
"Just speak plainly," Shin said, frowning slightly.
Yoshioka took a deep breath and said seriously, "It's just that while scouting, I discovered a missing-nin who's on Konoha's wanted list. He didn't notice me, so I secretly followed him, and ended up discovering a hidden base. I didn't go further, fearing I might alert them or jeopardize our mission. So I came back to report. I was just thinking... should we go deal with these missing-nin first before heading to the coast to board the ship?"
Looking at these three actors in front of him, Shin was speechless. Where the hell did Danzō find them? Their strength was decent, sure, but their acting was painfully average.
You really think I can't see through such an obvious trap? Or do you think I'm just some rookie with power but no real mission experience, easy to deceive?
Then why are you all so nervous? Afraid I'll see through it?
Well, it was understandable.
First, Shin had been holed up in the lab for a long time and rarely showed his face, so most people didn't really know much about him.
Second, Root was still newly formed at this stage. Its members were just transfers from the ANBU, unlike in the future, where Root would recruit from orphans and brainwash them from childhood into loyal, emotionless soldiers.
In other words, ANBU ninjas weren't entirely tools. They still had humanity and personal thoughts. Their past missions had involved protecting the Hokage, surveillance, gathering intel, or assassination. This kind of "acting" mission was probably a first for them.
From their perspective, they likely thought they were doing a pretty good job.
Hadn't Shin eaten the grilled meat without hesitation? That alone seemed proof enough he wasn't suspicious.
"This mission is a long-term one, there's no set time limit," Shin said thoughtfully. "If we come across missing-nin, we can't turn a blind eye. So my plan is to eliminate them first, then head to the coast."
"Brilliant decision!" All three spoke in unison, and in each other's eyes, they could see a flash of joy.
