Chapter 44
Jiraiya read through the message and let out a sigh. His work had come to an end. Thousands of people from this war-torn land were now heading for the Land of Fire. He should be proud, as he saved many lives and gave many a chance at a better life. But this country represented everything he despised about the world, and he wished he could have saved everyone.
The innocent were sentenced to death out of fear. The Daimyo was so terrified of the Kekkei Genkai users that he was willing to kill everyone, even those merely suspected of being a threat. The country hadn't even recovered from the war and was now being turned into a battlefield once more.
Sensei would never allow something like this to happen in the Land of Fire. Yet the Fourth Mizukage was more than happy to eliminate anyone and anything that posed a threat to his and the Daimyo's tyrannical rule. This was only the beginning. Even now, hate spread through these lands, and rather than blaming their rulers, the people targeted those who possessed Kekkei Genkai, viewing them as monsters and freaks.
Jiraiya's dream was to bring peace to the Shinobi world. Despite his dislike for wars, he wasn't blind to their realities. To protect his home, he was willing to kill anyone. So how could he fault others for doing the same? That's why he couldn't understand why the people hated those who killed to protect them.
Fear was the driving force in this country. It controlled people's minds and hearts. And there was nothing Jiraiya could do. All he and his sensei could do was help those who didn't want to be part of this cursed cycle. He only wished he could assist more, but his time here was nearing its end, and there were only so many who dared to leave their homes.
"The last ship is leaving tonight."
Jiraiya didn't lift his eyes from the message as Gato informed him. What a small and hateful man he was. He had no trouble exploiting the fear and pain of others to further his own greed. So, Jiraiya felt little remorse as he cut his throat wide open. He was still a shinobi, and his sensei was right to wish for the elimination of people like Gato, especially when so many lives were at stake.
However, this wouldn't be the end. Transforming himself to resemble Gato exactly, Jiraiya proceeded to the next phase. He had to impersonate Gato and bring this company to its knees. Not only that, but he also needed to bring the same fate to all the shady clients involved in his business.
…
After only a few days, Jiraiya had fully retreated from the Land of Water and erased any trace of his presence. It would cause trouble for Konoha if their operation were discovered. So far, all they could gather was that thousands of civilians had been fleeing the country, and someone had provided the means to do so. Nobody knew the true extent of their involvement.
Of course, speculation and rumors were circulating. However, Sensei chose the perfect time to retreat, just before any significant investigation could have begun. With this, they achieved their goal without sacrificing anything in return. He was certain that in the future, more opportunities to save innocent lives would arise, but this time he had to let it go.
Now, he was on another mission, and he was on a time limit. He already had all the information Gato could provide, so he had to work quickly before someone realized he was selling out Gato's business to Konoha. Jiraiya was a bit surprised that Sensei would do something like this.
Yet, considering it from his perspective, he had to agree that this method was quite ingenious. Gato was one of the world's largest businessmen. Just getting a piece of this pie was enough to gain some independence from the Daimyo and other nobles, providing the village with some breathing room.
However, while he worked to sell the legitimate part of the business, he was also dismantling the shady aspect of it. In many ways, what Jiraiya was doing was no better than what Gato had done to grow the business. If he were found out, it would result in significant backlash from businesses worldwide. The fallout would be enormous and very painful for Konoha.
"Boss, they have arrived," one of the henchmen reported to him.
It was nice of Gato to consider not being close to anyone. He alone controlled his business and had long since severed ties with his partners. There was no one to question or care about what Gato did with his business. However, he did have a number of powerful clients eager to know if their investments would yield a return.
"Welcome to my humble abode," he greeted three men and a woman who came to his ship. "I hope the seas were calm enough."
"The winds have brought me quite unsettling news," one of the clients replied, putting out his cigar and exposing a row of golden teeth. "I hope that you haven't abandoned our deal to smuggle some refugees. My merchandise must be pushed out before the other countries recover from the war. The clock is ticking."
"Oh, shut it," the fat woman with a scrunched-up face said. "Drugs can be sold at any time. However, the price of cold steel is expected to decrease soon. If I can't sell my surplus, I will lose a significant amount of money."
"Please, who do you take me for?" Jiraiya replied, laughing just like Gato would. "Why do you think I took up this work? It has opened many doors for our enterprise. I just secured a deal with someone from the Land of Fire to sell a third of the ships."
"Hey, hey, who cares about the ships?" The youngster with piercings and tattoos covering his face slapped the table. "I want my women. You promised them, and I am still waiting."
"Tch," Jiraiya clicked his tongue in disgust but continued playing his part. "Shut it. The ships I will sell will be filled with weapons and drugs, you fool. And I will be paid not only with money. Once I finalize the deal, you will be more than satisfied."
"Hmm? And who would do such a thing?" the last one at the table, dressed in a nice suit and with greying hair, asked.
"That's not something any of you need to know," Jiraiya replied. "You only need to know that the delay in our business will be worth it. Now, get out before I throw you out. And if I am questioned again, I will consider future deals a thing of the past. There are plenty of people like you who would be more than happy to make a deal with me."
"Hmm? So, you're unwilling to tell? Well, it matters little since my job was to get rid of you. But if you tell me, I will make it quick, maybe even painless."
How to get rid of people? You get others to do the job. A kunai found its place in Jiraiya's chest as he gasped for air and fell to the ground, bleeding out. The others in the room quickly tried to run away; the youngest one even managed to reach the door and burst through it, but that was as far as he got.
Still, it caused an uproar on the ship as people outside noticed what was happening. At first, a group of self-proclaimed tough guys entered, but the shinobi only grew annoyed as he dispatched them. Soon, he no longer bothered with the disguise and donned his headband, revealing himself to be from Kirigakure.
"So annoying," the shinobi sighed. "Looks like I can't play with you. Don't look at me like that; it's your fault. You just had to smuggle people out of our country, didn't you? Using the distress of our people, you promised them a better life before trafficking them to who knows where. Did you really think we wouldn't notice? Well, I couldn't care less about those useless civilians, but we can't overlook this."
He knelt and stabbed Jiraiya in the heart before disappearing from the room and likely soon from the ship. Once he was sure nobody was nearby, Jiraiya stood up, ended his transformation, and pulled out a scroll. From within, he retrieved the body of the real Gato, which was still preserved as if it were dead a few moments ago.
The fake blood did its job, and the shinobi didn't even think Gato could survive the stab to his chest and heart, so he didn't check his vitals. Still, his injuries were quite severe. The sadist from Kirigakure clearly didn't want to finish him off quickly. Jiraiya didn't anticipate a non-lethal attack to the chest, so he had to take the kunai to sell the act.
This would be the last time he had to pretend to die. It was already strange enough that it wasn't the first time Jiraiya had done something like this. At least he earned some pocket money by selling information about Gato's actions and whereabouts. Without him providing everything they needed, Kiri wouldn't have even known that Gato was involved.
And now the case was closed, with no mention of Konoha. It might have been excessive, but he was sure nothing would return to Konoha. Now, he only needed to sneak out of the ship and go home. Then, he would present the contract made with Gato and secure a portion of his business before the vultures arrived to tear it apart.
"Please, help me," Jiraiya stopped to look at the fat woman pleading for her life.
"Seriously, the standard of a shinobi has fallen quite hard in recent years." Jiraiya walked up to the woman and stomped on her head. "If they didn't focus on the pointless slaughter of innocents, they could invest their time in nurturing the future shinobi."
Making sure that nothing was left behind, Jiraiya decided to set the room and the ship ablaze. Who knows how that shinobi could mess things up while acting so halfheartedly. Once he finished his work, Jiraiya would have to visit the hot springs, hopefully while Tsunade was inside. It had been a long time since he saw her all soaked and wet.
"Soaked and wet? Hmm, that might not be a bad title for my sequel."
…
Once Jiraiya returned to the village, he did not expect to be met with Shizune's cold stare. It felt as if she already knew his plans and was warning him against them. A few more years and that might scare him off. But for now, it was only cute how protective she was acting against him.
"Long time no see," Jiraiya greeted, meeting her glare with his charming smile.
"I hope you returned with good news," Shizune replied. "Otherwise, I would choose your words very carefully around Hokage-sama. And don't bother him with your useless books or stories. He is a busy man and doesn't have time for the likes of you."
"What? How could I, his favorite student, ever be a bother to him? Seriously, you sound like Tsunade."
"I'm warning you, Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya just laughed it off. Shizune's glare still couldn't compare to Tsunade's. So, he simply walked past her and into the Hokage's office, where his sensei was waiting for him. Well, that was a glare that made his blood run cold. The shadow cast by the hat only made it more menacing. Not even Tsunade could compare to it.
"You're late." Damn, Jiraiya now regretted spending a night with that hostess. "Report."
Only after reporting the success did Sensei's expression change. And it changed so drastically that it scared Jiraiya for a second; for he saw that evil glint Orochimaru sometimes had when he learned a new jutsu, as if he had a new weapon and couldn't wait to use it.
A.N. Sorry for not posting last week. I was celebrating the long weekend and Mother's Day at my parents' home. It was just a bit of relaxing while the weather was nice.