Chapter 77: A Difficult Approach

Three figures arrived at the meeting point while Tonbo considered possible routes into the Land of Rain. 

"Sensei!" Tessen Togekei greeted him with open excitement. "It has been too long. Our first mission together again, and it is S-rank." 

Tonbo nodded, pleased by what he sensed. Togekei had always been his most gifted student, and two years of independent service had given his chakra a steadiness it once lacked. 

The other operatives wore unfamiliar faces. One was broad and bearded; the second was lean and quiet. Both possessed reserves comparable to Kakashi's, confirming that Danzō considered the mission important enough to commit experienced agents. 

"I have your files," Tonbo said, "but written summaries are insufficient for field coordination. Tell me what you can do." 

The larger man answered first. "Iwao. Earth Release, taijutsu, and assassination." 

"Murakumo. Tracking, assassination, and infiltration support." 

Neither offered a clan, history, or personal preference. Their voices and expressions remained neutral. 

"Check your equipment. We travel in wedge formation once everyone is ready." 

Tonbo inspected his supplies again: explosive tags, kunai, sealing materials, medicine, and every specialized tool assigned for the operation. The others performed the same ritual. Minutes later, the four left Konoha through the trees. 

Tonbo kept both Root operatives within his perception as they traveled. They followed every instruction without resistance, maintained their positions, and spoke only when necessary. 

Their obedience did not reassure him. If Danzō had given them a separate objective, discipline would conceal it until the moment their orders diverged from his. Two jōnin-level operatives could turn a dangerous mission into a disaster before Tonbo contained them. 

He established clear signals before the village disappeared behind them: halt, scatter, withdraw, and emergency regroup. Iwao and Murakumo learned each without question. Tonbo also assigned Togekei as his immediate relay, ensuring that at least one person understood both the formation and his habits. If the Root agents abandoned the chain of command, Togekei would recognize it at once. 

At least Togekei remained dependable. He guarded the flank without prompting, varied his attention between the terrain and the other team members, and never allowed his excitement to weaken his vigilance. He had long since outgrown the boy Tonbo once motivated with modified nightmare illusions. 

The air grew wetter as they moved northwest. Moisture gathered on Tonbo's skin, and heavy clouds spread across the horizon. The Land of Rain's geography trapped frequent storms above its narrow territory. At their controlled pace, the journey required more than three days. 

They alternated travel and rest without incident. Togekei occasionally adjusted one of his tools, while the Root operatives remained so silent that even Tonbo found their company tedious. 

During each stop, Tonbo rotated watches and asked short tactical questions. Iwao favored direct elimination of sentries followed by concealment of the bodies. Murakumo preferred following a legitimate traveler and crossing during a shift change. Both answers were competent, yet carefully generic. Neither exposed a signature technique that might reveal the full purpose behind Danzō's choices. 

Togekei noticed the guarded exchange but did not press. His restraint pleased Tonbo more than any display of strength would have. 

On the third day, distant lightning illuminated a country hidden beneath dark cloud and constant rain. Tonbo halted near the border and turned to Iwao. 

"We need shelter." 

Iwao stared at him for a long moment, then formed hand seals. 

"Earth Release: Earthen Shelter." 

The ground rose and folded into a solid structure with four walls, a roof, and a narrow entrance protected from the wind. Iwao's expression suggested that he had not expected an S-rank infiltration mission to involve construction duty. 

Tonbo smiled. Learning that the man specialized in Earth Release had immediately suggested the possibility. 

Togekei entered and looked around with admiration. "This hardly feels like camping. I should learn Earth Release." 

"You should continue specializing in Wind Release and space-time techniques," Tonbo said, patting his shoulder. "A second nature transformation could consume years that would produce greater progress elsewhere." 

They settled inside while rain struck the roof in a continuous low roar. Tonbo spread the intelligence reports between them. 

"Konoha sent three elite squads toward Amegakure," he said. "They approached through the Lands of Grass, Birds, and Rivers. None returned. Root attempted additional routes with the same result." 

Iwao gave a short nod, confirming the latter detail. 

"The Land of Rain touches six countries. If infiltration failed from three small neighbors and Root failed elsewhere, choosing the Fire, Wind, or Earth border will not solve the problem. The enemy likely maintains sensory coverage across the entire perimeter—or across the rain itself." 

Tonbo knew the last possibility was correct. Nagato could infuse the rainfall with chakra and detect disturbances throughout the village's territory. He could not reveal that certainty, so he led the team through the evidence that supported it. 

"Then how do we enter?" Togekei asked. 

Tonbo looked to the two infiltration specialists. 

Iwao shook his head. "Conventional concealment failed every Root team Danzō sent. We have no tested method that bypasses the network." 

"A frontal breach is worse," Tonbo said. "A Konoha squad openly attacking Amegakure could provoke every neighboring power. The region has ignited wider wars before." 

Murakumo traced the marked borders on the map. "Disguising ourselves as merchants would lower suspicion at a normal checkpoint. If the barrier identifies chakra, papers and clothing will not matter." 

"Suppressing our chakra completely would leave us vulnerable," Togekei added. "And four travelers losing their signatures at exactly the border may itself be an alarm." 

Iwao suggested moving underground. Tonbo rejected it for the moment. A sensory field anchored to rainfall might not reach deep soil, but excavating beneath an unknown barrier could create an equally obvious disturbance. Testing the theory required a smaller probe first. 

The Land of Rain survived partly because its position made annexation costly. Fire, Wind, and Earth all needed the small country as a buffer, while three lesser neighbors shared its remaining borders. Any visible military movement could be mistaken for the beginning of another expansion. 

Tonbo reviewed the specialized techniques stored in the memories he had read. The shinobi world contained countless methods absent from Konoha's public scrolls, including arts designed to evade sensors and trackers. Root had once possessed an operative capable of moving between nations under nearly impossible conditions: Nonō Yakushi, known for intelligence work of exceptional quality. 

She now directed an orphanage, if Tonbo's knowledge remained accurate. Whether she had left Root voluntarily, been discarded, or already suffered Danzō's schemes was unclear. In any case, she was not part of this mission. 

That absence reinforced a broader problem: Konoha had sent capable combatants to solve an intelligence puzzle. Their strength improved their chance of surviving discovery but did nothing to prevent it. Tonbo would have to turn sealing, perception, and patient observation into the infiltration skill the squad lacked. 

"We cannot conceal four foreign chakra signatures from a network we do not understand," Tonbo said. "So our first task is not crossing the border. It is learning what the network regards as foreign." 

He tapped the reports. Traders still moved through the country. Refugees still left it. Rain, animals, and local civilians passed beneath the enemy's senses every day without provoking a military response. 

"We observe before we infiltrate," he concluded. "Patterns, traffic, inspections, and the rain itself. Somewhere in that system is a distinction we can exploit."