The Ordinary Life of a Clear-Ryu Ninja Chapter 695

Subsequently, Toshi followed Itachi to inspect the other spies one by one.

Among them were Izumi and Akado, whom Toshi recognized. These individuals looked at Toshi with either anger or frustration, but Toshi merely walked past them without stopping, only glancing at them before saying to Itachi, “You decide how to handle these guys. I trust your judgment.”

Itachi nodded, “Don’t worry, Minister, I’ll handle it.”

Leaving the detention area, Toshi silently recalled the contents of the meeting he had with Itachi and the others.

He felt that sending people to Kirigakure carried risks, so he decided to have these Chunin spies, who had just been arrested by the Security and Supervision Department, carry out that mission from which they might never return. Furthermore, Itachi would secretly monitor them during the journey. If any of them tried to escape, Itachi would secretly act, disposing of their bodies along with the letters they carried in places where Iwagakure ninjas might discover them. If any of them managed to complete the mission and return to Konoha to report, their punishment would be considered for reduction.

However, Toshi and his team did not allow these individuals to go deep into Kirigakure. If they had truly entered, none of them might have returned to Konoha, as the Akatsuki would not tolerate outsiders probing into their affairs. If the letters were only delivered to the Foam Bridge at the entrance of Kirigakure, the delivery team might still have a chance of survival.

Back in his office, Toshi sat at his desk, looking at the map in front of him, and began to design his next plan. He knew that although the Akatsuki already had several powerful figures in charge, by strategically planning and exploiting the conflicts between various forces, he could gradually weaken their strength and slow down their development.

‘In this timeline, Itachi won’t join…’

Just as Toshi was writing “Dead” next to “Sasori” on the Akatsuki member list and preparing to mark “Orochimaru” with “Left,” footsteps sounded outside his office. Toshi glanced at the lines “Deidara – Not Joined” and “Hidan – Not Joined,” and quickly folded the paper.

After a knock on the door, a ninja entered, presenting a scroll and saying, “Minister, urgent intelligence.”

Toshi unrolled the scroll. The intelligence stated: Last night at the Hour of the Boar, a merchant caravan passing by the Fire Temple discovered that the Fire Temple had been attacked by unknown assailants and reported it to the nearest town’s guard post. Konoha intelligence personnel intercepted the message and rushed to the Fire Temple, finding that the Sealing Iron Wall had been destroyed, the temple severely damaged, and many monks dead or injured.

“Did the Fire Temple ask Konoha for help?” Toshi looked up.

The ninja delivering the message said, “The village’s intelligence department has not received any news from the Fire Temple so far. Perhaps the Fire Temple doesn’t need assistance.”

“Impossible. The Sealing Iron Wall was destroyed. There must be something hidden. Go tell Jiraiya-sama for me; I’ll go personally to check.” Toshi finished, put away the Akatsuki data he had just begun to analyze on his desk, and immediately set off.

‘It shouldn’t be related to Kakuzu. If it were outsiders, the Fire Temple would notify Konoha…’ On the way to the Fire Temple, the image of the boy named “Sora” flashed through Toshi’s mind.

‘Nine times out of ten, it’s that pseudo-Nine-Tails Jinchuriki who did it, which is why the Fire Temple isn’t making a fuss.’

Before sunset, Toshi arrived at the Fire Temple. A small portion of the building complex in the twilight had become ruins, and a strong smell of medicine emanated from within the temple.

He stepped on the shattered floor, bypassed the broken main gate, and saw that the so-called Sealing Iron Wall, once the pride of the Fire Temple, had been reduced to rubble.

“Are you a Konoha ninja?” The monk looked up, still maintaining a peaceful tone, “This humble monk is Chiriku.”

Toshi nodded, “Konoha Jonin, Kazamatsuri Toshi. I received intelligence that the Fire Temple might have been attacked, so I rushed here to see if assistance is needed. After all, the Fire Temple didn’t notify Konoha…”