A night of bright moon and sparse stars.
Five large ships sailed across the sea shrouded in light fog. Had experienced helmsmen not been steering them, they surely would have lost their way in the mist.
Several figures stood on the bow deck of the central large ship.
"Lord Hokage."
"If we press on any further, there is a risk of being discovered." An aged middle-aged man bent over, wearing an expression of deep respect and flattery.
The middle-aged man was the owner of these five large ships and could even be considered wealthy; he had no need to act so servile, but the crucial point was that his vessels were currently laden with shinobi.
A group of fully armed shinobi with grim expressions.
The middle-aged man was a wealthy individual, but he was also an ordinary person.
Recognizing that the shinobi before him were all Konoha shinobi from the Land of Fire while also learning their destination, the shipowner was reluctant to take on this business. Yet, under the friendly negotiation of a shinobi wearing an animal mask, he readily agreed.
"It's fine! Keep moving forward."
Jiraiya nodded, said those words to the middle-aged man, and continued to gaze out into the distant fog, a trace of worry hanging on his face.
He wore neither the Godly Garment Robe of the Hokage nor the red outer coat from his days of traveling the ninja world at this moment, but rather a black combat uniform with a silver armor draped over the outside.
His attire made it obvious that he was heading out to hack people to pieces.
Jiraiya's destination for this trip was none other than the Village Hidden in the Mist; he intended to strike first and gain the upper hand.
He knew very well that war was