Pot Kage's Secret Agent

Seeing the Third Raikage frowning in confusion, Tamura Hiroshi only grew more at ease.

So he hadn't read them!

"Those are novels I wrote. They sell very well and make a lot of money. That one billion ryo is my royalty income!"

He finally explained, making clear that his wealth came from entirely legitimate sources.

When he first arrived in this world, he'd pondered how to grow stronger.

Discovering he had no Golden Finger, that his own talent was mediocre, and that he lacked any clan inheritance, he realized he could only improve through external means.

The best external means was the power of money. But making money in a ridiculous world like Naruto, where even terrorists craved peace, was no easy feat.

It wasn't until he recalled the masterpiece of that future hero Jiraiya that he figured out a way to earn cash. He'd spent the past few years writing books, using his child identity to slip into bathhouses and Kabukicho for research, blending the unique traits of the Naruto world to produce those Erotic Novels.

And indeed, they made a killing!

"Novels?"

The Third Raikage was baffled. Did writing novels really pay that well?

He turned to his assistant Dodai, sending him a questioning look.

Recalling the dozens of Erotic Novels he'd bought with all his private savings, Dodai's expression turned odd as he said, "If he really is that author, coming up with one billion ryo wouldn't be hard."

He hadn't expected all those authors to be the same person—and a ten-year-old child at that.

Counting back, those Erotic Novels had started appearing five years ago. That meant this brat had already possessed such a state of mind at age five.

What a talent!

Though puzzled by Dodai's strange expression, the Third Raikage didn't dwell on it. His attention shifted to that piece of intelligence.

"What is that intelligence?"

Taking a deep breath, Tamura Hiroshi said seriously, "I was sent to Kumogakure by Shimura Danzō. I'm a spy meant to steal Kumogakure's intelligence. But I was forced into it. My parents died long ago. Now I'm about to become a ninja of Kumogakure—for life!"

That was right. He was originally from Konoha. Because he showed early maturity and extracted Chakra at age three, he was noticed by Shimura Danzō's people, taken away, and trained. At five, he was sent to Kumogakure to replace the grandson of an old man who had adopted him.

That old man's real grandson had been taken by Danzō's people, and the old man himself had long been secretly bought off as a spy. He'd died a year ago.

As for revealing this identity, his main reason was to avoid leaving a hidden danger.

There was a difference between confessing something in advance and having it come to light later.

Confessing in advance showed a stance of turning over a new leaf. Explaining after the fact was just an excuse—or even a lie—that no one would believe.

He didn't want to be targeted after his identity was exposed, then subjected to Kumogakure's ten great tortures, followed by genjutsu hypnosis or memory probing.

That would be fatal!

Being a spy was too dangerous. He wanted to be a good person!

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere froze. The Third Raikage and the other two all turned serious.

Though his heart was racing with panic, Tamura Hiroshi still met the Third Raikage's gaze, showing his attitude and stance.

Dodai and Yozuki A said nothing, quietly waiting for the Third Raikage's decision.

"Well said. You will be a member of Kumogakure for life—and This Old Man's disciple!"

The Third Raikage finally smiled. Sure, this brat's identity had issues, but they weren't major.

Besides, the kid had not only confessed honestly but also gifted one billion ryo and presented three great weapons. His sincerity was undeniable.

Most importantly, he valued the brat's mind. If he could design these great weapons now, he might come up with even better ones in the future. His value was unimaginable.

If this was genuine spy work, he could only say: send more!

The Third Raikage's smile made Tamura Hiroshi instantly relax. His legs went a little weak, and a cold sweat drenched his back.

The pressure had been immense!

Dodai and Yozuki A also breathed easier. They quite admired this brat—especially for those Erotic Novels.

It would be a terrible shame if those were discontinued and became a legend!

"Lord Raikage, we might be able to use this identity of his in reverse—feed some intelligence favorable to us back to Shimura Danzō."

Dodai thought for a moment and offered a suggestion.

He was a strategist-type ninja, mainly providing advice to Lord Raikage. This child's spy identity, in his view, could be exploited.

"You handle this."

The Third Raikage nodded, approving the idea. As long as it benefited the village, nothing was off-limits.

"Take him for an examination. See if Shimura Danzō left any methods on him. That man is a ruthless player.

Also, everything that just happened is to be kept secret. No one is to speak of it. This is the village's highest classified information."

He gestured to his son and added a final instruction.

"Your disciple takes his leave!"

Tamura Hiroshi finally felt true relief, then followed Yozuki A out.

After the two left, the Third Raikage walked to the wall, used a kunai to pry out all the deformed bullets, then channeled Lightning Release into his fingertips and jabbed each bullet hole one by one, destroying the evidence and creating the appearance of his own Hell Stab training.

Although this was his exclusive training room where outsiders were not allowed, spies these days were hard to identify, and with all sorts of bizarre ninjutsu out there, someone might still find a way in to observe. If they figured something out from these craters and bullet casings, it would be trouble.

Dodai understood and sealed the three great weapons into a storage scroll, then walked over.

"He's a clever little brat."

The Third Raikage finished poking at the craters, chuckling as he looked at the holes.

"Indeed, very clever."

Dodai deeply agreed with that. Whether it was those three great weapons, the erotic novels he had created, or the schemes the brat had laid out today, all of it showed extraordinary intelligence and boldness.

"How long will it take to develop them?"

His expression turning serious, the Third Raikage knew those great weapons were still immature. The materials were one issue, the structure another, and then there were all the ideas the brat had proposed—they would require massive manpower and resources to develop, and even more time.

Dodai had long anticipated the Third Raikage would ask this and had already thought it through.

"At least five years for development. Mass production will require a huge amount of steel, Explosive Tags, and the training of a large-scale ninja army. All together, it will take at least ten years. The principles behind these firearms are too simple. Once used, the enemy will quickly reverse-engineer and copy them. We can only gain a single advantage from this, so we must strike decisively to break the deadlock."

"Ten years... Looks like we won't be able to use them in this war."

The Third Raikage felt a twinge of regret. He had no idea how many people Kumogakure would lose in this Great Ninja War.

In the last Ninja World War, they had suffered heavy losses, especially from the betrayal of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, which had dealt a severe blow to their strength.

Not only had Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and the forces they led turned into enemies, but in the process, they had killed many of the village's ninja, including the Second. The battle to take down Kinkaku and his men had also cost them dearly, and this war would be no easier.