Midnight Knock on the Window

Perhaps the owner of that Gambling Hall also had a deep background, but being able to bring things out into the open meant that the Tsuchikage's defeat had a far greater impact on his reputation than Xing Ran had imagined.

It seemed he would have to stay in Iwagakure for a while longer. With the Tsuchikage's current prestige in the village, suppressing the voices of those Konoha conspiracy theorists completely wouldn't be easy.

Because of what happened during the day, Xing Ran and the others had lost their enthusiasm. After dinner, they each returned to their rooms to rest early.

Xing Ran had originally made a big profit and wanted to splurge on everyone with a barbecue. Now it seemed he could save that money. He could use it to restock on Explosive Tags. These things cost hundreds of ryo each, and he used to be reluctant to use them. Now he could be extravagant. With his current kunai throwing skills, his combat power would surely increase significantly.

Right, speaking of Explosive Tags, Xing Ran suddenly had a flash of inspiration. His Heat vision, besides boiling water, didn't have much use, and its consumption was very high.

Explosive Tags are talismans that need to be activated before use, a unique combat item in the Naruto world.

However, there was one drawback to this combat item: after activation, it would emit flames and sounds as the fuse burned, often giving the enemy ample time to react. In Xing Ran's memory, Explosive Tags seemed powerful, but in actual combat, they rarely caused direct damage to enemies. They were generally used as a means of distraction.

If he were to roll up an Explosive Tag on a kunai, shoot it at an enemy, and then remotely detonate it with his Heat vision, wouldn't that be more covert and swift?

He could try this method later. However, the red light emitted from his eyes was a bit troublesome. If someone saw it, they wouldn't know what kind of ninjutsu to explain it as.

While lost in thought, the night deepened. Just as Xing Ran was about to go to sleep, knock, knock, knock. It wasn't someone knocking on the door, but the window being tapped from outside the building.

Xing Ran was in a foreign land. Even though his rational mind told him his current situation was relatively safe, how could he be careless when someone tapped on his window in the middle of the night?

He activated his X-ray vision and, through the curtains, Xing Ran saw that the person tapping on the window was dressed as an Iwagakure Anbu. With long yellow hair and a curvaceous figure, this Anbu was a woman.

Yakushi Nonō.

He hadn't expected that the paper he gave her to change her fate that day would lead her to his door that night.

"Hello, is there something you need at this late hour?" Perhaps Xing Ran would never have opened the window for anyone else, but Yakushi Nonō was different. Not to mention that they had no past grudges and no recent enmity, just the fact that she was a spy serving Konoha was enough. Xing Ran didn't believe Nonō would attack him. It wasn't that Xing Ran thought Nonō couldn't defeat him, which was why he so readily opened the window to let her in.

"Hello, is it appropriate for us to meet here?" Xing Ran greeted her first.

"Hello, I remember you're a Konoha ninja named Yamanaka Xingran. Don't worry, I'm in charge of monitoring your room tonight, so no one will find out. I... I have many questions."

Yakushi Nonō's voice was very gentle. Even through her mask, it gave a sense of closeness. She explained their current situation and immediately stated her purpose, clearly indicating that her time was very limited and she couldn't really stay long. The truth of the matter was not as simple as she made it out to be.

Xing Ran didn't say much, just nodded, signaling Nonō to speak whenever she was ready.

"How did you find me? I mean, I've been wearing a mask since we met, but from you writing that paper to being able to find me hiding in the shadows today, I wasn't showing my true face on both occasions. Where did I go wrong?" After taking off her mask, Nonō's first question wasn't about her and Kabuto, but about how she was exposed.

Xing Ran thought for a moment and quickly understood Nonō's feelings. As a spy that even Danzo thought highly of, disguising herself, lurking, and gathering intelligence were her means of survival. Now, being recognized by someone she had never met or interacted with before made Nonō feel extremely uneasy and unable to rest or eat.

As for whether Xing Ran was a new contact person sent by Root, the content of Xing Ran's letter made it clear that Xing Ran was definitely not from Root, and might even have some conflict with Root. Therefore, it was impossible for him to know her situation.

"I'm from the Yamanaka Clan. My senses are just a bit sharper," Xing Ran said evasively.

This sentence plunged Nonō into a brief silence again. The Yamanaka Clan's sharp senses were indeed famous, but could they be that sharp? She wouldn't believe it if she wasn't told beforehand that her information hadn't been investigated by Root.

"Alright, if you don't want to say, then forget it. I want to know, how did you know about me and Kabuto being deceived by Danzo?" Nonō changed the subject, using polite language.

This was what she urgently wanted to know. In fact, what made her decide to find Xing Ran tonight was that she had already met with Kabuto before coming. As expected, he was completely different from the photo Danzo had provided. If they hadn't both received messages from Xing Ran, neither of them would have spoken first after meeting.

After Kabuto recounted his experience of being able to see clearly only when wearing Nonō's glasses in the orphanage, it wasn't easy to accept information provided by a stranger so quickly.

Xing Ran's good intentions this time were very reckless. One point that could easily lead to misunderstandings was who would speak first during their reunion. The person who spoke first would inevitably bear immense pressure of exposure, a kind of pressure that was very difficult for a spy to endure.

Fortunately, this time, after Nonō met Kabuto, although she didn't speak, she proactively revealed her original face to Kabuto.

Kabuto was still a child back then. After a few years of growth, his appearance could have changed in any way, but Nonō was already an adult back then. Even if her appearance changed after a few years, it wouldn't change too drastically. The moment Kabuto saw Nonō's face, he immediately called out her name.

In the original plot, Kabuto killed Nonō with one move in the dark. However, when checking the results of the battle, he could recognize her as his adoptive mother at first glance. The situation was the same now.

"Mm, it was an accident. In short, I know about your situation. I don't approve of Danzo's actions, and I don't want the walking shrine maiden to end her life in such a tragedy. That's why I wrote you the notes," Xing Ran said vaguely, speaking half-truths.

Nonō looked suspicious and didn't speak, just stared at Xing Ran quietly, making Xing Ran feel a bit awkward.

"I didn't receive any orders from Danzo to assassinate someone from Iwagakure."

After a long silence, Nonō suddenly blurted out something that made Xing Ran smile wryly.