Beautiful Divine Kingdom

If there had been a keen biologist in the Land of Rivers right now, they would have discovered that the number of toads within the country seemed to have increased considerably lately.

At the edge of a small town deep in the Land of Rivers, more than ten kilometers from the capital, a toad leaped out of a muddy puddle left behind by the recent rain.

Unlike an ordinary toad, its eyes held a distinctly human spark of intelligence.

After shaking its head and confirming there was no danger or anyone else nearby, it suddenly opened its mouth wide.

As strands of saliva stretched from its mouth, an arm emerged first. It braced itself against the ground, and then an entire burly figure crawled out of the tiny toad's mouth in an utterly bizarre manner.

The figure had long white hair, wore a red vest, and had red markings on his face. Dressed in ninja attire and wooden clogs of the same color, he bore a forehead protector engraved with a large character for oil.

The newcomer was none other than Jiraiya, who had used Toad Concealment to infiltrate the heart of the Land of Rivers—the territory controlled by the Jashin Cult—to gather intelligence.

"So this is Jashin Cult territory?"

He raised a hand and looked toward the small town before him.

It was evening, and trails of cooking smoke drifted above the town.

Perhaps because he had complete confidence in his method of infiltration, Jiraiya did not hesitate for long before heading toward the town.

On the way, he encountered a caravan preparing to enter. Going with the flow, Jiraiya used Transformation Jutsu to turn himself into an honest-looking farmer and mixed into the caravan to enter the town.

Calling it a caravan was generous. It was merely a