Top-Secret Intelligence

After the supplies were successfully delivered, in the forest.

Hinata Tianyi received the package, and his heart finally settled.

Tianyi slowly raised his left hand and began dressing the wound as instructed.

Any slightly larger movement made his heart pound wildly, his twisted features looking especially ferocious beneath the moonlight.

With trembling fingers, he tore open a cotton swab. By the moon's faint light, he could clearly see the gruesome bloody hole in his left shoulder.

Gritting his teeth, he followed the method Old Li had taught him, carefully dipping the swab in iodine solution and cleaning the skin around the wound in circles, from the inside out, wiping away mud and dried blood.

The process was long and agonizing. Just a few dozen seconds of cleaning left his face drenched in cold sweat.

Next, he unfolded the sterile gauze and covered the wound.

"Hiss!!! Ugh—!" His breathing quickened. Tianyi frowned as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

Then he began wrapping the wound with the elastic bandage.

"It needs pressure... but it can't be too tight..." Old Li's voice echoed in his mind.

He adjusted the tightness of the bandage until the wound felt securely fixed, the bleeding had effectively stopped, and his fingers had not yet gone numb.

After finishing all this, he was practically exhausted, collapsing like a heap of mud.

Leaning against the relatively dry spot behind the tree, he twisted open the bottle of miniature purified water and took a few small sips. Then he tore open the chocolate wrapper and slowly chewed.

The sugar and calories brought a faint warmth back to his body.

I survived! At least, for the moment, he had survived.

Tianyi then carefully picked up the crude map drawn on A4 paper.

The paper had softened somewhat in the damp air. It bore lines drawn in ballpoint pen and labels such as "Land of Fire," "Land of Wind," "Land of Rain," "Land of Rivers," and "Konoha."

He tried hard to recall the route he had taken while fleeing during the day, but his mind was a complete mess.

Fear, pain, and running with every ounce of strength had left him no time to remember the terrain around him.

He was just an ordinary office worker, not a professionally trained wilderness survival expert. Even the previous owner of this body, the Genin "Hinata Tianyi," had not been familiar with this vast border forest because of his age and lack of experience.

"This is awful... A map without landmarks is useless. I have no idea where I am..." Tianyi muttered a curse, and a sense of helplessness washed over him again.

"Wait, the stars, the moon!"

He raised his head and peered through the sparse canopy, trying to locate the stars. The night sky remained overcast, most starlight concealed behind clouds. Fortunately, several particularly bright stars flickered through gaps in the clouds.

One especially steady and brilliant star in the northern sky instantly caught his attention.

"Polaris!" Something stirred within him.

As a modern man, using Polaris to determine direction was basic knowledge ingrained in him. He remembered clearly that the direction of Polaris was due north!

"Thank you, science teacher!"

He immediately lowered his head, spread the map across his lap, and gestured over it with his finger.

"Our squad's previous mission was to patrol and scout northwest, near the border with the Land of Rain..." He struggled to reason it out using fragments of the previous owner's memories and the directions on the map.

"After being ambushed, I fled southeast all the way... So my approximate location now is probably..." His fingertip moved across the forested area at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. "...the southeastern edge of this region? Or perhaps I've already strayed from the main battlefield, but I'm still within Hidden Rain Village's search range?"

Though he could not pinpoint his location, Polaris had at least given him a general direction.

"I can't go northwest. That would be walking into a trap. East leads back toward the Hidden Leaf Camp, but there's probably a Hidden Rain Village blockade in that direction..." he muttered, brow tightly furrowed.

"Or... south? Hide temporarily in the Land of Rivers? No, no, no. The situation there might be even more complicated..."

"East it is!"

There was too little information and too much risk. Every choice could lead to utter ruin.

Exhausted, he closed his eyes, carefully folded the map, and tucked it close to his body.

At least he was no longer completely directionless.

Jiayuan Residential Complex, Building 2, Room 1202

Seeing the faintly glowing Book of Ten Thousand Worlds successfully send over the first-aid kit and map, the tense atmosphere in the room eased slightly.

Old Li's taut nerves relaxed a little as well. At least they had successfully taken the first step and delivered the aid that young man in another world needed most.

But that brief relief was instantly replaced by an even greater sense of responsibility and urgency.

He had personally witnessed phenomena that transcended the existing laws of physics, heard voices from another world, and received weapons transported from that other world...

This was no longer an ordinary missing-person case, nor was it something a criminal investigator from a district bureau could handle.

This was a top-secret incident capable of overturning existing scientific understanding and affecting national strategy!

At that thought, he abruptly turned around, his expression instantly hardening. His sharp gaze swept over every colleague in the room.

"Everyone, listen carefully!" Old Li's voice was not loud, yet it echoed through the silent room.

"From this moment onward, every detail regarding Fang Tianyi's disappearance, including everything you saw and heard here tonight, is classified at the highest level!

Under no circumstances are you to reveal a single word to anyone—not family, not friends, not colleagues from other departments! This is an order, and it is discipline!"

He paused and stressed each word. "Now, immediately, hand over all your personal phones to Little Liu for safekeeping!

Everyone's body cameras must remain on at all times to record all our subsequent actions, until transfer orders come down from higher authorities!"

There were no questions. Years of professional discipline made the officers present carry out the orders immediately.

After a brief, subdued commotion, all the phones were collected. The body cameras recorded this historic moment.

Old Li's gaze finally fell upon Fang Tianyi's mother, who stood lost and helpless, tear tracks still on her face.

He walked over, softening his tone. "Ma'am, you've seen the situation. Please trust us, and more importantly, trust the country!

What happened to your son is no longer merely a private matter for your family. It is now a matter of national importance!

I swear on this uniform that the country will do everything in its power to bring Tianyi home safely!"

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, speaking with earnest instruction. "So please cooperate with us.

To the outside world, Tianyi is still missing. Do not mention this book or anything that happened tonight to anyone.

This is to protect him, to protect you, and to safeguard national interests. I hope you understand!"

Fang Tianyi's mother looked into Old Li's resolute eyes, then at the ancient book that had returned to its ordinary appearance, and nodded firmly.

Covering her mouth with one hand, she suppressed a sob. "I... I understand, Officer Li. I won't tell anyone... I'll wait... I'll wait for the country to bring my son back..."

"Thank you for your understanding and cooperation." Old Li nodded solemnly.

Without another moment's delay, Old Li waved his hand. "Wrap it up! Back to the city bureau immediately!"

The police cars quietly left Jiayuan Residential Complex under cover of night, without sirens this time. Inside the vehicles, there was only silence, every face grave.

The city bureau building seemed especially empty and quiet late at night. Only the duty room lights and a few scattered corridor safety lights remained on.

Old Li hurried toward the bureau chief's office. There were still 23 hours and 23 minutes left. Every second counted. He had to get this "top-secret report" onto the channel leading to the highest decision-makers as quickly as possible.

Outside the bureau chief's office, he tightly gripped a transparent evidence bag. Inside lay the ancient book, along with a kunai from the Naruto World.

In his other hand was the body camera memory card containing all the audio and part of the video. His heart was beating even faster than it had during the operation, and his palms were slick with sweat.

He directly took out his phone and dialed Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo's private number.

The phone rang seven or eight times before it was answered. The bureau chief's voice came through, thick with sleepiness and a trace of annoyance at being disturbed. "Old Li? What is it at this hour? Is there an emergency?"

"Chief Wang," Old Li said, his voice slightly hoarse with tension and excitement.

"During this deployment, we... obtained a piece of top-secret intelligence. It's in my hands now. I'm outside your office."

"Top-secret intelligence?"

The other end fell silent, with only faint breathing audible.

Several seconds later, Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo spoke again. All sleepiness had vanished, replaced by the sharpness and gravity of a veteran criminal investigator. "Understood! Wait in the office. I'll be there in thirty minutes!"

After hanging up, Old Li leaned against the cold wall and let out a long breath. Those thirty minutes felt even longer than the hour he had spent at Fang Tianyi's home.

Everything that had happened tonight replayed in his mind: the glowing book, Fang Tianyi's tearful cry for help, and the kunai that had appeared out of thin air... Every scene challenged the materialist worldview he had built over decades.

Less than thirty minutes later, hurried yet forceful footsteps sounded from the end of the corridor.

Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo approached in plain clothes, his hair somewhat disheveled, but his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He strode forward, his face showing none of the irritation of someone roused from sleep.

"Talk inside." Chief Wang did not exchange any pleasantries. He directly unlocked the office door with his key.

The two entered the office. Chief Wang locked the door behind them and pulled down the blinds before turning to Old Li.

His gaze immediately locked onto the evidence bag in Old Li's hand. "What happened? Give me a detailed report!"

Old Li took a deep breath and placed the evidence bag and memory card on the bureau chief's desk.

Then, in language as concise, clear, and objective as possible, he gave a complete and unreserved report of everything: from receiving the case yesterday, responding to the call today, discovering the Book of Ten Thousand Worlds, making contact with Fang Tianyi in another world, delivering supplies, and finally receiving the kunai.

As Old Li spoke, Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo's expression gradually shifted from initial solemnity, to astonishment, to disbelief, and finally to utter seriousness.

He did not interrupt Old Li. His fingers merely tapped unconsciously against the desk as his eyes remained fixed on the strangely shaped kunai, especially the dried, blackened blood along its edge.

"...That is the basic situation, Chief Wang." Old Li finished his report, and the office fell into dead silence.

Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo stood and walked to the window, looking out at the city nightscape. His back looked especially heavy. He remained silent for nearly a minute before slowly turning around. His usual composure had returned, but turbulent waves still roiled in the depths of his eyes.

"Old Li," he said in a low, forceful voice, "are you certain... that all of this is real? There is no other possibility?"

"Chief Wang, I guarantee it with my Party loyalty and this police uniform!" Old Li straightened his back, his tone absolute.

"The body cameras have complete audio and video records, and Fang Tianyi's mother witnessed the entire event. As for that kunai... you've seen it yourself.

That absolutely is not craftsmanship or material from our world!"

Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo nodded. He stepped to the desk, picked up the kunai, and examined it carefully, feeling the metal's uniquely cold touch.

"Traveling between worlds... another world... war..." he murmured. Each word weighed a thousand pounds.

Suddenly, he looked up sharply, a fierce gleam flashing in his eyes. "Old Li, you did exactly right! The classification level of this matter must immediately be raised to the highest level! It has already exceeded the authority of our city bureau, and even the provincial department!"

He immediately picked up the red secure phone on the desk and dialed a short number.

"Hello, this is Wang Jianguo. Code 'Dragon City,' incident level 'Class A-Prime.' Request immediate activation of the 'Deep Blue' protocol and dispatch of a takeover team with the highest authority... Yes, right here in my office. The evidence and preliminary report are already in my possession... Yes, understood! We will remain in place and ensure an absolute information lockdown!"

After hanging up, Bureau Chief Wang Jianguo looked at Old Li with a complicated expression—shock and gravity, but more than anything, a sense of mission born from shouldering historical responsibility.

"Old Li, you and your team can forget about sleeping tonight. Stay here and wait for the people from above." He pointed at the sofa.

"From this moment onward, we will personally hand this matter over. Until then, our task is to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Old Li nodded heavily. A rescue spanning time and space, along with strategic intervention at the national level—this was a historic event.