Meanwhile.
Lin Ze and Kisame had already left the Land of Rain and entered the Land of Earth.
The two stopped to rest on a stretch of wasteland.
Kisame opened the mission scroll and examined it carefully:
"First target: Iwagakure missing-nin Retsudo, formerly an Iwagakure jōnin. Skilled in Earth Release: Hardening Technique and explosive ninjutsu. Defected after killing three jōnin from his own village. Bounty: thirty-five million ryō."
A flicker passed through Lin Ze's eyes, but he said nothing.
Kisame continued:
"Second target: wandering ninja Kagegari. No fixed ninja village affiliation. Skilled in assassination and poison techniques. Successfully assassinated the daimyo of a small country. Bounty: forty million ryō."
"Third target..."
Kisame paused, his tone turning somewhat playful:
"Former Kumogakure jōnin Yotsuki Rō, a member of a branch family of the Yotsuki Clan. Defected after the Third Raikage's death, taking some of Kumogakure's secret technique scrolls with him. Bounty: fifty million ryō."
Lin Ze took the scroll and looked it over.
All three targets were tough opponents, especially Yotsuki Rō. As a member of the Yotsuki Clan, which specialized in producing Raikage for Kumogakure, he was probably the Kage-level opponent Nagato had mentioned.
The "test" Nagato had given them this time was no small matter.
"Let's start with Retsudo."
Lin Ze put away the scroll and looked into the distance:
"According to the intelligence, he's been active around the mines in the western Land of Earth lately."
Kisame grinned and hoisted his greatsword onto his shoulder:
"Let's go. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can head back."
"The weather in this damned place is even more unpleasant than the Land of Rain's."
Their figures flashed, and they vanished beyond the wasteland.
Deep inside an abandoned mine in the western Land of Earth.
A dark figure darted swiftly between