Chapter Seventy-Three: Vines

As Kato Mikakaze ventured deeper into the Land of Rain, the forests around him grew ever denser, with low grasslands and tall trees becoming increasingly scarce, and the air thick with the scent of damp decay. Small streams and creeks multiplied, the humidity in the air rising accordingly, while the clouds overhead gathered into ever-thickening, somber masses. As Kato Mikakaze hurried toward Amegakure, dusk was fast approaching. For a moment, he feared it would rain, and that he would be drenched by a sudden downpour.

Unexpectedly, when Kato Mikakaze finally reached his first destination, the sky remained overcast but withheld its rain. The ground was moist, clearly showing that a light rainfall had passed earlier that afternoon. Thus, he was spared the misfortune of being soaked.

“No doubt, the Princess Tsunade’s kiss is truly magical… I hope it brings me continued luck tonight. Whether I return early to the Northwestern Bastion camp depends on you—my dear, bless me!” Kato Mikakaze reached out with his right hand, gently touching his brow.

…

He concentrated, channeling chakra from within, and performed the Soul Cultivation Technique—his spiritual double emerging, leaving his physical body behind.

This time, his body and spirit double split to act separately. Unlike before, he did not hide his real body and send only the spirit double, for the two task locations near Amegakure were not in the same place.

If Kato Mikakaze wished to return to the Western Bastion camp early to reminisce with his old classmate, Sakumo Hatake, time was of the essence.

The body’s target was the wealthy merchant who had defected from the Land of Fire. A civilian, not a shinobi, with only a squad of Amegakure chunin hired as bodyguards.

More importantly, Kato Mikakaze had confidence in his own strength. As long as he did not encounter Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, he believed he could withdraw safely from any other adversary, even if overmatched.

Meanwhile, the spirit double began to scout the surrounding area, investigating the assignment concerning a mysterious, possibly new and massive summoning beast.

Kato Mikakaze’s real body made for the second destination: the hideout of the defected merchant from the Land of Fire.

Both his real body and his spirit double suppressed their soul fluctuations to the utmost, concealing their presence with great skill.

The spirit double, in particular, concealed itself so thoroughly that neither beasts nor men could easily detect its existence.

If, by ill fortune, the unknown summoning beast proved to be the monster Kato Mikakaze suspected, he would not press further. Should danger arise, the spirit double would withdraw; if captured, it could self-destruct, allowing the true body to escape at speed, ensuring his safety.

Losing a soul clone was a cost Kato Mikakaze could bear.

The spirit double, assigned to a far larger search area, had not yet found any decisive clues and continued its careful investigation.

The real body, however, was progressing smoothly.

…

Some distance from his spirit double, Kato Mikakaze’s real body had successfully infiltrated the mansion where the merchant was hiding.

This place was close to the heart of Amegakure—just a street away lay the village’s commercial district. With the rare spell of clear weather, faint calls of street vendors drifted to his ears.

All along the street, pipes of various materials clung to the walls, dripping rainwater with a steady “drip-drop” rhythm.

Passing through the commercial street, Kato Mikakaze had even stopped at a small shop and purchased a bottle of perfume for Tsunade.

According to the shopkeeper, the perfume was distilled from a vine flower that grew beside giant salamanders—an exceedingly rare specialty of the Land of Rain. The flower itself was not poisonous; its fragrance was exceptionally pure.

Among the locals, it was said to neutralize the salamander’s toxin and was regarded as a symbol of good fortune and blessing.

The merchant certainly knew how to live—in exile, he still managed to hide in a spacious mansion built in the distinctive four-sided tower style unique to the Land of Rain.

One could only wonder how much of the common people’s wealth he had extorted back in the Land of Fire, to afford such luxury even on the run.

Kato Mikakaze had already surveyed the area: the merchant and his family stayed in the innermost rooms, while a retinue of servants filled the outer quarters.

The merchant’s team of Amegakure chunin guarded him—two were on watch, one in plain sight and one concealed, and a third resting in a nearby room.

Carefully evading several traps, Kato Mikakaze climbed along the interconnected network of street-side pipes and slipped into the merchant’s room.

It was not yet late; the targets had not gone to bed and were engaged in post-dinner adult amusements—man and woman in passionate combat.

Hidden in the darkness, Kato Mikakaze waited patiently, confident in his concealment and biding his time until his spirit double made progress.

…

Meanwhile, the spirit double had already searched most of the assigned area and come across some intriguing evidence.

Recently, Kato Mikakaze had been occupied in the Leaf’s Spring Base—not only with his own training and his romance with Tsunade, but also devoting himself to treating the endless stream of “patients.”

These patients came from all walks of life, yet all suffered from a peculiar ailment linked to Wood Release.

Though Kato Mikakaze’s primary role was to heal them spiritually, he also had to study the properties of Wood Release—not to master it, but to better understand its characteristics and thus improve his treatments.

The Spring Base’s archives were crammed not only with experimental records but also with data on the manifestations and traits of Wood Release jutsu.

Now, in a certain corner of the forest, the spirit double found a vine-like growth resembling those left behind after “patients” at the Spring Base suffered an outburst.

Vine-like plants in a dense forest were not unusual. However, Kato Mikakaze had seen similar growths at the Spring Base—a secret Konoha facility for researching the transplantation of cells from the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the cultivation of new Wood Release shinobi.

But this was the Land of Rain, and the year was Konoha Thirty-five. Rumors abounded of a massive summoning beast prowling the area; villagers had reported hearing terrifying, piercing roars.

With so many coincidences, Kato Mikakaze’s spirit double was convinced upon seeing the vines that this must be a hideout of some significant figure.

With the trail found, it was easy to follow. The spirit double soon located a concealed cave entrance, hidden behind a giant boulder on a hillside.

Around the entrance grew the same kind of vines, but these were alive, not dead.

Sensing carefully, the spirit double detected a faint chakra pulse from the vines—it was surely a surveillance jutsu.

The cave mouth was narrow, barely large enough for an adult to crawl through, and steep as a well shaft—obviously not meant for people or large creatures to enter or exit, but more likely serving as a ventilation shaft.

Kato Mikakaze’s real body and spirit double communicated in real time. Now, he was ninety-five percent certain this was the hiding place of a major player.

The question was, what next? Should the spirit double risk entering the cave to investigate further?

After some deliberation, the two decided to take the risk. However, the real body instructed the spirit double to keep hidden and wait—he would first deal with the merchant.

If the spirit double was to take the risk, preparations had to be thorough.

…

Inside the fugitive merchant’s mansion, in the bedroom, Kato Mikakaze’s real body had unwillingly eavesdropped for a while.

Given how elaborate the foreplay was, he had expected the main act to be impressive—but the merchant surrendered after just a few thrusts, a poor show considering the woman’s enthusiastic performance.

To compensate his ears for this aural assault, Kato Mikakaze decided to send the merchant off to meet the Sage of Six Paths.

Hidden in the shadows, he summoned chakra and cast Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

But there was no gale as with a typical Wind Release; instead, a faint breeze stirred, weaker than the wind from an ordinary person’s movement.

But within that subtle current, Kato Mikakaze had laced a potent toxin.

Soon, the two bodies that had been panting moments before fell into deep, peaceful breathing.

The poison was non-lethal. Ordinary shinobi exposed to it would lose consciousness for a long time without the antidote; for a civilian like the merchant, it was even more effective.

Kato Mikakaze waited a bit longer, monitoring the two Amegakure chunin guards outside—one in plain sight, one hidden.

Nothing unusual. No sign of alarm.

Wasting no time, he left the woman alone, drew a short ninja blade from his pouch, and severed the merchant’s head, sealing it inside a scroll.

He then tended to the wound at the merchant’s neck, ensuring the scent of blood would not quickly spread and alert the guards outside.

After a final check to ensure nothing was left to betray his presence, Kato Mikakaze retraced his route, avoiding the traps, and slipped away from the mansion.

Once clear, he oriented himself and cast Wind Release: Feather Light Technique on himself.

A gentle breeze swept the street, and Kato Mikakaze’s figure vanished from sight.

Above, the night sky was blanketed in thick, black clouds, the moonlight now completely obscured.

The rainwater continued to drip from pipes along the walls, their “drip-drop” rhythm undisturbed.

It seemed another rain was imminent.

“Damn this weather—it just cleared up, and now it’s raining again,” came the distant grumble of a local.

…

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