Naruto: I Roamed the Ninja World as a Woman

Several days later.

Beside the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.

After a long and arduous journey, the weary Black Swan team finally arrived at the first stop of their mission.

When it comes to killing people, Ayane Amamiya is quite skilled.

But when it comes to intelligence gathering, which sounds like a very brain-intensive task...

She was a complete novice in this area.

Therefore, she humbly sought advice from the woodpecker along the way, perfectly demonstrating the value of the saying "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."

"Although we need to infiltrate the Land of Earth to meet with spies."

"But we can't just wander around inside like headless flies!"

The woodpecker earnestly advised, "Gathering intelligence on the Land of Earth and the nearest border is actually very necessary! You never know where you might need it in the future!"

Ayane Amamiya nodded repeatedly.

Being more cautious is good!

My whole life has been about walking on thin ice, never daring to be careless!

"The most accurate way to gather intelligence is to investigate step by step, but that's too slow."

The woodpecker advised the two newbies in the intelligence field, "Therefore, the simplest way is..."

Ayane Amamiya and the hawk stared at him expectantly.

"Buy it on the black market!"

Ayane Amamiya and Risa Takenaka were utterly astonished: "......."

I had assumed that the woodpecker's seriousness would lead to some profound insights, but I was surprised to find such a simple and unpretentious answer!

"I know you'll find this absurd."

"But this is indeed the most efficient method."

Woodpecker said seriously, "Never look down on the black market. Why do you think it has been able to endure for so long? Why has it survived from the Warring States period all the way to the Ninja Village era? Actually, there are many forces involved behind the black market. Everyone both hates it and needs it."

"For example, if there is some information that is not easy to release in a positive light, the ninja village will spread it on the black market. Or they will deliberately spread false information to mislead the enemy."

"Even political figures and daimyo from various countries issue special missions within it!"

He chuckled and recounted some amusing anecdotes from his early days: "When I first started out, the seniors told me that the black market even had a bounty placed on the First Hokage! Everyone said that the Fire Country Daimyo was probably unhappy that he had established a ninja village and taken away some of his power, so he secretly placed the bounty on the black market..."

Eagle chimed in, "The First Hokage? Is that the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju? How much would a bounty be on such a great figure?"

Hashirama Senju has only been dead for less than thirty years.

We're still far from the Shippuden era in the main storyline of the manga, but the First Hokage's reputation is already legendary throughout the ninja world; everyone knows him.

Ayane Amamiya also looked over curiously.

The mighty Hashirama Senju...

Even if we don't say he's like the Four Emperors next door, he should at least be worth dozens of Asumas, right?

"I think it was either eight hundred million taels or one billion taels. The person who posted it even made a special note that it didn't matter whether the person lived or died."

"Doesn't he even consider whether this is even possible?"

The woodpecker shrugged: "I heard it was hanging there for years before some greenhorn took on the task, but nothing ever came of it..."

After hearing this, Ayane Amamiya felt extremely uncomfortable.

Could that hothead who accepted the mission be some high-ranking member of Takigakure?

After all, there's no reason for a tiny ninja village, no bigger than a fingernail, to suddenly send ninjas to assassinate Hashirama Senju...

But all in all.

She finally understood the black market's place in the ninja world.

Simply put, the ninja village and the black market are a complex twin entity, with both cooperation and conflict.

No one can live without the other!

"Among the five great nations, Iwagakure is widely recognized as the ninja village that most enjoys dealing with the black market."

"In this way, no matter how well they keep their intelligence secret, there will inevitably be some leaks."

Ayane Amamiya quickly added, "It's like the saying, 'When you gaze into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you!'"

This statement is not unfounded.

More than a decade ago, when Onoki had just become the Tsuchikage, he had a habit of using the black market to issue missions and hire ninjas.

This habit persisted even more than a decade later when the Akatsuki organization was established, without changing...

The old woodpecker nodded approvingly, acknowledging her ability to apply what she had learned to other situations.

This agreement has been reached.

The group immediately set off for a nearby underground gold exchange.

--------

This underground gold exchange is hidden beneath a casino.

The three used a transformation spell to disguise themselves as a master with two servants, and swaggered into the casino.

Following the woodpecker's instructions, Ayane Amamiya casually paid an entrance fee of 100 ryo, spoke the secret code to the guard, and then passed through the casino to the underground gold exchange.

She had assumed that the underground gold exchange would be like the adventurers' guild in her previous fantasy world.

However, once inside, they were greatly disappointed.

The environment was narrow, dark, and cramped, with small private rooms divided up into sections. Through the curtains, one could see shadowy figures talking behind them.

It looks like an illegal internet cafe!

They randomly found an empty private room, where a man in black was sitting.

"Does the guest want to issue a mission or gather intelligence?" the man in black asked in a hoarse voice.

Ayane Amamiya sat down casually and declared boldly, "Gather intelligence!"

She didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "I want to know the recent movements of the high-ranking combatants of Iwagakure. Do you have any relevant information?"

Upon hearing that Iwagakure was involved, the man in black became more serious.

"We do have intelligence, but its authenticity is unknown, and we need to discern it ourselves."

He held up three fingers: "Thirty thousand taels!"

Amamiya Ayane didn't feel bad about selling her grandfather's land; after all, the 30,000 taels was still within the limit, and she could get reimbursed when she got back.

She didn't say anything, she just waved her hand.

The eagle behind him, true to its nature, played the role of a lackey, immediately handing over 30,000 taels of banknotes from its wallet.

The man in black kept his word and handed over a scroll of intelligence.

Ayane Amamiya didn't rush to open it to check. After a moment's thought, she asked, "I heard that Iwagakure has recently stationed troops on the border. What's the price of food there now?"

The man in black visibly paused for a moment.

Is this question really that broad?

How did this get involved in people's livelihood issues?

He got up and went out for a moment, seemingly to check relevant records. When he returned, he replied, "Although grain prices have risen, they are still within a controllable range and remain generally stable."

Ayane Amamiya nodded in understanding.

Thank you.

She got up from the private room, threw another banknote out, and then turned and left.

The man in black chased after him, saying, "Guest, please leave your name."

Ayane Amamiya didn't pay much attention.

Anyway, everyone who comes to the black market wears a mask, so it's almost impossible for them to leave their real names.

She made up a name off the top of her head: "Uesugi Shin".

The man in black nodded, and after watching the group leave, he picked up a pen and wrote on a piece of paper: "A ninja who calls himself Uesugi Shin, is suspected to be from Konoha, investigating the internal movements of Iwagakure."

After finishing writing, he patted the hidden compartment on the table and passed the information away.

--------

Outside the gold exchange.

The eagle, its face gleaming in the moonlight, muttered, "Could you change your appearance next time? Why do I feel so weak after transforming?"

Ayane Amamiya tapped her on the shoulder and said irritably, "What do you know? This is a big shot!"

She opened the intelligence report she had just bought, and after reading its contents, her expression suddenly changed.

He then gave a deep order: "We'll rest here tonight, and infiltrate the Land of Earth tomorrow!"

"Yes!" ×2!