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In the Land of Earth, nestled within a cave surrounded by towering mountains, Shigenari Shuuzawa sat just outside the entrance, bathed in moonlight.
A sense of unease lingered in his heart. "So Danzo finally made a move, huh?" he muttered.
Since entering the Land of Earth, Shuuzawa has received intel from Kabuto Yakushi, and that message made it clear—something deadly was looming close.
Shuuzawa still felt deeply grateful toward Nonō Yakushi.
After all, when he first arrived in this world, her protection allowed him to survive and grow.
Saving her was something he truly wanted to do. Besides, rescuing her could also earn him the unwavering loyalty of a top-tier talent.
"Still, this matter needs to move faster," Shuuzawa murmured.
He had been carefully considering how to proceed with this mission.
[New Mission Acquired]
[Investigate the Connection Between Akatsuki and Orochimaru].
Looking at the task, Shuuzawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He had already begun to form a plan that involved using both Akatsuki and Orochimaru to create a valid excuse for his actions.
If he stirred up enough trouble, he could gain more freedom.
But how much chaos to cause, what level of involvement to reach, and how much he could gain from it—all these details still needed to be refined.
The more he thought about it, the more he realised that this plan might inevitably involve Ōnoki.
Truth be told, Shuuzawa didn't want to provoke the Tsuchikage again.
But considering the current situation, it seemed like the most rewarding route.
That said, they still had a problem—how to find a solid reason to enter Iwagakure.
Shuuzawa knew Orochimaru's whereabouts, but he couldn't just reveal them. The Land of Earth was vast, and searching blindly would be useless.
"Looks like I'll need to convince Jiraiya," he muttered, eyes narrowing as an idea began to take shape.
"Hey, kid. Not sleeping at this hour?" Jiraiya's voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Even if you're on watch, just use a shadow clone. There's no combat expected right now. Rest is important—speaking from experience."
"You're one to talk, Jiraiya-sama. You're not resting either," Shuuzawa replied with a more relaxed tone, no longer calling him "captain."
"Besides, let's be honest—you're the oldest among us. You should be the one getting more rest, right?"
"Tch. You really know how to talk back, don't you?" Jiraiya snorted, shaking his head as he sat down beside him.
"Fine, say whatever you want. You're Tsunade's student, after all. But Shuuzawa, there's one last thing I want to ask you."
"About the intel?" Shuuzawa seemed to guess what he was getting at. He rubbed his chin and paused before replying seriously.
"The intel is solid, Jiraiya-sama. You saw the Akatsuki information before we left. They're all gathering in Iwagakure."
"Frankly, I don't recall any powerful rogue nin from Iwa. None would dare stay in the Land of Earth even if there were. So logically, there's only one person they could be after."
"Orochimaru," Jiraiya sighed. He wasn't happy with the answer, but ignoring it made too much sense.
Ōnoki wasn't like his own master—when it came to rogue ninja, he was either overly lenient, like when the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki left the village with no consequences, or he erased them, leaving not even a trace.
"Looks like this is going to be one of those messy situations again," Jiraiya muttered, exhaling heavily.
"Why would Orochimaru head to Iwagakure of all places? Ōnoki's not exactly the friendly type."
"Figuring out his exact location isn't going to be easy either. That old man dumped a troublesome mission on me."
With the vast Land of Earth, scouring it would be a nightmare. Even the intel from Shuuzawa, while valuable, lacked precise details.
It wasn't that the intel was bad—on the contrary, it was impressive that they even had this much.
But dealing with Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and Iwagakure all at once was the real headache.
"It's quite simple," Shuuzawa said, glancing at Jiraiya. After a moment of thought, he suddenly smiled.
"Orochimaru's appearance here makes sense if we consider the recent tensions between Ōnoki and Konoha."
Because you kidnapped his son, forcing him to the negotiating table, Jiraiya mentally grumbled but stayed silent, curious about where Shuuzawa's logic was going.
"With that conflict, it'd be reasonable for Orochimaru to hide out here, avoiding capture by Konoha," Shuuzawa shrugged, gazing off toward Iwagakure.
"Maybe Ōnoki is even using Orochimaru as a tool—hiring him and offering protection just because he's a rogue."
"That—" Jiraiya was taken aback. It was a new angle he hadn't considered. But the more he thought about it, the more plausible it sounded.
Ōnoki was notorious for hiring shady groups to eliminate his enemies. And he certainly wasn't on good terms with Konoha these days.
Using Orochimaru to cause trouble for them? That was right up his alley.
"Of course, it's all just a theory," Shuuzawa added, feigning contemplation. "But the fact that Akatsuki is making a move does lend some credibility to it."
He paused and gave Jiraiya a pointed look, guiding the conversation intentionally.
"Iwagakure often hires Akatsuki. Maybe they have informants inside the village, which would explain how they learned about Orochimaru's presence."
"So, to dig deeper into this... we may have to—"
"Infiltrate Iwagakure?" Jiraiya didn't wait for him to finish. He said precisely what Shuuzawa had hoped for.
"Infiltrate Iwa?" Shuuzawa echoed with feigned surprise. Then, admiring, he added, "That's brilliant!"
"I was just thinking of capturing a few Iwa shinobi for interrogation. But your plan, Jiraiya-sama, is much more direct!"
"..." Jiraiya opened his mouth, but no words came out. Wasn't this entire idea Shuuzawa's from the beginning?
"Well, even if it's extreme, there's truth in the saying: 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained,'" Shuuzawa nodded enthusiastically, looking every bit the respectful student.
"As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin! I think I know exactly what we need to do next. We—"
"Hold it," Jiraiya interrupted, clearly flustered. He realised Shuuzawa had led him entirely into this.
Was this even his idea to begin with? But he couldn't develop a better alternative as he thought it through.
"What is it, Jiraiya-sama?" Shuuzawa asked, tilting his head in mock curiosity.
"I truly think your plan is the best. Once we're inside, we can comb through Iwagakure's records, or search secluded areas for clues."
"It's far better than wandering blindly through the entire country. Worst case, we could even capture Ōnoki himself—he knows the most, and I'm familiar with that job."
"All right, all right! Enough!" Jiraiya waved his hands, unable to take it anymore.
Kidnapping a Kage is something you're "familiar" with? How is that something to be proud of?
Yet, as he pressed his lips together, he had to admit—capturing a Kage was impressive, and Shuuzawa was surprisingly capable at that sort of task.
Still, Jiraiya didn't want to cause too much friction with Iwagakure. Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh.
"No need for such aggression. Don't be so extreme in your actions. Fine... infiltrating Iwagakure is a solid plan. But let me go in first and scout things out. You all stay here for now. When the time comes, I'll—"
"Of course, Jiraiya-taichō, we'll follow your lead," Shuuzawa nodded right away.
But his address had shifted—no longer "Jiraiya-sama," but "Captain Jiraiya." At the same time, he handed over a kunai.
"Please take this, Captain. Whether you slip in unnoticed or run into trouble, just infuse it with chakra. I'll be waiting for your signal."
"Mm."
Jiraiya took the kunai, though he couldn't shake the strange feeling creeping over him. Something just didn't sit right. It felt like… he was being set up.
....
"Everyone's here, huh."
Sasori glanced over the group between another stone forest outside Iwagakure and shook his head.
"What a hassle. Can't believe this mission brought us all the way here. So, what's the plan now?"
"You're right. The Land of Earth isn't small—finding Orochimaru here won't be easy."
Jūzō Biwa nodded slightly. Though he didn't feel intensely loyal to the Akatsuki, this was his first mission under the new employer.
Making a good impression mattered to him. "This mission is under your command, Kakuzu."
Konan's figure emerged beside them, her gaze steady on Kakuzu as she spoke softly.
Honestly, she felt like Nagato was going a bit overboard this time. Orochimaru was formidable, but mobilising so many members seemed excessive.
Still, she trusted Nagato. After all, he was her last true friend in this world. Since Yahiko's death, both she and Nagato had been in unimaginable pain.
Especially Nagato—losing Yahiko at his hands was a trauma few could endure.
Konan understood Nagato, and that's why she chose to support him. Even if she thought some of his decisions strayed from Yahiko's ideals, her bond with him remained unshakable.
She hadn't refused when Nagato asked her to come along, but some of her suspected he might be planning something, especially while she was away.
Still, she pushed the thoughts aside. The important thing was to finish the mission quickly.
"So, what's the plan? I don't want to waste too much time on this."
"This mission's more complicated than usual," Kakuzu said grimly. He'd cursed Shuuzawa more times than he could count by now.
Sure, the money was great—he didn't have to lift a finger and got paid monthly, no restrictions on his movements, and all he had to do was relay intel at key moments.
It was a dream deal. But now? It felt like the money was cursed. Still, there was no backing out now.
A job's a job, and he couldn't afford to tarnish his reputation as a bounty ninja. All he could hope for was that Shuuzawa's intel wasn't bogus.
"According to reliable sources, Orochimaru's been sighted within Iwagakure."
"Orochimaru's inside the village?" Sasori frowned. That wasn't exactly good news.
"This complicates things," Jūzō added, raising an eyebrow. "Iwagakure isn't exactly the easiest place to infiltrate."
"Did Ōnoki hire Orochimaru?" Konan's voice turned cold as she frowned.
"I suppose that would fit his style. Looks like this mission really is going to be a mess."
Still, regardless of how difficult it became, they were already here. There was no turning back now.
"What a shame that self-proclaimed Madara isn't involved. He could've made this easier."
Konan muttered to herself, then said aloud, "In any case, let's head in. I hope your intel holds up, Kakuzu."
Even if it was a tough infiltration, it wasn't impossible for shinobi of their calibre.
"Of course." Kakuzu gave a strained nod, inwardly cursing Shuuzawa all over again. Seriously, don't screw me this time...
"What? Jiraiya-sama went into Iwagakure alone?"
The next morning, when Shuuzawa told Shisui and the others what had happened, Yuugao and Tenzo were visibly stunned.
But Shisui and Kakashi exchanged uncertain looks—this situation felt… familiar.
Illegally infiltrating Iwagakure to gather intel? That did sound like something Shuuzawa would orchestrate.
They had every reason to suspect he'd nudged Jiraiya into doing it.
Shuuzawa always found ways to guide people into decisions, crafting "perfectly logical" paths until they did exactly what he wanted, even if it meant breaking the rules.
Both Shisui and Kakashi had been victims of such tactics. Sure, the outcomes usually weren't bad, but the journey was never pleasant.
"That's the gist of it." Shuuzawa shrugged with a helpless smile. "I tried to stop him, but Jiraiya-sama had made up his mind. I couldn't change it."
Don't pretend you had nothing to do with it, Shisui and Kakashi silently grumbled. Of course, they couldn't say that aloud.
Tenzo, still processing everything, asked, "So what do we do now? Do we follow him in, or...?"
"I say we follow," Shuuzawa replied, giving Tenzo an approving nod.
"Jiraiya-sama went in alone. If things go south, he could face Orochimaru, Iwagakure, or even the Akatsuki by himself."
"We can't let our commander face that alone. That's why we need to work as a team and see this through—retrieve the intel and return home together!"
Why didn't you just give Jiraiya a Flying Raijin kunai and knock him out to drag him back? Kakashi thought to himself, sighing internally.
Still, Shuuzawa had a point—since they all came together, it was only right they left together.
"Any plans?" Shisui asked directly. Unlike Kakashi, he didn't bother with inner complaints.
This was his last mission anyway—he'd go along with Shuuzawa's madness one more time.
He knew Shuuzawa well enough to recognise when the guy was plotting something outrageous—but so what?
"The plan's simple. Here, take these." Shuuzawa grinned and pulled several kunai from his waist pouch, handing them out to the group.
"We'll split up once we're inside. Our goal is to support Jiraiya-sama's operation."
"Support?" Yuugao frowned, beginning to grasp his meaning. "You're talking about causing chaos in Iwagakure?"
"Now hold on, let's not call it 'causing chaos,'" Shuuzawa quickly replied, shaking his head.
"We don't have the manpower to do real damage. All we need is a distraction."
"Our mission is to gather intel on Orochimaru—not start a war. As long as we draw attention away from Jiraiya-sama and buy him time, we're doing our job."
Shuuzawa understood the objective clearly. This wasn't about a full-scale battle—no need to get everyone in hot water.
Of course, what happened after wasn't his concern yet.
Even if things escalated, his priority was getting everyone out alive. The rest? He'd deal with it later.
"Well, looks like this is going to be another troublesome mission," Kakashi sighed.
Shisui nodded. Yuugao and Tenzo, however, showed no particular emotion. A mission was a mission—they were used to it.
Seeing the four of them ready, Shuuzawa couldn't help but smile. "This one's going to go well—I can feel it!"
Meanwhile, in Iwagakure under a moonless sky, a cold wind blew through the cliffs.
In the shadows of a mountainside, Nonō Yakushi silently watched the scene below. "So, it's about to begin…"
A few days ago, she'd received a mission from Danzō—to eliminate a suspected Konoha traitor.
Truthfully, this wasn't the kind of task she excelled at.
As an intelligence agent, she'd handled information gathering—but her true speciality was medical ninjutsu, not assassination.
Even so, Danzō had taken advantage of her role as a medic to help her infiltrate and acquire information across different factions.
Now, this would be her last mission. If she succeeded, she could finally return to Konoha.
That was an offer she couldn't refuse. No matter what, she had to give it her all- she couldn't afford to leave any regrets.
"If I can just make it back... I'll see Kabuto again. And Shuuzawa too."
A heavy guilt lingered in her heart. Those two had entered Root in her place, and she owed them far more than she could ever repay.
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