"Lady Tsunade, we've just received urgent intelligence from the Anbu!"
Shizune's anxious voice echoed through the room.
Tsunade let out a tired sigh. "I know."
She waved her hand toward Naruto and Hinata before quickly turning and heading back toward the Hokage's Office.
By the time she arrived, Jiraiya had already returned. Kakashi and several Anbu members were waiting inside.
Jiraiya's expression was unusually serious.
"Hm?"
Kakashi looked over at him. "What happened?"
Jiraiya crossed his arms and spoke in a deep voice.
"It seems the Akatsuki Organization is moving faster than I expected."
The atmosphere inside the office instantly became heavy.
"The Anbu just reported that the Akatsuki has begun mobilizing."
Tsunade frowned.
"So soon?"
She looked toward Jiraiya again.
"You once said the Akatsuki's main objective was capturing the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki. Has there been any movement yet? Has another Jinchuriki disappeared?"
Jiraiya shook his head.
"No. Not yet."
He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"If I were in the Akatsuki's position, I wouldn't alert the enemy too early. Once they move, they'll strike quickly and decisively, capturing multiple targets in one sweep. That would be the safest strategy."
Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"Jiraiya is right."
"The Akatsuki still operates from the shadows. Even if they intend to capture a Tailed Beast, they wouldn't act too openly. Otherwise, they'd attract the attention of all Five Great Nations at once."
He paused before continuing.
"No matter how strong their members are, they can't afford a prolonged war against the entire ninja world."
Tsunade's eyes sharpened.
"Then where would they begin?"
Kakashi answered immediately.
"Takigakure."
"The Village Hidden in the Waterfall…"
Jiraiya closed his eyes and nodded slowly.
"There have already been a few unusual disturbances in the Land of Waterfalls."
"Takigakure is hidden deep behind an enormous waterfall in extremely dangerous terrain. Reaching it isn't easy unless…"
He opened his eyes again.
"Unless someone within the Akatsuki is already familiar with its geography."
Tsunade folded her arms.
"That possibility can't be ignored."
She sighed heavily.
"In the end, we still know far too little about this organization."
Jiraiya suddenly smiled.
"That's why I'm planning to gather more information myself."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Akatsuki intelligence? Where exactly do you intend to find that?"
Jiraiya laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Isn't it obvious?"
"From the man who used to be part of the Akatsuki before betraying them."
The room immediately fell silent.
"Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked.
"That's right."
Jiraiya's smile disappeared.
"Konoha has recently uncovered several of Orochimaru's hidden bases. He's probably hiding in one of them right now."
An Anbu member stepped forward.
"But where did this information come from?"
Kakashi answered calmly.
"We should actually thank Naruto for this."
Tsunade instantly understood.
"Yakushi Kabuto…"
Kakashi nodded.
"Kabuto originally grew up in Konoha's orphanage. The former director, Yakushi Nonou, was like a mother to him."
"But due to a series of unfortunate events, he eventually followed Orochimaru."
"After Naruto brought him back recently, Urushi—one of Kabuto's old friends from the orphanage—managed to contact him."
"Little by little, Kabuto began leaking information about Orochimaru."
Another Anbu ninja frowned beneath his mask.
"Can someone like Kabuto really be trusted?"
Kakashi answered honestly.
"Not completely."
"Orochimaru is extremely cautious. He's probably already suspicious of Kabuto."
"If we don't move quickly, we may lose this opportunity forever."
Tsunade looked toward the masked Anbu standing nearby.
This man was Tenzo.
Formerly a member of Root under Danzo Shimura, he had once carried the codename "Kinoe." Later, he was transferred into the regular Anbu under Kakashi and the Third Hokage's supervision.
More importantly, he possessed the legendary Wood Release.
The same secret technique once used by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
His abilities were powerful, versatile, and invaluable to Konoha.
Tsunade looked back at Jiraiya.
"So your plan is to use Kabuto's intelligence to capture Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya nodded.
"Exactly."
"But it won't be easy."
Tsunade's expression darkened.
"If Orochimaru is hiding within one of his own territories, then with Edo Tensei and all those forbidden techniques…"
"Even for you, going alone would be extremely dangerous."
Jiraiya grinned confidently.
"Don't worry. I'm not arrogant enough to underestimate Orochimaru."
"That's why I want Kakashi and Tenzo to accompany me."
Tsunade hesitated slightly.
"That would certainly be safer…"
"But if all three of you leave at once, Konoha's manpower will become even thinner."
Jiraiya sighed.
"I know."
"But capturing Orochimaru serves several purposes."
"First, it's revenge for Konoha's destruction."
"Second, he's still a rogue ninja from our village. Eliminating him is Konoha's responsibility."
"And third…"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed sharply.
"He possesses information about the Akatsuki that may exist nowhere else."
"The situation is urgent. If we delay too long, that snake will disappear again."
He continued grimly,
"After defecting from the Akatsuki, Orochimaru became one of their targets as well. They want him dead."
"That's why he's hiding so carefully."
"This might be our only chance."
Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment before finally nodding.
"…Understood."
Then she suddenly remembered something.
"What about Sasuke?"
Jiraiya laughed lightly.
"He'll be fine."
"For the past few months, I've been teaching him the Heavenly Canopy Formation and helping him master the power of the Curse Mark."
"I've also taught him several Fire Release techniques and some of my secret ninjutsu."
"Although he hasn't fully mastered them yet, the rest is simply a matter of time and practice."
Jiraiya's smile widened slightly.
"Sasuke really is a genius."
"In some areas, he can't compare to Naruto…"
"But when it comes to learning ninjutsu, his efficiency might actually surpass Naruto's."
Then he suddenly looked toward Tsunade.
"Speaking of Naruto, how's his progress?"
A faint smile appeared on Tsunade's lips.
"When Naruto returns…"
"He's going to shock all of you."
Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged amused glances.
"Then we're looking forward to it."
Jiraiya chuckled.
"Still, the Wind Release Chakra Mode he's trying to develop isn't something that can be completed in just a few months."
"Even if it's Naruto, succeeding that quickly should be impossible."
Kakashi smiled knowingly.
"That may be true…"
"But Naruto has always been the kind of person who creates miracles."
"He constantly surprises everyone around him."
Jiraiya burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Exactly!"
"And if he succeeds, then as his teacher, no one would be happier than me."
Still laughing loudly, he waved at Tsunade and left the office.
Kakashi and Tenzo bowed slightly before following after him.
Once they were gone, Shizune hugged Tonton tightly and looked uneasy.
"They're heading straight into Orochimaru's territory…"
"Nothing bad will happen… right?"
Tsunade fell silent.
Ever since losing so many people in the past, she had developed a deep fear regarding life and death.
She no longer dared to make careless predictions.
She was afraid that once spoken aloud, her words might become reality.
Shizune noticed the shadow in Tsunade's eyes and wisely chose not to press further.
Instead, she changed the subject.
"Lady Tsunade, with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Tenzo leaving the village, many missions will need to be reassigned."
"Konoha is seriously short on manpower right now."
Tsunade glanced at the enormous pile of mission requests on her desk.
Then she made a decision.
"Let the younger generation take on more responsibilities."
Shizune blinked.
"You mean…?"
"Yes."
"Even Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata will need to begin accepting missions again."
"We can't allow them to spend all their time training. The village simply doesn't have that luxury anymore."
Shizune hesitated.
"But Lady Tsunade…"
"No matter how strong they are…"
"They're still only thirteen years old."
Tsunade's heart trembled slightly.
Thirteen years old…
She sometimes forgot that fact herself.
Naruto had already become so capable that it was easy to mistake him for a fully matured ninja.
But when she thought carefully about it, everything had happened within barely more than a year.
The Land of Waves mission.
The Chunin Exams.
The invasion of Konoha.
The battle between the Sannin.
The Sasuke Retrieval Mission.
So many life-and-death battles had occurred in such a short time that it felt like several years had passed already.
And suddenly, another image appeared in her mind.
A boy with bright blonde hair.
A dream of becoming Hokage.
A cheerful smile that never disappeared.
Nawaki.
Tsunade clenched her fists briefly before forcing herself to stop thinking about the past.
"Then start them off with simpler missions."
She looked toward Shizune firmly.
"To be honest, Naruto already possesses strength comparable to a Jonin."
"And Sasuke and Hinata have improved tremendously as well."
"The overall strength of Team 7 now rivals some of Konoha's veteran squads."
She continued calmly,
"Besides, training alone is never enough."
"If they want to truly grow stronger, they must temper themselves through real missions and life-and-death battles."
"The reason Team 7 surpassed the others so quickly is because they've already experienced countless dangerous situations."
Shizune sighed helplessly.
"…Understood."
"Then I'll assign them B-rank missions first."
Tsunade nodded.
"Good."
"Missions?"
Naruto stared at Shizune in surprise, sweat still dripping down his face from training.
But after a moment, he quickly understood.
Of course.
He was still a ninja of Konoha Village.
Especially now, when the village lacked manpower, it was impossible for him to focus only on training forever.
In fact, Naruto already knew that Team Guy, Team 8, and Team 10 had all continued carrying out missions regularly.
Meanwhile, Team 7—the so-called strongest team—had been training privately for months.
That really was unfair.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"Alright!"
"It's actually been a while since I've gone all out on a mission."
Hinata smiled softly beside him.
"Naruto-kun… I also want to show you how much I've improved."
Naruto immediately laughed.
"Hinata, you've been working incredibly hard too!"
Then he looked around.
"Oh right… where's Sasuke?"
Shizune answered,
"I already sent someone to call him. He should be here any moment—"
Before she could finish speaking, Sasuke casually walked toward them with both hands in his pockets.
Even after being dragged back to Konoha by Naruto, his personality remained exactly the same.
Cold.
Quiet.
And difficult to approach.
Naruto waved enthusiastically.
"Yo, Sasuke! Long time no see!"
Recently, Naruto and Hinata had been training under Tsunade, while Sasuke trained with Jiraiya.
Because of that, they hadn't spent much time together lately.
Sasuke merely glanced at Naruto before speaking indifferently.
"Just tell me the mission details."
Naruto instantly frowned.
"You're still as annoying as ever…"
Shizune couldn't help smiling helplessly at their familiar interaction.
Naruto unfolded the mission scroll in his hands.
"Hm…"
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