Chapter 228: Nation vs. Nation
"They seem to have skipped out on the bill... they didn't pay..."
It was only after Sasuke and Boruto had departed that Tonbo Tobitake remembered Ayame mentioning the two customers who ate without paying.
How was he supposed to explain that when he went back?
Forget it, I'll just cover it for them. Consider it a fee for the intelligence they provided.
With Future Sasuke and Boruto gone, Tonbo watched as Konoha returned to its usual rhythm. The Chunin Exams were still underway. Those who were training hard continued to do so. Outside the village, more and more people from other lands were arriving, preparing to watch the final round of the exams.
They wanted to see the last survivor of the Uchiha, and more importantly, they wanted to gauge Konoha's current strength. When a client posts a mission, they prefer a village that looks powerful.
Meanwhile, in between teaching Ino and Sakura, Tonbo began developing specific countermeasures and ninjutsu based on the information about Otsutsuki Urashiki. He was back to being busy.
Specifically, he was focused on the "Forced Execution" stage of his jutsu. Aside from the tailored countermeasures, this jutsu was his main priority. As long as Urashiki arrived late enough for him to finish development, there wouldn't be much of a problem. After all, without absorbing a Ten-Tails, Urashiki was just a standard Otsutsuki.
The Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the order in his hand from the Land of Fire. "Why at a time like this?"
"There is no other choice; the opportunity is too good to pass up. This is a plan the Land of Fire set in motion over a decade ago," Koharu Utatane replied to Hiruzen. "The timing is finally ripe, and the high-ranking officials in the capital believe there won't be any issues."
Homura Mitokado added, "Furthermore, this plan doesn't require much of Konoha's military strength. They only asked for Konoha to dispatch Tonbo Tobitake to lead a small team as support."
"Indeed," Koharu continued slowly. "The opportunity is rare. Establishing diplomatic relations with the Land of Snow across the ocean isn't easy. The internal strife in the Land of Snow over ten years ago was an opening the Land of Fire worked hard to seize. Now is the time to execute the long-term plan. Once the mission is complete, we gain an ally and significant economic benefits."
Hiruzen raised an objection. "This involves the power dynamics of an entire nation. Is it enough to send only Tonbo's squad and the personnel from the Land of Fire's Royal Guard?"
Missions between nations were never simple, especially when they involved a regime established through a coup.
"That is exactly why the high-level officials want Tonbo Tobitake. He is the best user of the Mind Reading Technique in the Analysis Division and possesses considerable strength. As long as intelligence gathering is thorough—and considering there is a resistance force within the Land of Snow plus their grown princess—if they can rally the people, the chance of success is high," Koharu explained.
"Will this draw the attention of other nations? Interfering in another country's internal affairs?" Hiruzen was worried.
"The Princess of the Land of Snow is the legitimate heir. She is simply using the Land of Snow's future funds to issue a mission to the Land of Fire. There is no need to worry about that," Homura countered with his own perspective.
Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and fell into deep thought.
When the vast majority of the Land of Fire's leadership agreed on something and was even willing to dispatch the Royal Guard, he, as the Hokage, found it difficult to refuse. The conditions weren't outrageous—just one high-level intelligence expert leading a small squad.
Konoha's strength had largely recovered since the Third Shinobi War. One squad was perfectly feasible. Supporting a princess who had ties to the Land of Fire would yield immense benefits, whether through friendship or trade. For Konoha, helping reclaim the Land of Snow meant gaining a new source of mission requests, giving their ninjas more options and resources.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a profitable venture. The only concern was whether the current ruler of the Land of Snow could be taken down.
Phew—
Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke. If the only worry was whether they had enough strength to put the Princess back on the throne, then it wasn't a worry at all—it was a tangible benefit.
"Reply to the Land of Fire. I will have Tonbo clear his schedule."
Koharu and Homura both smiled. They were also surprised that the officials in the capital had planned this far ahead, starting the setup over ten years ago. They bowed and left.
Left alone, Hiruzen began flipping through the files on the Land of Snow. Had it not been during the Chunin Exams, he would have preferred Kakashi's team for this, as Kakashi was the one who handled the mission there ten years prior and was familiar with the terrain.
However, Sasuke and Naruto were still competing, and as their teacher, Kakashi needed to supervise them. It wasn't that he doubted Tonbo's ability, but in international missions, familiarity with the region often ensured a smoother success.
The Underground Base.
"Lord Danzo, the mission is set." A man in a cat-faced mask knelt before Danzo Shimura to report.
"Good. Now we just wait for the opportunity. Orochimaru, do not disappoint me," Danzo said.
Behind him, Orochimaru, wearing a hood, chuckled. "Don't worry. Once my plan is complete, you might just be the next Hokage. Isn't that your dream?"
Danzo was truly a man who would use any means to achieve his ends. He had actually managed to maneuver Konoha's important combat assets away. At the same time, Orochimaru had to admire the old fox; Danzo was meticulous and left him no room to maneuver against him.
"I look forward to your performance," Danzo said slowly as he walked away, disappearing from Orochimaru's sight.
"How interesting. If it weren't for the need to move that troublesome Captain Tonbo out of the way, I really wouldn't want to keep cooperating with that old fox," Orochimaru mused. He found men like Danzo—ruthless and impolite—quite distasteful.
The Training Ground.
"Sasuke, won't you go on a date with me today?"
"Okay."
"Hehe, Sasuke, you're so good to me!"
Tonbo Tobitake watched the love-struck Sakura and felt speechless. It's just a simple Genjutsu; is she really this immersed? He hadn't even put much effort into it. With her talent, she should have been able to break it instantly.
He looked over at Ino, who was standing next to Sakura with a flushed face, seemingly acting spoiled toward some imaginary handsome guy.
"If they didn't have each other as rivals, these two wouldn't put in any effort at all!" he sighed. Such a waste of talent.
He turned his attention back to the knowledge of Sealing Jutsu in his hands. According to the intel on Urashiki, the enemy had a fishing rod tool that could hook and steal chakra. He absolutely could not allow that. Sealing Jutsu was the most effective countermeasure.
Back when he sealed a portion of Kurama Yakumo's physical tissue, he had wondered if the tissue would disappear once the Genjutsu ended. As it turned out, it remained. The tissue was still preserved within his seal.
This proved that Sealing Jutsu was truly useful.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!