Chapter 111: I'll Give You One of My Jackets
Konoha, autumn of Year 45. Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning.
All four great nations declared war on the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind.
Thus began the Third Great Ninja War.
Hidden Sand Village.
Kazekage's office.
A blonde woman walked in.
'Kazekage-sama, you asked for me?'
'Yes, you're here—please, sit.'
Seated in the office chair, Saito studied the woman before him; she was visibly thinner than when she'd arrived—proof of how hard she'd worked.
Saito, the top dog of the Hidden Sand, felt deeply gratified.
'Yakushi Nonō, I've watched your work these past years. Under your efforts, our village has filled the void in Medical Ninjutsu…'
'So… I summoned you today to give you a reward.'
'Congratulations, Yakushi Nonō—you've earned your freedom!'
'Freedom?'
Hearing Saito's words, Yakushi Nonō's face was a picture of question marks.
Shouldn't she simply be downgraded from 'exceptional talent' to 'ordinary talent'?
How could it be freedom?
'Exactly—freedom! From this moment on, the Hidden Sand will no longer monitor you, and you won't have to work yourself to the bone.'
'Monitor?'
'Yes, you heard me, Priestess!'
At those last two words, Yakushi Nonō's body trembled, but years of spy training let her regain calm at once.
'Heh-heh! Whatever do you mean, Kazekage-sama? I don't quite follow.'
'No need to be nervous.'
Sensing the calf muscles she'd tensed beneath her trousers, Saito soothed her and explained.
'I knew who you were the day you arrived.
After all… I'm the one who issued that talent card—of course I left myself a back door.
Your card originally belonged to Orochimaru; Danzo Shimura obtained it from him.
But don't worry—since I didn't kill you at the start, I won't kill you later either.'
'H-ha… you knew from the beginning… meaning all the work I've done these years…'
'Exactly what you're thinking!'
Yakushi Nonō: '…'
'So… why let me go, Kazekage-sama?'
'Hey, you misunderstand—not "letting you go"!'
'???!!!'
'I'm giving you a choice. You may leave, or you may stay in the Hidden Sand and live the life you want.'
'Why?'
'?'
'Why tell me this? Wouldn't it be better to keep me working?'
'Because war is now unavoidable. At first I didn't want the village exposed too early, but once fighting starts, everything will come to light… so it no longer matters.'
'All right, that's all I'll say. Go back and think it over; give me your answer tomorrow.'
'Yes! I'll consider it carefully.'
With that, Yakushi Nonō rose and walked out.
'Oh, right!'
Just as she was about to leave the office, Saito called her back.
'?'
'Your letter cursing Danzo wasn't dirty enough—not vicious enough! But rest assured, with me around such bland mail will never be sent. I spiced it up for you—no need to thank me, I'm always happy to help!'
Yakushi Nonō: '!!!'
…After she left, Ebizo entered from outside.
'Kazekage-sama, are we really releasing those spies?'
'?'
At Ebizo's question, Saito looked genuinely surprised.
'Ebizo, has life in the Hidden Sand grown too easy? We're Ninja—unscrupulous means are our normal methods!
Those who truly choose to leave—let them walk far, far away!'
'Heh-heh.'
Ebizo wasn't upset at the scolding.
'I was only afraid Kazekage-sama had lost his edge these years, so I played along with your intent.
But now I know—you're still the same Kazekage! Heh-heh-heh…'
'Shoo, shoo—get back to work!'
After hearing Ebizo's sophistry, Saito irritably chased him out.
'Oh, right—since they've contributed quite a bit to the village, burn a little extra when they go, so next time no one can accuse us of exploitation!'
'Heh-heh… Kazekage-sama is ever benevolent!'
Watching Ebizo leave the office, Saito stood.
'Sigh—time to head out again. Konoha's so obedient it's annoying!
Look at the other villages busy attacking little settlements—only Konoha insists on being so upright!'
---
Within the borders of the River of Fire.
Danzo had led Konoha's elite Ninja here.
Thanks to the earlier wipe-out of two thousand men, Hiruzen had reinforced the spot with another thousand—
and these were the best of the best.
Among them was the younger brother of the Hyuga Clan head—Hyuga Hizashi!
Added to the original two thousand, the camp now held three thousand Ninja.
Thus Danzo only needed to bring some top-tier fighters—
such as himself, Jiraiya, and his trusted Root subordinates.
Gazing at the elite Ninja in the camp, Danzo brimmed with ambition.
This time… he would lead Konoha's forces and crush the Hidden Sand!
Of course… Danzo wasn't doing this to prove how extraordinary he was—
rather… yes! He was doing it precisely to prove how extraordinary he was.
He wanted to show the world that Shimura Danzo was no slouch!
And prove to his late teacher underground that Danzo could measure up!
After an impassioned speech,
the Konoha forces launched an assault toward the Hidden Sand's First Server Area.
This time he was copying the Sand—
he would rush straight to the server in one breath and seize it while the village was off guard!
…After a day-and-night forced march,
and narrowly avoiding Sand patrols,
the Konoha troops finally spotted the distant black speck that was the First Server Area.
'Rest for half an hour—then follow this old man and take it in one stroke!'
At Danzo's order, the Ninja halted and rested on the spot.
Some drank water, others munched soldier pills.
Though their bodies were tired, their spirits soared!
Most of them were veterans of the original garrison—
they had lived through that indescribable night… so the thought of storming the First Server Area in thirty minutes to avenge it had them buzzing.
Almost there!
Almost!
Soon they'd catch a Sand Ninja and make him dance in a mini-skirt before them.
At the thought, some even pulled long-cherished mini-skirts from their Ninja pouches.
Danzo watched, gratified.
Look!
Look at those eager little faces—
perfect morale!
As for the skirts—why meddle?
Elder Danzo never cared about his men's quirks.
So long as… they completed their missions,
the rest… was irrelevant!
---
'Lord Danzo, I've scouted it out: right now trucks are parked at the service-area gate and people are loading supplies.'
Hearing the report, Danzo was elated.
'Excellent! My decision was correct—any later and they'd have slipped away.'
"Warriors of Konoha, follow this old man—charge in, grab the supplies, then drive off in their trucks!"
With that, he took the lead and burst out first.
"Awoo—charge!"
Watching Danzo Shimura rush to the front, the other Ninja followed suit, howling as they surged forward.
Except for a certain white-haired man.
Watching the scene unfold, his face creased with worry.
---
At this moment.
Inside the First Server Area.
Many people were hurrying in and out, carrying things.
Just then.
One Ninja, his view blocked by the box in his arms, failed to spot the small stone ahead.
Right as he was about to fall—
A large hand caught him.
"Careful! If that goes boom it won't be pretty!"
"Thanks."
The Ninja steadied himself and quickly offered his gratitude.
"Saved by you! If the exploding tags in that box had blown… I don't even want to think about it!"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm telling you to be careful—don't blow us up!"
"Huh? Me, careful?"
"Exactly! Don't you remember you're a Shadow Clone right now? If you trip and explode and the Leaf Ninja see it—what then?"
"Oh, oh! Right!"
"Whew—glad you reminded me. Though I think Konoha…"
"Attack! Everyone, with me! Kill the Sand Ninja—seize the building!"
"Awoo—kill!"
Before he could finish, shouts rang out in the distance.
The Ninja listened, stunned.
"What are you waiting for—run!"
"Oh, oh! Coming, coming!"
His partner's yell snapped him back; he spun around and sprinted the way they'd come.
"You idiot—drop the box!"
"Oh, okay!"
---
"Ahaha… cowardly Sand Ninja—fleeing in panic at the sight of Konoha's army! Hahaha!"
Watching the Sand Ninja abandon their supplies and scurry off, Danzo Shimura laughed triumphantly.
The other Konoha Ninja saw it too and began praising Danzo.
"Haha—Lord Danzo is amazing. The moment he arrived, the Sand Ninja turned tail!"
"Exactly! This victory is all thanks to Lord Danzo!"
Countless compliments floated around Danzo, nearly lifting him off his feet.
But years of emotional control kept him composed.
"Hold formation! Ignore the supplies on the ground—priority is to eliminate Sand Village Ninja."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon the Leaf forces charged into the four complex buildings.
Danzo strolled through the entertainment hall, studying the layout.
"Tsk! No wonder this place pulls in over two billion—gold and glitter everywhere!"
"Lord Danzo, we found these documents in the building—lists of second-floor bathhouse members."
"Oh? Let this old man see!"
He took the list from the Root subordinate and opened it.
To a veteran spymaster, a membership list hides a gold mine.
At first Danzo read the names with mild interest.
But on page ten his eyes nearly popped out.
He spotted three familiar names: Jiraiya, Hatake Sakumo—and Sarutobi's Light!
Danzo: "???"
The first two were fine, but the third—Danzo would swear on his dream of becoming Hokage—was his dear friend Hiruzen Sarutobi!
So that's why Hiruzen still takes missions every year as Hokage… he's been coming here! Danzo quickly tucked the list into his robe.
He already pictured how he'd swell Root's ranks back home.
Hiruzen… your secret will feed me for life!!!
"L-Lord Danzo!"
While Danzo was lost in schemes against Hiruzen, a trembling voice spoke beside him.
The sound made Danzo frown instinctively.
A Konoha Ninja—victorious, no less, and with such ease—should never sound like this.
With that tone, one would think we'd lost the battle!
Annoyed, Danzo barked, "Hmm? The others are elated—what's with you—what the hell!"
"Who told you to put a crate of exploding tags in front of me!"
Danzo had been displaying the majesty of a victor, but at the sight of the crate the Ninja carried, he yelped and leapt away in a Shunshin.
"L-Lord Danzo… these crates were left by the Sand! Th-they're… all full of exploding tags!"
"What! Every one of them?"
"Yes. We found no Sand Ninja inside, so we ordered the supplies moved. Curious, I opened a box—exploding tags."
Danzo shuddered at the report.
He remembered the crates the Sand had scattered everywhere as they retreated.
If those were all tags… "Damn—it's a trap! Everyone out—NOW!"
He roared the warning with Chakra.
Too late.
Just after the shout, he saw the crate in the Ninja's hands levitate.
So did every scattered box on the floor.
Sheets of exploding tags drifted up, surrounding the Leaf Ninja in a floating cage.
Then shouts rang out from beyond the walls: "Konoha Ninja inside—listen up! You're surrounded! Do not resist! Do not flee! Surrender and no harm will come to you!"
"Especially you, white-haired guy—no toad summoning! Don't make a move that gets your comrades killed!"
In the infirmary, Jiraiya, singled out, stopped his hand seals and flopped onto the floor, lifeless.
In the gourmet hall, a pineapple-haired man eyed the floating tags, pulled a miniskirt from his Ninja pouch and slipped it on.
"Commander, what are you doing?"
"Surrendering. Maybe if I wear this, the Sand will go easy on me for old times' sake."
"Sir, have you no pride? I'd rather die than surrender to Sand!"
The commander glanced at him.
"I'll give you the top."
"Great—thanks, Commander!!!"
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