Now that it was confirmed Tsunade had rescued Nawaki, Akiren—who had initially seemed so vital as the only person who knew the boy's location—had suddenly become something of a redundancy.
Still, considering he was genuinely close to Nawaki and that Tsunade's personal summon, Katsuyu, had personally requested his care, no one went out of their way to make things difficult for him. He was granted the best possible treatment within the field hospital.
Aside from a few medical ninjas whose maternal instincts and sympathies were triggered by his plight, almost no one cared about this Land of Rain orphan who had accidentally stumbled into a connection with the Senju lineage. At most, a few envious souls would walk past and mutter, "Talk about lucky."
However, this indifference did not extend to the four Root shinobi who had just returned to the main camp after concluding their "official business."
"That Land of Rain orphan Shinagawa brought back—the one named Akiren—he's very close to the target and that kid, Namikaze Hatani."
The one wearing the dog mask possessed keen hearing and a knack for gathering intel. Though he did his best to keep his voice low, the excitement in his tone was impossible to suppress.
In the cold, ruthless world of Root, where success was the only metric that mattered, a failed mission was an unforgivable sin. Even if this particular failure wasn't strictly their fault, their standing in the eyes of their superiors—and Lord Danzo himself—would plummet instantly.
Naturally, the four of them were desperate to avoid such a fate.
Even though the target, Nawaki, had already reunited with Tsunade and their primary objective was now impossible to complete, they could still use Akiren. Through him, they could uncover the secrets of Nawaki and Namikaze Hatani—specifically, how they had identified the Suna traps and how they had managed to evade the pursuit of the Hidden Rain ninjas.
If they could secure this intelligence, they could provide vital support for future operations, ensuring their record in Danzo's eyes wasn't entirely stained with failure.
"What has this Akiren said so far?"
"His lips are sealed. Ever since he woke up, he's done nothing but insist on seeing Tsunade. He refuses to say a word to anyone else."
The Dog Mask shook his head slightly. The other three stiffened, their expressions darkening behind their porcelain masks.
"However," he added, his voice shifting back to that excited pitch, "he talked quite a bit while he was unconscious."
"What did he say?"
The other three, already frayed by the suspense, glared at him. If they weren't worried about drawing unwanted attention, they probably would have kicked him by now.
"Our previous assumptions were entirely wrong," the Dog Mask said, still playing the provocateur despite the looming threat of a beating.
Thwack!
The leader, wearing a bird mask, finally lost his patience and smacked the back of the subordinate's head. "Cut the crap and get to the point, you idiot!"
"Hiss... right, right." The Dog Mask shrunk back, rubbing his head before continuing. "We all thought the target was the key and that the Genin, Namikaze Hatani, was just a lucky civilian brat. But according to Akiren's fever dreams, the one actually calling the shots was Hatani."
"Namikaze Hatani?!"
The other three were stunned. They immediately began mentally leafing through every scrap of intel they had on the boy.
"Here is a transcript of everything Akiren said in his sleep." Knowing that words alone wouldn't suffice, the Dog Mask pulled a scroll from his tool pouch and handed it to the leader. "In his delirious state, the name 'Big Brother Wind' appeared more than any other."
He pointed to the specific lines as he explained his conclusion. "Whenever he had a nightmare about being chased or cast away, the first person he pleaded with was always this 'Brother Wind.'"
"Namikaze Hatani... Nawaki... Big Brother Wind, Big Brother Tree..." The Bird Mask stared at the records, his eyes narrowing. "This is still too little to go on. Why don't we find an opening tonight, snatch him, and conduct a proper interrogation?"
Seeing the leader descend into silence, the Dog Mask offered the suggestion.
"Isn't that a bit too risky?" The one in the cat mask—the most cautious of the group—immediately voiced an objection. "Orochimaru and the Sannin's prestige is at an all-time high after this victory, especially here in this camp. Katsuyu specifically asked that the boy be looked after before she left. If we get caught..."
"Hmph! No matter how high their prestige is, do they really think they can challenge Lord Danzo?" The Monkey Mask spoke up, his voice dripping with disdain. "Besides, Orochimaru is essentially one of us in Root. Is he really going to turn on us over some orphan from the Land of Rain?"
He let out a cold snort. "As for Tsunade—her reckless actions caused the death of two Jonin and a Tokubetsu Jonin. Lord Danzo is already doing her a favor by not making things difficult, out of respect for her grandfather and the Hokage. When she gets back, does she really think she's in a position to cause trouble over an orphan?"
"That woman is a goddamn lunatic! Can you guarantee she won't use this as an excuse to blow everything up?" The Cat Mask snapped back, his voice rising in anger at the Monkey Mask's arrogance.
"Enough! Stop bickering." The Bird Mask cut them off, feeling a headache coming on. "Inu's suggestion is sound. This orphan definitely knows the secrets of the target and that Genin. A thorough interrogation would yield a treasure trove of intel."
The Monkey Mask shot a smug, triumphant look at the Cat Mask.
"However," the Bird Mask continued, shifting his tone, "a kidnapping is indeed unwise."
Now it was the Cat Mask's turn to tilt his head mockingly at the Monkey Mask.
"Orochimaru may be aligned with Root, but he just secured a massive victory. He's at the height of his power and pride. If we try to use Root or Lord Danzo's name to pressure him now, it will only breed resentment. He'll make things difficult for us just to save face. He is the Hokage's student, after all; even Lord Danzo would find it hard to suppress him while the Hokage is backing him."
The Dog Mask grew anxious. "Then what? We just sit here and watch the intel slip through our fingers?"
"Heh, don't be so impatient. Let me finish." The Bird Mask let out a light chuckle, looking like a man who held all the cards. "Regardless of the circumstances, this Akiren is a citizen of the Land of Rain. Even with Tsunade's guarantee, who's to say he isn't a sleeper agent sent by the enemy?"
He looked at his three subordinates, his smile widening.
"To prevent foreign spies from infiltrating the village, it is only natural and 'perfectly reasonable' for Root to conduct a formal interrogation and screening. It's our duty, isn't it?"
The other three immediately caught on to the logic, grinning as they gave him a collective thumbs-up.
"Brilliant. Truly brilliant!"