Chapter 34: "A Bird in a Cage"... (Part One)
Mid-July, Konoha Year 46. The members of Jiraiya's squad let out a collective breath the moment they reached Konoha's outer perimeter.
Akimichi Choza stopped walking and patted his stomach with a loud, satisfied declaration.
"First thing when we get back to the village, I'm eating properly. We made it back in one piece, and I need to rebuild my strength!"
Jiraiya laughed from the front of the group. The mission hadn't gone exactly as planned, and there had been a small complication along the way, but his mood was excellent.
"How about a few drinks to go with it? The rice wine in the Land of Grass still can't hold a candle to what we have back home, and the food wasn't much either."
"Although the women were surprisingly pretty..."
"Jiraiya-sensei! None of us are old enough to drink."
Namikaze Minato cut him off before he could continue, turning back to the group with an apologetic smile.
"What does that matter! Minato, don't underestimate kids!"
"Kakashi, you'd have to agree with me. The Great Toad Sage needs more inspiration to write better stories!"
Kakashi turned his head away in embarrassment at Jiraiya's exaggerated wink, though privately he couldn't argue with the point.
Furukawa Osamu, having already read through the Great Toad Sage's manuscript, wasn't sure how to rate him as a writer. But some of the scenes did hit harder than expected.
"Shikaku-taichou, how's that scar on your face? You're still single, aren't you?"
The sudden change of subject got a laugh out of the whole group. This mission had left Nara Shikaku with something permanent on his face.
"A man ought to have a few scars. It'll remind me not to underestimate my opponents."
"I have to say, it was a pretty rough situation. I only made it back because of all of you. Can't afford to get complacent after this."
Both of his injuries this time had landed on his face. Nara Shikaku smiled, laced his fingers behind his head, and seemed completely unbothered by the new scar.
"Don't get complacent is right, Shikaku. This was a lesson worth learning."
"If Osamu, Kakashi, and Shuichi hadn't all been as strong as they are, you wouldn't have come out of that encounter."
"A ninja needs a sharp mind, but your own strength matters just as much. Don't neglect it."
Yamanaka Inoichi said it with the weight of someone who meant every word. Not every mission came with a squad full of capable people, and he had no interest in watching a close friend grow careless.
"I hear you. Even if training is the most annoying thing in the world, I'll keep at it."
Nara Shikaku gave a genuine answer. Thinking back on that night surrounded on all sides, if Furukawa Osamu and Kakashi had been even a little slower, it would have ended completely differently.
"Forget about the mission for now. Get the report done and then actually rest."
"A ninja needs balance too. Everything else after that is on me."
Jiraiya made the promise with a confident grin. Minato's two teammates both cheered at that. High-rank missions paid well, but they were genuinely exhausting.
When the group reached the village gates, they ran straight into Inuzuka Tsume's squad returning from outside the village.
"Kuromaru! You impossible dog, stop that!"
Inuzuka Tsume, her hair wild, shouted as her dog bolted straight for Furukawa Osamu. Kuromaru, noticeably bigger than the last time they'd crossed paths, called back immediately.
"I just wanted to ask if Osamu had any ration pills left. I'm helping you build your strength too, you know!"
The large dog looked intimidating at first glance, nothing like Kakashi's small ninja hound. Furukawa Osamu laughed and scratched behind his ears, then handed over the remaining ration pills from his pack with a word of warning.
"This is all I've got left. Don't eat them all at once. There's a risk of mutation if you overdo it, and you don't want to end up as some kind of monster."
The specially made ration pills carried a small amount of natural energy, which made them more effective than the Inuzuka clan's own medicine. They were good for a dog's health too.
"Tsume is still too prickly..."
Kuromaru's expression shifted to something wistful. He'd been hoping to introduce her around, maybe even bring her into the fold and expand the pack properly.
He bolted away, ignoring the owner charging after him from behind, and made sure to call back to Kakashi as he went.
"Hey kid, next time get Pakkun to bring that Akino over. I need to take that one in hand."
Kakashi watched the large, commanding dog go and felt a pang of envy. His own ninja hound was mostly good for complaints.
The group grew a little larger as they merged together, and they walked through Konoha's gates with easy chatter all around. At the back of the group, Hyuga Shuichi's expression was something harder to read.
He genuinely envied all of them. These people moved freely. He was nothing more than a tool for his clan.
* * *
In the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with both advisors. Danzo occupied the opposite side of the room with his eyes half-closed, listening quietly as Jiraiya delivered his report.
"Based on the last intelligence that came through, we've more or less pinpointed Stone's jinchuriki."
"As for what the report says about the history between Onoki and his jinchuriki, we can't confirm that yet. Next time I'm confident we can gauge how far their jinchuriki development has actually gone."
The moment Jiraiya finished, Danzo spoke up from where he'd been silent.
"I currently have two lines of intelligence running on my end. We'll need to send in more operatives going forward."
Everyone in the room understood what Danzo meant. Once the work was done, Root operatives had only one outcome waiting for them.
No one objected. The Five Great Nations all ran agents inside each other. Dying for the village was part of the cost.
"How did Hyuga Shuichi perform?"
Hiruzen wasn't asking about the intelligence work. That side of things was Danzo's area of expertise. His interest was in the Hyuga clan's relationship with the village.
"Shikaku's squad being able to bring back anything at all was largely down to Shuichi's contribution."
"Palms Revolving Heaven is an enormous asset, both offensively and defensively."
Jiraiya gave an honest account. At the mention of Palms Revolving Heaven, the others in the room nodded. With that technique combined with the Byakugan, the Hyuga clan truly earned their reputation as Konoha's strongest.
Every time war appeared on the horizon, the Hyuga sent their best to the front to serve the village. The people in this room didn't concern themselves with birth status. Loyalty was what mattered.
"Next time you may actually be facing their jinchuriki directly. Don't let your guard down, Jiraiya."
"Minato needs to refine his Flying Thunder God further. That boy's talent is beyond anything I could have expected. He is the village's future."
Danzo listened to Hiruzen's cheerful praise and spoke in a measured tone.
"I'd prefer that Namikaze Minato not grow too close to the jinchuriki. The risk that carries for the village is considerable."
"That's Minato's own decision to make. As his teacher, it's not my place to interfere."
Jiraiya answered with barely concealed irritation, turned on his heel, and walked out without giving Danzo so much as a glance.
Thud.
The door closed. Danzo opened his eyes and looked across the room. A moment of silence settled over everyone. Koharu Utatane was the one who finally broke it.
"Homura-dono has raised this matter before. I support Danzo's position. Once control is lost, we all know what the consequences would be."
"There's no need to discuss this further. Kushina's chakra is something very particular. We only need to trust in Homura-dono's arrangements."
Hiruzen's faith in his people held, the same as always. Homura Mitokado said nothing, eyes lowered. Danzo rose from his seat and spoke low and flat.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."
***
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