After the meeting with Danzo, I went home and immediately locked myself in the laboratory. Today it was urgently necessary to finish at least the experience with Senju cells. I don't like the situation that has developed in recent years at all. And something tells me that the abduction of Uzumaki by these sunanin will be the last straw before the outbreak of World War II.

No, it has already become. No matter how the situation with the abduction is resolved, it is important that it has already been found out in Uzushiogakura. Uzumaki will not forgive anyone for an attempt on their children. They are still alive only thanks to the fact that they have always responded harshly to all attempts in their direction. Even Konoha's support would not have saved them if the great countries wanted to take the island state seriously. Uzushio is like Israel - it seems like a small country, but tenacious and not shy in the methods of solving its problems.

In general, since the conflict between the red-haired and Suna has already become public, then for Konoha and all other interested countries, this unknown abducted Uzumaki will become the local Ferdinand. So, consider the war has already begun. And this means that I need to hurry up with my experiments. I don't smile at all to meet the next Shinobi battles with my current forces, the First Shinobi War was more than enough for me. It is necessary to pump up at least to the level of Orochimaru at the end of the Third Shinobi War in the canon. Right now I'm not ready to meet someone like Hanzo at all. It is unlikely to get away from him alive.

So the whole night was spent at the mercy of test tubes and Petra dishes. And if the work with the Uzumaki genome has just begun, then the experience with Senju cells made me incredibly happy. After returning from the mission, it will be possible to transplant new organs. It would be possible now, but after organ transplantation, it is better not to use my Body Replacement Technique for a week, otherwise all the work is for nothing. Anything happens on a mission, so it's better not to take risks.

But despite the success with Senju fabrics, Uzumaki made me work hard. I've been poring over test tubes all night. It was difficult to make a thousand different tests on the knee. It will be a shame if none of them gives the desired result. It's bad when there is no genetic analyzer and, most importantly, a genome database. Maybe it's time to think about privatizing the Root?

Don't! It's still early. And it's too naive to think that I can take the Root like that. We have to work here... Long and hard.

Morning greeted me with such strange thoughts. A wonderful morning. It started with meditation instead of sleep and energy as breakfast. Reiko is reproachfully silent, looking at the shadows that have spread around my eyes.

"I'm off," I tell her hoarsely.

"Good luck."

"Uh-huh" he muttered darkly in response.

Early in the morning, Hiruzen called me to his place. I had to go to him. Lucky for Nawaki, he managed to pick me up yesterday. Today I would have sent him to hell.

Hokage, as expected, gave me a task. Quite ordinary, C-rank. Exploration in Rouran, the vassal city-state of the Wind Country. According to legend, you need to find out the details about the Source of the Ryumyaku. But it seems that Suna intends to hide the stolen Uzumaki there, since people with red hair are often found among the inhabitants of this region. Sensors, of which there are more than enough in Uzushiogakura, of course, are guided by the chakra, but it is not easy to find the right signature in a big city. Moreover, the Rouran itself has a peculiar chakra.

I need to be in town in two weeks. Just right back to back! The teacher does not pity me, the infection! And what will I have time to do in the remaining time? Almost nothing. As expected. No wonder, then, he was going on a mission right away. So without sitting around for a long time, I went straight to the task.

And what? I said goodbye to everyone I need to, that is, to Reiko, so I can go.

I got to Rouran without incident, having got into a caravan coming from the Country of Rivers. I didn't trust Henge, so I used some weak nukenin from Kumo caught along the way and the technique of Vanishing Facial Copy. Officially, it is more complicated and has a rank of B, but for some reason, it is easier for me. The technique is disgusting in its essence, but convenient: you do not need to constantly monitor, you do not need to maintain the image with a chakra. And the fact that at the same time, in fact, you pull someone else's skin on yourself is nonsense, it's a matter of everyday life. I hope this criminal did not have time to inherit and after depersonalization will not bring me any extra trouble, but will calmly fertilize the forests.

The journey took just thirteen days. Perfect! I didn't like tearing veins in order to make it a day before the appointed time, but what you can't do, just to scout the situation before the operation in person. When ANBU Uzushio arrives, they didn't report to me, so it's better to prepare for the worst. Maybe they're already here. The next day I met with Konoha's agents.

They also did not please me with an abundance of information, they only encouraged me that if there are Uzumaki in the city, then so far there is only one. The one I need to kidnap. He is, by the way, one and a half years old. It looks like Danzo has stepped onto a crooked path ... although no, he has been on it for a long time, and now, on the contrary, he has moved to a straight line, the one that goes to Hell.

Okay, while I have to continue playing the obedient dog, it's too early for me to shine. I actually have a mom, and I want her to continue. I feel sorry for this girl, it will be bad if her life, which has just been adjusted, is broken off. So I'm going to kidnap the red-haired kid anyway. Anyway, Danzo will have him rolling around like cheese in butter until he's seven years old. Only then will the order come to cut your friends. I have already managed to familiarize myself with this Shimura training program in secret from my superiors. And I really hope that I can afford to clean up Konoha before the first graduation at the Root boarding school. At least, I flatter myself with such hopes.

They protected the object well, so they didn't kidnap it right away. I studied the data that the informants managed to dig up. As it turned out, no one here wants to simplify my life. The purpose of my mission was protected better than the local heiress of the head of the city, it's a miracle that Uzumaki could find it at all. I had to deal with a bunch of seals and shinobi Sand, among which Chiyo got mixed up. Yes, yes, the same Chiyo! She was already about forty, had passed the First World War from beginning to end, so there was a wagon and a cart. And along with this lady were all her dolls. Here, not one little me is needed for the abduction, but at least a dozen or two Jonins.

As a result, after wandering around the city and reflecting on the situation, I decided to wait for the red-haired. ANBU Uzushio should be able to track down these kidnappers soon. You can do your business with them under the guise, if you're lucky. Something strongly begin to suspect that Danzo does not expect much results from me.

In the meantime, I decided to walk around the city with an unusual population for these places, leaving a few shadow snakes and a couple of snakes made of their own flesh to observe the object.

Right now, I was pretending to be a vacationer after a tedious journey with a caravan of the Genin of the River Country. Such people are often found here, they come with merchants of their country. I was sitting in some not very respectable diner and digesting the information received from one of the snake clones.

There was a lot of data, and they were mostly useless or already known to everyone. For example, a conversation between two genins of Sand:

"Argh. Puppets, solid puppets all around" the boy was splurging. "A normal Shinobi already has no place under this scorching sun."

"Why don't you like the Puppet technique?" a girl's voice asked lazily. "Well, if anything, there is less chance of dying. Better dolls than me."

"What can these puppets do? And a Shinobi using this technique becomes practically useless in close combat. Only someone will come up — and that's it, write it's gone."

"So it's still necessary to approach…"

"What's so complicated?" the guy grumbled. "Not everyone is such a master as Chiyo-sama, who manages ten dolls at once and can adapt a corpse in case of something."

"Kazekage-she knows what she's doing," the girl replied with displeasure.

"Shamon-sama is fixated on jinchuriki and puppets" it was said in a whisper. "He's smart, even his enemies don't dispute that, but lately he's been looking like he's obsessed with just two ideas. Jinchuriki and puppets. Although, rather, only jinchuriki. They say he's looking for a new carrier for Ichibi! The perfect receptacle."

"What kind of "ideal" carrier of a tailed beast is this?" with curiosity, but also in a whisper, the girl asked.

"I don't know. They say Uzumaki are like that. Their chakra suppresses the biju chakra, and it is easier for them to cope with them."

"Yeah. I can tell you a dozen more stories like this about Red-haired devils..."

Well, further gossip in the same spirit. But we managed to find something interesting. Unfortunately, there is not a word about the abducted Uzumaki, but it seems that there is something on the official assignment from Hiruzen.

The Source of Ryumyaku interested Konoha not so long ago, so little was known about him. Attempts to investigate it were made, but not very diligent. Collecting rumors and eavesdropping on the conversations of local bigwigs is all a job for Chunin. That's when Jounin is sent here, then the real collection of information will begin. Perhaps even with the theft of the Shot Glass itself, if at all possible.

So, about my assignment. I managed to eavesdrop on a conversation of locals complaining about the depletion of the mine and the lack of jobs. They also complained that the chakroproductive iron would now have to be purchased. Then one snake, who got into the weapons workshop, found out that the locals had bought metal before. It became a little interesting, where did the local ore get to then?

I was torn between curiosity and Danzo's assignment. The ANBU of the Whirlpool could appear at any moment, these guys know how to surprise, so I didn't want to miss the start of their operation to free the prisoner. But vague suspicions about the nature of the Glass did not give rest. I could use his strength.

In the end, I couldn't resist, I decided to at least explore the mine. And I couldn't get into it! It has already been collapsed and sealed. These are not good people. As soon as you start counting on something good, they will immediately break off. But the forced idleness had already got to me so much that I was ready to climb the wall. I have Uzumaki and Senju DNA in Konoha waiting for implantation, and I have to stick around in this forgotten kingdom! Right there to the ocean at hand, the edge of the civilized world, damn!

It annoyed me a lot, so I wanted to get at least something useful from my forced stay in Rouran. After spreading as many snake clones around the city as possible, I began to collect information about the ore mined in the local mine. And I couldn't find anything! Damn it!

"Op-op-op! Don't fall down," pretending to be a drunk genin, I trudged to my room.

As a result, I sat in a diner for about two hours without benefit and spent about five hundred re on a drink. Well, at least he organized a more natural cover for himself. Relaxing at the end of a task is also a common practice for genins who find themselves in a relatively safe environment and away from the supervision of their village. At the hotel, I immediately checked the room for the presence of extra seals and jutsu - it seems to be clean. He fell on the bed and began to think.

In theory, the mine mined the ore of the chakroproductive iron. Where she could have gone, no one really knows, all traces are lost in local small private smelters. And if I hadn't watched a few Naruto movies at the time, this case wouldn't even have made me scratch. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I looked. And a rather interesting idea came to my mind. Well, you know, it's not for nothing that people from another continent came here to Suna in search of a vein of Gel. And here from Rouran to the coast a hundred or two hundred kilometers maximum. And for some reason, it is here that there is something called Ryumyaku and has great power. There are coincidences, but sometimes they are not just coincidences. It's better to check while I'm here, I doubt that in the next ten years life will bring me to these parts. War, if it is not victorious, does not promote long-distance travel. The second Shinobi guarantees me trips only to the front, which will not move far from the existing borders of the Country of Fire.

So let's think logically. The ore was mined, perhaps it was even the mysterious Gelel stones. But where did she end up afterwards? Clear-red, that in the palace, which is combined with the Source. Well, maybe not, but it was the last place my clones hadn't been able to get into yet and which I could check out in the near future.

And now what? Walk around the residence of the local queen? It's dangerous, but you can try it. Of course, it is not worth climbing into the same Spring or Gardens, and to the queen, too. Well, at least with my goals. And so the local ruler is very attractive, I would have made my way into her bedroom with pleasure... if I knew for sure that I would come out of there alive. After all, you need to come to the chambers of queens and princesses in person, and not the way I'm going to visit the palace.

The next day, my White snake in the body of a maid penetrated into the office premises and began to fur in search of something interesting. I quickly freed the girl who led me to the protected area from the Obsession technique, I would not like to harm her. Moreover, I got a local rat under my arm — a much more valuable agent.

It took a long time to wander through the mansions of the local ruler. It seems that the complex of these buildings has been under construction for decades, architects have changed, wars and destruction have made their own adjustments… In short, I can't imagine how you can live here! There are no maps and evacuation plans on the walls, no one signs the premises — there is no occupational safety engineer on them, damn it!

I was already starting to worry that I had started everything in vain, and I wanted to wrap it up for today, when my efforts were rewarded!

"You stole the dragon stones!" angrily hissed a certain type in good clothes, it looks like a master or a minor official.

"Only the dust that remained after processing, Yuto-sensei," the boy being reported was on his knees, with his forehead on the floor.

"Do you even understand what you've done?!" The man shouted in a whisper. "If someone finds out, then you and I will be executed!"

The couple argued in a small room, similar to a jewelry or weapons workshop, combined with a bedroom. Apparently, this unknown guy lived and made here.

"We need to destroy it before it's too late" the master said menacingly. "Where is he?"

"But, sensei! It can also increase the strength of our warriors!" timidly protested the bent young man.

"Nobody! Remember, no one will figure out what exactly you did!" angrily flashing his eyes, the man shut up the student. "You're not the first one who thinks he's smarter than others. Only in my memory three students and their masters were executed. Do you want to repeat their fate?!"

"Sensei…"

"Where is he?!"

A few seconds of silence, then a heavy sigh, the guy got up, rummaged in the chest and took out a thin bracelet made up of small diamonds, interlocked with each other like magnets. Enamel of a delicate lilac color was applied to each element of the decoration. Well, it's time.

A small white snake shook the rattle formed on its tail, with which it applied genjutsu. Kori Shinchū no Jutsu worked flawlessly.

The disputants froze in their seats with their hands at their sides. The bracelet fell to the wooden floor with a soft thud and rolled along the boards. Great, you think you've destroyed this bracelet, and I think I'll take it for study.

The snake, opening its mouth one hundred and eighty degrees, swallowed the bracelet, which quickly disappeared in the stomach of the technician.

I got out of the palace the same way I got into it. It didn't work out in the body of a rat — I almost got caught in fuin. But the maid with the snake hidden in her passed through the local barriers without any problems.

A warm feeling of satisfaction from a successfully completed case pleasantly spread through my body when the technique returned to me. And when looking at the bracelet of fifty individual steel diamonds with lilac enamel glittering in his hands, his lips themselves spread out in a snake grin. I'm definitely lucky today! Although I do not rule out that the security service of the palace was partially relocated to other places, because a more important object temporarily appeared in the city, which required increased security.

The Whirlpool Shinobi appeared only a couple of days later. Which both pleased and saddened me. I was pleased, because I was already a little tired of sitting in my pants in the Rowan. Experiments are idle at home! And I couldn't figure out this stolen trinket. Damn it, I just don't have enough skills and knowledge! I feel the chakra in the bracelet, but I don't understand how to use it. Hurtful. And the hunt to become stronger, and it doesn't work out a damn thing. What good is it that there is a lot of spiritual energy, that I have comprehended all the natural transformations, if nothing but innate snake techniques does not really work out for me? And genjutsu techniques, as a clanless one, I can only learn general ones. In general, the appearance of Ninja Uzushio upset me because it came as a surprise to me. Snake clones all around, but still didn't notice anything. Although why be surprised? Where am I, and where are the S-rank Junins? However, this did not prevent me from blowing up from the spot and hurrying to carry out Danzo's dubious task.

The way to the object took only ten seconds, as I settled as close as possible. So I didn't miss anything interesting. Here already hostile Shinobi were having fun with might and main. The place of the fight was enclosed in Shiseki Yeojin. The equipment protected the estate where the baby was hidden with indestructible red walls — the Uzumaki were serious and did not want to miss anyone. Outside, it was not possible to hear what was happening behind the barrier, but through the crimson veil of technology, it was possible to understand that there was a serious fight going on there. And I need to get there.

A series of seals, the use of the snake version of Kawarimi no Jutsu - the reserve of the chakra instantly went down.

Falling on one knee, I barely caught my breath after the energy-intensive technique, at the same time looking around. It seems that no one has noticed me yet and does not want to kill me. Unfortunately, to dump the old body, transferring consciousness to a snake clone, on the basis of which to create a new carcass, was the only opportunity for me to be inside the barrier. Almost a space-time technique, but chakras eats more than the usual Replacement of the Body. At times, her mother, more!

The results of scanning the space around were disappointing. I ended up in hell! And practically without a chakra. Fire, steam, crackling puppets - all this almost completely filled the space inside the barrier.

Hiyaku no Jutsu is one of the techniques I invented, designed for greater secrecy.

Invented - it sounds loud, of course, but in fact the "chameleon" is a variation of the simplest Kakuremino no Jutsu, an invisibility cloak in which, thanks to the features of the snake body, you can move around. Movements under the influence of this technique become smooth and ragged, adjusted to the movement of foliage. Or shadows in the reflections of the flame, as in this case. Therefore, I crept slowly, but no one saw me, even the current of the chakra in the body became barely noticeable, if I had entered the sage mode, I would have turned out to be an ideal stealth with minimal costs.

The estate where the stolen Uzumaki was hidden was half destroyed, which is not surprising, considering how many shinobi of the Kage level gathered here. Strangely enough, it has not yet reached the corpses, and it is unlikely to reach them. Now a kind of parity of forces has been established here. According to my cursory forecasts, the warring parties should smash everything to pieces, and then disperse, since the cause of the dispute will be destroyed in the heat of the fight. This will suit Uzushiogakura quite well, and Suna will be able to put up with it. Therefore, we need to hurry up while Uzumaki has hope to return his child alive.

It is very difficult to move unnoticed under the crossfire of several Shinobi of the Kage level. It took me seven sweats to get to the closed rooms, and I had to walk only five meters. Unfortunately, the clone I moved into was in the courtyard, and most of the buildings around it were destroyed. In general, the only relatively intact building was only one - a house, presumably belonging to the main family in this estate. The walls of this building were reinforced with seals, so even the power of ninjutsu did not dare him in the first minutes of the battle. The Sunovites were also entrenched in it, into the rear of which I penetrated.

It was too early to relax, so I had to continue walking under the Chameleon technique. You never know who will notice - there were enough problems without that. And so sometimes some smart guy launched balls of the Element of Heat through the corridors.

I notice movement out of the corner of my eye.

A whirlwind of water senbons burst out of my mouth, stuffing the Sand Shinobi who didn't even have time to fold a couple of hand seals. That's it! Sometimes it's better to use a weak technique, but fast. I have a lot of surprises in my arsenal, like Tenkyū, which I spied on the Second One. My chakra is not enough to create huge fireballs, hurricanes, lightning blades. As I have already said, I do not have enough bodily energy to implement the techniques. But at the age of fifteen I mastered all the natural transformations! In general, it was quite easy, understanding the nature of the local elements. Well, although I am far from physics, but I know the school curriculum, I understand what fire, water, electricity, air are. The problems were only with the earth — well, my knowledge in understanding how to make this element move by itself did not help me. This is earth, stone! Until you kick, it won't fly. But fortunately, I had a genetic predisposition to this element.

The Cry of Heaven is too weak a technique to kill, but with the skill of ice needles, you can paralyze the victim. And I've been training for a long time. Therefore, having quietly finished off the Sand that was put out of action by the quickly melted Shinobi senbons, I hid his body in some kind of utility room and carefully moved on. Once I met this Chunin on the way, it means that I am already close to the goal.

There is almost no chakra left, I took pills, of course, but the effect of them is not as great as I would like. And there's probably some other very powerful creature sitting in front of the rank of Jonin, no less. The law of meanness has not been canceled. Well, I'll manage. Probably. I can definitely escape.

I was right and wrong at the same time. In the room with the baby, there really was a Shinobi, a junin, at least. And ten puppets with him. But he didn't sit there for long — while I was looking at him with a shadow snake and thinking what to do next, a loud explosion in a couple of corridors from the room drove him from his place. Apparently, things were not going very well for the sunanin, so they put reserves into battle.

Did I tell you that I'm fabulously lucky today? Like, yes. I just wonder what I'll have to pay for it.

"Well, hello, man," I whispered softly, looking at the sleeping red-haired child, who was no more than a year old. "You can start cursing me."

I make a small incision on his arm, waiting for a small pool of blood to accumulate.

Niku Seichō no Jutsu is also a technique I invented.

In fact, this is an unsuccessful attempt to create a snake clone, which turned out to be surprisingly useful. Under the influence of this technique, uncontrolled cell division of the affected sample begins. It is very convenient when the source material is not enough, as it usually happens with me.

The blood that flowed from the incision on the boy's arm instantly boiled, swelled, forming a shapeless brown something with veins of bones, tendons and tufts of hair in different places. The technique is imperfect and is unlikely to ever be perfected by real cloning.

Unfortunately, the chakra was only enough to create a lump weighing about half a kilogram. Not enough, but I hope no one will find fault.

Ryū no gōon!

A powerful infrasound blow smashed the resulting mass, small scarlet splashes covered the wall opposite me with an even layer of scraps of flesh and splashes.

With the help of a bite, he injected a little medical chakra and sleeping pills into the boy, after which he carefully put it into a wooden bucket printed from a scroll. Ironically, for this I had to use a scroll with a sealing technique bought from Uzumaki. Although a one-year-old kid does not care at all. The main thing is that the capacity is just right for its size. Clapping my hands, I force my chakra to move with effort. Kuro Mujin! Covering a wooden barrel with his hands, he put a barrier on it from sensory techniques and to keep the child in a comatose state. It's good that the sealing object is small, I couldn't put a Black Fog Seal on a large container alone.

That's it, now it's time to shed!

It's a pity that there are no forces left for the snake Replacement, we will have to wait until the chakra is restored, or when everyone calms down, removes the barrier and goes home. The second is more likely, I don't have enough strength for normal use of techniques like Body Replacement. So far they are exclusively for peacetime or such covert operations. Also, the Chameleon technique constantly consumes chakra, it's good that I didn't use Concealment in Surfaces, it consumes more. And it's not a fact that Shinobi from Uzushiogakure won't notice.

Fortunately, it took only half an hour to escape from the completely destroyed estate. And no one noticed! Well, everything will be something to brag about before the second Tsuchikage, if someone revives him. Although, when the gloomy type came and began to feel everything with the help of metal dust, to be honest, I was on the verge! I still didn't have the strength to hide in the Surface, so I had to run hastily until the limit of my luck evaporated.

I spent some more time in Rouran, portraying genin, who suddenly remembered that money is not taken from the void, and started looking for a job. That is, he was pale, sad and slightly nervous. As luck would have it, I didn't come across a single suitable caravan, and after the snake Replacement technique, I no longer had the old stolen face. I had to use Konoha's prepared ANBU by emergency evacuation of agents from the city: it became dangerous to take risks and walk around the city under the Henge, the Sand Shinobi prowled and checked everyone. Even if I had the old mask, I would hardly have been able to leave Rouran by legal means.

In short, I felt all the charms of the sewer again. What followed was a matter of technique. All the same Nan no Kaizō technique, a soft modification - replacing my legs with something similar to a snake's tail, I raced through the desert free, like the wind! And it stank of the waste products of a fairly large city. If the Sand had someone like Inuzuka, they would have found it at once! As a result, I washed myself only on the fifth day, once again using a snake body replacement.

Not on purpose, of course. Not quite a fool to use such a technique for banal washing. It just turns out that while I was winding through the desert, the Second World War began. So ordinary, as if the First one did not stop. No one declared this war, and the parties have not yet conducted active hostilities, but the number of Shinobi on the border exceeded all reasonable limits and minor skirmishes began.

When I finally got out of the Wind Country, January was coming to an end. Chaos reigned in the Land of Rivers, people were waiting for their lands to be between a hammer and an anvil - Suna and Konoha. You will not envy these small buffer states that somehow survive between the Great Countries. How did they survive the First War?

In general, then the road was serene, and I got to Konoha quickly.

The problems started in the village itself. Immediately from the gate. With one phrase Chunin turned all my plans upside down!

"Orochi, I'm sorry that I'm the one telling you this, but you'll find out anyway. It's better right away than later" he began from afar, but then he typed: "Your mother is dead."