Chapter 4: Infiltration
"Ugh, this is all so annoying." Tenten thought, shrinking in on herself.
Team Guy found themselves in the Sunagakure Military Inspection Customs. It was a small area tucked away at the edge of one of Suna's walls, serving a similar purpose to the small booth at the entrance to Konoha. There, in the Suna Customs, a ninja sat on a chair with a table in front of him, possibly a Chûnin, and two other shinobi of unknown rank, but probably Genin, stood guarding the passage.
Tenten watched as the Suna Chûnin wrote down the personal and military information of the three genin on some papers. In truth, she felt uncomfortable being searched and frisked, but there was no other choice. It was the first time in the lives of the young members of Team Gai that they visited Suna and they didn't know that they would have to go through this tedious process. Fortunately, Gai-sensei was with them to help them through the bureaucratic ordeal. They had said goodbye to the merchant caravan an hour earlier. The merchants entered Suna Village through the main entrance. Meanwhile, the Shinobi had to go through a special cache for their needs. But why did it take so long? The patience of the young girl tied in two buns was running out and she didn't want to explode in front of her teammates and teacher.
—Good. We've checked your previously registered information and can confirm that you are Maito Gai of Konohagakure, correct? —the Chûnin asked the teacher of team 03-079 again, looking bored.
—I am. The Sublime Green Beast of Konoha, known as Konoha no Kedakaki Aoi Mōjū!" —he raised his voice in a passionate tone while smiling and striking his signature "good boy" pose with his thumb up.
The Suna ninja stared at the Konoha Jônin like someone staring at an idiot. Tenten felt her face burn at her teacher's impetuous behavior, as did Neji. Lee looked at his teacher with a spark of pride at such a display of courage and promotion of the Power of Youth.
—Uh...very well... —the Suna ninja stammered and went back to his papers. —So...you three are the genin-ranked ninja soldiers who are part of the graduation team of which he is the captain, right? And you've never been here before, right?
Neji, Lee and Tenten nodded at the same time. The Suna ninja continued to write down their answers in his notes. Poor Tenten felt as if her patience was hanging by a thread with each passing second.
—So, now that we have this information, what is the reason for your visit? —the shinobi asked again for the fourth time since he started his search.
"That's it! It's over!" Tenten thought and almost yelled at the bored ninja when Neji put his finger over his mouth to stop her from making a scene. The girl barely complied.
—I requested a C-rank mission here for medical reasons. —Lee said hastily, handing her a scroll with the details of the mission approved by Konoha. —My body was damaged in an ambush and I don't know what else I can do to heal it...
The Suna Chûnin received the scroll with a puzzled expression. It moved strangely from side to side as he unfolded it.
—An ambush? It's rare for a foreigner to come here for medical help...
Suddenly, after reading a few words on the scroll, the Suna Shinobi fell completely silent. His silent expression turned serious as he studied the paper. His face completely pale, he wrote on an official sheet of paper with the Suna seal with a speed that none of the members of Team Gai had expected.
—Take this message to the Kazekage's office immediately and tell them that it must reach the venerable Chiyo-bâsama urgently. —he said promptly to one of the shinobi guarding the passage, handing him the newly written message. —Inform them that a Konoha shinobi has just arrived who was accidentally attacked by one of our comrades.
"By accident, huh?" Neji thought with some sarcasm at that statement. "So that's the official version of the Suna Shinobi attack..."
"We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience we caused you. As allies, it was an unforgivable mistake. We hope that we can offer you a solution for your damages here, Rock Lee-san. —the Chûnin apologized with a deep bow.
All members of Team Guy were surprised by the reaction of the Suna ninja. The treatment they'd received from the village ninjas had completely changed the moment they learned who Rock Lee was.
—N-no, calm down. —Lee said, scratching his neck in embarrassment. —I'm sure it was just a mistake…
Slowly, the Suna Chûnin raised his head and a friendly expression appeared on his face.
—Thank you for your kind words, Rock Lee-san. Now that we have taken note of your information and the reason for your trip, we will proceed to the final phase of the inspection.
—Finally! —Tenten thought, wishing she could go to Suna and get all the boring paperwork over with.
The Suna Chûnin signaled to a genin who disappeared into the inner security booth for a few minutes. The three young Konoha Genin looked at each other in surprise as Gai waited patiently.
—Here it is, senpai. —said the Suna Genin who appeared with a large cardboard box in his arms.
—Thank you for bringing it. —the bureaucratic ninja said and took the box from his subordinate. —Help me to deliver them carefully. Also, explain them to each of our guests.
Tenten frowned in surprise as the Suna man placed the heavy box on the registration table and began to remove a series of objects with tangled wires. Their organization for a Hidden Village was a bit messy and shabby, in Tenten's opinion.
—I assume you already know the procedure we follow. So you don't have to listen to it, Gai-san. You can take your device and proceed to the village. —the Suna Shinobi commented to the thick-browed Jonin.
With a calm smile, Maito Gai raised his hand and shook his head at the guard's comment.
—No, don't worry, I want to review the procedure and also see what my students have to bring. —the Jônin explained with some curiosity.
Tenten shook her head strangely at her master's words. For the girl, this was all very strange. He looked at Lee and Neji, who had similarly confused expressions on their faces. None of them understood what was happening. After coughing and clearing his throat, the Suna Chûnin addressed the young Genin.
—As a result of your first entry into Sunagakure, it is my duty to inform you that you must carry with you a device appropriate to your current abilities in order to monitor and prevent accidents or incidents of an international nature from harming our village and yours.
Everyone was surprised to see the Suna Genin hand them a technology-looking object, especially Lee, who frowned in confusion and surprise.
—Is this something that is always done? —the boy asked annoyed, subtly feeling the jumble of information produced by this Genjutsu and the clash with reality in his head.
—Yes. It is standard procedure for allied foreign shinobi. —the Suna Chûnin replied as his subordinate handed the items to Neji and Tenten. —In fact, the higher your skill, the more powerful the device you're carrying...
—What the hell is this?!
All eyes turned to Neji, who was holding the spectacle-shaped device in his hands. The glasses looked grim, thick, and rather unattractive. They had external wires and the lenses were very opaque due to their thickness. They looked like two bottle bottoms.
—Oh, these are the special anti-spy glasses for tracking and spy class ninjas with ocular abilities. You're a Hyūga, right? Well, all Hyūga who come here are required to wear them. —explained the young Suna Genin who was in charge of delivering the equipment.
Neji couldn't believe it. How could it be that his mother or other clan members who had visited Suna hadn't told him about this? Many thoughts went through his head. He understood why his mother hadn't said anything, but as for the others, Neji decided that the most likely explanation was that no Hyūga, inside or outside the family, would want to admit the shame of wearing such an object. Another possibility was that among the younger members of the Hyūga clan, it was seen as a kind of humorous rite of passage, a ritual he'd obviously never been told about.
The white-eyed boy felt that all eyes were on him. In fact, Lee and Tenten were watching Neji with amusement, seeing that their companion wasn't at all convinced that he was wearing those crazy, ugly glasses.
—Come on, Neji, put them on. I'm sure they're not that bad. —Lee commented, casually slipping his own device onto his wrist.
—That's it. —Tenten smiled mischievously and finished taking the artifact for herself. —I'm sure they'll even look good on you.
Neji made a deep grimace of disgust at his two teammates, which was hilarious. After a few moments of hesitation, the Hyūga boy raised the bizarre glasses to his face. It wasn't more than five seconds before Lee and Tenten were laughing out loud after unsuccessfully trying to contain themselves. Gai-sensei, for his part, tried his best to keep a neutral face.
—I refuse to wear these things! There has to be another option! —Neji demanded indignantly, quickly taking off his glasses.
A new burst of laughter came from the mouths of his two teammates. It was unusual to see Neji so irritated by such a silly thing. You could say it was a canonical moment. Tenten laughed so hard at the situation that she doubled over, while Lee clutched his stomach and tried to control himself, grateful that the crutch kept him from falling to the ground.
—I'm sorry, but it's part of Decree 01-05 on the Conduct of Foreign Shinobi when Entering Suna. You must wear it at all times while you're here. —the Suna Chûnin inquired with a bright smile.
Neji's eyes widened even more and he stared in disbelief at the guard who was smiling at him. It seemed that this was not the first time he had seen a Hyūga in such a situation.
—Even asleep?!
—Including. —the Suna ninja replied as he collected the papers signed by the members of Team Gai and put them in the filing cabinet. —The glasses will be activated the moment you enter the village. If you try to remove them or activate your Byakugan, they will emit a loud beep and an ANBU will immediately appear in front of you.
The white-eyed boy felt a sudden touch. Tenten had approached him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. The young Genin could still feel tears of laughter forming in the corners of his eyes as he tried to wipe them away.
—Don't worry, Neji. We won't tell the others in Konoha. Your secret is safe with us. —Tenten said, trying not to hear the words over the sound of her laughter.
Neji snorted in resignation before putting his glasses back on. Meanwhile, Lee had begun to calm down and was grinning from ear to ear at his white-eyed companion, who looked away in embarrassment, his cheeks slightly colored.
—Good. Then everything is in order. At the end of the corridor, you can ask a companion where you will be staying. —he said, finishing the Chūnin at the entrance while gesturing with his arm down the long corridor. —Now, all that remains is to wish you a pleasant stay in our village: Sunagakure no Sato. Welcome.
—Ugh, you could have at least given me something more discreet. —Neji muttered, shrugging his shoulders.
—Oh, come on, are you still at it? Get over it, Neji. —an amused Tenten replied to her serious companion's uncharacteristic complaints.
—Easy for you to say... just wear the gloves, Tenten.
—But I can't use my tools on them. They repel any kind of metal and...
As the four Konoha ninjas entered the passage, the Sunagakure Military Inspection Customs fell silent and the rolling, hot dunes of the desert surrounding the village swirled in the gentle breeze.
—
—Oh, the same thing again. It's always the same...
Uzumaki Naruto put his hand to his mouth to yawn loudly. He and his team were standing in front of the Southern Gate of Konoha waiting for their teacher, Hatake Kakashi, for a mission. The three genin of team 07-080 also were growing impatient with the typical lateness of their teacher. They wondered why he couldn't be like Maito Gai, who was always on time for all missions and errands.
—And what's the point of complaining, Naruto? Kakashi-sensei is always like that. He's always late.
—I know, but I was hoping that he would stop doing that now that we've been genin for a year, Sakura-chan. —Naruto commented pitifully.
The aforementioned girl shook her head and huffed in resignation. In truth, she also wanted to believe that Kakashi was displaying this habit as a sign of his patience with them. But she was becoming increasingly certain that it was a fault of the Jōnin. A great flaw. For his part, Uchiha Sasuke remained silent. The quiet boy knew that it was pointless to complain or comment on the matter of punctuality. After all, he knew his mentor very well.
Suddenly, a rapid sound was heard, followed by slow, quiet footsteps. The three Genin looked in that direction and saw their teacher, Kakashi, walking towards them.
—Hello, guys. Good morning. —the Jônin said with great calm in his voice and a joking, hurried tone. —Sorry for the delay. I got lost on the path of life and…
-WHAAAAT?!
Sasuke glanced at the situation where two shrill, squealing Naruto and Sakura were showing an annoyed and complaining attitude towards Kakashi. While the Uchiha boy was annoyed by his teacher's careless attitude, he thought it best not to intervene. After all, Naruto and Sakura were already taking care of it.
—Ha ha ha. Seriously, sorry. I was just getting the final data from the Mission Assignment Desk. Not every day that a one-year-old graduation team is assigned an A-rank mission. —said Kakashi, jovially scratching the back of his neck to calm his students.
It was true. It was strange that a team of only one year old would receive an A-rank mission, let alone one that involved the direct protection of an authority as important as the Sandaime Hokage. The three Genin had previously discussed the oddity of this matter among themselves, but attributed it to technical problems and personnel and material resources caused by the sudden appearance of the rogue ninjas from Suna.
—Anyway. As agreed, I will read the official parameters and specifications of the mission before leaving the village. —Kakashi said as he took out an official sheet with the Konoha seal.
Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto remained silent as they listened intently to Kakashi who quickly shifted his gaze to the letter.
—The mission assigned to Team 07-080 by Konohagakure no Sato is included in the A-rank mission regulations. The objective is to serve as an advance team to Furuya no Kyo, the former capital of the Land of Rivers, to scout and examine the terrain. All this is in preparation for the meeting between the Sandaime Hokage-sama and the Kazekage in a few days. —Kakashi stopped reading to take a breath as he put the paper back in his pocket. —There may be ninjas near the travel path. They may just be watching to gather information, but they may also be doing something we don't want them to do...
—So that's where we have to act, right? —Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow. —We have to fight and capture those who attack us.
Naruto and Sakura nodded in agreement with the Uchiha's words. Kakashi's expression relaxed slightly when he saw that his pupils fully understood the nature of his task.
—Exactly. We have an important security task. It's true that the Hokage is well protected with his own squad. However, we must serve as a vanguard to inform or support the squadron for defense or a possible attack. It's important that we remain vigilant during the entire mission. —Kakashi inquired, giving details to Naruto in particular.
—Good! What are we waiting for?! Let's go! —Naruto shouted without paying much attention.
The blonde-haired boy raised his fist excitedly to the sky as he walked down the path that led out of Konoha through the South Gate. The day for an A-rank mission had finally arrived. Ever since he graduated as a Genin, Naruto had been complaining about getting D-rank missions, occasional C-rank missions and impossible B-rank missions. He thought that by receiving an A-rank mission, he would be closer to his dream of becoming the Hokage, just like his father.
"I get even more excited when I think about protecting the old Hokage, hee hee hee..." A small smile appeared on the lips of the young blue-eyed boy. "Besides, Sakura-chan will get to see me in action and witness my demonstration of techniques, hee hee hee..."
—Calm down, Naruto. It'll only take a few days to get there. We have plenty of time. —Kakashi said quietly, trying to calm his hyperactive pupil.
The rest of Team 07-080, also known as Team Kakashi, began their march out of the South Gate after saying goodbye to Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo at the Customs. Kakashi walked behind his students with his typical casual demeanor as they chatted animatedly about various topics, including the Chūnin Exams Parade and the Konoha-Suna meeting. However, without warning, the silver-haired Jônin sensed something strange around Konoha's outer wall as he glanced into the forest.
Kakashi scanned his surroundings with his only visible eye. He was on alert. The man remembered that during the first matches of the Chûnin Exams, the Sandaime had informed all the Jônin and Chûnin in a confidential meeting of a terrible encounter: Mitarashi Anko had been attacked in the village by Konoha's own traitor, Orochimaru. Extreme surveillance had been ordered in the most vulnerable areas of the village and where Orochimaru had been during his time in Konoha. It was unknown exactly what the horrible individual was up to, and that made him even more dangerous. Kakashi also remembered the moment when he had seen Anko inform them of what had happened, how the poor woman had been deeply affected by this reunion, since the cursed Sannin had been the cause of many of the psychological problems she currently had.
It was an undeniable fact that anyone who had contact or a relationship with Orochimaru would undoubtedly be damaged in the end. That's why Kakashi clenched his jaw involuntarily, realizing how his frustration was growing.
However, the silver-haired Jônin didn't seem to notice anything unusual. Occasionally, ninjas from other villages were stationed outside the wall to monitor Konoha's movements and report back to their respective villages. This was something that was known and assumed as a basic intelligence and espionage task by allies and enemies alike. In fact, the Konoha Barrier Team and the militiamen stationed on the walls had always been aware of this. On this occasion, however, Kakashi noticed that there were many more ninjas watching than usual.
A sudden shout brought the gray-haired Jonin out of his internal analysis.
—Come on, Kakashi-sensei! Don't fall behind! —Naruto shouted, raising his arms several times to encourage his teacher.
Kakashi blinked a few times and snorted at his pupil's cheerful attitude, loosening his jaw and relaxing. Sometimes, he envied Naruto's carefree attitude. The Jônin just moved faster to catch up with his genin.
—I'm going, I'm going... —he said with feigned laziness as he continued to look around, trying not to let his observant actions be noticed.
Kakashi felt no obvious hostility from the ninjas stationed around him and that calmed his shinobi instincts. The Jônin already had enough to worry about. Not only the mission they had been assigned, but also the problem he had with his pupil, Uchiha Sasuke, which was also related to the snake Sannin. His pupil had suffered the imposition of a curse seal and an assassination attempt by Yakushi Kabuto, the now missing Konoha Genin, while he was recovering at the NMU. On the other hand, Kakashi himself had to face Orochimaru after containing the cursed seal. All this after Anko had tried to stop the man who had once been her beloved teacher, the inventor of those evil marks. It seemed that misfortune didn't come alone.
Because of this, and after analyzing the information, both the Hokage and those familiar with the case came to the conclusion that Orochimaru was after the Uchiha boy for some personal purpose in his insatiable quest for power. Perhaps because of his Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, or because he wanted the blood that ran through his veins.
So Kakashi stopped paying attention to the walls of Konoha and decided to focus more on the mission and his genin, especially Sasuke. The Jônin took one last look over his shoulder at the walls and moved on. He really didn't have to worry too much. There were guards guarding the walls and gates of Konoha. They would be fine.
—
"Okay. This seems like a good place to start gathering information."
Maito Gai had said goodbye to his students shortly after they had been assigned a room after passing through customs. It was two in the afternoon.
"I wonder how Suna's specialties have changed since I was here last..." Gai thought, remembering that he had gone to Suna on a mission with Kakashi the last time.
The Jônin had entered one of the most famous and oldest taverns in Sunagakure. It was a building made of clay and stucco, just like the city walls. Inside, it looked like a livable place. Every corner of "The Golden Dune" was decorated with many local objects and elements typical of the culture of Suna and the Land of the Wind: from an old ox-hide drum tucked away in a corner to dried desert flowers in clay vases. There were tables and chairs for customers. There was a scarred wooden bar with high stools for those who came alone. This was where Gai sat.
—Excuse me, could I have some sake and a snack, please? —Gai asked the waiter and raised his hand.
The Jônin of Konoha was determined to complete the mission given to him by the Sandaime Hokage as soon as possible. In four days, the meeting between the leader of Konoha and the Kazekage of Suna would take place at Furuya no Kyô in the land of the rivers. He wanted to have as much information as possible so that Hokage Hiruzen could negotiate with her.
While he waited, Maito Gai reviewed the events of the past week. The black-haired, thick-browed Jônin was upset. What upset him? He was angry! Normally, he didn't let his personal feelings interfere with the mission, but this time, everything was different.
His disciple Rock Lee had suffered very serious injuries, and not just him. Neji and Tenten had also been harmed in the ambush set up by the Kazekage's sons and their leader. This wasn't supposed to have happened, much less to his beloved disciples. The three had worked so hard and put in so much effort since becoming Genin two years ago.
Just recalling the battle they were immersed in made his mood worse. He remembered being attacked while jumping through the trees. The four of them were separated with the goal of having individual battles, to weaken and finish them off. He had to face the Jônin in charge of the siblings' squad. At first, it seemed that the Suna shinobi was winning, but that was only the case until Gai unleashed his most advanced Taijutsu techniques, his strength, and speed. He gave him a brutal beating, leaving him practically paraplegic.
Before going to help his students, and although he left the Suna shinobi alive to take him away so the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force could do their work on him, he witnessed how the Suna Jônin blew himself up with paper bombs taped to his body. It was clear that this individual didn't want Konoha to know something he knew, something he knew, but what? That was what Gai had to try to find out and report during his stay.
—Here you are, sir. Enjoy.
A small flask filled with hot sake, a small glass, and a plate with some roasted eggplant with miso and sesame seeds lay in front of him.
"But now you have to calm down, Gai. You must focus on doing what you do best. That's one of the pillars of the Power of Youth!" the Konoha Jonin stated passionately, bringing the small glass of sake to his lips.
Maito Gai turned his gaze to his wrist, where he wore the security device he'd been given: a tracking bracelet. Suna couldn't afford many advanced technological instruments for this purpose, but he knew that since he was a Jonin, it was in their best interest to keep an eye on him. Gai took another sip of sake. It was time to start his investigation. He looked around and saw that the place was full of customers, especially people who belonged to the Suna Shinobi Hierarchy System. Exactly what he was looking for.
"I have to be alert." he thought as he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, listening to every conversation and finding something interesting. "Just let the conversations flow, as if you were taking part in them..."
After a moment of absolute concentration, he stopped listening to the surrounding noise and began to identify the conversations of the people there. Gai smiled to himself; the trick Murakumo-san had taught him many years ago still worked. To his surprise, something caught his attention.
—...and then he said that they were leaving to prepare... since they were close to Konoha...
"Interesting..."
Gai put a piece of eggplant to his mouth and drank another small glass of sake. He would start to feel drunk, but it didn't matter. Acting like a drunken clown on this mission was valid and necessary. After all, it would make it easier to fool anyone who didn't suspect him.
—
Rock Lee stared at the sandy-looking wall in front of him, a chill running down his spine. Wearing only a green hospital gown and his underwear, he waited in the examination room. He had left the room they were staying in with Neji, who had accompanied him to Suna Hospital. It was a quarter to three in the afternoon.
The image of his teacher Gai flashed through Lee's mind. The Jônin had excused himself from accompanying him to the first examination because he had been summoned by a high-ranking shinobi with whom he had worked together on another mission. He could not miss their meeting. Although Lee was sad for a moment, he also considered the importance of greeting other shinobi, especially if they had not seen each other for a while, as was the case with his master.
—I hope the doctor who will examine you won't take too long. I'm sure she knows better than to be immobile for too long. —Neji warned, crossing his arms and looking curiously at the glass cabinets of the office.
Neji ran his fingers lightly over his face with a conflicted expression when he saw his reflection in the glass. The strange glasses they'd given him at the customs bothered his ears. He looked ridiculous! The white-eyed boy remembered the moment when his teammates had laughed heartily at his expense. He hadn't thought that Lee and Tenten would laugh so much at something like that, but while he had been annoyed at first, in retrospect he had also found it funny. But he wouldn't admit it to them.
A nasal sound from Lee brought the young Hyūga out of his thoughts.
—Even if she check me, I already know the answer... —Lee said, his eyes narrowing as Neji gave him a soft look.
A few moments later, the door to the examination room was opened by an elderly woman with black eyes and gray hair tied in a bun. She wore the traditional poncho dress of Sunagakure and had a very dignified walk.
"The honorable Chiyo-bâsama..."
For a moment, with a slight pang, Lee felt his mind drift back to the moments he had seen the Suna woman in his Genjutsu memories: how she had met Team Kakashi, her fight alongside Sakura, her subsequent sacrifice and death for her village to resurrect Sabaku no Gaara. But she was there. Not dead, but more alive than ever, right in front of him. This made Lee feel uncomfortable and he fought to keep his composure.
Chiyo greeted the two young Genin and went to check the briefcase with Rock Lee's medical records.
—I see that in Konoha's report, they wrote that you have quite extensive physical damage from the use of Kinjutsu. —The woman said bluntly. —Hachimon Tônko is definitely a technique that was banned for a reason, kid.
Lee made an almost imperceptible grimace of annoyance with his upper lip. Was the woman blaming him for using that technique to defend himself against Sabaku no Gaara?
—Anyway, pull down the top of your nightgown so I can check you. —the old woman ordered quickly.
Lee obeyed the order and undressed from the body up. Old Chiyo's cold hands rested on the boy's back, making him flinch slightly as she scanned him for any damage. Neji, on the other hand, had noticed that Lee was disturbed by the woman's comment, but he preferred to pretend that nothing was wrong. The white-eyed boy wondered how Tenten was handling it. He was worried about his teammate's safety and that she would use her spy skills. Which the girl had never used before.
He remembered how the moments before he'd parted from her had been and what they'd agreed upon to try to achieve a successful outcome to this secret infiltration mission.
—So, I'll leave you two to Lee, okay, Neji, Tenten? —Gai-sensei said and opened the door to leave the room they shared.
The aforementioned nodded as they watched their teacher close the door behind him.
—Hey, I can't believe that Gai-sensei left on his own and doesn't want to be present for the consultation with Lee. —Tenten said grumbling, crossing her arms over her body.
—It's better this way, Tenten. We'll have less trouble carrying out our plan. —Neji replied to his companion's protest, no longer looking at the door through which his teacher had left.
—Yes, but that's strange coming from him...
Lee listened attentively to the conversation between his two teammates. He couldn't deny that it was strange that his teacher had excused himself by saying that he had to meet a former Suna ninja ally he had helped on another mission. Normally, he would have dropped everything to go with him. But Neji was also right. As much as he appreciated Gai-sensei, whom he considered a second father, the truth was that in this situation, it was best to keep him out of the loop. The most important thing now was to concentrate on the secret mission the three of them had agreed upon. However, there were still some things in Team Gai's mind that weren't going quite as planned.
—But Neji, now we have a problem that we didn't foresee when we finalized the spy plan during the trip. —Tenten said, pointing to the gloves she was wearing. —We had no idea that we would each have to carry a special device here.
Tenten was right. They didn't know that it was a mandatory requirement. Since they had never traveled to another Shinobi Village, they were unaware of the requirements and peculiarities on an international level. In reality, the instructions and procedures given to foreign ninjas in each Shinobi Village were different and changed over time. A non-aligned ninja village that required occasional cooperation could be expected to take many precautions, but they had never planned for such a thing to happen to a village as closely connected and nearby as Sunagakure.
—Then we will have to change our plan slightly. —Neji said with conviction. —We only have one chance, and we cannot waste it. Not after all the traveling we've done to get here.
In addition to the anti-tracking and anti-spy goggles Neji wore, Tenten wore magnetic-repelling gloves specially designed for Assassin-class ninjas and weapons-expert ninjas, which would repel any metal tool the girl tried to manipulate with her hands. It also had a sensor that would activate and alert the Suna ANBU if she tried to remove it, just like Neji's device. Lee, for his part, wore a tracking bracelet, just like his teacher Gai, since the Suna Shinobi felt that in his current state as an inactive ninja due to physical ailments, he didn't pose a threat to Suna. He and his teacher were the only two who were constantly watched.
—So, have you thought of anything, Neji? —Tenten asked, raising his eyebrows.
Contrary to what they thought, the Hyūga boy remained completely silent. Without Lee's Rescue Ninja skills and without his own ability to use the Byakugan, the chances of obtaining secret and confidential information were very slim at this point.
—Then there is no other choice. I'll do it. —Tenten said with a snort.
Neji and Lee suddenly turned their heads to the girl with two buns, who was starting to prepare something with the bedclothes in the room.
—What are you saying, Tenten? —Neji said exalted, turning to the aforementioned woman who had her back to them. —How are you going to do this? You've never done any kind of tracking or spying on the missions assigned to you. Your skills in these areas are very low.
Tenten turned to Neji with a very serious expression. The white-eyed boy was struck by the severity of her normally relaxed demeanor. For his part, Lee, who had remained silent throughout the interaction, held his breath in fear. He knew it. He knew Tenten's character well enough to fear her when her jovial, relaxed demeanor changed to a serious expression. Lee knew that when Tenten put on "her face," it was a terrifying sign. Neji wouldn't stand a chance.
—And why do you think I didn't develop it, huh? —Tenten declared defiantly after Neji's words. —In most, if not all, of the missions I've done, the tracking or spying work has fallen to you or another specialized ninja. Even Lee has been able to do it on occasion because he falls into categories close to yours!
—Yes, but... —Neji replied, trying to refute his teammate, but he couldn't.
—And now we're in a situation where everyone who could do it can't. —the girl explained, turning back to her bedclothes. —There is no time to think, no time to consider. You said it yourself, Neji: we only have one chance to gather information.
The Hyūga boy remained completely silent as he stared at the girl's back, searching for words that never came. Somehow, Neji's tongue had gotten stuck in his mouth during the girl's arguments. Tenten, for her part, stopped what she was doing with the sheets to look at him again, pointedly.
—And if something really bad happens to this village and it affects Konoha, we'll never forgive ourselves! —the girl said, raising her voice, her words stern as she looked into his eyes again.
The tension seemed to have been cut with a knife. Lee looked worriedly at his two teammates. He had never seen an argument of this magnitude between Neji and Tenten before, let alone the white-eyed boy remaining silent in the face of his companion's words. He was afraid that they would start arguing even louder about what had happened. That might arouse suspicion if someone heard them from the hallway. Against Lee's own predictions, and after a few moments of intense eye contact, Neji relaxed his jaw and spoke.
—Okay. You're right, Tenten. We have to act. —Neji said, trying to ease the tension by giving in. —Have you thought about how to do it?
Tenten's expression relaxed when she heard Neji's positive answer. She grabbed the bedclothes she had taken earlier and showed them to her two teammates.
I'm going to disguise myself as a resident of Suna. —Tenten said, grabbing a pair of scissors and watching them slip from her hands due to the force of her gloves. —Ugh, anyway... Like I said, coming from a civilian family, it shouldn't be too hard to blend in with the locals.
—That... might work out quite well. Don't you think, Neji? —Lee commented with a dubious smile to a very serious Neji.
—I will try to sneak into the administrative offices of Suna's middle- and upper-level shinobi. —Tenten stated, trying to use only her hands to tinker with her bed sheet. —I don't think I'll make it far enough to get near the Kazekage's Office, but I could try.
Neji thought about everything his partner had said. He didn't like it at all. He didn't like the idea that she was going alone. Tenten didn't have the skills or the dexterity to be a spy. She had admitted her lack of knowledge and practice herself. She was an Assassin, not a Tracker or a Spy. If she was caught, she wouldn't be able to use her weapons and defend herself because of the gloves she was forced to wear. If she couldn't defend herself, she would be completely unprotected. If she...
—Neji...
Tenten's utterance of his name snapped the young Hyūga out of the loop of intrusive thoughts he'd entered. There he saw her. Her face had relaxed and she looked at him with a strange mixture of pleading and reassurance.
—Neji, listen, I'll be fine. —the girl assured him gently, a smile spreading as she untied her hair. —At the slightest suspicion that I've been discovered, I'll retreat. That's rule number one for shinobi spies, right?
Tenten winked at him slightly mischievously as she tossed her hair to loosen it. Her chocolate-brown locks drew Neji's eyes to the weapons specialist's shoulders. The white-eyed boy blew air through his nose as if to keep from laughing at his companion's words and gesture.
—That's rule number two, Tenten. The first is never getting caught. —the white-eyed boy commented quietly.
—Those are extra details. —Tenten inquired with amusement in his voice. —Now, you two help me finish the costume, I can't hold these damn scissors.
Lee watched as the tension between his two companions completely dissipated. They seemed to be their old selves again. He blew calmly, releasing the air he'd been holding in his lungs. After a while, and with a little help from everyone else, Tenten had finished putting on the improvised costume that resembled an authentic traditional Sunagakure robe and was about to walk out the door, trying not to be seen by any Suna ninja.
—Remember, don't draw attention to yourself, and if you spot anything strange, don't move violently and...
—Yeah, yeah, we've been over this eight times, Lee. —Tenten said, waving her hand to calm her partner. —Remember your part of the mission, too. You need to focus on getting some information from the office like we agreed.
—We'll do it, Tenten. —Lee said, giving her a military salute as she said goodbye.
The chocolate-haired girl nodded as she turned the old doorknob to leave the room, but the call of her name interrupted her.
—Tenten...
Tenten turned slightly to see Neji calling her again. Tenten saw that Neji's face still showed a hint of concern as he stared at an indeterminate point on the floor of the room. The girl knew that Neji wasn't completely on board with this plan, but he had to accept that there was no other option.
—Yes, Neji? —Tenten asked with some curiosity, trying to meet her teammate's eyes.
After a short moment that felt like hours to the girl, Neji raised his meditative gaze and met hers.
—Just... be careful, okay?
Although Neji didn't see it, Tenten smiled warmly at the words from behind the turban that covered her mouth.
—I will. See you later. —the girl said and said goodbye once more.
The two boys from Team Guy watched as the door closed, leaving them completely alone in the room.
—We better get ready to go to our assigned office at the hospital, Neji. —Lee said, pulling his teammate out of his thoughts.
After looking away from the door, the Hyūga boy nodded as they made quick preparations for Lee's doctor's appointment.
At that moment, Neji was staring at the clock on the wall of the office. It read three in the afternoon. He had calculated every minute since Tenten had left. At this moment, it had been half an hour since his companion had left to perform her spy duties.
—The damage Hachimon Tōnko did to you was extensive. —the elder Chiyo began, stopping to feel Lee's back after the medical examination. —The tears in your muscles have almost healed after ten days of using the technique. The Konoha doctors have done a good job and you have a very good capacity for healing and general recovery.
Lee listened to every word the woman said. Although they were direct and without restraint, she was sincere and he felt that Chiyō wanted to help him somehow. He didn't think she was a bad person; she just seemed to have a dry and stubborn personality.
—However, I'm more concerned about the damage you may have suffered in deeper areas of your body, or even on a cellular level. Frankly, I can't estimate how extensive or deep it might be. If it were poison, I'd have no problem providing you with a solution right away…
Although he already knew what Chiyo would answer, it still hurt. Lee knew that there was no cure for him at the moment, that the only known person who could provide a cure for the severity of his injuries was Tsunade-sama, the Slug Princess of Konoha, known as Konoha no Namekuji Tsunade-hime. But the famous Tsunade wouldn't appear in Konoha unless the Sandaime Hokage died and she took over. That was something that Lee took for granted after seeing him in the illusion, and it was something that the black-haired boy was willing to sacrifice for several reasons: his health for the survival of the Hokage. The life of Sarutobi Hiruzen was worth more than his own life in the shinobi world, and if Sandaime had remained alive in his illusion, he would most likely have come up with a plan to finally eliminate Orochimaru and other threats to Konoha that he already knew about thanks to this genjutsu.
Lee sighed at this thought with pride but also with a touch of sadness. He would find another way to become an active ninja again. At least that's what he thought and hoped.
—Sorry, boy. —the old woman said after instructing Lee to put his nightgown back on.
—Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for making you work for nothing... —the black-haired boy said, slowly getting dressed.
—However, I'm going to suggest that you stay in Suna for three more days so that I can give you a personalized therapeutic treatment to relieve your pain and improve your mobility. —Chiyô said, writing on a piece of paper in the briefcase containing Lee's file. —I will notify Customs to update your visa.
Neji had silently observed the interactions between the two shinobi. Ever since Tenten had left, the white-eyed boy had felt uneasy because he had been unable to gather any information or clues that would lead them to uncover the problems Konoha was having with the alleged rogue ninjas from Suna. He was annoyed and didn't want to fail against Tenten, who was a novice in espionage. He almost considered it a competition. After a moment of constant scrutiny, Neji came up with an idea.
—I'd like to ask you something, Chiyo-bâsama.
—What is it? —The old woman turned to the white-eyed boy curiously.
—In the event of an... imminent conflict, what would Lee's fighting condition be? —Neji asked in all seriousness.
The woman turned around, her expression slowly changing from calm to serious. At that moment, Rock Lee couldn't pretend anymore. His eyes widened at his companion's question. He was grateful that the old woman wasn't looking at him, and at the same time, he was impressed by how casually Neji kept his expression.
—And what kind of conflict do you think he could fight? —the woman replied, frowning with every word.
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to become tense. The young Hyūga and the elderly Suna woman stared at each other for a few moments in silence.
—I am referring to the situation when we returned to Konoha after our stay here and were ambushed by the enemy. As I'm sure you know, our village is being attacked by several groups of renegade ninja. Would Lee at least be prepared to defend himself in case of another... accident?
Lee shook his head slowly, trying to communicate with Neji to get him to stop. The black-haired boy began to feel himself panicking at the situation his teammate was creating.
"What are you up to, Neji? Are you looking for a fight with one of the most important people in Suna?" Rock Lee thought and looked uneasily at his teammate.
Chiyō exhaled quickly through her nose. She imagined that the white-eyed boy wanted to provoke her because of the incident with Gaara. The old woman had a preconceived notion, based on her life experience, that all members of Konoha's Hyūga clan were cold and fairly structured, but it was clear that this one was still a child who let his emotions get the better of him. She couldn't blame him. After all, he was Rock Lee's classmate, the injured boy.
—I don't recommend that Rock Lee perform any ninja moves or attacks. At least not for the three days he's here. —the woman said firmly, trying not to mention Gaara in this matter. —Once you return to Konoha, he'll have to undergo the follow-up treatment that the Konoha doctors have given him. I don't think it will be incompatible with the therapy we will give him here.
While he listened to the instructions of the old woman from Suna with closed eyes, Neji nodded with an astonishing calmness that surprised Lee even more.
—Okay. That's how we'll do it, Chiyo-bâsama. —said Neji, approaching Lee to get him off the examination table and out of the room. —We'll retire for today, if you don't mind. The journey has been long.
—Good. Then I'll leave you two to return to your rooms. —the woman replied, seeing the two Konoha ninja heading for the door. —We will meet tomorrow at the same time to begin the treatment.
With a little help, Neji led Lee out of the office and the two remained silent until they were at least 50 meters away from Suna Hospital.
—Something I didn't like about her... —Neji started, staring at the sandy streets. —Everything she said seemed to be from a pre-written script.
Lee nodded slowly after glancing sideways at his teammate. Indeed, the black-haired boy could see that Neji had everything planned out. He expected nothing less.
—I had my doubts too... Although I didn't understand what you were doing at first, I realized that it was strange that she remained silent, as if she was trying to think of an excuse... —Lee said to his white-eyed companion.
—When Tenten returns and reports, we'll have to figure out how to take the next step...
From one of the windows of Suna Hospital, the elderly Chiyo watched the two young Konoha genin make their way to their quarters in the inn set up for visiting ninjas. The woman couldn't help but be puzzled by what had just happened in the consultation with the white-eyed boy and was left with a feeling of unease that she couldn't quite identify.
—
—Wa-iter, waa-iter! Another g-round of your best-r sake-e! Hic!
—Pal, I think you've had enough for today...
—I-I'll tell you when it's enough!
The customers of "The Golden Dune Bar" looked at a Konoha jonin, Maito Gai, who had drunk several small bottles of sake in a drunken stupor. They did not dare to approach him to stop this behavior; they simply whispered so that he would not hear them.
—These people from Konoha... They don't know how to behave...
—They think it's all about partying and drinking here...
—They give their village a bad name...
—Shh, shut up! He might start a fight and we'll have a problem...
But Maito Gai listened to them with great clarity. It was true that he felt quite playful after drinking, but what the observers didn't know was that he had a rather high alcohol tolerance. If a normal man could drink up to two 180ml bottles of sake without any consequences, he could drink twice as much without any problems. For this reason, Gai was a very good ninja for missions that involved drinking.
It had just struck six in the evening. Surely, his disciples had finished the doctor's appointment hours ago and would be in the room. The Konoha Jonin noticed that the people around him relaxed by acting like a drunk. Now, the Suna ninjas who were there would have no qualms about speaking louder or more sincerely. That was good.
He had already picked up a few unimportant conversations: the disappointment of some new Suna Genin about a mission that ended in failure, a Chûnin's complaints about how strict his girlfriend was with him, and a group celebration for the upcoming birth of a teammate's child.
"Truly, all these conversations are no different from the ones you might hear in Konoha. At times like this, I remember that the inhabitants of all the shinobi villages aren't much different from each other..." Maito Gai thought, feeling a certain connection to these people.
On the other hand, the most interesting conversations he had been able to gather were about the upcoming meeting of the Kazekage and the Hokage in the Land of Rivers with the Daimyo there as mediator, the progress of the Kazekage's supposed illness, the large number of rogue ninjas and deserters from Suna who were attacking Konoha and even the complaints they were receiving from passing Konoha ninjas because of these incidents. But it was already late and he had heard nothing new that would be of interest to the Sandaime Hokage.
"Maybe I should call it a day and go back to my room to check on the boys..." he thought, getting up from his stool.
—...a group left for the Land of Rivers this morning to scout out the Hokage's path...
Suddenly, Gai's ears felt as if they had been deeply opened. Finally, he could hear something interesting!
—Ha ha ha, one more glass won't be a-a-needed... Suna's s-sake is the best... -the green-suited Jônin suddenly shouted with joy and exultation.
Maito Gai returned to his role as a drunken customer and took another sip of sake, surprising everyone around him.
—Keep your voice down, Tsubusa! Or do you want that crazy drunk from Konoha over there to find out what you're up to?" a voice whispered.
—Don't worry so much, Suname-senpai. This guy is already too wasted. We can talk more calmly.
—He is still a Konoha shinobi. We have to be careful. —the Suna-senpai replied to his kohai.
Gai smiled inwardly as he continued to display his drunkenness so that the two ninjas he had located would lower their guard.
—Anyway... As I said, the group of four Genin will check on the Hokage's progress and report back.
—Good. I hear he's already there, waiting for your arrival.
Maito Gai felt his eyebrows raise at the information he heard. It was really juicy news considering everything he had heard during the day. With great curiosity, he wondered what the secret was that Suna was guarding so jealously.
"Waiting for the arrival of the Hokage? The Kazekage perhaps?" Gai thought and took another sip of sake.
—You mean... the snake?
—Yes, Orochimaru.
Gai had to grab the table to keep from jumping at the sound of the name. He felt his drink catch in his throat. Orochimaru? One of the legendary Sannin? Was that traitor from Konoha involved in the Suna renegade affair? But if that was the case, why did he appear in Konoha before Mitarashi Anko?
—Yes, he has everything ready. As soon as the meeting starts, he'll put the plan into action and kill... the Hokage.
Gai's face went completely pale. This couldn't be true. The situation was much worse than he had expected. Were the forces of Suna and Orochimaru planning to assassinate the Sandaime Hokage together? The Jonin had not expected something of this magnitude.
—With the number of allies that monster has, he'd better finish off the old man from Konoha...
—Hey, buddy, you look bad. You should leave now.
The words of a stranger made the Konoha Jonin break off the conversation. Gai looked at the bartender and quickly raised another glass of sake to his mouth.
—N-nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong... In m-moments like this, we can l-laugh
The thick-browed Jônin then let out a hearty laugh, causing everyone in the bar to stare at him in shame and astonishment. They all looked as if they wanted to throw him out of the bar.
—Come on, come on, I'll walk you to the door. You need to rest. —the bartender replied patiently, grabbing his waist and arm.
Maito Gai let himself be led by the bartender, who set him down a few meters from the entrance of the bar. He continued dancing, clapping and laughing for a while as he walked down the street. After he had made sure that he was far enough away from the bar and that there were no Suna ninjas nearby, Gai took off his drunken mask in a small alley and quickly made his way to the room where he and his students were staying.
—
She's taking a long time, isn't she, Neji?
The aforementioned didn't react to his classmate Rock Lee's words. The Hyūga boy was sitting in a leather chair in the corner of the room where they were staying. He was nervous, very nervous. Tenten was taking too long. Neji couldn't help wondering if something bad had happened to his teammate while she were spying.
"It's still within the safe time frame, they haven't told us anything yet..." Neji thought, trying to keep his composure.
It was six and a quarter in the afternoon. He understood why Gai-sensei was still out, as he was meeting his former colleague and probably drinking with him, but Tenten hadn't shown any sign of life since three in the afternoon when she went out the door.
"I should have left even if I risked being seen…" Neji lamented, his palm resting on his cheek.
Although Lee didn't say anything, he could tell that Neji was uncomfortable. While he knew that his teammate didn't usually show his feelings, he also knew that he cared about Tenten's well-being as well as his own. In his own way, the Hyūga boy cared deeply for them, and he could sense that Tenten's tardiness was upsetting him inside. Just then, the door to the room opened. Neji stopped himself from jumping up. He was disappointed to see that the person who came through the door was none other than Gai-sensei.
—Hello, everyone. —the teacher in green tights said to his two students.
—Gai-sensei, how good that you're back! —Lee greeted his teacher, pretending not to be worried. —How was your mate?
—Oh, good, he was fine, but don't worry about that, Lee, and tell me how the doctor's appointment went!
As Lee began to recount to his teacher the details that the venerable Chiyo-bâsama had told him, Neji once again sank into silent despair. With his left hand, he gripped the armrest of the chair. He tried to stop himself from running to find Tenten.
"No... no... it can't take that long..." The young Genin felt a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Hyûga Neji was known for four things in particular.
First, in a familiar way, he had a guilty love for herring soba. Not a week went by that he didn't eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Second, he had graduated as a Genin at the top of his class at the ninja academy. For that, he was known within the Konoha military education system.
Thirdly, he was known as Hyûga no Tensai (Hyûga Genius). His skills were far superior to his peers within the Hyûga Clan.
Fourth and finally, he was a very rational person. He was extremely logical, to the point that he could be irritating and sometimes considered cold-hearted. There was no decision he made, no action he took without checking the facts. He always had a plan. He didn't like to take unnecessary risks. But this time he had done it. Because of his own worries. Because of the thoughts that plagued him about his clan. For his mother. For Hinata. For Lee. For Tenten. And he didn't understand what was going through his mind and why he was making these decisions. All he knew was that right now, he wanted to know where his partner was and if she was okay.
—By the way, where is she, Tenten?
Gai-sensei's words brought him out of his thoughts. Neji went into shock and tried to make an excuse for his teacher's question, but he felt that he couldn't utter a word. That was when Lee noticed and came to the rescue.
—She went for a walk. She said she wanted to check out the weapon shops and get something interesting when she leaves Suna, when they take off her gloves. —Lee replied, covering his stricken companion who tried to recover unnoticed.
Maito Gai understood and accepted the answer of his beloved pupil. Neji sighed in relief, grateful for Lee's words. After all, Tenten was a girl whose hobbies included collecting and mastering various weapons. It was a good excuse to buy some time.
—Fine, then we'll wait for her to come back for dinner. —his teacher commented, making himself comfortable in the other chair in the bedroom.
Almost immediately, the door to the room opened as if by magic. Neji's heart pounded, even more when he saw the figure of a person similar in height to Tenten, dressed in the traditional Suna clothes, enter. The white-eyed boy sighed with relief.
—Oh, Tenten, you're here! —Gai-sensei said when he saw the girl's face after she had removed her cloth turban. —Did you have a good time? It's strange that you bought a traditional costume from here. It's not something you usually wear...
Neji noticed the moment she showed her face. It was narrowed and her eyes were glazed over. Something wasn't right. Something bad had happened or she had heard something. The normally confident Tenten's shoulders were hunched and she seemed to have shrunk. Gai-sensei and Lee noticed this as well.
—We're in trouble! God, Lee, you were right! —Tenten said, suddenly showing a face filled with dismay and stress. —Sunagakure will attack Konoha immediately!
—
—Hey, Kakashi-sensei! How long until we get to the assigned place?!
—Keep your voice down, Naruto! If there were any enemies, they would have spotted us by now!
—I think you two should think more about the concept of moderation. —Kakashi commented to his two pupils, Naruto and Sakura, as he jumped onto a tree branch.
Uchiha Sasuke snorted as he listened to the interaction between his two teammates. Indeed, Naruto and Sakura could be quite boisterous, but he couldn't deny that in some ways, he was amused by their carelessness on rare occasions.
Sasuke made another jump to the next tree. Now that his chakra control was more refined, he could move faster through the forest. His training with Kakashi for the final phase of the Chūnin Exam was proving to be very effective, especially since he had discovered with him that his related chakra nature was lightning. It had been a complete surprise for the Uchiha and he was happy about it. Nevertheless, the training that Kakashi had forced him to undergo was hard, and when I say hard, I mean VERY hard. He still could not believe that such training was required. After the preliminaries for the Chūnin examination, Kakashi summoned him to the highest and most mountainous area in the village, Takurami Mountain, north of the Hokage Monument.
How surprised he was that the silver-haired jōnin forced him to survive for practically three weeks in that area where lightning and thunder were common! Watching, listening, living with lightning. According to Kakashi, this was one of the most effective ways to control his own nature if he wanted to learn the mythical and unique technique created by his master: Chidori (Thousand Birds). Now that he was finally in the final stages of training and approaching the Chûnin Exams, everything had come to a standstill due to Suna's problems with rogue ninjas and deserters. Sasuke was annoyed because he wanted to become stronger by fighting other genin.
—I wonder when the Chûnin Exams will resume? Will it be after the Hokage meeting? —the Uchiha thought, lost in his own thoughts, eager to continue his quest for power.
—Okay. —Kakashi said, pulling him out of his reverie. —There are still 5 kilometers until we reach Furuya no Kyô, the former capital of the Land of Rivers. Once we get there, we'll send a report on the situation to Sandaime-sama's detachment.
The three genin of Team Kakashi expressed their agreement with the decision of their jōnin leader. Finally, it was time for action.
—All right! We'll show the Old Hokage what we can do! —Naruto shouted enthusiastically.
—Oh, Naruto! How can you be so full of energy after almost a day and a half of traveling? —Sakura asked, looking tired.
The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes when she saw her companion giggling mischievously as he talked to Sasuke about his intention to start some kind of challenge on the way to the old capital.
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura thought, still staring at the Uchiha boy.
She was very glad to see him. She hadn't heard from him for almost a month and wondered every day if he was in good health. After all, Sasuke had left the NMU abruptly and without warning to begin training with his teacher for the Chūnin examination finals.
"The NMU..." Sakura remembered, her mind somewhat troubled.
For five days now, Haruno Sakura had been thinking about what she had overheard in the NMU room where Rock Lee had been hospitalized. She couldn't help herself. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to snoop, especially considering that Team Gai was one of the groups that had helped them with those Oto ninja twelve days ago, just before their members were ambushed in the Southwest Forest.
Even though she wasn't very close to them because they had only met recently, she felt that she owed them a favor for their help. In a way, Sakura felt that she was breaking their trust, especially with Rock Lee. He had saved her by confronting the Oto team that tried to take Sasuke away. Even though it wasn't Lee's duty to interfere with someone else's mission, he had done so to protect her. He had been physically injured to the point of fainting and even his hearing was damaged.
If Sasuke hadn't woken up, intervened and dealt the final blow, she, Naruto and the others wouldn't have told anyone. But that didn't make her any less grateful to the boy in the green suit. That's why she hadn't told anyone about what she had heard. She didn't want to get the members of Team Guy into trouble for no apparent reason. In fact, Sakura knew that there was still no proof that what she'd heard was true. But the truth was that she was worried. She hadn't expected Team Guy, and especially Lee, to talk about that man named Orochimaru. The one who had ordered the Oto ninjas to bring Sasuke to her and who had bitten the boy's shoulder and put a curse on his body.
That's why Sakura stood stunned at the mention of that terrifying individual at the door of the room and listened to Lee claim that there would be an attack on the Sandaime Hokage and that Konoha would be invaded by foreign ninjas from Suna and Oto. All orchestrated by Orochimaru.
"Could it be true? Is such an event going to happen? And what did what Lee-san said about 'what he saw and experienced in the Genjutsu' mean?" Sakura wondered, unable to find an answer.
Even though she didn't know what those cryptic words meant, it was clear that Sakura had already realized that the situation with Sunagakure had become very complicated over the past few weeks, to the point that Konoha was holding the three children of the Kazekage after they had gone missing against the village. Right now, in the midst of all this, her own team had been sent as an advance party on an A-rank mission to scout the area ahead of the meeting between the Sandaime Hokage and the Yondaime Kazekage. All with the goal of strengthening diplomatic relations and resolving the problems between the two shinobi villages.
—Oh, by the way! Sakura-chan, when we finish this mission, let's go on a date! —Naruto suddenly called to her. He wanted her to notice him.
Sakura was jolted out of her thoughts by her blonde classmate and sighed in annoyance. With everything that had happened, it was incredible how carefree Naruto was about everything, including his own personal circumstances.
—Are you crazy?! Come on, not even dead! —Sakura shouted, trying to focus on the situation at hand and forget the whirlwind of her thoughts.
—You didn't have to say it like that, Sakura-chan... —Naruto said in a pitiful tone as he lowered his head dramatically.
Kakashi stood a little apart from the rest of his pupils and watched. The Jônin had been on orange alert ever since they had entered the Land of Rivers. The leader of team 07-080 had sensed that something wasn't right for some time now and that made him uncomfortable. His ninja instinct had kicked in and told him that something was wrong. Uchiha Sasuke, for his part, was listening to the conversation of his two companions when he suddenly saw a flash of light from the corner of his eye heading towards the group.
—Watch out!
A paper bomb tied to a kunai lodged itself in the tree he had leaned against to jump. The explosion threw him 50 meters away.
—Fuck, this is bad. —Sasuke said, concentrating his chakra on the soles of his feet against the trunk of the tree to keep from falling to the ground.
—Shit, you're going to find out! —Naruto shouted, throwing himself into the cloud of smoke left by the explosion.
—Stop, Naruto! Don't rush! —Sakura shouted, trying in vain to stop her companion.
As Naruto disappeared from the sight of his two companions, the sound of metal colliding and the grunting of an unknown person could be heard. Nothing could be seen. There had been too much smoke for a paper bomb.
"They probably used smoke bombs too..." Sasuke thought, keeping his guard up with a kunai in his right hand.
The Uchiha boy had activated his two-bladed Sharingan, waiting for the right moment to make a move. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him and turned to attack. Then, he saw it face to face. A shinobi of similar age who wore a Suna forehead guard.
Sasuke and the ninja traded kunai attacks for a few seconds. Since there wasn't much of a difference to tip the battle in their favor, Sasuke decided to switch to a higher level of technique.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Technique: Great Fireball)" the Uchiha boy thought as he launched the technique from high in the treetops.
When the great fireball fell to the ground, the Suna Shinobi wanted to jump back to avoid it, but he didn't realize that he had made a mistake.
—Gotcha.
Sasuke anticipated his movements with his Sharingan and was faster. After firing the jutsu, he positioned himself behind the enemy. With a high kick, he threw him into the air and hit him with a combination of blows that sent him flying back to the ground.
—Shishi Rendan! (Lion Strike)!" he shouted, punching the enemy in the stomach as he collapsed to the ground.
Sasuke slowly sat up and saw that the Suna ninja had been knocked unconscious, a trail of blood coming from his mouth. Gradually, he saw the smoke dissipate and began to see more clearly. A short distance away, Sasuke noticed that Kakashi had helped Sakura to defend herself from another Suna shinobi who was pinned to the ground by the Jônin. A little further away, a large group of smiling Narutos were sitting on two other ninjas from the same village. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, panting heavily. His Shishi Rendan technique, copied from Rock Lee's Omote Renge, had exhausted him. He didn't have the endurance and physical strength of Maito Gai's pupil, no matter how hard he had trained in the past month. Sasuke sighed slowly and tried to relax his muscles and catch his breath.
—Are you okay, Sasuke, Naruto? —Kakashi asked his students lightly.
Both boys simply confirmed their well-being in their own way. Kakashi turned his curious gaze to the Suna ninja.
—Well, I think we have some interrogation work to do. —Kakashi said to the ninja whose arm he pulled back.
The Suna Shinobi grunted at the slight stretching of his arm by the Konoha Jônin.
—I won't say anything… —the voice of the Suna ninja sounded shaky. —I don't care that you are the famous Hatake Kakashi. I won't say anything!
—Really? —Kakashi asked sarcastically and began to apply more pressure to the enemy's back while maintaining the tension on his shoulder.
In almost an instant, the groans of the Suna Shinobi turned into screams. Kakashi's three pupils simply watched from their seats. While Naruto and Sakura showed some expressions of pain, Sasuke watched the interrogation without flinching.
—Enough, enough, enough! Please! I'll talk, I'll say whatever you want!
—Komaza, you bastard! Hang on! —another desert ninja shouted as he was crushed by the Naruto clones.
Kakashi scratched his chin above the mask that covered his face. He was surprised by the Suna ninja's sudden willingness to talk.
—Did it bother you so much that you had to beg? That means you're just a very new and inexperienced Genin or someone who is very sensitive to pain.
Kakashi loosened his grip to let the genin named Komaza breathe. The latter had lowered his gaze in embarrassment at the words of the famous Konoha shinobi.
—You don't look like rogue ninjas, judging by your appearance. Why did you attack your allies? —the Jônin asked, maintaining his grip on the Suna ninja.
—We were following orders... from Suna... —Komaza said with difficulty.
—Orders? What kind? —Kakashi asked, trying not to show surprise at the Suna ninja's statements.
Komaza became silent again. It seemed as if he had suddenly become unwilling to cooperate. Kakashi sighed at Komaza's stubbornness and tightened his grip again.
—Okay, okay! We were supposed to watch for any intruders and attack them! We should prevent any independent Konoha ninja or team from seeing our movements!
Kakashi frowned. He didn't like the tone of the Suna Genin's statement. Komaza's words sounded like something he'd heard since the Third Great Ninja War.
—So what kind of movements did you make? —Kakashi asked again to confirm his suspicion.
—M-move our troops... towards Furuya no Kyô and... towards Konoha...
Haruno Sakura felt herself going into a state of alert. The girl let out a small, barely audible gasp of surprise at the statements of the Suna ninja. Rock Lee's words echoed loudly in her mind. Destruction, invasion, Orochimaru, murder.
—So you are saying that the rogue ninjas who attacked us in the past few weeks were not rogue ninjas? They were still full-fledged Suna ninjas? —Sasuke asked at the statement of a frightened Komaza.
The Suna Genin nodded while his conscious companions grunted or sighed in disappointment. Sakura felt her heart beating very fast, almost confirming her suspicion of invasion and betrayal by Suna, confirming Rock Lee's words.
—What do you intend to do with this? —the Jônin asked next, trying to end the interrogation as quickly as possible.
At this question, Sakura panicked. The young kunoichi felt as if she was being interrogated herself. Her parted lips and pounding heart couldn't stand the pressure any longer.
—Are you going to invade Konoha? Are you going to kill Hokage-sama? —the young kunoichi asked without hesitation.
At that moment, the three men of the Kakashi team turned to Sakura with puzzled expressions, while the ninja named Komaza stared at the pink-haired girl with wide eyes.
—How do you know that, Konoha girl?! —the Suna Shinobi shouted at the kunoichi. —That information should only be known by those in Suna and Orochimaru's allies! How did you know that?!
Immediately, Sakura could see the faces of the men on her team change to worried ones.
—Sakura, what does that mean? —Kakashi asked earnestly.
The girl took a step back and hugged herself. Sakura saw the worry, confusion and disbelief on Naruto's face. She didn't trust him and she couldn't trust him to help her. At that moment, the young woman really panicked for her own safety. Then she saw Sasuke who, although he still had a surprised and worried expression on his face, seemed to be looking at her with sympathetic eyes. It was because of him that Sakura decided to speak up.
—I heard him say it... Lee-san… —Sakura explained in a soft, thin voice.
At the statement of his pupil, Kakashi frowned in surprise and put his hand to his chin in thought. He didn't understand anything. What kind of information was Sakura talking about? She was the smartest member of the group and would never say something she made up. The silver-haired Jônin's mind began to race and he had to think about how to act based on the new information he had, whether it was true or false.
—Lee... are you referring to Gejimayu, Sakura-chan? —Naruto asked, mentioning the strange nickname he had given Rock Lee some time ago.
Sakura nodded, her head worried, her expression anxious, still looking at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye.
—I overheard him when I tried to visit you at the UMN that Konoha would be invaded by Suna and Oto and that Sandaime would be killed by Orochimaru in a short time. —Sakura explained, sharing what she knew.
The Uchiha put his hand to his shoulder in pain, confirming that it hurt at the mention of Orochimaru's name. Hatake Kakashi lowered his face, hiding his dismay behind his mask, especially at the mention of that name. Orochimaru? Was that damned snake planning to attack the village? Was that why he had done what he had done to Sasuke and Anko?
"I have many doubts about all of this, especially about what Sakura said, but now we have no choice but to act." he said and immediately struck Komaza in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious to the astonishment of his pupils.
Quickly, Kakashi pulled out a scroll before his students could even speak. With a kunai, he opened his skin, sliced off his thumb and began to write quickly with the blood that oozed from it. Kakashi turned to Naruto who was still sitting on top of the two Suna ninjas.
—Naruto, beat your prisoners unconscious.
—Okay, Kakashi-sensei! —Naruto said and hit the heads of the two shinobi below him, who immediately stopped protesting.
Kakashi finished the message with his own blood under the watchful eyes of his pupils.
—There is a change in the mission. —the Jônin said and rolled up the scroll he had just written. —I have new orders for you three: You are to return the way we came, contact the detachment of Sandaime Hokage and deliver this message with absolute urgency.
Before he could finish his words, Kakashi had thrown the scroll to Sasuke who looked at him seriously.
—You are the leader from now on, Sasuke. —Kakashi said firmly. —Hokage-sama should be on his way here by now. Tell the ANBU what we've learned from these Suna Shinobi. After that, you must return to Konoha immediately and inform the Council of the impending invasion.
—What?! But Sakura-chan said that the old man might die! She heard it from Gejimayu! We have to get back here...!
—We can't completely rely on what a sick genin said, Naruto! —the white-haired Jônin said even more firmly. —Whatever happens here, you three are the only hope to prevent a catastrophe in Konoha.
With these words, the three Genin looked at each other and nodded with conviction as they met Kakashi's gaze. Then they set off to meet the Hokage the same way they had traveled to the old capital. Almost immediately, they disappeared.
Hatake Kakashi was left alone with the four unconscious Suna Genin. He pulled out another red scroll and began to seal it with a basic Fûinjutsu of Capture. To the west, he could see the Ôkogane Kyuden (Great Golden Palace) of Furuya no Kyô, the meeting place of the two Kage. There were less than 24 hours left before the rulers would meet. After completing his actions, Kakashi jumped to the top of a tree and disappeared into its thicket, minimizing his presence.
"Naruto... Sasuke... Sakura... I'm sorry that I can't count on you, but it's best that you stay away from what's going on here," Kakashi thought with great seriousness after everything that had just happened. "I don't want you to die."
—
OFFICIAL NINJA PROFILE
Ninja Registration Number: 010252
Last Name: Maito
First Name: Gai
Nickname: Gekimayu-sensei (Super Big Eyebrows Sensei/Big Eyebrows Master) / Konoha no Kedakaki Aoi Mōjū (The Sublime Green Beast of Konoha)
Date of Birth: January 1, Year 054 Modern Age
Sex: Male
Status: Active
Blood Type: B
Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato, Land of Fire
Clan/Family: Not noteworthy
Team: Graduated Genin of Team 04 - 061 and Captain of Team 03 - 079
Ninja Rank: Jônin (Year 069 Modern Age)
Ninja Category: Rescuer
Chakra Natures: Fire (Affinity Natural)
Kekkei Genkai: Nonexistent
Occupation: Unknown
—
NEXT CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION