Ch.148 Overt and Covert Struggle for Command

Hokage Office.

The Third Hokage, along with the village's advisors and elders, was listening to Kakashi and Asuma's detailed report on the recent mission.

Kakashi finished his report, "That concludes the full account of this operation."

Asuma added, "I have nothing more to contribute."

The Third Hokage removed his pipe, exhaling a puff of smoke. "So, the demon from the Land of Demons and the wandering doctor known as 'Shinnō' have both joined the Akatsuki?"

Kakashi nodded, "Yes."

Danzō's expression darkened as he furrowed his brow, "Why would the Akatsuki lure Sasuke out of the village?"

Koharu Utatane also questioned, "And why did they let him go in the end? It seems rather unusual."

According to Kakashi's report, the Akatsuki had ample time to either kill or capture Sasuke, but instead, they left him unconscious in the canyon. This fact didn't add up.

Kakashi explained, "I'm sorry, but we haven't gathered enough clues yet. Perhaps once Sasuke wakes up, we can understand the reason."

The Third Hokage then asked, "How are Sasuke's injuries? When can we expect him to wake up?"

Kakashi responded, "The medical team has diagnosed that Sasuke's mind has suffered extreme trauma, leading him to shut off all connections with the outside world, so..."

Danzō interrupted, "So what?!"

Kakashi sighed, "So they are unsure when he will wake up, unless that person intervenes."

Everyone present understood who Kakashi was referring to—Tsunade. However, she had left the village, and it was impossible to contact her immediately.

After a brief pause, the Third Hokage ordered, "Notify Jiraiya and have him bring Tsunade back. The village needs them now."

Kakashi bowed in acknowledgment, "I will arrange it right away."

Homura Mitokado suddenly asked, "Did that wandering doctor truly master the Eight Gates Formation? And can he really open the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Shock?"

Following Homura's question, all eyes in the room turned to Kakashi and Asuma.

The Eight Gates Formation was a forbidden technique of the Hidden Leaf, and even within the village, only a handful of people had mastered it.

With Might Duy's death, no one in the village could currently open the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Shock. Even Duy's son, Might Guy, was only capable of opening the Sixth Gate, the Gate of View, and was still working towards opening the Seventh Gate.

So it seemed unbelievable to the Hidden Leaf's leadership that a wandering doctor had not only mastered the Eight Gates Formation but could also open the Seventh Gate.

"This is something I witnessed with my own eyes," Kakashi confirmed. "He indeed mastered the Eight Gates Formation and opened the Seventh Gate."

As someone who had also trained in the Eight Gates Formation, Kakashi found it difficult to accept that a wandering doctor could open the Seventh Gate. But the reality was undeniable. In front of many witnesses, Shinnō had opened the Seventh Gate and nearly decimated the team that Uchiha Shinji had hastily assembled.

Had Shinnō not held back, sparing their lives, only Kimimaro—who possessed the Shikotsumyaku—might have survived. Neji, Kiba, and Shino wouldn't have made it.

Koharu frowned, "Could the rumors be true? Could Shinnō be a spy?"

Danzō sneered, "Hmph, perhaps he has been working for the Akatsuki all along, using the cover of a wandering doctor to infiltrate different villages, stealing their secrets and gathering intelligence."

Homura agreed, "A full investigation is necessary."

The Third Hokage took another puff from his pipe and nodded, "Begin a thorough investigation into the leak of the Eight Gates Formation immediately."

"Understood!" Kakashi bowed again, taking the order.

Since Shinnō had stolen a forbidden technique as powerful as the Eight Gates Release, there was a high probability that he had also taken other techniques. This posed a significant security risk to the village and had to be addressed.

After the high-level meeting ended and the others left, the Third Hokage called Kakashi back. "This time, the Hidden Leaf was placed in a very vulnerable position at the Five Kage Summit. If we cannot obtain the Akatsuki's secret intelligence first, we will lose the command of the upcoming operation."

Kakashi immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

The Land of Fire had been able to occupy the most prosperous and fertile lands in the shinobi world because the Hidden Leaf was the leading village of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

If this position were to be lost, the Land of Fire would never find peace.

After all, the other great nations had always coveted the Land of Fire's fertile lands.

The upcoming operation's command seemed, on the surface, to be solely about dealing with Akatsuki, but it directly reflected the current strength of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

If command were taken by another village, it would signify that the Hidden Leaf had lost its status as the leader of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—a situation the Third Hokage could not tolerate.

Seeing that Kakashi understood his concerns, the Third Hokage instructed, "Whatever it takes, contact Uchiha Itachi and acquire intelligence on Akatsuki. Any condition he asks for can be negotiated, as long as it leads to information."

Kakashi nodded, "Understood."

After a moment of silence, the Third Hokage asked, "Did Uchiha Shinji exhibit any unusual behavior during this mission?"

After thinking it over carefully, Kakashi shook his head. "I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary from Uchiha Shinji."

The Third Hokage waved his hand, "Very well, you may go."

Kakashi saluted and left the Hokage office.

Meanwhile, the other villages were also taking action.

As soon as the Fourth Raikage returned to his camp, he sent a secret order to the Hidden Cloud, demanding that Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and Yūgorō, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, be secretly assembled.

The Fourth Raikage was determined to secure command of the operation, so he planned to lead the mission personally, capture one or two Akatsuki members, and extract their secrets using the most direct method.

Similarly, the Fourth Mizukage issued the same command upon returning to the Mist Village's temporary camp.

Unlike the original timeline, where he had been attacked by Itachi and Zabuza, and later controlled by Tobi's genjutsu, the current Fourth Mizukage had complete control over the Hidden Mist Village.

The signs that the Third Mizukage had been manipulated by the Sharingan were a source of shame for the Mist's leadership, so the entire village was united in investigating the incidents related to the Akatsuki.

Upon his return to the Stone Village's temporary camp, the Third Tsuchikage immediately issued secret orders for his shinobi to locate and contact Deidara.

Ōnoki was equally determined to secure command of this operation.

But as a seasoned leader, he had no desire to engage Akatsuki directly and risk his village's strength. Deidara was his key to avoiding such a confrontation.

When the Fourth Kazekage and Elder Chiyo returned to their temporary camp, they began selecting elite squads, hoping to capture a few Akatsuki members.

For Chiyo, if Sasori could be captured by the Hidden Sand, his life might be spared. But if he fell into the hands of another village, his fate would be much worse.

Therefore, both for personal reasons and for the sake of the village, she fully supported the Fourth Kazekage in the fight for command of this operation.

In the eyes of the Fourth Kazekage, when the Five Great Shinobi Villages united, no matter how strong Akatsuki was, they would eventually be overwhelmed. He saw this mission as a chance to boost his prestige and silence those who questioned his leadership within the village.

And so, chaos swirled within the Hidden Leaf. Rumors flew, and secret orders were dispatched in every direction.

...

Late at night.

Haku entered a small forest and whispered to a large tree, "I just participated in the mission to retrieve Sasuke. You shouldn't be contacting me right now."

A sigh came from the shadows behind the tree. "I had no choice. The Mizukage is pressuring me."

Haku asked, "Was this an order from the Mizukage himself?"

"Yes," the shadow confirmed. "Akatsuki members infiltrated the Hidden Leaf and lured Uchiha Sasuke out of the village. Zabuza guided him. All signs indicate that there is something about Uchiha Sasuke that Akatsuki is interested in. The Mizukage wants you to use this opportunity to get close to Sasuke and find out why Akatsuki targeted him."

After hesitating briefly, Haku revealed some information. "Sasuke has fallen into a deep coma, and the Hidden Leaf's medical team is unable to treat him."

The shadow sounded surprised, "What? Is that information reliable?"

"It's absolutely reliable," Haku affirmed.

The shadow asked, "Why did he fall into such a deep coma?"

Haku explained, "According to the medical team's analysis, Sasuke was likely subjected to an extremely powerful genjutsu, pushing his mind to the brink of collapse. As a result, he activated a self-protection mechanism, cutting off all external stimuli."

"Genjutsu attack?" After a pause, the shadow asked, "Doesn't Sasuke's Sharingan have the power to control the Nine-Tails? How could he be so severely injured by genjutsu?"

Haku shook his head. "I'm not sure. But Sasuke left the village with the sole purpose of killing his brother, Uchiha Itachi. So it's highly likely that Itachi, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, is the one who placed Sasuke under this genjutsu."

The shadow was silent for a moment before asking, "Is there a chance Sasuke will wake up?"

Haku answered, "It's uncertain."

"Alright. I will report this to the Mizukage. But keep a close eye on Uchiha Sasuke. If he wakes up, make sure to find out why Akatsuki tried to lure him out of the village and why they didn't capture or kill him."

Haku nodded, "Understood."

Elsewhere, at the Hidden Sound's temporary base...

Disguised as a member of the Sound Village, Kimimaro stood before Orochimaru and bowed. "Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru glanced at Kimimaro, a faint smile forming on his lips. "I heard you had a tough time against Shinnō."

"My apologies," Kimimaro said, full of remorse.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Losing to the Eight Gates Formation is nothing to be ashamed of."

But Kimimaro shook his head firmly. "It's because I'm too weak! But next time, I will kill him."

Orochimaru looked at Kimimaro with admiration. "I look forward to that day."

Kimimaro, meeting Orochimaru's gaze, said with determination, "I will not disappoint you."

Orochimaru smiled. "I've recently discovered an interesting individual and extracted some natural energy from him. Would you like to try it?"

Kimimaro bowed deeply, "I will do whatever you command."

Orochimaru saw through Kimimaro's thoughts. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

Kimimaro hesitated briefly before speaking. "If possible... would you teach me the Eight Gates Release?"

"Hahahaha!"

Orochimaru, usually so cold and composed, broke into rare laughter.

Meanwhile, in a ramen shop...

A middle-aged chef served Karin a bowl of steaming ramen. After making sure the coast was clear, he closed the door to their private room.

Lowering his voice, he asked, "Why did you take part in the mission to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke without permission? Don't you realize that this could expose you to the Hidden Leaf's leadership and create unnecessary trouble?"

"I'm sorry," Karin said, struggling to suppress her anger.

She was filled with frustration and resentment toward the Hidden Grass Village, which only sought to exploit her. But with her mother having faked her own death to escape, and Karin herself in the Hidden Leaf, she couldn't afford to antagonize the Grass Village. Any conflict could disrupt her mother's hard-won peace and potentially lead to her own exposure as a spy, which would certainly result in severe punishment from the Hidden Leaf.

After all, Karin had participated in an assassination attempt on Naruto. If the Grass Village revealed everything, the Hidden Leaf would never forgive her.

The chef threatened, "I warn you! Don't ever act so recklessly again. Remember, your mother is still under our control!"

Karin nodded while thinking to herself, "Just as the leader predicted, the Grass Village doesn't care about my mother's life. They only want to use her as leverage against me."

Seeing Karin's compliance, the chef relaxed and said, "Even though your actions were reckless, they have unintentionally created an opportunity for us. Your task now is to get close to Uchiha Sasuke and uncover the connection between him and the Akatsuki. Once you find any information about Akatsuki, report it to me immediately."

While the Grass Village had no claim to the operation's command, the information regarding Akatsuki was still valuable.

If they could acquire Akatsuki's secrets before the Five Great Shinobi Villages, they would have a bargaining chip.

Karin didn't reveal the truth about Sasuke's condition to the chef, simply nodding. "Understood. I will find a way to get close to Uchiha Sasuke."

Satisfied, the chef smiled and added, "Also, the village has decided to restart the 'Tailed Beast Plan.' Your new mission is to gather all the information you can on Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

"What? Restart the 'Tailed Beast Plan'? Why now?" Karin was shocked. The previous attempt to assassinate Naruto had already put the village under intense scrutiny. It had only been a few months, and she had expected the village to lay low until the Hidden Leaf's vigilance subsided.

The chef replied coldly, "You don't need to know the reasons. Just follow the orders."

Karin sighed, "Yes, understood."

The chef continued, "Once the plan succeeds, you, with your Uzumaki bloodline, will be the ideal candidate to become the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. So for now, don't do anything to draw the attention of the Hidden Leaf's leadership. Is that clear?"