C 86(1)

"Master Danzo, the operatives we placed within the Kain Chamber of Commerce have gone silent. Currently, Aya oversees desserts and casinos, while the responsibilities for pills and other divisions have been reassigned to different personnel," a Root ninja reported, half-kneeling on the ground. 

Although contact with most of their agents had been lost, a few remained reachable—those placed directly by Root without Aya's involvement.

Some time ago, the Kain Chamber of Commerce had seen rapid growth across the Land of Fire, providing Root with an opportune moment to infiltrate. 

However, most of these agents lacked access to the Chamber's core secrets and were relegated to mundane tasks. While they earned substantial sums, espionage—not income—was their mission.

"Discovered? Or something else?" Danzo asked, his brow furrowed.

Though Sarutobi Hiruzen had explicitly ordered him to cease meddling with the Kain Chamber of Commerce, Danzo couldn't ignore its connection to his recovery efforts. 

The information on the Extremis virus was critical, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his grasp. Orochimaru's evasive responses to his inquiries only deepened his frustration.

"The likelihood of exposure is high," the Root ninja continued. "Based on reports from our surviving agents and information gathered from covert sources, it appears the missing operatives were ambushed during a supply mission. They were killed, and the goods were stolen."

"While it looks like an accident on the surface, it's suspicious that our agents—who were stationed in different roles—were all gathered in one place before the incident."

Danzo's expression darkened, his voice low as he pondered aloud, "Could Aya have betrayed us?"

"It seems unlikely," the ninja responded. "Her influence within the organization has been curtailed significantly. Reports suggest she has little authority left, and with her children enrolled in the ninja academy, she wouldn't risk defying Konoha or endangering them."

The analysis appeared logical, but Danzo's instincts remained wary. 

Aya, though stripped of her surname, was still tied to the Senju clan. And Root was an organization tasked with safeguarding Konoha, operating under the Hokage's authority.

Aya had little reason to betray Konoha or ally herself completely with an outsider—at least on the surface. Yet, the ninja's analysis overlooked a critical aspect of ninja culture: loyalty, as often as not, was bought and paid for.

While Aya no longer held the title of a ninja, she had accepted generous rewards from Kain in exchange for her service. And the Senju family, with their centuries-old traditions, held one principle above all: honor their obligations.

In the Warring States period, failing to fulfill a contracted duty was considered treachery—a stain on the clan's honor. In such cases, the Senju patriarch would personally execute the offender before offering an apology to the employer.

Thus, even under Konoha's shadow, Aya's dedication to Kain could not be dismissed. No amount of threats or orders from Danzo could easily dissuade her from upholding her professional integrity.

Danzo contemplated for a moment before giving his orders in a cold, measured tone: "Do not send any more agents for now. Focus on assisting those already embedded within the Kain Chamber of Commerce to climb the ranks. Also, have we heard of any new medicines circulating in the ninja world?"

The Root ninja knelt respectfully as he responded, "No new developments so far. Medicines can be freely purchased at the three pharmacies in the Land of Fire, so they've become widespread. However, the situation remains unchanged in the Land of Water."

Medicines in the ninja world were invaluable commodities. With few doctors available—most serving exclusively under nobles—the advent of affordable medicine for the general populace was a groundbreaking shift. 

Even families with modest means would stockpile these remedies to treat common illnesses.

"Continue investigating. We need concrete evidence," Danzo ordered.

"Understood, Master Danzo."

Given Kirigakure's precedent, Danzo refused to believe that Kain wasn't also distributing medicines to other nations. He deployed Root operatives to key intersections across the Land of Fire and at critical checkpoints in smaller countries to gather intelligence.

To facilitate this effort, Danzo secured additional funds from Sarutobi Hiruzen, ostensibly for expanding Anbu's manpower. His operatives disguised themselves as bandits, targeting caravans from rival nations under the pretense of weakening their economies and bolstering Konoha's security.

Hiruzen, still feeling some guilt over forcing Danzo to take the blame for their last debacle, approved the funding request. He even allowed Danzo to recruit ten promising graduates from the ninja academy to replenish Root's ranks.

Reports indicated that Kain had established a large pharmaceutical factory in the Land of Waves. However, its security was formidable, with nearly a hundred armed guards and samurai stationed there. 

To breach such defenses would require a Jōnin-led team, which risked exposing Konoha's involvement. Even without hard evidence, Kain could easily deduce who was responsible.

Moreover, Kain's mastery of space-time ninjutsu presented a daunting challenge. His abilities had already proven capable of bypassing even Konoha's most advanced spatial barriers, leaving the higher-ups in Konoha wary. 

If Kain's factory were attacked, there was a real possibility that the Hokage building itself could become a retaliatory target.

….

"The factory isn't complete yet?" Kain asked coldly, his displeasure evident.

The delays had tested his patience, and his expression hardened as he faced the person in charge. "I provided you with ample time and funding. If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, you might as well return to farming."

The factory manager, a traveling merchant named Damu, looked visibly nervous. Having sought refuge with Kain after losing his goods and capital to bandits, he was now walking on thin ice.

"There is an aristocrat from the Land of Tea, about ten miles away. He thinks that recruiting workers here will reduce the number of people available to farm for him."

When Kain heard this excuse, a wave of irritation surged through him. He fought the urge to slap Damu and instead placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder. 

"Mr. Damu," Kain said with a cold smile, "do you think the guards I provided are just for show? Go deal with him. If the factory isn't operational within ten days, you and that nobleman can accompany each other to the Pure Land."

"Y-Yes, boss," Damu stammered, his entire body trembling. Without wasting time, he hurried out to gather the guards, ready to take immediate action against the noble.

….

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