One Arrow Two Birds

"Sensei, that is you, isn't it? Why don't you help us, too?"

Fear etched across her face, the female teacher gazed at the group of male students surrounding her, her voice trembling with desperation as it reverberated through the dimly lit classroom. "No...please...don't! Yamete!"

"Hahaha!" The leader of the student group bellowed with malicious laughter, gripping his teacher's head tightly. "No one can stop me! For I am the man who will become the P king!"

"Nooooo-"

A creepy laugh filled the air as a man, engrossed in a book, panted heavily. He turned the page, eager to discover what would unfold next. But to his astonishment, his blushing face froze in disbelief as he stared down at the empty page before him. "No! How can this be? A blank page?! Impossible! There must be some hidden secret!"

Frantically, he licked his finger and hastily flipped back a page before flipping forward again, as if his actions could magically reveal hidden images. But the redness soon faded from his face, replaced by a tinge of panic. Jiraiya rapidly flipped through the remaining pages, only to find them all blank.

"No! How can the second half of the book be empty? Who on earth printed this? They should be fired for skimping on their duty!"

Yet, when Jiraiya reached the final page, he noticed a small, faint text inscribed on it. His eyes narrowed as he read the words silently to himself. "The rest? It's yours if you want it! Find it! I left all sauce the world has there! One Piece, it's real!"

For a moment, Jiraiya fell into silence, contemplating the absurdity of the message. With a dismissive snort, he slammed the book shut and swiftly stashed it away in his pocket. "What nonsense is this? As if anyone would believe it..."

His gaze shifted toward the lifeless body of the masked adult ninja lying nearby, his stomach already corroded into a gaping hole - a grim outcome that had befallen all those he had attempted to interrogate.

Carefully wrapping the corpse within a scroll, Jiraiya's eyes turned towards the young teen who was making a daring escape through the slums. A glimmer of slyness flickered in his squinted eyes. "But that brat might hold some clues..."

As Shino absorbed the report delivered by Karina, his eyes remained fixed on the recording of Jiraiya's mysterious disappearance into the shadows. A sly smile played upon his lips as he muttered under his breath, "Jiraiya, huh? I never expected him to become...trouble. But perhaps I can use this to my advantage."

Lost in thought, Shino's scheming mind began to take shape. His gaze wandered across the meticulously furnished Japanese-style restaurant room, but his attention soon descended, fixating on the pair of young women clad in elegant kimonos.

A peculiar sense of excitement coursed through him as he observed the nearly identical twins serving today's menu. Sensing that he was almost full, with a grin, Shino issued his command, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. "Yakumo, it's your turn."

In response to his instruction, the masked Yakumo's head tilted back slowly, her movements akin to that of a mechanical doll. Her gaze shifted towards the young woman beside her, whose fair complexion stood in stark contrast to her own pale skin.

Sensing the intense stare from her twin 'sister', Yakumo opened her eyes, her serene gaze meeting the closeup visage of the guest for whom she provided cleaning services, aided by her 'sister'.

With an enticing flourish of her tongue, she traced a seductive trail as she moved towards the awaiting tip presented by her customer, her eyes slowly fluttering close at the moment of intimate contact, gracefully taking the tip before skillfully putting the tip into the tip jar, a familiar routine gradually being mastered.

"Ohhh... I've devised the perfect scheme, one that can strike two birds with a single arrow," Shino proclaimed with a sinister smile, his arm encircling the masked Yakumo who stood compliantly by his side, anticipation building as his hand ventured beneath her kimono, allowing her cold temperature to reach him, ready to cool off his fiery heat as the devious plan he was brewing awaited its moment to be unleashed.

Meanwhile, in Oujisama city, navigating the twisting labyrinthine pathways with an air of familiarity, a young teen's dirt-smeared face betrayed a heightened sense of vigilance as his eyes darted around, scanning his surroundings, even glancing up at the rooftops to ensure he remained undetected.

Satisfied that he had successfully eluded any potential pursuers with his intricate twists and turns, a momentary wave of relief washed over him. His hand gingerly reached into his tattered attire, fingers brushing against the concealed bag of coins nestled within. "They'll all be happy when I bring them something delicious. And with this, Hiru can finally get those cooking books he wanted..."

A light chuckle escaped the teen's lips as he prepared to forge ahead. However, his stride faltered as a faint yet familiar buzzing sound reverberated from his body. He sensed the presence of an insect crawling upon his body and his gaze scanned the surroundings, vigilantly confirming he was alone.

With a glimmer of determination shining in his eyes, he continued forward normally, allowing the bug to stealthily find its way into his ear.

Then, a familiar voice he revered whispered in his ear, "Kapo, do not be afraid or shocked by what you hear next. Maintain your composure and act as if nothing has happened. You are being followed by a ninja."

Kapo's muscles tensed subtly, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he walked with unwavering purpose, concealing any trace of concern.

"Fear not, your life is not at risk," the voice continued its instructions, whispered exclusively for Kapo's ears. "However, I require you to perform a small role in a little theatrical production for this pursuing ninja. Don't worry, I will guide you every step of the way. Now, head towards..."

Nimbly navigating the convoluted alleys, Kapo weaved his way through the squalor of the slums, mindful of the watchful eyes lurking in the shadows. Though a tinge of fear clung to his senses, his determination pushed him forward, for he had a mission propelling him onward, a mission from his lord!

After reaching his destination, a modest shack, Kapo cautiously surveyed his surroundings before slipping inside. Unbeknownst to him, Jiraiya, concealed within the shadows atop a nearby rooftop, observed the shack, his heightened senses extending outward, detecting the presence of two distinct chakra signals.

"One of them must be the brat, but who could the other one belong to?" Jiraiya pondered silently, his gaze narrowing as he focused on the structure.

Soon enough, Kapo emerged from the shack, his vigilant gaze scanning the area before he hastened away. This time, Jiraiya chose not to tail the young teen, for a new target now demanded his attention.

Stealthily, Jiraiya crept toward the shack, intent on capturing the ninja concealed within. However, as he drew closer, a furrow formed on his forehead, his brows knitting together in consternation. His eyes fixated on the stationary chakra signal within the small building. "Damn it! I've been had!"

With a swift motion, Jiraiya dashed into the building, arriving just in time to witness a ninja wearing a rebreather disintegrating into droplets of water, scattering like rain, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of water.

Frustration etched upon his face, Jiraiya pondered the fleeting image he had captured, his mind connecting the dots with his memories from the past. "A hidden Rain ninja? I initially suspected it was only the Aburame brat, but if Hanzo is involved as well... Ma, things have certainly gotten more complicated."

Inside the confines of the lab, Karina wore a pout upon her face as her eyes flickered toward a screen displaying Shino engaged in rigorous arrow-shooting training with two birds. "Having all the fun by yourself and leaving me with all the work, huh? Humph. Well, I'll make sure to drain you later."

Refocusing on her duties, Karina tapped on holographic interfaces, deftly manipulating the zergs and bugs under her control, ensuring that their secret orphanage remained concealed. "Although these children won't reveal much information aside from our pseudonyms even if they were to be captured, it's best to avoid unnecessary losses of these future loyal minions if possible. In a year or two, they could develop into budding ninjas, capable of being deployed as spies within the ninja villages," Karina mused to herself, exerting control over her bugs to discreetly track Jiraiya's movements until he vanished using an unknown method. "As expected, tracking a Sannin proves to be quite challenging even with all our current methods. Even the newly bred bikochu couldn't catch his scent."

With a sweeping motion, Karina caused the screen to vanish, redirecting her attention to another set of monitors showcasing scenes from Hacho village. The vibrant activities of the civilians was a stark contrast to the gloomy aura emanating from the homes of village leader Disonasu and the councilors, who sat in silence like puppets, only interacting with the villagers when necessary.

"After extracting their memories, we've replaced their positions with our ninjutsu clones using the transformation technique. However, most of them remain dormant in order to conserve computational power. It shouldn't be a problem in the short term, but there is a risk of discovery in the long run. I must ensure that our control over this village is unassailable before that time comes. And the first step is to eliminate any sources of power that may threaten our dominance..."

With a swift motion, Karina summoned a wide screen, displaying another greenhouse filled with plants, where Kurenai diligently studied a new genjutsu technique. "Kurenai, how is it coming along?"

Kurenai directed her crimson eyes toward the screen that materialized in her field of vision, revealing Karina's visage, before returning her focus to the new genjutsu technique she was attempting.

With a hint of doubt on her face, she responded, "Unlike conventional genjutsu, this technique doesn't seem to rely on the chakra system for its power, and requires an unknown energy type. And after testing all our available power sources, I've only managed to utilize it to a limited extent by harnessing the new psionic energy you provided through the zergs."

"This allowed me a glimpse into the potential of this technique. Through this technique, I can materialize an illusion directly in reality, akin to a mirage, rather than targeting the victim's mind directly. However, despite our psionic energy working as a power source, it was still not a perfect fit. So, our current psionic energy production isn't sufficient nor efficient enough to unleash the full potential of this technique, resulting in no current practical application for combat. In conclusion, this unusual genjutsu method from Shino's mother can at most serve as a valuable reference material at the moment."

Karina shook her head in response. "Although it is unknown how Shino's mother got her hands on this, don't underestimate it. This represents a new power system. And according to Shino, a new power system holds the key to a new treasure trove. But let's set that aside for now, after all, psionic powers is still a new field for us. We can delve into it further in the future. For now, put your clone in hibernation mode at the orphanage. Our next move will require all available clones, and perhaps even we must make a move if the situation calls for it. Prepare yourself. And after we complete the task..."

Karina waved her hand through the air, conveying an unspoken command. Kurenai, understanding her instructions, nodded silently before waving her hand, causing some of the small plants around her to vanish, revealing the fact that they were mere illusions.

With interest in her eyes, Karina observed Kurenai's departure from the garden before disconnecting the call.

Karina's gaze then shifted toward the monitor displaying another village located within the Hole, a multitude of screens showcasing critical locations, including a mysterious black tower concealed beneath the ground. "Tonika Village. With the data gathered by our bugs and the memories extracted from Disonasu's mind, it should be enough. It's about time we get our hands on that ancient super weapon and see what it really is."