"You plan to… hire me?"
Orochimaru studied the bizarre pitcher-plant creature and the two-faced humanoid emerging from it with open curiosity. Even with his vast experience, this was a form he had never seen before.
"That's right, that's right~" White Zetsu chirped brightly. "Lord Mizukage is recruiting powerful helpers! The reward is very generous!"
Black Zetsu added coolly, "For someone who has already severed all ties with Konoha, opportunities for a village's protection aren't so easy to come by."
Orochimaru let out a thin, amused chuckle. These beings clearly misunderstood his situation. He hadn't been cast out—he had chosen to walk away. But that misunderstanding was inconsequential.
What truly intrigued him was Zetsu itself and the Hidden Mist Village's increasingly strange behavior. Accepting this commission would also grant him legitimate access to the Land of Water—an extremely useful convenience.
And perhaps… an unexpected harvest of experimental materials.
"Sounds," Orochimaru said slowly, eyes glinting, "rather interesting."
"I accept."
His gaze drifted over the long, dark robe Zetsu wore.
That outfit belonged to the Akatsuki—an organization that had recently begun making waves in the western parts of the Land of Fire. And now its members were appearing in the east… even working on behalf of the Mizukage?
Curious.
"Then gather your subordinates and wait at this location," Zetsu said, placing down a commission scroll. "Lord Mizukage's orders will come soon."
With that, Zetsu's body sank soundlessly into the earth and vanished.
Orochimaru crouched, pale fingers brushing the spot where the creature had disappeared.
"This isn't Earth Release… no," he murmured. "A completely different secret technique."
There were no distortions in the ground, no lingering chakra flow—only faint residual traces that faded almost instantly. The speed was extraordinary. One moment Zetsu was there, the next it had slipped beyond even his sensory range.
Since leaving Konoha, the world truly had grown far more… entertaining.
Konoha Village–Hokage Office
Outside the windows, dusk had settled into the sky. Inside the Hokage Office, lamplight burned bright as ever.
Shizune had just carried away a stack of completed documents—only to return moments later with another towering pile.
Roshi still hadn't been released from paperwork duty. The documents on his desk seemed to possess a frightening regenerative ability. At this rate, he wouldn't escape until Tsunade formally assumed office.
Declining the secretary position might save his future freedom—but for now, he was still trapped.
More than once, he found himself questioning that decision. At least if the Third Hokage still reigned, he'd be sleeping peacefully at home right now.
Instead…
His gaze drifted across the desk.
Tsunade sat opposite him, holding a scroll directly in front of her face. She hadn't moved in quite some time—her breathing so steady it was suspicious.
Roshi casually picked up a wadded scrap of paper and flicked it with his fingers.
The paper ball traced a neat arc through the air—and tapped her squarely on the forehead.
Tsunade jolted. The scroll slithered down, revealing a face caught midway between confusion and drowsiness. When her eyes focused and landed on Roshi, the haze instantly turned to irritation.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"You looked like you fell asleep."
"I did not!"
"Really? Then why didn't you dodge?"
"I—That's because I was deep in thought!"
At that exact moment, Shikaku and the current Anbu Commander entered the office.
What greeted them was the soon-to-be Fifth Hokage glaring furiously and, they dare say, comically at a rapidly rising young Jonin—an image neither of them would soon forget.
"Ahem, Lady Tsunade."
Shikaku's timely cough cut neatly through the charged atmosphere.
Tsunade withdrew her glare from Roshi at last and motioned for Shikaku and the Anbu Commander to take their seats.
"Any new developments from the Land of Water?" she asked.
"The Hidden Mist remains sealed off," the Anbu Commander reported. "No signs of large-scale troop movement so far. However, unusual activity has been detected in the Land of Forest and the Land of Frost—primarily rogue ninja and Missing-nin."
"Land of Forest… Land of Frost…" Tsunade tapped her fingers lightly against the table. "Do we know their objective?"
"Preliminary intelligence suggests a commission—one with a very generous reward."
Roshi lifted his gaze slightly. A high-paying bounty and the use of missing-nin almost always meant something underhanded.
The only similarity between those two regions was their access to the sea. If this was connected to the Hidden Mist…
Is Obito moving with hired blades?
Shikaku spoke up, his tone cautious. "Although the activity is spread across two countries, the timing aligns too closely. It's very likely a single client."
"Given the current situation," he continued, "the only realistic suspect is the Hidden Mist."
In truth, Shikaku hated voicing that conclusion.
It was absurd.
Hidden Mist and Konoha already had direct friction—why complicate things by hiring unstable external forces? There was no strategic benefit. Even if they somehow embarrassed Konoha or stirred up another great war, the isolated Hidden Mist would be the first to be crushed.
In the end, they'd gain nothing but bodies and debt.
Did they really hate Konoha enough to act this irrationally?
But debating motive now was pointless.
Since Hidden Mist had already begun to move, Konoha simply had to respond.
"The Anbu will continue tracking those missing-nin," Tsunade ordered. "Eliminate them if necessary."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tomorrow is my inauguration. Until then, we disrupt their assembly. After that…"
She let the pause speak for itself.
"Shikaku, reinforce the border patrol—especially in the Land of Forest. The Hannya Group is always restless. I won't have them stirring chaos during this transition."
Shikaku and the Anbu Commander acknowledged the orders in unison and withdrew.
As the door closed behind them, Tsunade sank back into her chair, her expression turning thoughtful.
Now that she was about to take office, the Anbu's command structure would inevitably need adjustments.
Especially the position of Anbu Commander.
Her gaze drifted—once again—to Roshi, still buried beneath a small mountain of paperwork.
After a moment, she gave up on the idea entirely.
He wouldn't even agree to be her secretary—there was no chance he'd accept an even more exhausting position.
Realizing this, Tsunade felt a wave of irritation rise in her chest.
Since when did this guy become so outrageously lazy?
Her eyes landed on the crumpled paper ball that had hit her forehead earlier.
An idea sparked.
She grabbed it and whipped it toward Roshi's head.
He tilted slightly—and dodged.
Tsunade crushed another piece of waste paper and threw it.
Roshi dodged again without looking.
"Don't move!" she snapped, scooping up a handful of scrap paper and crushing it into a massive ball. "Your attack from earlier isn't over yet!"
At that exact moment, the office door creaked open.
Shizune stepped inside.
Her eyes flicked from Tsunade's throwing posture… to Roshi.
"L-Lady Tsunade…"
"Don't interrupt Shizune!"
Shizune hesitated, then continued awkwardly, "Um—Roshi-kun, the Sandaime said that if it's convenient, he'd like to invite you over…"
She hadn't even finished the sentence.
Roshi was already on his feet.
In a blur, he swept past her and vanished through the doorway.
"…Eh?"
Shizune stared at the empty seat, blinking.
"HEY! You get back here!" Tsunade roared, still holding the paper ball.
Only silence answered her.
With a sharp sigh, she finally hurled the paper ball back onto the desk.
"…That idiot sure runs fast."
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