Chapter 31: A Team for the Rain
Danzo's eyes narrowed as he stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "You intend to send him alone?"
"Based on your own report, Akatsuki is currently at war with Amegakure. The Land of Rain is now a highly volatile and dangerous zone," Hiruzen replied, his tone measured. "Even for a seasoned jonin, the risks are considerable. We cannot afford to waste Konoha ninja lives carelessly in such a place."
"This is not appropriate," Danzo insisted, his voice sharpening slightly. "As you said yourself, Uchiha Akira is an enigma. His true allegiance to Konoha remains untested. What if, once he enters the Land of Fire's neighbor, he chooses to be passive or even abandons the mission?"
Hiruzen considered this, his expression growing thoughtful. "You raise a valid point. He should not operate alone. He requires a team."
"Do you have any suggestions for its composition?" Hiruzen asked, raising his eyes to meet Danzo's gaze.
'While the goal is to pit them against each other, it cannot be too obvious,' Danzo thought to himself. Aloud, he said, "Simply deploy a standard mission team. However, I recommend including one of my Root operatives to ensure... accountability and prevent any lapse in diligence."
"And who do you propose for Akira's specific teammates?" Hiruzen's voice was flat, giving nothing away.
"You are the Hokage. I will not interfere with your personnel decisions," Danzo said, a thin, almost mocking smile touching his lips.
"Hmph!" Sarutobi Hiruzen snorted. "Won't interfere? Then do not insert your Root agent at all."
"I... Hiruzen, you..." Danzo was momentarily speechless, the smile freezing on his face.
"Name the Root ninja you wish to assign," Hiruzen stated, his tone leaving no room for further games.
"Aburame Shiigo. A special jonin, and a rare talent from the Aburame clan's main family," Danzo said, recovering his composure.
"Very well. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed." Hiruzen waved a hand, effectively ending the audience.
Danzo took a sharp, quiet breath, a familiar feeling of frustration tightening in his chest. He knew his old friend was deeply dissatisfied with the lack of tangible results from the prolonged Rain Country operation. That frustration was now being directed back at him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Danzo's retreating back, his eyes narrowed. His instincts screamed that Danzo was still withholding significant information. What exactly is he hiding? He pondered for a long moment before shaking his head wearily. His own Anbu forces were stretched thin, monitoring the other great nations or purging foreign infiltrators within the Land of Fire. He simply lacked the resources to independently verify events in a minor country.
Tap. Tap.
Hiruzen knocked lightly on his desk. In an instant, an Anbu operative wearing a dog-shaped mask appeared silently before him.
"Summon these individuals," Hiruzen ordered, handing over a short list. "Inform them to report to the Hokage's office at their earliest convenience today."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The Anbu vanished as soundlessly as he had arrived.
Not long after, Uchiha Akira arrived at the Hokage's office. While the summons had said "at their convenience," showing proper respect to the Hokage still meant arriving promptly.
"Hokage-sama," Akira greeted as he entered.
"Ah, Jonin Akira. Thank you for coming." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up from his desk, a practiced, weary smile on his face. "There is a mission that requires your skills."
Though internally curious, Akira knew a direct assignment from the Hokage was not a request. He lacked the standing to refuse. All he could do was accept.
"I understand. I will fulfill the village's mission," Akira replied with a serious nod.
"The situation is this," Hiruzen began, launching into an explanation. "Events have unfolded in the Land of Rain. An organization calling itself 'Akatsuki' has been operating there. They have disguised themselves as ninja from our village and others, attacking shinobi of all nations. They have also been destroying villages within the Rain Country, with the apparent aim of reigniting conflict between the great powers... According to reliable intelligence, Hanzo is currently at a disadvantage in his struggle against them."
Hiruzen relayed a condensed version of the information Danzo had provided.
"Therefore, I am tasking you with leading an elite Konoha team into the Land of Rain. Your primary objective is to gather intelligence on this Akatsuki organization." Hiruzen's expression was grave as he regarded Akira.
Uchiha Akira could not hide his surprise at the Hokage's words.
This development is completely unexpected. Has the butterfly effect spread this far, this fast? The Third Hokage knows about Akatsuki already?
In his memory, the Third Hokage only learned of a "dangerous organization" years later, on the night of the Uchiha clan's downfall, from Itachi's report. And wasn't Akatsuki, initially, the group founded on Jiraiya's ideals—the belief that peace could be achieved through mutual understanding?
How had they been recast as villains who disguised themselves and sabotaged peace?
The narrative was completely inverted.
What is happening? Akira's mind raced. Could Danzo be twisting the facts?
The thought solidified. It has to be Danzo's doing. If that's the case, then I need to be extremely cautious on this mission.
Seeing Akira's stunned expression, Hiruzen misinterpreted it as shock at the mission's gravity. He offered a conciliatory tone. "Akira, I understand the difficulty. But I have surveyed our available forces, and you are currently the most suitable Konoha ninja for this task."
He looked at Akira with an almost apologetic air. "Jiraiya has vanished again, his whereabouts unknown. By the time we locate him, it may be too late. Minato and Orochimaru are fully occupied with the Hokage succession. The other candidates are not appropriate for a mission of this sensitivity."
"Hokage-sama," Akira said, his voice firming with resolve. "Please entrust this mission to me. I will see it through."
A genuine smile of relief spread across Hiruzen's face. "Then my mind is at ease. Knowing you are handling this is a great comfort."
"Hokage-sama, will I be undertaking this mission solo, or as part of a team?" Akira inquired.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe, filling the office with a haze of smoke. His voice emerged from within it. "Given the extreme dangers involved, I have decided to assign you a standard four-person cell for this operation."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Akira said, bowing slightly. Internally, he thought, Please don't saddle me with incompetent dead weight.
Sometimes, more teammates did not mean more strength. If they were a liability, he would be better off alone. Solo, he could move with freedom, adjust his approach as needed, and even choose his level of effort based on the real circumstances.
After all, he possessed deep, future knowledge of Akatsuki. In a worst-case scenario, he could simply feed Konoha some carefully selected, accurate information. But with a team assigned, he would have to maintain appearances, at the very least pretending to be fully engaged in the mission.
Of course, a quieter part of his mind noted, with the Mangekyo Sharingan, there are always options. A well-crafted genjutsu could make teammates see whatever I need them to see... There are always ways to manage the situation.
(End of Chapter)
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