Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

His ronin swordsmen and wandering ninjas were enough to handle the problems he encountered, but as time went on and they engaged in more illegal and disorderly activities, they would inevitably run into one or two unexpected incidents that could not be solved by the pack of hunting dogs he kept.

We can only rely on external assistance.

······

The western coast of the Land of Waves.

Today is a rare good day. The usual veil of fog is gone, and the bright sunshine shines on the wide, half-built cross-sea bridge. On the bridge, you can see the busy figures of craftsmen from the Land of Waves, with Tazna among them.

Logically, as the bridge's designer and foreman, Tazna shouldn't need to work on the front lines, but that's just how the old man is. He's now desperately trying to finish the bridge before the Konoha ninjas leave. In order to hire Konoha ninjas to help drive away Gato's men's harassment and sabotage, he has already emptied his own pockets and the country's savings.

It's not just that he doesn't have money,

The entire Land of Waves is running out of money.

This was already a poor little country that could hardly be self-sufficient. After Kado seized control of its maritime trade, he squeezed it dry. Now even the country is dirt poor.

They no longer have the funds to hire Konoha ninjas for help.

"Kakashi-sensei, are we just going to watch like this?" Sitting in the shade of the building materials, Naruto looked at the busy craftsmen and felt an urge to rush over and help.

"Hmph, what nonsense are you talking about! Naruto, our mission is to protect the bridge and the bridge builders from harm, not to help them build the bridge. Just do what we should do and stop trying to meddle in everything. We don't know anything about construction, and if we try to help haphazardly, we'll only hold them back."

Sasuke spoke first, answering in place of Kakashi.

“Naruto, Sasuke is right. We are ninjas, and we should do our job. What if you are helping them and the enemy attacks, but you are too tired to fight because of your work? Of course, this is just an example. I know you have great stamina, but focusing on the mission is what we should do.”

Kakashi added a comment.

Yes~~~

Naruto rolled his eyes and answered in a drawn-out voice.

He just said it casually because he was bored.

He understands the logic, okay? Besides, he already said he's a special case, so he can't be an exception... But never mind!

However, such days are indeed boring! The month-long protection mission started off quite well, and we dealt with two groups of small fry. But after that, no one bothered us anymore, and we got restless. Because it was a protection mission, even the training was done in shifts, and we couldn't go too far from the bridge.

correct,

Because the goal was to quickly address the team's weaknesses, Naruto and Sasuke's training time was shortened, while Sakura had ample time to train.

"She's really young!"

Kakashi muttered something under his breath.

It's only young people who can't stand the loneliness. If it were a Chunin in their thirties or forties, they probably wouldn't like this kind of leisurely and easy mission the most. Only young geniuses like Naruto and Sasuke would crave that exciting life. For most people, being a ninja is just a job.

"Hope today goes as smoothly as yesterday!"

Kakashi prayed silently in his heart.

[Chapter 353. Orochimaru, a man full of wicked schemes]

"Naruto Uzumaki, is there anything special about this name?" After leaving Gato's villa, the two members of the Akatsuki organization... Orochimaru and Sasori, the duo, headed towards the cross-sea bridge at a leisurely pace.

The villa was built on the highest point of the hills behind the town.

it's here,

You can see the bridge under construction that is intended to connect the Land of Waves to the mainland.

To be precise, they had already seen it before entering the villa, so after learning that the target was on the bridge, they didn't need to ask for directions or have anyone lead the way. To be honest, as long as you're not blind, or not the kind of genius who can get lost on a one-way street, there's no way you wouldn't find the place.

Orochimaru, what are you planning to do?

"Scorpion questioned."

"Look at what you're saying, it's like I'm planning something bad!"

"Hmph! Stop putting on airs with me. What good ideas could a stinking snake like you, who is full of evil from head to toe, possibly have? What exactly are you up to? Explain yourself, or I don't care if we fight right here."

Sasori's attitude towards Orochimaru was extremely hostile.

That feeling of disgust and aversion was revealed without any pretense.

"..."

Under the straw hat,

Orochimaru's face showed a hint of distress. "Although I also really want to spar with you, Sasori, this is a rare opportunity. Let's put the sparring off for later! For us, time is not as precious as opportunity. Naruto Uzumaki, if I'm not mistaken, this boy should be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? Uzumaki... And what are you planning to do?"

Regarding what Orochimaru said

Honestly, even half of Sasori would think he was being stupid. No matter how sincere Orochimaru's attitude was or how relaxed his words and actions were, Sasori firmly believed that there was something fishy going on. That bastard Orochimaru was spitting venom the moment he opened his mouth. Every pore of that stinking snake was filled with treachery and despicableness, and even the atmosphere would deteriorate wherever he went.

but,

The story of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must be true.

The previous and the one before that were both Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so it's only natural that the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is also Uzumaki. Moreover, Orochimaru has deep roots in Konoha and seems to be able to receive news of any disturbances, so this matter is unlikely to be fabricated.

problem,

Or was Orochimaru trying to achieve some purpose by using the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

I have a feeling this snake is up to no good.

"Don't forget our mission: to hunt down the tailed beasts. That's what we're supposed to do."

Orochimaru said with a smile, as if his previous troubles had vanished like a bubble, or rather, that trouble was just an illusion.

"You intend to target the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Sasori glared at Orochimaru. "What's wrong with you? It's true that capturing Jinchuriki is our mission, but didn't Pain say before that our focus is on gathering intelligence and that it's not time to officially launch an operation yet? What you're doing... are you planning to provoke a conflict between the organization and Konoha?"

"It's not the right time because without Pain's intervention, it's difficult for us to storm into Konoha and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Konoha right now... it's very difficult to storm in." Orochimaru sighed softly. "But who would have thought that Konoha would allow the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to run around like that, even escaping beyond the Land of Fire."

"Such an opportunity is once in a lifetime. If we miss it... then we'll probably have to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha. To be honest, I don't want to do something that leads to my own death. So, I'll take this opportunity to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, hide him somewhere, and no matter how strong Konoha is, they won't be able to do anything about it."

Orochimaru's explanation seemed to make some sense.

but,

What the scorpion didn't know was that...

The information that the Rinnegan was in Amegakure was originally given to Orochimaru by Sōgen. Over the years, he himself has lost count of how much information he has sold about the Akatsuki. Every piece of information he knows has been sold for a good price. In fact, Orochimaru is not sure if Uchiha Sōgen has any other channels to learn about the Akatsuki.

For example,

The scorpion before my eyes.

This guy was captured by Uchiha Munen for five years.

Perhaps this guy is secretly in contact with Uchiha Mugen? Or maybe he's a spy planted by Uchiha Mugen in the Akatsuki organization?

"...So you're really determined to do this?" Sasori glanced at Orochimaru. "Whatever! As long as you don't break the organization's rules, it's none of my business. You'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Don't try to drag me down with you; I have no interest in taking the blame for you." Even if he did break the organization's rules, frankly, he couldn't be bothered to do anything about it.

For the Akatsuki organization

He has no loyalty whatsoever.

It was just a temporary place to stay. Having already embarked on the path to eternity, he didn't care about the organization. He joined because he had nowhere else to go, and if he didn't join, there would be a bloodbath. At that time, he would be at a disadvantage if he fought with his bare hands, so he simply agreed to join the organization.

But he could also sense it.

Pain and his group didn't really trust him or Orochimaru.

If he were to kill Orochimaru someday, it would not be out of loyalty to the Akatsuki, but because he could no longer tolerate Orochimaru. The conflict between the two stemmed from a rather strange difference in their philosophies on immortality, as they both found the other's ideas incomprehensible.

There was no mutual respect between scientists; on the contrary, they couldn't stand each other.

"Everything is for the organization."

Orochimaru said with a chuckle.

Upon hearing this, Scorpion sneered, completely disbelieving that this guy was doing it for the good of the organization. He felt it was more like he was planning to sabotage the organization. He hesitated for three seconds, considering whether to report the matter, but after three seconds, he gave up the idea.

A conflict broke out between Konoha and Akatsuki.

He didn't dislike this future. He didn't care whether Konoha or Akatsuki suffered losses. He had no affection for either of them. If they really fought, he would probably just applaud. Anyway, he would never actually risk his life for Akatsuki.

"Whatever, you can talk to Payne about this."

"Once we capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, we will definitely report to the leader."

As they were speaking,

The two had already approached the cross-sea bridge that was under construction.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the cross-sea bridge, everyone was having lunch. The sun had already passed its highest point in the sky and was heading west downhill. However, the weather was still scorching hot. Kakashi finished his lunch at a speed that others didn't even have time to glimpse his face through the mask. Then he sat on the high pile of building materials and looked around.

It was just a casual investigation anyway.

however,

He saw two dark figures walking on the water.

My heart sank slightly.

As expected, such peaceful days could not last until the mission was over. Trouble eventually came knocking. I wonder what kind of trouble this time is... My heart almost stopped for a moment. The taller of the two figures wearing straw hats suddenly looked up.

line of sight

They met in mid-air.

The venomous, chilling gaze sent a shiver down his spine, making it hard to breathe.

Although I couldn't see the person's face clearly.

but,

He had already confirmed the person's identity.

It wasn't just the long black overcoat embroidered with red clouds; the key was that, apart from that person, probably no one else in the ninja world could give off that strange sense of terror—that chilling, slippery, and silent terror that made one's limbs numb and unable to breathe.

"Naruto, Sasuke, prepare to... Abandon the mission and evacuate immediately."

The word "face" was not uttered.

Kakashi knew what that special outfit represented. The Sixth Hokage had already informed the Jonin of the village about the Akatsuki organization, reminding them that this organization consisted of S-rank rogue ninjas from various villages in the ninja world, who were just as dangerous as Orochimaru.