{Here we go~}
Some distance from where Ren and Kakuzu had fought, a crowd had gathered but it was clear with a glance that it wasn't a single group.
Two groups faced each other across a shallow clearing, and from the look of things neither side was there to trade pleasantries. One group wore red uniforms with brown jackets and the stone village forehead protectors; the other wore dark undershirts with white, asymmetrical flak jackets that draped over the left shoulder with the Cloud headbands. No one spoke a single word and the air between them felt like it could snap at any moment.
At the head of the Stone contingent stood Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, calm and solid like a rock. Opposite him the Cloud side had two heavyweights, Yugito Nii, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, and C, one of the Raikage's closest bodyguards, a top-tier healer and sensor. The two villages had brought their muscle, and both sides looked ready for trouble.
Yugito was in the middle of speaking when the scene opened up. She grinned at Kitsuchi and said, "So this was Iwa's plan, huh? Lure us out on the pretext of Ren Senju. You probably didn't expect me to show up, which explains why your squad is so... light."
Her tone was mocking as she glanced at the stone shinobi behind Kitsuchi. There were noticeably fewer of them than what the Cloud had called in.
Kitsuchi didn't even bother with her. He ignored the bait and turned to C instead. "You must have sensed the battle by now, right?" he asked.
C's reply was flat as he spoke, "It's already over, there is no movement at that location, which means the fight should be over."
Kitsuchi's eyes shifted back to Yugito. "So there was a fight here that likely involved Ren Senju," he said. "Someone set this up to pit our two nations against each other."
He turned and barked a quick order to his aide. "Where is Elder Kimimaro?" The aide scanned the area, checked the positions, and came up empty-handed; the elder wasn't there. Kitsuchi's expression didn't change, but the question made the tension sharper.
The aide reported the result and Kitsuchi then spoke to C, "Check your informant too."
C shook his head. "No need," he said. "He's gone. He must've been either replaced when he came with the information or put under genjutsu. Replacement would have been noticed the moment he entered the village through the barriers but Genjutsu could explain it which means someone controlled them."
Yugito's face hardened. "Someone who can control elder-level figures from two nations? Whoever this is, they're more dangerous than the open threat of Ren Senju," she said. She wasn't wrong, a hidden player who could touch elders was bad news.
Kitsuchi folded that in and asked the crucial question, "What do you plan to do about Ren Senju?"
C didn't hesitate. "Eliminate him." It was the order the Fourth Raikage had given before leaving, and C intended to follow through. From his point of view the logic was straightforward, a wounded genius like Ren, if left to recover and grow, could become a strategic catastrophe. Injured, isolated, and alone, this was the moment to strike.
When C said eliminate him Kitsuchi felt a quiet, private smile curl at the corner of his mouth. 'The old man's hunch had come through again.' He thought as he remembered the things Onoki had told him before leaving the village.
~Flashback~
They'd met at Iwa's secret entrance, where a mid sized mobile war unit had been prepped for a hush-job. Only a handful of people in the whole village knew what they were sending out. The aide was handling all the shinobi who were gathered here for the mission while Kitsuchi and Onoki were involved in a discussion.
Onoki didn't waste words. He leaned in and spoke in that dry, slow tone of his, the one that always meant there was a dozen plans tucked behind one sentence. "Listen, brat. Keep an eye on Kimimaro. Something feels off about him." He jabbed a finger in the air, not at anyone in particular.
"Don't lose him for a second. If he disappears, don't do anything dramatic. Send one or two stealth specialists after him and you continue. When you reach the site, hide. Do not reveal yourselves."
Kitsuchi kept his face neutral because the old man's habit was strategy delivered while talking and continuously analyzing things.
Onoki continued as he began layering the possibilities, "There are four things this could be. First, Kimimaro went rogue and is baiting shinobi to be killed under the guise of that brat from the Leaf.
Second, his report is true and the brat really was fighting Kakuzu; in that case the kid would be hurt, as Kimimaro said.
Third, there is no fight and someone's using this story to fish out targets for assassination.
Fourth, the information itself is true, but someone else wants to take care of the brat quietly. I think number four is most likely."
Onoki's eyes narrowed. "And even then, there are variables. It could be another village, a shadow third party, or the Leaf itself. Sand and Mist likely don't have the reach for something like this right now. The Leaf shouldn't be the culprit either, but with Danzo's trial set… never say never. That leaves Cloud, Leaf, or a third party."
He stopped and let that sit. Kitsuchi could feel the gears turning in his old man's brain as he continued, "When you get to the location, lie in wait and watch who shows up. If it's the Leaf, Root will move; measure numbers and decide if an ambush will work.
If it's the Cloud, test their strength, if there's no jinchuriki, consider retreat.
If it's a third party and we're the only village called, fall back fast.
If Cloud is invited too, let them lead; be the shield, not the spear. Don't throw yourselves at the brat directly. Senju blood means physical power; avoid close-in fights. Keep it long range."
He handed Kitsuchi a slim booklet. "This is the latest on the brat. Let your unit study it on the way. Remember all that. If you can, kill him. He reminds me too much of the Yellow Flash for some reason, damn Leaf bastards, they keeps producing geniuses like it's nothing."
Onoki grumbled the last part as he had done many times in the past. After explaining a few more things he spoke some words to all the shinobi gathered to boost the morale and then he floated back to the village.
Kitsuchi tucked away the booklet and began ordering the entire unit to do one last check before they finally left for the mission.
~Present~
Kitsuchi glanced between Yugito and C, his tone calm but edged with enticement, "How about we both join forces and deal with the kid first? After all, this is something beneficial to both our villages. I believe we can afford to put aside our differences for an hour and handle the common threat before us. What do you think?"
Both Yugito and C frowned at that. Yugito's expression was sharper, her lips pressing into a thin line as she crossed her arms. C, however, looked thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Kitsuchi's stance in an open, but clearly wary way.
Yugito drew in a slow breath and was about to speak, but C raised a hand slightly, cutting her off before she could say anything.
"Please give us a moment to speak," he said, his tone polite but firm.
Kitsuchi nodded without argument. "Alright. But make it fast. We don't have much time. If the kid's healed even a little, it might take longer than an hour to deal with him. And if we delay any further, the Leaf might send reinforcements."
That thought hung heavy in the air.
C gave a curt nod and motioned for Yugito to follow him a few steps away, just far enough that their voices wouldn't reach the Stone delegation. Once they stopped, he exhaled and spoke quietly, "I think we should agree to his proposal."
Yugito immediately frowned. "You're serious?"
C remained calm as he lifted his hand slightly again, gesturing for her to wait before snapping back. "I know what you're going to say. You don't like the people from the Stone and honestly, neither do I nor anyone else in our entire village. Not after what happened with the Third Raikage."
His tone tightened there for a moment, restrained anger flickering through his calm voice. "But right now, that doesn't matter. Like Kitsuchi said, we have a common enemy to deal with, and not just any enemy. Ren Senju isn't some random Leaf jonin; he's someone with growth potential that could end up suppressing the other four great villages if left unchecked. If we can cut him down now, before that happens, we should. Even if it means swallowing some pride for an hour."
Yugito's expression hardened, her jaw tense. "But we don't really need their help, do we?" she countered. "Between you and me, plus the forty jonin squads we brought, it should be enough to deal with a heavily injured Ren Senju."
C shook his head almost immediately. "No. There's no guarantee of success, not with him." He paused, then added, "If there was, I wouldn't even bring this up. Keeping you aside, I'm an elite jonin at best. My main strengths are in healing and sensory work, not in direct combat. If I had to go head-to-head with someone like Ren, even injured, the odds of landing a clean hit are… maybe one in a thousand."
He gave a bitter smile at his own words, then gestured toward the jonin squads scattered around the forest edge. "And as for those forty jonin teams, let's be honest. Would you, even if you were the one injured, have any trouble dealing with that many of them?"
Yugito went quiet at that, her frown deepening.
C continued, his tone steady but lower now. "Exactly. Even if we include you, there's still no certainty we can actually finish this. Cornered people, especially someone like Ren always have a trump card ready. He might be able to escape even if we think we've got him trapped. And if it comes down to you using the Two-Tails form…"
He trailed off, letting the implication hang.
"That'll light up the entire region like a beacon," he said after a second, more firmly. "Leaf sensors will notice, and reinforcements could arrive before we can even leave. That would turn this mission into a nightmare for both of us."
Yugito's fists clenched at her sides, her tail-end patience wearing thin. But she didn't argue.
"So," C went on, "I suggest we partner with the Stone. Not because of their numbers, those troops are cannon fodder at best but because of Kitsuchi himself. His strength isn't something to ignore. He's probably one of the strongest below Kage level, and having him on our side would give us the kind of firepower we're missing right now."
He looked at her carefully then, voice softening just slightly. "It's your call, Yugito. You're the lead on this mission. Whatever you decide, I'll follow."
Yugito stayed quiet for a long moment, staring toward the direction where Kitsuchi stood waiting, his arms folded. The forest was still, wind brushing through leaves that carried the faint metallic scent of distant chakra residue which were the remnants of Ren's earlier battle. Finally, she exhaled and nodded once.
"…Alright," she said quietly. "Let's go with your plan."
C nodded, relief flickering across his usually composed face. Together, the two of them turned and walked back toward Kitsuchi.
Thus, an alliance which would be remembered for years to come was formed between the stone and the cloud village.
None of the three heavyweights of the alliance knew of the two hidden figures watching them from the shadows as right now, they were just focusing on dealing with a threat that they believed would grow strong enough to tip the scale of the five great nations.
~~~~~
{How many people do you think would be alive by the time the news of the work of this alliance reaches the other villages?}
{Also, I'll give a detailed squad structures of both nations as the chapters continue.}