Chapter 89: Tsunade?
Kitsuchi was stunned.
He couldn't quite understand what had gotten into Deidara.
He knew the old man (Ōnoki) had always hoped to teach Deidara the Dust Release, considering how Iwagakure lacked the seemingly endless stream of geniuses that Konoha kept producing out of nowhere.
Even if Deidara's personality was… irritating at times, he was still a certified genius of their village.
But hadn't he always been completely against the old man's teachings? Why did just one trip to Konoha seem to change him?
Just as Kitsuchi was lost in thought, a voice interrupted him.
"Lord Kitsuchi, seeing you reminds me of your father. Though we've stood on opposite sides, we're still old acquaintances."
It was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The words made Kitsuchi snap back to his senses, though he couldn't help but mentally curse Deidara for being so unreliable. They had tried questioning him multiple times, and he just ignored them.
And even after strict examinations the previous night—checking for poisons or genjutsu—nothing had been found.
Kitsuchi genuinely couldn't understand how Deidara had suddenly changed.
"Lord Hokage," he said, steadying himself. "My father often spoke of you as well."
Though Kitsuchi looked like a stereotypical tough guy, being Ōnoki's son meant he had long absorbed much of his father's wisdom and political sense.
"After all, among the Third kages, only you and my father remain."
"Indeed," Hiruzen nodded with a smile, "time really does fly."
He didn't mention his previous retirement, instead choosing to speak earnestly.
"I had once wondered when we might have a proper talk. I didn't expect the opportunity to come like this."
Yeah, an 'opportunity' that involved stirring up trouble in our village and dragging Deidara to Konoha.
Kitsuchi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply nodded along.
"True enough. But, Lord Hokage, this time around, your intentions…"
"In the past, due to various reasons, we were unable to build trust or maintain communication," Hiruzen smoothly interrupted, showing his seasoned political skill.
"Konoha and Iwagakure barely had any established channels of contact. But now, I believe I see an opportunity. Don't you?"
Just say you want information already!
Kitsuchi wasn't the sharpest politically, but even he understood what Hiruzen was hinting at. And he hated this kind of talk.
He would rather be on the frontlines fighting than playing these political games.
"…It is an opportunity," Kitsuchi admitted with a sigh. "But Lord Hokage, for any connection to be built, mutual trust must be the foundation. Can you tell us what exactly is going on?
What happened that day in the Land of Earth, and all the events that followed—unless we understand those clearly, nothing meaningful can move forward."
"Agreed."
Hiruzen nodded as he puffed on his pipe. Kitsuchi's bluntness might've been inconvenient for others, but it was exactly what Hiruzen needed.
"For true trust, we indeed need to share intelligence. Only by understanding one another better can we address the growing threat…
Especially that of a certain mysterious organization."
---
Meanwhile, in a Konoha training field.
Kakashi and Gen had just finished a round of sparring and were now seated, resting.
The current village situation wasn't something Kakashi was all that passionate about—he was more of a "call me when you need me" type. Kitagawa, on the other hand, was curious, but as a Chūnin, it wasn't his place to participate yet.
And with no active missions at the moment, training seemed like the best use of time.
"You really are getting more and more impressive," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his head as he gave Gen a serious nod.
"As your mission difficulty increases, your combat experience has grown too. You've still got areas to improve—but with the Flying Thunder God at your disposal, you've got a solid edge.
I genuinely believe you'll become a shinobi who astonishes the world one day."
"Heh."
Gen grinned, then asked cheekily:
"So I'm not astonishing enough yet?"
"…"
Kakashi rolled his eyes and pulled out his book.
"Stay humble. There's always someone stronger out there. Any ninja who becomes too confident makes themselves a target. As your reputation spreads, more people will try to understand and counter you."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Gen nodded—he was well aware of that.
Even if he was strong, the shinobi world was full of monsters. At the very least, he wouldn't dare take on Ōnoki and his Dust Release head-on.
"…Still, it's a good thing the Iwagakure folks are here. Deidara still owes me money."
"Huh? I thought Naruto said you already asked him for it."
At that moment, a voice suddenly called out. Turning around, they saw it was Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sama? What are you doing here?"
Kakashi was a little surprised. He thought Jiraiya had gone to meet with the Suna delegation.
"The old man's still tied up over there. The Suna group wanted some time to cool off, so I figured I'd bail," Jiraiya said with a casual smile, clearly disinterested in the politics he was inevitably dragged into because of his status.
"That situation's really a headache," he added, shaking his head before sitting down. Now the three white-haired shinobi were all gathered together.
"Suna's really taking things seriously this time. They even sent Chiyo. Good thing you two weren't there, or else…"
As he spoke, Jiraiya gave Kakashi and Gen a knowing look.
Kakashi's eyes immediately turned into dead-fish mode. Last time, that puppet master mistook Gen for Sakumo—Kakashi's own father.
No one brought it up afterward, but everyone had clearly gotten the message.
"Do I really look like him, Kakashi-sensei?"
Gen blinked innocently and turned to look at him. Kakashi responded by slamming his book onto the boy's head.
"Go dye your hair back already!"
Though annoyed, Kakashi turned back to Jiraiya and asked,
"So, that guy… he's actually the infamous 'Red Sand Scorpion(Sasori)'?"
"Yeah. Most likely," Jiraiya nodded, his tone serious now.
"With that level of puppet mastery—and being able to turn humans into puppets while retaining their powers—it has to be one of Suna's top puppet masters."
"I also heard something interesting. Back in the day, the Sasori was part of the Third Kazekage's personal guard. After the Kazekage disappeared, so did he.
Everyone assumed he was just another casualty… but now, it seems…"
"…it was hidden in plain sight. As a bodyguard, he had private access to the Kazekage," Gen added.
"And he was an expert in poison techniques. Chances are, he's the one who poisoned the Kazekage to death."
"Yeah. That's entirely possible," Jiraiya sighed and gave a bitter smile.
"Who would've thought the Third Great Ninja War was triggered by something like this? Sure, that war was bound to happen eventually, but this cause is just too ridiculous."
The ninja world had always been a powder keg. The end of the Second Great Ninja War didn't erase hatred—it only buried deeper grudges.
Resource scarcity, uneven development, and village rivalries… they were all problems that the major shinobi villages had to deal with. And the simplest solution?
Pillage.
Especially for a land like the Land of Fire—any piece someone could bite off was a win.
Jiraiya understood this too, which was why he could only sigh again.
"But enough of that—it's too depressing. Let's talk about something else."
"Oh, Kakashi-sensei said we might have a mission coming up?" Gen asked curiously.
"Not yet. Nothing's set in stone," Jiraiya replied, shaking his head. Stroking his chin, he added,
"The intel came from that one-eyed old man you saw. It's related to Orochimaru, so I've got a vested interest.
He's also digging into some other stuff—and apparently, he has a history with Hanzō of the Salamander. So for now, we wait."
"Ah, I see," Gen said, suppressing a chuckle.
Hanzō and Danzō once practically stood shoulder to shoulder, both being chased like wild dogs by Nagato.
That encounter likely turned their former friendship into pure animosity.
Not that any of that mattered now.
"After all, Hanzō's already been turned into 'Chili Pepper Fish' Hanzō," Gen muttered.
Hanzō's death led to Rain being taken over. And Danzō… might be next in line.
"Damn… if he goes to Rain, he's basically walking into a tiger's den!"
Nagato and the others had two main enemies—Hanzō… and Danzō.
Suddenly, Gen realized why Orochimaru's name was being floated again.
This reeked of Danzō's work.
The guy probably didn't dare step into Rain directly, so instead he stirred up trouble with Orochimaru as a distraction?
While he hadn't pieced together every detail, Gen had enough information to see the broad strokes.
Danzō… was about to make a move.
"Anyway, enough speculating. We're still waiting for final confirmation," Jiraiya said with a big laugh, cutting off Gen's train of thought.
He turned to Kakashi and suddenly grinned.
"But in the meantime, I think we could take on a different mission. Something more… valuable."
"Mission? What kind?"
Gen's eyes lit up. He never turned down missions—there was always something to gain from them!
Kakashi, on the other hand, looked wary.
Sure, Kitagawa Gen joining his team seemed to have flipped his bad luck.
He didn't have to worry about his comrades dying anymore. It really felt like a new beginning.
But…
Each mission they went on seemed more ridiculous and dangerous than the last. It was starting to get to him.
"Relax, relax! This one's not gonna be anything crazy," Jiraiya said with a smile, giving Kakashi a firm pat on the shoulder.
"This time, I'm planning to bring Tsunade back!"
"Tsunade-sama?"
Kakashi blinked, then nodded. That was a good idea.
With that mysterious organization getting more dangerous and powerful, the village needed someone like Tsunade to hold the line.
Especially since Uchiha Obito could use Wood Release—Tsunade's return might shed light on some crucial questions.
"That's a great idea, Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi agreed.
"Yeah! I've heard Tsunade-sama's medical ninjutsu is legendary," Gen added with a nod.
"If she returns, Kakashi-sensei can recover faster next time he ends up in the hospital!"
"…"
Kakashi covered his face with his hand. He had no words left.