Border Zone
The eyes of the Konoha team members were full of worry.
Day and night raids.
They were exhausted, but there was no choice—Sarutobi Shinnosuke, as the captain of the border guard, had given his orders. They had to obey.
At this moment, beside the fire, Sarutobi Shinnosuke held a scroll in his hands, his face solemn yet tinged with excitement.
"If this intel is correct, we'll return to the village as heroes."
Beside him, Asuma nodded.
Being cast out by Konoha's guards had been a disgrace to both of them, but they had found a way to redeem themselves. The next time they set foot in Konoha, they would do so with honor.
The reason was simple.
After days of reconnaissance, they had uncovered a crucial piece of intelligence—news about Orochimaru.
Ever since Orochimaru had dared to return to Konoha in broad daylight, he had drawn attention. Their father, the Third Hokage, had warned them to be cautious, but Shinnosuke had more ambitious plans.
He intended to capture Orochimaru and bring him back to Konoha—not as a mere fugitive under Uchiha Bai Ye's protection, but as a criminal to be judged.
Recently, they had received word that Orochimaru had aligned himself with an organization.
Based on the intelligence gathered, that organization had been identified as Akatsuki of the Land of Rain. Further investigation revealed that Orochimaru frequently operated alongside a man named Sasori.
The sources were reliable.
Interrogation experts in their border defense squad had extracted the information from a captured individual who also bore the signature red-cloud cloak of Akatsuki.
With this intelligence, their course of action became clear: follow Sasori and locate Orochimaru.
Their decision to act was based on confidence—confidence that stemmed from a fundamental miscalculation.
As the sons of the Third Hokage, they were well aware that their father had once hesitated when facing Orochimaru. Because of this, their perception of Orochimaru's strength was frozen in the past—at the level of a Sannin.
Even so, with two elite teams at their disposal, they believed they could succeed.
"Should we report to Father?" Asuma hesitated.
Despite his usual carefree nature, life outside Konoha had hardened him. The luxury of the Sarutobi Clan estate was a distant memory. Now, they had to sleep rough, endure ambushes, and risk their lives hunting a rogue shinobi.
"I want to surprise Father," Shinnosuke declared with conviction, placing a reassuring hand on Asuma's shoulder.
"You know how difficult things have been for him. Ever since Uchiha Bai Ye rose to power, Father has been sidelined by the guards."
His voice carried a mix of bitterness and grief.
"Uchiha Bai Ye abuses his authority, bullying our aging father. He may have chosen to endure, but we won't."
Determination burned in Shinnosuke's eyes.
"Orochimaru walked into Konoha under the protection of the guards to humiliate our father. We'll turn the tables by capturing him and bringing him to Konoha ourselves."
"This will shatter Bai Ye's influence over the village."
A smirk crossed his face.
"If he thinks he can use the law to oppress us, then we'll fight back with merit! Capturing an S-rank criminal will give us the leverage we need!"
Their plan extended further.
They aimed to not only capture Orochimaru but also strike a major blow against Akatsuki.
Sasori, Orochimaru's associate, would be another prize.
They envisioned their triumphant return, basking in the admiration of Konoha's citizens.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke saw himself regaining power, influence, and respect.
But they were unaware—
At that very moment, two figures in red-cloud cloaks were already watching them.
The Akatsuki members remained hidden, their hands brushing over the rings on their fingers—rings connected to a far greater force.
Inside the Akatsuki Hideout
Illusory figures flickered on the fingers of the Gedo Statue.
A chilling atmosphere filled the cave as the eerie BGM unique to Akatsuki's meetings played in the background.
Konan, expressionless, set down a speaker before signaling for the meeting to begin.
"Someone is tailing you, Sasori," Pain stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
"More precisely, they are after Orochimaru. You just happen to be in their path."
His Rinnegan eyes shifted toward Orochimaru.
"I heard you returned to Konoha."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
Few could recognize Pain or Konan, but he knew them well.
The three orphans of the Land of Rain had grown into formidable figures. He had seen Nagato's Rinnegan firsthand as a child.
"I was merely conducting business." His hoarse voice remained unchanged, the throat lozenges he received from Bai Ye proving ineffective.
Pain's expression remained unreadable.
"Let it not happen again."
His gaze shifted to Sasori.
"Sasori, you have an assignment. Kakuzu, you are closest to his location—assist him."
Kakuzu's muffled voice responded, his tone laced with amusement.
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd be hunted, Sasori."
"I don't need your help," Sasori replied coldly, still concealed within Hiruko.
He already knew the identities of his pursuers.
Two sons of the Hokage dared to come after him?
Elite shinobi?
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