Konoha Notes

Chapter 449 Rogue Ninja
The news brought by Zetsu piqued Obito's unusual interest.

Orochimaru volunteered to participate in the Snow Country's tournament. This man, who had always only thirsted for experimental subjects and knowledge, was now showing an unexpected level of interest.

It seems that even snakes have old skin that they cannot completely shed.

Then he arrived in the Land of the Moon.

This place is somewhat different from what it was three or four months ago.

Most of the rogue and ronin who had been recruited had already lowered their heads and looked down. When their black robes with red clouds passed by, they attracted fearful glances that quickly looked away.

The fear stemmed from Pain, as well as from Hidan performing a sacrifice in the corner, and Kakuzu waiting to collect the corpse.

Obito didn't linger. He walked through the scene of order maintained by force and headed towards the tallest building in the city center.

Payne did not welcome his arrival.

Nagato is very busy, and as he begins to focus on building the new order he has established, he has to spend more time and effort on it.

Ninjas are good; when given clear orders, they will do specific things.

Even though they are rogue ninjas, they are still rogue ninjas, and even though they are still vagrant ninjas, one of the main reasons why they are not members of the ninja village is that they do not follow the rules.

If the iron-fisted deterrent is relaxed even slightly, there will always be people who cannot suppress their old habits and try to find the taste of indulgence in the gaps of the rules.

Hidan was having a great time killing, and Kakuzu was happily counting his money, but the available manpower was indeed being consumed at a visible rate. This was not the kind of pointless waste that Nagato wanted; what he needed were working parts, not just simple sacrifices or bounties.

Shuji's initial response to establish a ninja academy did not satisfy Nagato.

But now, facing the real challenges of governance, he suddenly understands one aspect of it.

If they were ninjas trained by Amegakure, they would be far more useful than these wild, desperate outlaws.

Perhaps we should consider transferring people from Amegakure. But the existence of the Land of the Moon cannot be fully exposed yet... However, since the Land of Snow has already gained initial freedom and acceptance, perhaps this path is not impossible.

Nagato had no intention of sharing these specific considerations with Madara Uchiha.

"What are you doing here?" Tiandao's voice was flat and emotionless.

Obito walked to the other side of the terrace, leaned against the railing, and looked down at the orderly street scene.

"Let's see what the world will look like in the future," he said.

Pain remained silent, simply watching Obito.

“Orochimaru will go to the Land of Snow as a participant,” Obito continued.

Payne did not respond.

“According to the latest information from Yura,” Obito said with a hint of amusement, “after the failed secret deal between Konoha and Kumogakure, they have turned their suspicions toward Sunagakure.”

“The Sunagakure faction has also expressed dissatisfaction with the secret service.”

Obito presented the latest situation.

"As a department that was forcibly put together, it is about to become loose again once the external pressure is gone."

What are you trying to say?

“What I want to say,” Obito’s voice softened, “is that they will eventually go back to the old ways. The tug-of-war between the daimyo, the nobles, and the ninja villages will remain the same, even if the name is changed.”

"But it's different here."

"Entering the sphere of influence of the five great ninja villages directly is not a suitable option. So, instead of being satisfied with the current island, let's transform all the overseas countries into the Land of the Moon as they are now."

"When there is no longer any place for the old order overseas, those rogue ninjas and ronin who came to seek refuge have completely lost their way out and illusions. They have no choice but to assimilate."

Payne gazed silently at the horizon. The idea of ​​thoroughly clearing out the surrounding islands and expanding the new order outwards... the suggestion itself didn't offend him.

“They don’t have enough power to interfere overseas.” Obito stated the facts with certainty. “Shennong has always wanted to rebuild the Land of the Sky. Why don’t we find a place to fulfill his wish first?”

"He also has a group of air ninja under his command."

Payne's gaze shifted almost imperceptibly. Indeed, those people weren't even considered reserves within the organization; they were merely appendages to Shennong, a member.

His strength was mediocre and his ninjutsu was crude, but he was still a ninja after all, and he possessed some special skills.

“Okay,” he replied.

Perfect timing, the new flying fortress is almost finished. Those people should come in handy eventually.

Obito continued, "We must ensure victory in the match against the Joint Affairs Bureau."

"Only victory can confirm that their promises are not just lies."

Pain turned around and faced Obito directly.

"Since Orochimaru has volunteered to go, let Sasori and Hirukoya go together."

"I will be nearby to ensure the final outcome."

Having received the answer he wanted, Obito's smile beneath his mask became more genuine.

Whether Nagato is engrossed in the current governance game or not, at least he's willing to take this step to prove his path. As long as Nagato personally intervenes, the outcome will largely favor them.

If Shuji still uses the old method to provide support... even if it's just a brief appearance using space-time ninjutsu, the opponent will have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

The spacetime vortex opened silently, and Obito's figure disappeared into it.

Payne was the only one left on the terrace.

A moment later, Xiao Nan's figure materialized from the air like a piece of paper, landing lightly beside him. She didn't speak, but waited quietly.

"Notify Kakuzu and Hidan," Pain said. "Have them thoroughly clean up the surrounding islands. Repeat what the Land of the Moon has already done on the other islands."

"Let Shennong and his Kongren act together."

After a brief pause, Payne spoke again: "Can the people in the village still be mobilized?"

“Yes,” Konan replied calmly. “We will issue a formal commission to Amegakure in the name of the Land of the Moon or the island regime that it is about to control. Having a stable and high-paying channel for overseas missions will itself become a unique resource and advantage for Amegakure.”

"As long as Konoha and the Joint Affairs Bureau try to maintain a superficial balance and do not want to completely break off relations, they will not openly obstruct such normal mission exchanges."

Now, Amegakure's special position in this game is practically an open secret to both sides.

Even Xiao Nan's subordinates who remained in the village gradually realized this.

They don't need to do anything extra; they just need to play the role of a normal ninja village, accepting, reporting, and executing missions according to standard procedures.

Meanwhile, ninjas from other villages who wish to take on missions in overseas islands must consider the overtly hostile relationship between the Joint Affairs Bureau and the Akatsuki organization.

After all, currently only the Land of Snow, not Akatsuki, has the official authority to make formal contact with the Five Great Ninja Villages. This invisible barrier has ironically become a rare window of opportunity for Amegakure. "Go do it," Pain said finally.

Xiao Nan's figure once again transformed into fluttering paper butterflies and vanished into the air.

Two months later.

More than thirty Rain Village ninjas, in small teams, boarded merchant ships in batches and discreetly, crossed the strait, and arrived at several islands that had already been cleared by Kakuzu and Hidan.

Compared to those rogue ninjas who habitually speak with bloodshed and intimidation, these ninjas from regular ninja villages demonstrated higher execution efficiency, better teamwork, and a more... lawful way of behaving as maintainers of order.

They completed their tasks, received their payment, and asked no questions or did anything more.

Nagato observed all of this. Watching the Amegakure ninjas work in an orderly manner, and seeing the simple management structure gradually taking shape on the island, his vision of the future he wanted to build became increasingly clear.

Meanwhile, the competition date agreed upon with the Joint Affairs Bureau was quietly approaching amidst the ebb and flow of the tides.

On a misty morning, an inconspicuous cargo ship quietly departed from the port of the Moon Kingdom. In a specially modified secret room on the lower deck, the gaunt Nagato himself sat quietly in a wheelchair, with Konan by his side.

The cargo ship cut through the blue sea and sailed northeast.

Their destination is an island located between the Land of Thunder and the Land of Snow, which has been chosen as the arena.

The journey was not smooth.

The closer you get to that sea area, the more ships there are.

Warships from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water cruised in the distance, their flags fluttering in the sea breeze. Even more striking was the sky above the Land of Snow, where several airships circled beneath the clouds, casting enormous shadows.

The island itself is desolate and tranquil. There are no sports facilities, no spectator stands, and no signage. There are only exposed black reefs, sparse salt-tolerant vegetation, and rock walls smoothed by the sea wind.

When the cargo ship anchored dozens of nautical miles from the island, Nagato could already see the figures gathering on the island through the vision of his summoned beast.

Scorpion stood in the shadow of a rocky hill, while Hiruko sat on a rock not far away, looking up at the sky, lost in thought.

As for Orochimaru, he had changed his appearance and was now hiding among dozens of ninjas wearing snow ninja headbands and completely covered up.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, ships from the Joint Affairs Bureau were gradually docking.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to leap off the deck. The Third Hokage donned his armor, and his white hair beneath his helmet fluttered slightly in the sea breeze.

He stepped steadily onto the sandy beach, his gaze sweeping across the desolate island before finally settling on the silhouettes of black clouds against red backgrounds on the distant rocky hills.

Shuji's wooden clone landed behind him.

“This scene,” Xiu Si looked around, “reminds me of ancient battlefield legends. Soldiers beat drums to cheer from the rear, while generals from both sides clashed on the front lines, with the outcome determining the course of the entire war.”

“If all conflicts could be resolved in this way, that would be good,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Xiu Si smiled and waved his hand: "I'm going to find a place to go fishing. I can't participate in such a high-level battle right now."

As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the other side of the coastline, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadow of the reef.

Darui followed the Third Hokage onto the beach. He looked in the direction where Shuji had disappeared and muttered to himself, "Although I had heard about Shuji's changes before... seeing it with my own eyes, I still feel that he is completely different from his previous image."

As for the idea of ​​catching up, although it can't be said that it has been completely abandoned, the distance is indeed too far.

However, they still use the other person as a goal to strive for and motivate themselves.

“He’s just too lazy to hide himself,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his gaze still fixed on the enemy in the distance.

As they approached, Scorpion raised his head—or rather, Hiruko turned his head at an angle.

"They're taking so long."

Hiruko turned around, and paused for a moment when his gaze met that of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage wore a look of regret.

"Hiruko," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was tinged with a sigh, "Is having power really that important? Important enough for you to betray your comrades and walk down this path?"

“You don’t understand, Third Hokage,” Hiruko said. “In Konoha, people like me who have no bloodline limit or special talents will always be just supporting characters. I can only watch helplessly as those so-called geniuses get ahead of me, and I… I don’t even have the right to catch up.”

"But things are different now. The Ghost Sprout Technique has granted me power beyond the ordinary. Once you witness my current power, you will understand that the path I have chosen is the right one."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and did not continue the argument.

His gaze passed over Hiruko and landed on the silent snow ninja, finally settling on one of the seemingly ordinary figures.

The figure slowly walked forward.

He was dressed in the dark official attire of the Snow Country, and his face was so plain and unremarkable that he was the kind of person who would be hard to remember even if you saw him three times.

"Nice to meet you, Third Hokage." The man bowed slightly, his manners impeccable. "I am Kong Chen, Minister of the Land of Snow, representing my country in this tournament."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him quietly: "According to the agreement, only the Yuki ninja should participate."

Kong Chen smiled and said, "According to the conventions of past wars, hiring ninjas can certainly represent the country that hired them in battle."

The sea breeze passed between the two, stirring up dust.

After a long while, the Third Hokage finally spoke.

"Is that so? Then is it the same for you?"

Orochimaru.

The man who called himself Kong Chen smiled. The smile gradually widened, eventually transforming into the familiar curve that belonged to Orochimaru.

With a mere flick of his hand, his face transformed into another, his skin regaining its pale hue, and his golden vertical pupils gleaming dangerously in the sunlight.

"As expected of my teacher." Orochimaru's voice returned to its original hoarseness. "Even with a different face and identity, I still can't hide it from you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.

Are you sure you want to stand here?

Orochimaru's smile deepened: "I simply chose another possibility, Sarutobi-sensei."

"Of course, I also have something I want to show you."

"I've achieved quite a few interesting results during this time."

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The sound of the ocean waves seemed to have faded away, leaving only the hissing of the wind as it swept across the rocks.

(End of this chapter)