The Blonde Shinobi- Chapter 13- (Patreon)

Naruto eyed Daruki, the winner of the third phase of the exams, who was raising his hand in the air to celebrate his victory.

A smile found its place on Naruto's lips, knowing Darui deserved the felicitations. He had defeated Yuki Yui, who had previously defeated Hyosame, making him the champion of the competition.

Baa-chan was in the Hokage booth, clapping to congratulate the winner, as the other dignitaries and Kages did the same.

Naruto walked away toward the jonin stand, knowing his job here was done. He had declared the winner, and that was the end of his role for the day.

The jonin stand wasn't heavily populated. Most of the rank-holders and ANBU agents had been assigned patrol duties. Baa-chan worked her subordinates hard, and it showed, as the village's security was top-notch.

Kakashi was there, though, seated silently on one of the chairs. Asuma was also there, as was Genma. They were assigned duties in the stadium, much like him. While he proctored, they kept an eye on ANBU patrol routes and Jonin positions.

"You did a good job there, Naruto," Asuma said, lighting a cigarette.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head with a smile. "Thanks, Asuma-sensei."

Genma snorted. "Feel old yet, Asuma?"

"I'm your senpai now, Naruto, not sensei," Asuma clarified.

"It was only a few years ago that he himself competed in the exams, and I proctored," Genma said with a smirk.

"You also competed with him in the Jonin Exams," Kakashi said with an eye smile, "and lost to him."

"Hey! I was interested in testing him, not defeating him," Genma replied, looking offended.

"Don't say it as if you would be able to," Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"You know, Hatake, you're quite full of yourself and your student," Asuma said with a drag of his cigarette and a smirk, and Kakashi returned it.

Danzō eyed Mizuki, the only member of the team he had sent who returned.

"You went against three shinobi, with two teams at your command, and returned empty-handed. Not only that, you got them killed, too," Danzō said, his voice cold and ruthless.

"My lord, there was a Konoha ANBU team as well," Danzō's back stiffened.

"How? I have made sure Tsunade doesn't know about Root movements," he demanded.

"I don't know, Danzō-sama. The target led us to them and then backed away after reducing our numbers," the masked Root agent said, still kneeling on the ground.

"Who was leading the team?" he asked, his voice calculating. Maybe he could bury this, kill the agent in an accident.

"ANBU Bear, my lord."

Shit, that was bad. ANBU Bear was the elder son of Hiruzen and one of the best ANBU Konoha had right now. He was in the line of succession for the next ANBU Commander.

He was quite close to the Hokage and formidable. Ending him in an accident wasn't possible unless he was willing to reveal his hand.

But letting him report to Tsunade would do the same. Bear would easily recognize a Root operative.

Danzō himself had invited him to the organization quite a few times, never forcefully, though. ANBU Bear had been protected under Hiruzen, so the most Danzō could do was manipulate or coerce him.

Neither had worked with the strong-willed ANBU.

Danzō nodded, and a tantō found its mark in Mizuki's neck, killing him instantly.

"That's the price for failure," he said as another agent Shunshined away with the body.

"Where's the Hokage right now?" he asked.

"In the Hokage Tower with the other Kages, Danzō-sama. The Chunin Exams have ended; there are talks of trade deals and opening the border for merchants," an agent beside him said.

Danzō's fist clenched. "Weak-willed. She would allow more spies to enter the Land of Fire. The village is for shinobi, not merchants."

"Where is ANBU Bear and his team? Have they entered the village?" he asked.

"Nothing is known about their location, my lord. Nobody was assigned to follow them as Mizuki's team was slain," the agent reported faithfully.

"Incompetent fools! I want a team on them. As soon as they enter the village, inform me," he said, his fist clenched.

He had never envisioned things going this astray, but it could be salvaged.

Danzō knew his seals must have activated as the shinobi died, vanishing their bodies in a river of ink. A seal he had developed and planted for such instances.

Bear's word was the only thing that could be used against him, but not in a council meeting. Mere allegations with no solid proof were going to give him the upper hand, but he had to be ready for conflict.

"I want all agents nearby; the ones outside the village must travel to the bases at the outskirts. If this gets ugly, then we need to have the population to operate." Danzō ordered, and one of his agents vanished with a nod to follow his orders.

"The fact that those three were able to take on two teams," Danzō muttered to himself, his lone visible eye narrowed into a dangerous slit.

He tapped the armrest of his chair, the sound echoing ominously in the underground bunker. He had spent decades building Root to be the shadow Konoha needed, a necessary evil, yet the current administration saw fit to undermine him at every turn.

Hiruzen's son, that fool Asuma, and Bear, he thought, recalling the obstacles. Hiruzen had always protected his children, leaving Danzō with a perpetual thorn in his side.

If Bear was back in the village and talking, the fallout would be immediate.

Tsunade would launch a full-scale purge, and the resources and personnel he had painstakingly hidden would be exposed.

He rose from his seat, his cloak rustling. "The information gatherers—I want a full report on the movements of Tsunade, Jiraiya if he's in the area, and that damned Uzumaki boy. If they are occupied with the kages, they won't be looking for internal threats."

He paused, a flicker of anger crossing his face. "And find out how those infiltrators knew to lead Bear's team to the skirmish. That smacks of inside knowledge, or a sensory range that is far more potent than what is currently recorded."

The remaining agent instantly vanished. Danzō walked to a large map of Konoha etched into the wall, his finger tracing the hidden perimeter of his bases.

"If they choose war, they will have it," he whispered, a fierce resolve hardening his features.

He had assets buried deeper than any could imagine, loyal to the vision of a strong, self-reliant Konoha, regardless of who sat in the Hokage chair. He was the only one who truly understood the price of peace, and he would not let the softness of others destroy the village.

He just needed time to consolidate and strike at the right moment. The game was far from over.

One had escaped and the rest had vanished in rivers of ink. That sounded absurd, but it was true.

Yūgao was injured but still able to travel at his speed. She carried the scroll containing the body of their third member. He had died in battle, an honorable death, according to Sora.

But it was a death in vain, and a betrayal. The infiltrators hadn't killed him; no, it was one of their own, misguided and under the command of the War Hawk.

Sora always knew Danzō was bad news. He had told his father as much. His father had initially dismissed his claims, but when Danzō went to extremes while commanding the ANBU to realize his vision of Konoha, his father had seen it.

The lust for power and twisted loyalty in his old friend, the need to prove his worth in the most heinous way possible. But to attack your own village's shinobi? The Root was truly corrupted.

And he knew it was the Root who had attacked them; he had been invited to join the organization quite a few times by Danzō. He had declined and warned Asuma against them, but just like his father, saw them as a necessary evil.

Until the connection to the Uchiha massacre was revealed, then it was disbanded. Or Danzo had been forced to show that it had been disbanded, the higher ups and the hokage knew some part of it remained.

But his father had been too tired by the hat to take strong measure in his second term, and tsunade was still adjusting to the role. Building a group of trusted shinobi around her, just like his father's council.

But now, now was the time to take strong action. Sora knew he couldn't drag Danzo to council with simple heresay and no proof, so he wouldn't try. The hokage would be noted, but the action would be slow.

Shikaku Nara was a master strategist, and Sora knew he would strategize the steps needed to take.

As soon as he entered the village, he felt the eyes on him.

Yeah, Danzō was keeping an eye on him, waiting for a slip.

"Sir," Yūgao began, but Sora raised his hand to stop her.

"ANBU Bear and Cat reporting from a patrol mission. We also report the loss of our third member," he stated clearly to the gate guard, who noted it down and nodded them through.

Soon, two ANBU agents dropped from the roof. "Sir, you're directed to report to the ANBU Commander. Hokage-sama is busy with the other Kages."

Okay, Sora needed to work around this.

He nodded and jumped onto the roof, with Yūgao and the two ANBU following him. His path led straight toward the ANBU headquarters, all while those unseen eyes tracked his every move.

The moment he entered the headquarters, he signed 'discretion' to the guard on the roof. The guard must have understood, as he quickly passed the signal to others. Knowing the Commander was in the headquarters was a comfort.

Sora watched as the ANBU milling around settled when the Commander exited his office. He was dressed like any other ANBU around the building, but a black cloak over his shoulders, bearing the writing "Commander," marked his status. ANBU agents bowed or simply sidestepped as he walked down the metal platform, knowing well what he wanted.

Sora straightened as the Commander climbed down the metal stairs and walked up to him.

"ANBU Bear," the man said, his voice deep but not rough. "Report."

"Sir, we lost ANBU Salamander on the mission. He was brought down by some rough shinobi," Sora said clearly.

"Infiltrators?" the ANBU Commander asked.

"No, sir. Rogue ANBU, with no mask markings," Sora said, handing the scroll to his senior.

The man took the scroll solemnly and handed it to one of his subordinates, who bowed and backed away.

"No marking on the mask? Are you sure?" the man asked again.

Sora nodded. "It seems the War Hawk is building a nest again."

His leader sighed. "Any proof? A body, perhaps, if I'm lucky."

Sora shook his head. "There were three infiltrators; they were stalking the bounty office. We gave chase but were led to this team of unmarked ANBU."

"Were the infiltrators with them?" he asked.

"No, sir. They engaged them as soon as we caught up to them. They used them as bait to get away."

"At least tell me you eliminated them," the Commander said, frustration clear in his eyes.

"We did, sir, bar one. The leader escaped as soon as he saw his comrade fall. We tried to track him but were unable to." the Bear-masked ANBU said.

"You were not able to collect the bodies?" he asked.

"They vanished in a fountain of ink," Sora said.

The ANBU Commander looked at him for a moment before making a hand sign; the ANBU all stood at attention.

"As of now, all of the ANBU inside the village and out are to remain on high alert. As soon as I am able to get a directive from the Hokage, new orders will be passed," he announced, knowing full well what the Hokage would say.

There was no positive way of going forward. If Tsunade-sama used a hard hand, they'd have a civil war on their hands, which was to be avoided at any cost. He may be an ANBU Commander, but he was a close advisor of the Sandaime and knew the man fumbled when it came to Danzō.

Shimura Danzō should have been arrested, tried, and executed. Treason was a heinous crime, and so was creating an independent militant group in a shinobi village.

Only if the Yondaime-sama were here. The man was one of the greatest to wear the Hat and was quite heavy-handed. Well, it suited him. As he was one of the strongest in the village, 'Army Killer' was the word Jiraiya-sama had used for him once upon a time.

"Clean after yourselves and hold a funeral for Salamander," the Commander ordered. The ANBU was an orphan, as far as he remembered. A war orphan from the last war; his father had been a Jonin and his mother an ANBU. He had chosen the latter position to pursue and was quite good at it.

"Dismiss all of you," he said, and walked away.

As soon as the meeting was over and a trade agreement was signed with Kiri, Tsunade took a much-needed rest.

The other Kages were about to leave, and a few had already gone. Dignitaries and Daimyō alike were praising this year's management, and the exams had gone well.

Too well, it seemed, as she lay back in her chair with a wine glass in hand. There was a knock on her door.

"Enter," she said, a bit inebriated.

Shizune walked in, a file in hand and a frown on her face. "Tsunade-sama, how many times have I told you not to drink on duty? It gives off the wrong message."

"Let me relax a bit, Shizune. The meetings have concluded, the paperwork is done, and I need a good hour of relaxation," she said, taking a sip of her favorite rice wine.

Shizune passed the file toward her. "The ANBU Commander is waiting outside."

"What does he need now? The security was top-notch, I told him that, right?" she asked grousely.

"A team was sent to investigate the border across the East, and the ANBU Commander was leading it. It seems they encountered some infiltration and lost a member in a skirmish," Shizune said.

Tsunade looked up, her eyes wide. Forming a hand seal, she instantly dissipated the effects of the alcohol and picked up the file, going over it.

"Unmarked ANBU? Are you kidding me?" she asked with a frown.

"Three infiltrators: a redhead, possibly an Uzumaki. A blonde shinobi, facial markings, and strong build. And a light-blue haired, nearly white, shinobi," she read dutifully.

She looked up at Shizune. "When did this come in?"

"A few hours earlier," she said.

"Call in the ANBU Commander, ANBU Bear, and the Jonin Commander," she ordered.

Shizune nodded and scurried off to carry out her orders, assigning a few ANBU to summon all required personnel. The time it took for them to assemble was enough for Tsunade to read the reports.

"Hokage-sama," Shikaku Nara said as he entered the chamber. The lazy Jonin knew when not to be slothful.

"Hokage-sama," the ANBU Commander and ANBU Bear said in unison, appearing in her office via a Shunshin of their own.

"Clear this room, and make sure none eavesdrop," Tsunade ordered. The six ANBU stationed in the room jumped out of her office one after the other.

Tsunade finally looked at Bear (Sora). "Who were the infiltrators?"

Bear stood straight. "One was recognized as Suigetsu Hōzuki, a missing shinobi from Kiri."

"And the others?" Tsunade asked.

"Not recognized. One had to be an Uzumaki. She had the infamous red hair and red eyes," Sora said.

"A pureblood Uzumaki, then. Only they have red eyes," Tsunade nodded to herself. "And the last shinobi?"

Bear hesitated for a moment before answering, "He didn't have any recognizable features, but his hair was as blonde as yours, and he was tall and wide of stature."

Tsunade looked to her left and grasped the tip of her hair before nodding. "I want three Bingo Book entries in their names by tomorrow. I want them captured alive."

The ANBU Commander nodded. "As you wish, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade shook her head. "And now about these unmarked ANBU agents. Three teams, you said, right?"

Sora nodded. "And a leader, Hokage-sama. They were possibly tracking the infiltrators just like us, but as soon as they faced us, they engaged us."

Tsunade nodded and then looked at Shikaku, who nodded back to her. "He's been active. I've told Shikamaru and Naruto to keep an eye out for him," Shikaku confirmed.

Tsunade frowned. "Were they ever visited?"

Shikaku looked at the ANBU Commander. "They had been invited to join the Foundation during the Sandaime's tenure. He put his foot down and warned Shimura-san off."

Tsunade looked shocked. "He was brave enough to try during Sensei's tenure? Why am I not surprised? He gave too much leeway to the Warhawk." She shook her head. "Do we at least have a body to drag him to the council?"

The ANBU Commander shook his head, and Tsunade let out a plethora of curses.

"Our hands are tied if we don't have physical proof," Shikaku said.

"Don't I know that, Nara? He is too slimy for his own good," Tsunade snarked. "This is why I wanted Naruto promoted. If he had remained a Chūnin, he would have had to work with a team."

Danzō had been pressuring her to accept Sai into a team. She had denied him that with faint promises and then promoted Naruto. She knew he was going to retaliate in some way, but to openly engage Konoha shinobi... And Root—it should be disbanded, it should be buried six feet under, not functioning.

In her anger, she threw her glass paperweight toward the wall. Now there was a clear ball-shaped hole in the wall and glass shards on the floor.

"This is why I never wanted this Hat. It's more trouble than it's worth," she griped. She looked up at Shikaku.

"I want a covert mission, Shikaku. Choose three of your best," she said. She then turned to the ANBU Commander. "Choose three of your best. I want an investigation into this."

"Danzō will be monitored," she said. "And I want Uzumaki Naruto on this team. If the brat wants me to hold the Hat, then he will do my bidding, stupid gaki."

By the end, she was breathing heavily, the haze of the wine already long gone and a headache forming in her close view.

Naruto was enjoying his day off. Hinata was cooking in the kitchen—soba noodles and something called Sobayu. Hinata was clearly the expert of her craft, so Naruto was relaxing.

Konohamaru was absent for today, and he was all good with that. He liked the brat, but Konohamaru was as loud as himself, and just as obnoxious. Truly, Naruto didn't think he liked himself that much.

"Naruto-kun, where's the bowl and spoon at?" Hinata's voice came from the kitchen.

"The drawer beneath the microwave," he called out.

He looked back at his garden; it was quite peaceful. Ero-senin had sent a letter with one of the toads. He was in the Land of Hot Springs and coming back to Konoha in a few weeks. His assignment was a success, and he had some news to share in private.

"Here, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, coming into his view. Her face was red from cooking, but it still looked nice.

Naruto shook that odd thought from his head and sat up. Hinata placed two bowls in front of him. One with noodles in it, and one with a dark sauce. Naruto had never eaten this, so he didn't know how to start.

"How do I eat this, Hinata-chan?" he asked, looking at the delicious-looking noodles.

"Um, I normally pour the sauce in the noodle and eat. But some people eat them separately?" she said, her face getting red as he looked at her intensely.

"Okay, I'll pour it then," he said and poured a bit of sauce into the noodles, before mixing it with chopsticks and taking a bite.

It was tasteful. Hinata, who had decided to sit in front of him with her own two bowls, asked, "How is it, Naruto-kun?"

"Tasty, just behind Ramen," Naruto confirmed. Hinata knew Naruto loved his ramen; it was high praise to be second.

Naruto was halfway through the bowl of ramen, enjoying the rich, savory broth, when the doorbell rang. Frowning slightly at his lunch being disturbed, he pushed the bowl back and stood up, heading toward the entrance.

As he opened the door, he was face to face with a stern, tall Anbu member wearing a mask shaped like a crocodile.

"Jonin Uzumaki," the Anbu's voice was flat and devoid of emotion. "You are being summoned to the Hokage office. Report in twenty minutes."

The Anbu didn't offer any reason—why, and who exactly had summoned him was not part of their standard orders. Naruto knew that, so he merely gave a brief nod to the slightly taller ninja. "I'll be there," he confirmed.

The Anbu returned the gesture with a short nod, made a single handsign, and vanished with a quiet Shunshin.

Naruto returned to the dining room, which overlooked a small, quiet garden. Hinata was seated across from his spot, silently sipping the hot liquid from a separate cup.

"This is what Sobayu means, Naruto-kun," she explained softly, referring to the water used to cook the soba noodles, which was traditionally served after the meal. She looked up at him, her pale eyes curious. "Who was at the door?"

Naruto picked up his chopsticks to finish his interrupted lunch. "An Anbu. I've been summoned to the Hokage office in the next twenty minutes," he informed her, taking a large bite of noodles.

Hinata immediately stopped sipping and set her cup down. "Then shouldn't you hurry, Naruto-kun?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Naruto chuckled, setting his chopsticks down briefly to reassure her. "It'll take me less than a second to travel once I'm ready, worry not. This Sobayu is great, by the way. You should teach me how to make Soba sometime." He grinned, feeling the familiar rush of energy that came with being needed by the village, even if it meant skipping the last spoonful of broth.

It had been quite some time since Genma had gotten a summon; his missions were more of his own choosing. Mostly, in times of peace, Jonin chose their own missions, although they had to be of adequate rank and depend on one's specialty.

The last time he had been summoned, it had been his assignment to the Jonin Exams for the blonde brat.

This time he was early, except the Anbu. Shikaku-sama was there, so was the Anbu commander and the Hokage.

"It's nice to see at least one of you show up early," Tsunade grumbled, and Genma found a smirk on his lips.

The next to arrive was Hyūga Neji, surprising considering the mission was definitely high-ranked and Neji was still considered a green Jōnin. But the last to come surprised him the most, because it was Uzumaki Naruto.

How did the brat always get involved in high-ranking missions? He was skilled, Genma knew that—damn skilled if Kakashi-senpai was to be trusted.

But Genma took Kakashi's word with a grain of salt; Kakashi was used to bragging and acting cool. Then again, Kakashi could always back up his boasts, so maybe it wasn't really bragging.

"Good, all of you are here," Tsunade-sama said. "Shikaku will brief you."

The Jōnin Commander nodded and walked forward. "You are to be divided into two teams. One of you will go to the bounty office to the east. There, you will investigate it for any kind of traps, tapping devices, and seals."

He turned toward Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto, Hyūga Neji, and ANBU Hawk will be on this team. Uzumaki Naruto will lead it."

"Hai," Naruto said with a nod.

"The second team will be of ANBU Bear, ANBU Dog, and Shiranui Genma. You will keep an eye on a specific individual; the rest of the information is in this file," he said, passing the file to Genma.

"Hai," Genma said, taking the file.

"These missions are covert; no one is to know of it," Tsunade said, standing up from her chair. "Naruto, you will leave the village tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

Naruto nodded, thinking it best not to jest at the moment. He walked out of the door, with Neji and ANBU Hawk following him.

The Bounty Office was far off, located around the eastern border. If he was being honest, he knew nobody had claimed any bounty at this specific office for a long time.

If the infiltrators chose this location, they were idiotic. It was not a very active one. What was active, though, was the Information Center nearby, and Naruto was thinking he should check that out too.

Still, Tsunade had told him to check this office, so he was here.

"I'll take a look around," Neji said, activating his Byakugan.

Naruto didn't have very high hopes of him finding anything. If the infiltrators were smart, they wouldn't bug this isolated bounty office. If they weren't smart, but were even slightly capable, they would have left no clues behind.

And as anticipated, Neji returned without any clue. "There's nothing wrong here. The walls are fine, as is the roof and the inner wall. No bugs at all."

Naruto nodded, knowing that even he might not find anything. There could genuinely be nothing, or the infiltrators could be interested in the documents, bounty offers, or maybe even sabotage.

He walked into the small, mound-like structure. It wasn't very expansive inside. The ANBU in charge looked him up and down and simply nodded, saying nothing.

Naruto revealed a slip of paper from his waist with seals etched on it and stuck it onto the wall. Forming a few hand signs in quick succession, he touched the slip of paper. It shone a bright red before burning away as if on fire. Nothing happened.

No hidden seals or listening devices were detected. This specific seal was developed by his father, one of his signature creations. It had multiple sealing systems rooted into it and could easily recognize various different sealing styles.

Naruto shook his head and turned to Neji. "Nothing from my side either. There's no trace of any kind of seal here, at least not the styles I'm familiar with."

The ANBU assigned to his team looked at him. "There's still a chance then, if a style unknown to you was used."

Naruto shook his head. "It depends highly on luck and coincidence. The infiltrators using a specific sealing style I'm unaware of—that's improbable. The chances are high that they didn't bug this one."

"Information Center then?" Neji asked, and Naruto nodded.

"I want to check that one," Naruto said.

They quickly repacked and were ready to move. As they jumped through the trees, Naruto noticed Neji sending him short glances. As they reached the Information Center, Naruto finally sighed and looked at him. "What?"

Neji looked startled but recovered quickly, blushing slightly at being caught staring. "Nothing. Just, they said a Fūinjutsu Master, and I didn't think it would be you," Neji said.

"Why is that? I'm a good Fūinjutsu user," he retorted, then turned to the ANBU. "Right, ANBU-san?"

The ANBU looked like a deer in headlights, freezing for a second before nodding.

Neji smiled. "Remembering you, Naruto, you were never the smartest guy in a room—utterly clueless and brash."

A tick mark appeared on Naruto's forehead. "Hey! That's not fair, dattebayo!" Then a smirk found its place on his lips. "At least I defeated you."

Now Neji looked like a deer in headlights. "It was luck on your side, Naruto," he insisted.

"Wanna bet?" Naruto shot back.

"Can we postpone this for another time, Naruto-san?" The ANBU interjected, his voice placid.

"Knucklehead," Neji muttered under his breath.

Naruto instantly pointed a finger in his face, indignant. "See, it's him! Why don't you call him out?"

"Hyūga-san, please," the ANBU said, sounding exactly like a school teacher. It felt as if he were with two Academy students, not two reputed, newly-minted Jōnin.

The Information Center was large and made of concrete. Naruto walked around it, leaving Neji and the ANBU to look around. If they found a clue, he would be thankful.

There were a few places that would allow infiltration, but nothing too intricate. The Information Center was built in such a way that getting in was harder than getting out, and for good reasons.

Naruto sighed after circling the Information Center's perimeter, convinced he wasn't going to spot any obvious signs of entry from the exterior. Just as he was about to suggest moving on, Neji approached him, his expression serious.

"There's nothing to see out here, Naruto," Neji stated. "We should enter the building. ANBU Hawk wants to check the actual machines and data lines inside. If they planted a monitoring device, it would likely be wired directly into the main systems."

"Good point," Naruto conceded. Physical devices were easy enough to spot, but sophisticated data taps were trickier.

The three man team entered the building. The interior was quite different from exterior, dominated by rows of humming servers and glowing consoles. Naruto was never a technician but he knew the servers here was quite intricate, and secured.

ANBU Hawk immediately moved to the central relay hub, his hands moving with quiet intensity and focus as he began to scan the complex wiring.

Naruto took a different approach, planting another one of his father's specialized Fūinjutsu sensor slips near the largest computer bank.

He channeled a low pulse of chakra, hoping the sheer complexity of the data infrastructure might have required a visible, or at least traceable, seal. If any foreign chakra was clinging to the network, his father's seal would find it.

"Nothing!" Naruto blurted out in frustration. "What were the infiltrators after, then?"

"Huh?" Neji asked.

"There's nothing here either, no seals," Naruto repeated, gesturing toward the silent computer banks.

"And the data is secure; no leaks here either," ANBU Hawk confirmed with a nod.

Naruto turned to the in charge of the center. "Any anomaly? Data leaks? Anything unusual at all?"

The man shook his head in the negative. Naruto nodded. "Then our work here is done. Whatever those infiltrators were after, they left no trace."

"It seems quite skilled for mere infiltrators," Neji remarked, packing their supplies back into their pouches.

Naruto turned to the ANBU Hawk. "Were they engaged by Konoha forces, Hawk-san?"

The ANBU nodded in affirmation.

"Did they find it?" Suigetsu asked, his voice muffled.

Karin shook her head.

She, Sasuke, and Ototane were bent over a seal, listening intently.

"No, the Uzumaki is good. But it seems his father, whoever he was, wasn't very familiar with the Uzumaki style," Karin said.

Sasuke nodded and walked back to sit on the floor. He had been surprised to hear Naruto's voice; he could recognize his ex-teammate's voice anywhere.

Hearing Naruto talking, leading the mission, and having others listen was still new. The blonde he knew was brash, uncultured, and knuckle-headed—not your average leader type.

But this Naruto seemed commanding, and even a bit knowledgeable. It made him wish for a second to hear or see how Sakura had changed. He had heard she was now Tsunade's apprentice.

His metallic fingers flexed, and he rubbed his eyes.

"This Uzumaki fellow, he must be your cousin," Suigetsu said to Karin, who frowned slightly.

"I don't know who his parents are, but that's a fair possibility. There aren't many of us left," she said.

Sasuke looked up at that. "Uzushiogakure is rumored to be not that far from here."

Karin nodded, looking wistful. "The Wave Country was under its protection. I don't know exactly which way it is, but the sea calls."

Jugo was slumbering in one of the corners. Ototane was now seated beside the seals, listening silently.

"The sea calls?" Suigetsu asked, confused.

Karin nodded. "We, Uzumaki, feel it, whenever we are near our home."

"Then Naruto must feel it too?" Sasuke asked, intrigued.

Karin nodded. "His calling must be bleak, him being a half-blood. Pure-blooded Uzumakis are more fixated."

"You say that as if the Island literally calls you," Suigetsu said, still confused.

Karin closed her eyes and hummed. "It's to my north. How far away? I don't know."

Ototane looked to Sasuke. "Maybe we can go. It could also work as a secure hideout."

Sasuke looked to Karin, who shook her head. "It's been deserted for years. And my seals doesn't have that much range."

Itachi eyed the destroyed base; it was Kisame's doing.

He shook his head. The man could be erratic sometimes, and his go-to answer was destruction. Having the power to inflict damage on a high scale increased that bloodlust. They had not found Orochimaru, but Kisame had clearly been frustrated by something. The next thing Itachi knew, the base was destroyed in a frenzy.

"Why did you do that? I told you we were just to observe Orochimaru; he wasn't even here," Itachi said quietly.

Kisame, standing beside him, his Samehada drawn and his eyes wide, cracked his neck. "The stench coming out was irritating."

Itachi looked at him with a frown. "You destroyed this because it smelled bad? You're usually much calmer than that."

Kisame shook his head. "I don't know what it was, but it called for me, and I got angry."

"Called you?" Itachi asked.

Kisame nodded. "It was the same way my sharks call me, but they are much more subservient."

Itachi glanced at the outpost with narrowed eyes. "Did you find what called you?"

Kisame nodded. "It was a tank with blue something inside."

"Did you destroy it?" Itachi asked, and Kisame nodded again.

It was concerning. Orochimaru was doing something wrong; if Kisame felt it, it must be something heinous enough to irritate him.

"We must be going. He won't be coming back here," Itachi said and disappeared in a flock of ravens.

"Fucking snake head!" Kisame spat, and then disappeared as well.

Torune eyed the bridge connecting the Wave Country from the mainland. The scroll in his pouch was written by Danzō-sama.

It was an invite for Uchiha Sasuke and his companions. Torune had the task of delivering it, though due to Mizuki's failure, he wasn't allowed to directly interact with the target.

His simple task was to place the scroll where the Uchiha deserter would find it, and then observe his reaction.

If the reaction was positive, he was to send a message to Danzō-sama. Danzō would likely come himself to interact with the group.

If the reaction was not positive, then termination must be the option. Letting such a strong group float around the Elemental Nations was irresponsible—Danzō-sama's words, not his.

Torune had stopped caring a long time ago.