Raikage's Office
The Third Raikage stood up instinctively after reading the intelligence report from Tsuchibashi. His first reaction was one of astonishment and disbelief.
The sudden and unanticipated disappearance of the Third Kazekage sounded far-fetched.
But what if it was true?
"Summon Dodai and Mabui."
After a long moment of contemplation, the Third Raikage gave the order.
"Understood."
The Anbu ninja turned and left.
"Lord Raikage."
Before long, Dodai and Mabui entered the room.
"Hanekawa has reported shocking intelligence."
The Third Raikage got straight to the point. "The Third Kazekage is missing."
"Is that even possible?"
Dodai frowned. "Our spies in Sunagakure haven't reported any such news."
"Hanekawa said the source of the information is her teacher, Tsunade," the Third Raikage added.
"This information is significant and must be investigated," Mabui suggested thoughtfully.
"If it's false, it doesn't matter. But if it's true, what should we do? Declare war on both Konoha and Sunagakure simultaneously?" Dodai asked, visibly troubled.
"Why not?"
The Third Raikage was undaunted. "Without the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure is nothing but a disorganized mess. It wouldn't take much effort."
"..."
Dodai hesitated to respond.
The Third Raikage and his son A had inherited the combative traditions of Kumogakure—an unwavering confidence in their strength.
"Lord Raikage isn't entirely wrong," Mabui said with a faint smile. "But there's no need to fight both at the same time."
"What do you mean?"
The Third Raikage raised an eyebrow.
"Based on the current situation, the timing of war with Konoha depends entirely on Kumogakure," Mabui explained calmly. "In short, we stall Konoha while launching a decapitation operation to take down Sunagakure."
"Decapitation operation?"
The Third Raikage looked puzzled. "The Third Kazekage is already missing. Who's left to target in Sunagakure?"
"If the Third Kazekage has been missing for this long, Sunagakure would have to select a new Kazekage or at least an acting leader," Mabui analyzed. "If we eliminate those competing for leadership, Sunagakure would plunge into true chaos."
"That could work!"
Dodai's face lit up with excitement. "It would conserve Kumogakure's forces, preventing other villages from exploiting the situation."
"Moreover, seizing Sunagakure could set us up for a surprise attack on Konoha, creating a pincer formation," Mabui added with a sly smile.
"The priority now is confirming whether the Third Kazekage is truly missing," Dodai said, bowing to the Third Raikage. "Lord Raikage, allow me to handle this investigation."
"Very well."
The Third Raikage nodded slightly.
His son A and Killer Bee needed to focus on stalling Konoha's Minato Namikaze.
Meanwhile, the Third Raikage himself had to remain in Kumogakure to maintain order and deter the other villages.
Dodai was the best choice for the mission.
---
Konoha Village
Hanekawa and Tsunade walked down the bustling streets.
The two had just finished breakfast and were heading to the Hokage's office to accept a new mission. It had been a week since the Chūnin Exams ended, giving them some time to rest.
"Sensei, can I learn the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques?" Hanekawa asked after some thought.
In the original work, sensory ninjutsu, aside from the Uzumaki clan's Kagura Mind's Eye, was best represented by the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques.
These techniques not only allowed precise detection of an enemy's location, speed, and numbers but also enabled sensory sharing with others.
If Hanekawa wanted to learn the Kagura Mind's Eye, she could approach Kushina Uzumaki or Miho Uzumaki for guidance.
However, since that ability was likely a unique trait of the Uzumaki clan, there was no guarantee she could master it.
Thus, she turned her attention to the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques.
"You want to learn the Mind Transfer Jutsu?"
Tsunade frowned. "That's one of their core secret techniques, and Konoha doesn't keep records of it."
"So, does that mean the non-core techniques are available?"
Hanekawa's eyes gleamed as she realized that Konoha's leadership likely had their own agendas.
She suspected that when the village was first founded, clans joining Konoha had to contribute some of their techniques.
And even if they hadn't, people like Tobirama Senju and Danzo Shimura would likely have found a way to acquire them.
"More or less," Tsunade replied with a slight nod. "What are you interested in learning?"
"Their sensory techniques," Hanekawa explained. "Ordinary sensory ninjutsu isn't as effective."
"You're really not shy about asking," Tsunade said, flicking his forehead lightly before adding, "But you do have a point."
"Can you get it?" Hanekawa asked, his face full of anticipation.
"Of course!" Tsunade replied smugly, grinning. "Don't underestimate your teacher!"
"I wouldn't dare!" Hanekawa quickly responded, lowering his gaze momentarily before lifting it again. "I know very well how capable my teacher is."
"That's more like it." Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.
"Is the Expansion Jutsu considered a core secret technique of the Akimichi clan?" Hanekawa suddenly asked.
"It is," Tsunade said, giving him a sharp look. "And I suggest you give up on that idea. Don't push your luck!"
Even though Hanekawa was her student, asking for clan-exclusive secret techniques this frequently wasn't appropriate.
Besides, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was a tightly-knit alliance, second only to the Uchiha and Hyuga clans in Konoha. Offending such clans could create political problems, especially for someone aiming to become Hokage.
"I understand," Hanekawa sighed. "What a pity."
"Pity about what?" Tsunade huffed and warned, "Don't even think about doing anything reckless."
"Sensei, don't you think the Expansion Jutsu would pair perfectly with superhuman strength?" Hanekawa reasoned. "Imagine enlarging an arm and delivering a punch—its power would skyrocket."
"Hmm? That idea…"
Tsunade froze for a moment, lost in thought.
The Akimichi clan's techniques were based on Yang Release chakra nature, which also aligned with medical ninjutsu. The reason the Akimichi were often large was due to the energy reserves needed to use their secret techniques, a concept that resembled the Yin Seal in some ways.
In theory, she could indeed use the Expansion Jutsu to enhance her strength further.
"What a shame," Tsunade finally said, shaking her head. If the Expansion Jutsu wasn't a core secret of the Akimichi clan, she would've been willing to try it.
Of course, with her status and influence, she could technically obtain even core secrets.
But she wasn't Danzo Shimura and wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics.
Hanekawa wasn't in a rush. His main goal was to learn the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques.
As for the Expansion Jutsu, he could revisit it in the future. Every secret technique had its value, and if it couldn't be acquired now, it was simply because the right leverage wasn't available.
Once Tsunade—or Hanekawa himself—became Hokage, negotiating with the Akimichi clan using tangible benefits might make an exchange possible.
"Sensei, what kind of mission are we taking this time?" Hanekawa asked as they neared the Hokage building.
"Since you're Chūnin now, let's take an A-rank mission for practice," Tsunade said with a smile.
"Why not just go for an S-rank mission?" Hanekawa said with a wry expression, unable to resist the sarcasm. "Who uses A-rank missions for practice? Those are supposed to be for Jōnin."
"Stop whining!" Tsunade elbowed him lightly. "You go get the mission; I'll talk to the old man."
"What do you need to talk to the Hokage about?" Hanekawa asked, puzzled.
"What do you think?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I'm going to request the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques for you."
"Sensei, even your eye rolls are beautiful," Hanekawa said with a cough, trying to maintain a serious tone.
"Flatterer!" Tsunade laughed, waving him closer. "Come here, lower your head."
Hanekawa hesitated for a moment but complied.
Tsunade patted his head with a satisfied smile.
"…"
Hanekawa twitched at the corner of his mouth. I knew it would end like this.
Oh well, he thought. If sacrificing a little dignity gets me those techniques, so be it.
"Once you've picked the mission, wait for me at the entrance," Tsunade instructed before heading up the stairs.
Hanekawa turned and walked toward the mission hall.
The moment he entered, he spotted four familiar faces.
"Hanekawa!"
Asuma Sarutobi called out, waving to him.
"Hanekawa-senpai," Shisui Uchiha greeted politely, as respectful as ever. Technically, they had graduated in the same year, so they weren't truly senior and junior.
"Uncle Sakumo," Hanekawa greeted, nodding to everyone.
"You're here alone to pick a mission?" Asuma asked, surprised. "Is that allowed?"
"No," Hanekawa explained. "My teacher came with me, but she's speaking with the Hokage right now."
"That makes sense," Asuma said, then smirked. "What mission are you picking? We just accepted an A-rank one!"
"If you can take an A-rank mission, why can't I?" Hanekawa countered.
"…"
Asuma's smug expression froze.
Shizune couldn't help but laugh, while Shisui barely managed to stifle a smile.
"Hanekawa," Sakumo Hatake said with a smile. "Are you interested in doing a mission together?"
"Huh?" Hanekawa looked at him, surprised.
With Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade? This sounds like it's going to be a mission to take down a whole nation.
"We just saw an A-rank mission with a high reward," Asuma Sarutobi explained at the right moment. "But it requires two ninja teams, so we didn't take it."
"What mission?" Hanekawa asked, his curiosity piqued.
"This one," Asuma said, pointing to the mission board.
Hanekawa glanced over.
An A-rank mission: Escort the Fire Country's trade caravan to the Land of Rain. Reward: 1.5 million ryo.
Normally, the maximum reward for an A-rank mission was 1 million ryo. This mission offering 1.5 million ryo was indeed generous, but its difficulty hadn't quite reached S-rank.
"The Land of Rain has been in turmoil recently," Sakumo explained. "Especially with the Akatsuki gaining power, which has made Hanzō feel threatened. Both sides are restless."
Hearing the mention of the Akatsuki, Hanekawa's heart skipped a beat.
But after some thought, he realized it wasn't strange for Sakumo to know about the Akatsuki.
After all, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan had founded the group and had been active in the Land of Rain, gaining some notoriety.
In the original series, it was mentioned that figures like Jiraiya, Danzo Shimura, and Onoki knew of their existence.
It was only after Yahiko's death and Obito Uchiha's involvement that the Akatsuki entered a dormant phase, essentially sealing off the Hidden Rain Village.
Even Jiraiya and others wrongly believed that Hanzō had wiped out the Akatsuki—mainly because Hanzō's reputation as the "Demi-God" overshadowed everything else.
"This trade caravan is large, so the mission requires two or more ninja teams," Sakumo continued. "If you're interested, we could team up."
Aside from the generous reward, Sakumo primarily wanted to use this mission to enhance the teamwork among Asuma and the others.
Of course, with Tsunade and Hanekawa on board, at least the medical side of the mission was in very capable hands.
"What do you think?" Asuma asked, clearly interested. His reasoning was simple: the more people, the livelier the journey, especially with friends involved.
"Alright," Hanekawa agreed after only a brief moment of thought.
"Then I'll cancel the current A-rank mission and take the Land of Rain mission instead," Sakumo said, removing the mission tag from the board and walking over to the staff nearby.
"Have you ever been to the Land of Rain?" Asuma asked curiously. "I heard it rains all the time there. Is that true?"
"It is," Hanekawa nodded slightly. "Out of ten days, it rains on nine. The other day is just overcast."
"Ugh, sounds like a hassle," Asuma groaned.
"As a ninja, you need to adapt to any environment," Shisui Uchiha said calmly.
"Shisui's right," Sakumo said as he returned with two scrolls. He handed one to Hanekawa.
Hanekawa opened the scroll and skimmed its contents.
To his surprise, the caravan was connected to the Fire Daimyo and dealt in ninja tools—in other words, they were arms dealers.
"Tomorrow at 9 a.m., meet at the main gate of the Hidden Leaf Village," Sakumo said with a smile. "See you then."
"See you tomorrow," Asuma and his teammates said as they left with Sakumo.
Hanekawa went downstairs to wait at the Hokage building's entrance.
Before long, he heard familiar footsteps approaching.
"Here you go," Tsunade said, tossing him a scroll casually.
"Thank you, Sensei," Hanekawa said, handing her the mission scroll. "I ran into Uncle Sakumo, so we took on an A-rank mission together."
"That's fine," Tsunade said after glancing through the mission scroll. "Joint missions are part of a ninja's experience. This is a good chance for you to get used to them."
Hanekawa opened the jutsu scroll Tsunade had given him.
As expected, it contained the Yamanaka clan's sensory jutsu, known as Mind's Eye—an A-rank technique.
To use it, one had to close their eyes during activation.
"Will the Yamanaka clan be upset about this?" Hanekawa asked as he closed the scroll.
He knew that keeping the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance on good terms was crucial for anyone aiming to become Hokage.
The Yamanaka clan was a vital part of that trio.
"The old man will handle it with the Yamanaka clan and offer compensation in my name," Tsunade said with a smile. "You don't need to worry."
"Thank you, Sensei," Hanekawa said, thinking to himself that he could practice the sensory jutsu during the trip.
This escort mission involved traveling by carriage to the Land of Rain, which would be much slower than running as a ninja.
He estimated the mission would take at least 10 to 15 days.
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