Chapter 28: Vital Intelligence
As Gōenji's performance continued to improve, Danzō began relying on him more and more.
On every mission, Gōenji was deployed to the most critical positions. Every time, he coordinated seamlessly with his teammates and delivered outstanding results.
Gradually, Gōenji had come firmly onto Danzō's radar.
Yet Danzō never acted rashly. He simply issued orders one step at a time, directing his subordinates to carry out exactly what needed to be done.
Danzō really is more sinister than Orochimaru.
Gōenji sighed inwardly.
Because of Konoha's interference, the situation in the Land of Rain was becoming increasingly unstable.
His extraordinary intellect was also proving useful.
He began analyzing his current circumstances and the overall state of the war.
Naturally, the conflict was escalating.
Compared with the other battlefields where Konoha was fighting, the area where his team operated was exceptionally dangerous.
This was a gathering point for three major powers: Amegakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure.
At the same time, there were other forces that could potentially become involved—the fledgling Akatsuki, the underground trade network, and the three smaller nations surrounding the Land of Rain.
He couldn't let the fact that these countries barely appeared when he'd watched the anime fool him.
Their presence was indeed weak.
But that was only true from a broader perspective.
On smaller battlefields, these forces were an important part of the war.
For example, Akatsuki would attack foreign forces operating within the Land of Rain. Meanwhile, underground organizations lured by money had countless bounty hunters willing to risk their lives to assassinate important figures from various villages for profit.
War wasn't merely a matter between the Five Great Nations.
There were countless factors involved.
The Five Great Nations might determine the overall outcome of the war, but smaller factions could still exert enormous influence on the hidden villages.
The underground market was particularly important. It was filled with powerful shinobi.
This wasn't some anime world where only the famous characters mattered.
There were countless shinobi like those Jiraiya had encountered, some of whom Nagato had later turned into Paths. There were also plenty of bounty hunters like Kakuzu—independent shinobi who took on dangerous jobs for money.
They might not have been as powerful as Kakuzu, but many possessed jōnin-level strength.
There was no shortage of elite shinobi among them.
Missing-nin from the major villages were another example.
They couldn't escape the war, so many shinobi willingly entered the conflict, actively seeking opportunities to profit from it.
The Land of Rain was weak, yet its position between several major and minor nations gave it considerable strategic importance. Dangerous as that location was, it also brought plenty of opportunities.
Gōenji had personally witnessed Danzō hire shinobi with money on more than one occasion, using them to accomplish tasks Konoha's own forces couldn't conveniently handle.
As a commander, Danzō was undeniably competent.
Surrounded by countless competing forces, he could steadily formulate his own plans and act from multiple angles.
That was Danzō's ability.
Konoha's strength was certainly important, but Danzō's capabilities were another major reason the village could operate so effectively in such a complicated environment.
"Somehow, Hanzō was prepared in advance and reported the situation to Lord Danzō. Our surprise attacks have had very little effect. We've achieved less than half of the results we expected."
A shinobi wearing a cat-faced mask appeared before Danzō and reported.
Danzō nodded, then turned toward Gōenji.
"Gōenji, what do you think caused this problem?"
"Uh... I'm afraid it has something to do with the Akatsuki we encountered in the Land of Rain."
If I remember correctly, they already passed some information to Hanzō. And with the spies around Hanzō disappearing one after another, he must have become suspicious and started making preparations.
After thinking for a moment, Gōenji explained his reasoning.
There was no doubt that Yahiko's Akatsuki was an organization devoted to peace.
Their current strength was still limited. Faced with a hero of the Land of Rain like Hanzō, they naturally wouldn't be very guarded. They would almost certainly tell him what they had discovered.
That was the conclusion Gōenji had reached from the intelligence he had gathered in the Land of Rain during this period.
Danzō nodded.
"What do you think we should do next?"
The several shinobi behind him were visibly surprised.
There was something strange in their eyes.
Lord Danzō had never asked others questions like this before, much less sought their advice.
Had this Uchiha actually earned Lord Danzō's favor?
"Our mission is to drive a wedge between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth and prevent them from forming an alliance."
Gōenji spoke calmly.
"Right now, we've disguised ourselves as Iwagakure shinobi and invaded the Land of Rain, causing considerable losses. Even if the Land of Rain realizes that Konoha is behind the trouble, they won't completely trust the Land of Earth."
"They can't be certain that among all the shinobi responsible for the attacks, there weren't also Iwagakure shinobi disguised as other forces."
"The same applies to Iwagakure. That old man Ōnoki is extremely cunning. Given the current tension, he won't trust the Land of Rain either."
"Looking at the overall situation, there's no need for us to do anything more. We've already completed the mission Lord Hokage assigned to us."
"We can withdraw."
Gōenji wasn't afraid to display his abilities, nor was he particularly concerned about attracting Danzō's attention.
He was an Uchiha.
At present, the Uchiha were still one of Konoha's core clans and one of its greatest sources of power.
Even if Gōenji became a target, Danzō wouldn't dare act recklessly against him.
If this had been after the Uchiha massacre, Gōenji might have hidden his true strength more carefully.
But he didn't need to do that now.
All he had to do was demonstrate the level of ability an Uchiha was expected to possess.
At most, Danzō would acknowledge his talent and perhaps assign him more difficult missions in the future.
Besides, according to Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders, their mission was already essentially complete.
All they needed to do now was gradually withdraw from the Land of Rain.
Gōenji was already eager to return and study new knowledge.
During these days, his understanding of Fire Release had deepened considerably. He had already absorbed most of the foundational knowledge he had studied previously.
Danzō nodded after hearing his explanation.
"You're right. The mission Sarutobi assigned us is essentially complete. There's no need to make a fuss over it."
"But..."
Danzō's expression remained calm.
"That isn't my objective."
"Iwagakure still poses a significant threat to Konoha. We need to reduce that threat."
"Then what are you planning to do, Lord Danzō?" Gōenji asked, puzzled.
Why did they still need to interfere under the current circumstances?
Honestly, the possibility of Amegakure and Iwagakure forming an alliance was already extremely low.
Based on Gōenji's understanding, if the Land of Rain and Iwagakure were ever going to form an alliance, it would probably happen when Yahiko's Akatsuki grew powerful enough to attract Hanzō's attention and eventually facilitate peace negotiations with Iwagakure.
Even so, their actions had already weakened part of Iwagakure's combat strength.
The Iwagakure forces couldn't afford to withdraw from the border so easily.
As a result, the pressure on Konoha had been greatly reduced.
"Next, I'll continue leading the team and monitoring every movement in the Land of Rain."
Danzō paused.
"I've also assigned you a new mission. I've already discussed it with Sarutobi."
He pulled a scroll from his waist and tossed it toward Gōenji.
Gōenji caught it.
The scroll was unusually thick.
"This contains important intelligence. I want you to infiltrate the Land of Earth and deliver it to Ōnoki in a plausible manner."
Danzō's voice turned cold.
"Remember, this is vital intelligence concerning the war."
"If you can't complete it..."
He paused.
"There is no 'if.' You must complete it."