The industrial empire Oyashiro En built didn't vanish with him. His massive private guard, his carefully constructed web of trade routes, and the fortune he'd accumulated overseas—all of it remained.
For a while after his death, those assets continued to run on inertia… until someone more efficient came to claim them.
Orochimaru made the trip himself.
The takeover was carried out quietly and cleanly. The Ninja in the guard force who possessed special Bloodline Limits, along with the young Chino—still ignorant of her own origins—were all taken away.
As they boarded the ship, Zetsu rose halfway out of the deck's shadow, his tone light and amused. "You two are kind of old acquaintances, aren't you, Orochimaru? You're really ruthless when you do things like this."
Orochimaru's gaze slid over the silent, uneasy faces gathered on the deck, pausing on the girl with the pale blonde hair.
"Precisely because we are acquaintances, I'm taking away the things that mattered to Oyashiro-kun before the real jackals arrive," he replied, withdrawing his gaze, golden slit pupils utterly cold. "In the end, he was just unlucky—he ran into a natural disaster."
By the time the Joint Conference truly got underway, the rogue ninjas who lived outside the village system—surviving in the cracks between the great nations and on black-market jobs—were already starting to understand what was coming.
The gaps they'd relied on were about to be sealed up and smoothed over.
As jackals who refused to be controlled or absorbed into any established framework, they were now left with only two paths: die, or flee into an even deeper darkness.
And out at sea, the scattered archipelagos were becoming the most suitable dens for these jackals.
From Orochimaru's perspective, Oyashiro's guards alone could protect neither the wealth nor themselves.
White Zetsu kept chattering. "Them ending up as your test subjects doesn't seem like a much better outcome, you know?"
Black Zetsu, on the other hand, had no intention of passing moral judgment on Orochimaru. The man didn't have such things to judge in the first place, and Black Zetsu itself cared about nothing except its mother.
It cared only for the plan. "Roshi has been away from Konoha for seven days now. His movements have covered the coasts of the Land of Hot Springs, the Land of Forests, and the Land of Waves. What is he looking for? Has the organization's plan been exposed?"
Orochimaru started toward the cabin. "It's just a posture."
"A gesture toward Kumogakure and Kirigakure… and toward the organization."
"He's signaling that Konoha is ready at any time to support the villages that each have two tailed beasts, forcing the organization to factor in a higher price before launching any sudden raid."
"And beneath that, the real purpose is to buy time. By putting on this seemingly proactive patrol, he's securing a stable environment for the Joint Conference to proceed smoothly."
White Zetsu let out an "oh," a look of realization flickering across the white half of his face. "So that's it. That's why he's wandering all over the place."
"However, this little performance with such obvious tells…" Orochimaru halted mid‑step, lips curling into a smile, "It will probably make someone else even less able to sleep at night."
"Who?" Black Zetsu asked.
Orochimaru didn't answer.
Who else could it be?
The one old man who's already confirmed the loss of his tailed beast, staring wide‑eyed as Konoha's growing strength seems to shift toward protecting the other two villages that each have two Jinchūriki—
Ōnoki of Both Scales.
—
Night had settled in, deep and heavy.
The old senju house lay silent.
Roshi sat beneath the eaves of the porch and slowly opened his eyes.
Far away, the Wood Clone patrolling the border of the Land of Forests slipped into a low‑energy hibernation.
The stretched, distant feeling of shared perception faded, and the sounds of early summer insects in the courtyard returned with sudden clarity.
The first day of the Joint Conference had come to an end.
Footsteps sounded behind him. Tsunade came over and sat down at his side.
"The first day went fairly smoothly."
That alone could be considered good news.
Tsunade went on, "There's new information from Iwagakure."
"Fūga officially informed Kakashi that they're giving up control over the traditional corridor running through the Land of Silence, the Land of Stone, and the Land of Birds."
"The reason they gave is that they're worried the unrest among wandering ninja is bait deliberately set by Akatsuki—meant to lure them into shifting their defensive lines and expose weaknesses in their Tailed Beast protection."
Very cautious. Very conservative.
But it also meant Konoha's surrounding defensive lines would have to shoulder even more pressure from the western wilderness. The drifters whose living space had been squeezed by the joint system, and who refused to be recruited by any hidden village, were like wounded beasts now; any gap, in any direction, could draw their attack.
Fortunately, Konoha had already moved two days earlier. Under Jiraiya's direct coordination, elite units from the Uchiha Police Force had been deployed to key defensive points in Amegakure and Kusagakure.
Fugaku's main force should be establishing the first line of filtration along the border right now.
In the short term, Iwagakure's withdrawal wouldn't kick up too big a storm.
Tsunade rested her cheek in one hand, moonlight casting a soft sheen over her blonde ponytail.
The Senju Princess said, "When he goes out of his way to express dissatisfaction in such a roundabout manner, it's really hard to blame that old man for anything."
Roshi replied, "After all, if he's going to lash out, it'll definitely be after this Joint Conference ends and the next meeting begins—the one that actually discusses Tailed Beast defense."
"Kumogakure's communication equipment should already have reached Iwagakure, but he still isn't in a hurry to initiate a direct Five Kage Summit."
He was still waiting on the results of this first round of probing—waiting for each side's bottom line to reveal itself through testing.
Tsunade rubbed at her temple, feeling a dull headache. "The fact that Ōnoki isn't blowing up right away actually makes it more unsettling."
"It's only been a year since we pushed the alliance this far, and already we're facing a situation that could cause a rift."
"It won't rift."
Roshi's reply came without the slightest hesitation.
"More than anyone, Ōnoki understands what completely pulling out of the joint framework would mean for Iwagakure—especially now, when the Akatsuki are on the move and Tailed Beasts are being targeted one after another."
"He's just testing us so he can secure a better position inside the framework. Stronger security guarantees, more say in decisions, or at the very least, a promise that Iwagakure won't be sidelined."
Tsunade dragged a hand down her face. Handling everything alone again after so long… It was wearing on her.
"So how do we deal with Ōnoki's little test?"
"Have Kakashi go find Baki," Roshi said. "Ask Sunagakure to mobilize troops to help suppress the wandering ninjas."
Once Suna took action—especially in areas that had always been within Iwa's traditional sphere of influence—Ōnoki's cautious pullback would instantly stop looking like defensive self-preservation and start to resemble a deliberate strategic retreat.
After all, this was the region where Iwagakure and Sunagakure had clashed the most fiercely over the past few decades.
"He won't be able to sit still," Tsunade said, understanding dawning. "Once Suna's shinobi enter that area, Ōnoki will have no choice but to come to us first."
"By then, when he's faced with Kirigakure's proposal, the odds of him accepting will be much higher."
Roshi nodded and turned his gaze back toward the courtyard.
The night wind stirred, making the wind chime under the eaves ring with a soft, clear note. The distant croaking of frogs only made the old house in the western suburbs feel even quieter and emptier.
On the fourth day of the Joint Conference, Kakashi, just out of the previous meeting, found himself in an awkward bind: standing made his legs ache, sitting was uncomfortable, and if he lay down, it would completely ruin the dignity of the head of the Joint Affairs Bureau.
So he ended up squatting in a corner outside the conference room, clutching a copy of Icha Icha Paradise and wondering how long it had been since he'd last "taken flight."
His mind started to wander until a pair of sandals stopped right in front of him.
"Kakashi-senpai," Itachi said, "the conference room is ready. All the representatives are going in."
"Oh." Kakashi looked up from the book, still squatting, and gave Itachi an easy smile. "Go in for me, Itachi."
"This is a meeting that only you, as Konoha's representative, have the right to attend and take a stand in," Itachi replied.
"This emergency meeting isn't going to decide anything substantial." Kakashi shifted into a more comfortable squat. "Fūga called it early because he wants to test the waters before the formal talks."
"You've got the Transformation Jutsu and the Sharingan. Go in as me and just do three things: stay positive, be polite, and then sit back and watch them wage a war of words without making any real commitments."
"That'll be enough."
Itachi didn't budge. "If it's discovered, using the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate a representative of the Village would be an extremely serious diplomatic incident."
Kakashi let out a long sigh, leaned against the wall, and pushed himself to his feet.
"Itachi, look at me." He pointed to the dark circles under his eyes. "If I die from overwork, that guy Roshi won't be able to get away either."
"As his most trusted subordinate, shouldn't you be a little more flexible and help prevent such a tragedy?"
"Lady Tsunade is in the Village." Itachi's tone didn't waver. "You won't die that easily, Kakashi-senpai."
"…How cold."
Kakashi finally gave up, pulled Icha Icha Paradise out of his tool pouch, tucked it back into place, straightened his back, and then took out a file folder and handed it to Itachi.
"Forget it. This is the final draft of the agreement for the Joint Conference's main agenda. The detailed rules for opening the Martial Arts Tournament system to the smaller Ninja Villages, the subsidy standards for participants, the qualification review process… everything that needed to be settled has been settled."
"Take it to the Hokage's office."
Itachi accepted the folder with both hands. "Yes."
Kakashi gave his lower back one last thump and started toward the conference room. As he passed Itachi, he muttered.
"If you'd just agreed earlier, I would've been grateful to you for the rest of my life. Truly."
—
When Itachi arrived at the Hokage's office, the scene inside came into view. Tsunade was sitting on a short sofa by the window. On the opposite sofa, Roshi leaned back, body slightly reclined, his gaze fixed on some distant point outside.
In the guest chair, Shibuki, leader of Takigakure, sat upright with his hands neatly placed on his knees.
On the coffee table in front of them, steam still curled up from the teacups.
"Excuse me," Itachi bowed. "This is the final draft of the agreement for the Joint Conference's main agenda."
"Just leave it on the table," Tsunade said, waving her hand casually.
Shibuki rose, gave Itachi a polite nod, then turned to Roshi. "Then, regarding Fū's matter, I'll leave it to Konoha."
Roshi drew his gaze back from the window, though a trace of distraction lingered in his eyes.
"Please rest assured," he said. "The Ninja Academy has already begun accepting exchange students from various villages, and Fū will be one of them."
"Takigakure can station one shinobi in Konoha to handle Fū's daily care and relay information back to your village."
"I'm deeply grateful," Shibuki bowed his head. "After everything that's happened, being able to let Fū grow up in a safe environment is my greatest wish now."
The office fell quiet for a moment.
Roshi's gaze drifted to the window again, this time lingering.
Tsunade glanced over at him.
"As for Takigakure's future development," Roshi finally spoke, drawing his attention back to Shibuki, "what are your thoughts?"
Shibuki chose his words carefully. "Takigakure has always pursued an elite system, so we never had many shinobi to begin with. Now that we're qualified to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament, and with the financial support of our Daimyō, it should be enough to keep the village running."
Roshi nodded, offering little in the way of reaction. "Takigakure's Great Waterfall is a natural resource. If you ever consider developing tourism or specialized training grounds there, Konoha is willing to provide support."
"I'll give it serious consideration." Shibuki thanked him again, then rose to take his leave. Tsunade signaled to the ANBU at the door to see him out.
The office door closed once more.
Itachi was just about to excuse himself when his gaze happened to pass over Roshi. The black-haired young man was staring out the window yet again, brows slightly drawn, lips pressed into a thin line.
'Captain… What is he thinking about now…?'
"You said you sent a clone out to patrol," Tsunade's voice cut through the silence, "but it turns out that, while on patrol, it wandered off to the seaside to go fishing. Do you think it's appropriate to zone out like that when we're hosting guests?"
Roshi pulled his attention back. "Maintaining a clone for a long period puts a heavy strain on one's mental energy. Finding something that calms the mind and allows it to stay on standby for long stretches—like fishing—is a very economical option."
"Because you kept spacing out, Shibuki thought he'd said something wrong," Tsunade scoffed.
"I guided the conversation just fine," Roshi shot back—then suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes losing focus.
"What?" Tsunade arched a brow. "Catch something?"
Roshi didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"The fishing rod broke," he said at last. "It was a big fish. It took the bait so suddenly that... I used too much force by accident."
Tsunade burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking. "Don't tell me you failed to catch anything and snapped the rod in a fit of rage?"
"Lady Tsunade might do that, but I wouldn't." Roshi opened his eyes again, his expression back to calm. "It was just an old rod I grabbed for appearances' sake. The quality wasn't very good."
Tsunade only laughed harder.
Roshi ignored her and turned toward Itachi, who was still standing there. "Are you getting used to the work at the affairs bureau?"
"Yes. I've adapted," Itachi replied. "Kakashi-senpai has been taking good care of me."
"If there are no issues, your records will be officially transferred out of the ANBU."
Tsunade glanced over as well. "Kakashi's been worried your secondment would end. He's been going on about how capable you are, trying to get your file moved to the Affairs Bureau."
Itachi dipped his head. "I'm honored by Kakashi-senpai's high opinion of me."
"Then it's decided," Roshi said. "Be careful you don't end up as Kakashi's scapegoat."
"Yes."
Itachi bowed, then turned and headed for the door. His hand had just closed around the handle and begun to pull it shut when Tsunade's voice reached him again.
"Hey, that's not how you really feel about Kakashi, right?"
"Kakashi is my senpai, after all. Given his rank and position, these matters naturally fall under his responsibilities."
"Even so, having a senpai order a kouhai around like that isn't exactly proper, is it?"
"More importantly, the person who was slacking off just now..."
The door clicked shut, cutting off the rest of her words.
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