At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, a group of mysterious Ninjas were gathering.
"I never expected that you would be the one leading the team this time, Kakashi. It seems Konoha takes this operation very seriously!"
A tall, sturdy man with a serious expression looked at Kakashi and spoke.
The silver-haired Kakashi looked at the tall man before him and adjusted his headband. While his gaze seemed lazy, he was secretly marveling in his heart.
"The one who really didn't expect this should be me! To think you would personally take the field, Kitsuchi!"
Kitsuchi was the son of Ōnoki and a rare moderate within Iwagakure. In terms of strength, he was already no less than any Kage-level expert. It was only because his personality wasn't suitable that he had never become the Tsuchikage.
However, his status in Iwagakure was no different from that of a Kage's deputy or successor; one could say he was second only to Ōnoki.
Iwagakure currently suffered from a gap in talent. In the entire village, besides Ōnoki, Kitsuchi was the only normal Kage-level Ninja; the remaining Kage-level combatants were only the Jinchuriki.
Later, Ōnoki had managed with great difficulty to nurture Deidara, but unfortunately, this 'happy boy' loved nothing but explosions. In the blink of an eye, he ran off to join the Akatsuki Organization to pursue his art, nearly infuriating Ōnoki to death.
It could be said that Kitsuchi's importance to Iwagakure was comparable to Jiraiya's to Konoha. Having him personally take action gave even Kakashi a sense of surprise.
"Alright, let's not waste time boasting to each other here. What plans does Konoha have?"
"The plan is simple..." Kakashi took out a map. "Our spies have already scouted out the current situation in Kumogakure. It seems the Fourth Raikage is practicing some powerful Ninjutsu and has rarely appeared recently."
"Without that guy who usually sticks close to Vegapunk to protect him, the success rate of our plan is much higher!"
"Under normal circumstances, Vegapunk stays hidden within Kumogakure and doesn't come out. However, occasionally when handing over some high-precision instruments, he will personally come out to inspect them!"
"That will be our moment to strike!"
The plan didn't sound complicated. In reality, the more interlocking and precise a plan was, the easier it was for things to go wrong. Conversely, simple and crude methods were often easier to achieve the goal.
However, Kitsuchi still frowned. "Even without the Fourth Raikage, Vegapunk will have at least three Elite Jonin protecting him. Among them are not only the strongest of Kumogakure's younger generation, Cee and Darui, but even the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito!"
"A Jinchuriki?" Kakashi said in surprise. "A Jinchuriki doing this kind of work? That's truly rare!"
Most Jinchuriki usually required protection from others. Although they were powerful, it was very difficult for them to control their power at first. Only fully matured Jinchuriki did not require surveillance and protection, and even then, almost no one would assign them to protect key personnel.
After all, even if they could control the urge to go berserk, it was difficult for a Jinchuriki to control their power during battle. They might accidentally squash the person they were protecting into a meat patty.
"Kumogakure's Jinchuriki is different; she is a rare Perfect Jinchuriki. Her strength is immense and not inferior to you or me!"
Kitsuchi said with a heavy expression. Kakashi gave a bitter smile, knowing that Kitsuchi was being modest.
Now in his early 30s and in his prime, Kitsuchi might not be inferior to a Perfect Jinchuriki. But for Kakashi, he didn't have much of a chance against even an ordinary Jinchuriki, let alone a Perfect Jinchuriki.
Even after being enhanced by the Training Pod and having a Sharingan replaced to liberate more of his Chakra, the current Kakashi was still within the realm of an Elite Jonin. It was just that his combat experience and battle intelligence were extremely high, making his actual combat power appear stronger.
"I've heard of that Darui as well. He is said to be a genius nurtured by the Third Raikage to be the Fourth Raikage's successor, having independently synthesized the rare Storm Release Bloodline Limit... It seems our operation this time really will be troublesome!"
Kakashi sighed. A Ninja who could independently synthesize a Bloodline Limit would not be weak. And to be seen as the successor to the Raikage by a village like Kumogakure, which valued strength above all, went without saying—his strength would at least not be inferior to his own.
"No matter how troublesome or difficult it is, this operation must be carried out!" Kitsuchi said with narrowed eyes. Although he was a moderate, one could not survive in this Naruto World where people fought tooth and nail every day without having killed many.
Furthermore, while the Konoha Ninja only had a superficial understanding of Vegapunk's technology, Iwagakure had truly learned of Vegapunk's prowess through their interactions with Kumogakure. Just the Training Pod, which could definitely nurture a Genin into a Chunin, was enough to make Iwagakure willing to pay any price.
In fact, after truly knowing the power of Vegapunk's technology, Iwagakure joined this mission with a 'do or die' attitude. Ōnoki was even prepared to immediately trigger a Ninja World War if the mission failed!
With other Ninja villages progressing at high speed, if Iwagakure remained stagnant, the consequences would be obvious. Especially since the relationship between Iwagakure and Kumogakure was extremely hostile, even a moderate like Kitsuchi didn't believe his village could coexist peacefully with those Kumogakure barbarians.
Scanning the sky, Kitsuchi clenched his fist. No matter what, this operation must succeed!
...Land of Wind, Roran Experimental Base.
"Hmm? Quite a few research assistants were recruited this time!"
Vegapunk glanced at the list in his hand and rubbed his chin. "I wonder how many of these assistants are actually spies sent by other Ninja villages!"
"But... this appearance..."
Vegapunk picked up a personal resume. A photo was attached to it, showing a gentle and kind-looking beauty with glasses and flaxen hair.
He looked at the description on the resume again: "A Chunin who knows a bit of Medical Ninjutsu? Heh, that makes sense. Ordinary rogue Ninjas would at most know a bit of Medical Ninjutsu. Being a Jonin or proficient in Medical Ninjutsu would be too conspicuous!"
This woman's resume was perfectly normal, but Vegapunk was certain she was no ordinary person, simply because he had seen her photo before—it was the Walking Shrine Maiden, Yakushi Nono.
"If I hadn't seen the real photo at Orochimaru's place, I really wouldn't have recognized her. There's still some difference between the 2D and 3D versions."
"But logically, this Walking Shrine Maiden should have died a year or two ago... Is it because of the butterfly effect I brought?"
Vegapunk's muttering was very quiet, and Pakura, standing beside him, didn't hear it clearly. Seeing him looking at the resume and seemingly saying something, she asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this woman's resume?"
"Ah, if I'm not mistaken, she should be a Konoha spy. I think her nickname is the Walking Shrine Maiden. I saw her photo and introduction at Orochimaru's place. She should be quite a high-level spy."
"The Walking Shrine Maiden?!" Pakura was slightly stunned and narrowed her eyes. "To think it's her? She's Konoha's ace spy. Then again, someone qualified to infiltrate your side would naturally have to be an ace spy."
"But Konohagakure probably didn't expect that even Orochimaru has already joined your ranks!" Pakura said with some emotion.
Orochimaru could be considered a Ninja from the generation before Pakura. Although she hadn't seen him much or fought him, she had heard the rumors and knew he was a Ninja proud to the extreme.
However, considering Vegapunk had even brought the Land of Wind and the Sea Country Alliance into his pocket, she didn't find this particularly surprising anymore.
"Then what should we do with this woman? Should we put her under surveillance right under our noses?"
For a spy whose identity was completely confirmed, in Pakura's eyes, there was no need to directly capture her. The strategy of counter-espionage wasn't just an invention of Chinese ancestors; these Ninjas played it very well too.
A piece of misleading information at a critical moment was often far more important than a hundred pieces of correct but meaningless intel.
"No need!" Vegapunk shook his head. "Intelligence and such are meaningless in the face of an era-crushing technological gap. This ace spy came here likely for my technology."
"Giving her fake technology is pointless; this isn't some time-sensitive combat intel. Just go ahead and capture her! I have a way to control her... According to Orochimaru, her medical skills are quite good, at least ranking among the best in Sunagakure and Kirigakure."
"Fine, in that case, I'll take action directly." Pakura nodded and took another look at Yakushi Nono's photo, knowing full well that what Vegapunk valued was likely not just her Medical Ninjutsu.
However, Pakura didn't care about this. With Vegapunk's ability, he indeed had the right to be self-indulgent. Although Ninjas practiced monogamy, if one counted his noble status, Vegapunk—who spent most of his time on research and had fewer than double-digit female companions—could almost be considered a paragon of virtue among nobles.
Not to mention that even as the Kazekage, she could only be considered a concubine by Vegapunk's side, so how could she control him so much?
In the reception room outside the laboratory base, Yakushi Nono sat with her head lowered among a dozen applicants, looking quite unremarkable.
Vegapunk's experimental base frequently recruited assistants. Normally, they were recruited from Ninja villages.
But even in Sunagakure and Kirigakure, the number of Ninjas with genuine scientific literacy was not high; most were purely hired muscle.
Therefore, they would sometimes recruit directly from the outside. These people might not have a Ninja's Chakra, but they could help with ordinary research.
The Naruto World seemed backward, but in reality, appliances like refrigerators and color TVs had long been popularized; it was a truly modern world. Naturally, there were normal researchers and scientists who didn't understand Chakra, and they were the main force being recruited.
But occasionally, if they really encountered some talented Ninjas, even if they weren't from the same village, the Roran experimental base would still recruit them. Those with Medical Ninjutsu and Sealing Techniques were prioritized, though their identities would also be investigated.
Yakushi Nono's identity profile was personally arranged by Konohagakure, with hidden threads planted from the very beginning. Even with careful investigation, no flaws would be found because the identity was originally real—it was just a different person now.
However, for some reason, Yakushi Nono, waiting there, felt uneasy. As a spy who frequently walked the line between life and death, Yakushi Nono trusted her instincts implicitly and already had the thought of retreating.
However, Danzo had given her a absolute order this time, leaving her no room for choice. Now she could only pray that this was just an illusion caused by her being too nervous.
"Are you Miss Amane Murasaki?" Two ordinary-looking Sand Ninja guards stepped forward and asked.
"It is me. May I ask, my lords, have I been selected?" Yakushi Nono gave a gentle smile and spoke to the two.
Although she was apprehensive, as an ace spy, Yakushi Nono's psychological quality was top-notch, and she naturally wouldn't let her feelings show.
"Yes, Dr. Vegapunk wants to see you. Come with us!" The two Sand Ninjas nodded and spoke, standing one in front and one behind Yakushi Nono.
The smile on Yakushi Nono's face remained unchanged. After noting the positioning of the two Sand Ninjas, she became even more tense as she slowly followed them.
Ignoring the envious gazes of the other applicants, just as they entered a corridor, Yakushi Nono lowered her hands and gripped two Senbon in her sleeves. Smiling on the surface, she looked at the two Ninjas with internal vigilance.
Right then, with a rhythmic clacking of footsteps, a beautiful woman with a fine figure and a heroic aura appeared before Yakushi Nono. Instantly, Yakushi Nono's pupils constricted.
"Miss Amane Murasaki, or should I say, the Walking Shrine Maiden. I didn't expect Konoha would actually send an ace spy like you!"
Hearing the words of the heroic beauty before her, Yakushi Nono's expression changed slightly, and she gave a faint, bitter smile. "I also really didn't expect that the Kazekage herself would be the one to receive me."
"I wonder exactly where I showed a flaw? Could the Kazekage explain and resolve the doubt in my heart?"
Pakura smiled slightly. "Sorry, I don't believe I have the obligation to explain!"
The reason Yakushi Nono was discovered was because of Orochimaru, and the fact that Orochimaru had defected to Vegapunk was also a secret.
Although Vegapunk and Orochimaru didn't really care and weren't afraid of others knowing, Pakura still couldn't shake the Ninja's natural habit of placing extreme importance on intelligence, so she naturally wouldn't leak it easily.
Yakushi Nono shook her head, seemingly looking like she was about to give up. Then, in an instant, she raised her hand, and two Senbon were already flying toward Pakura's eyes.
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