A continuous drizzle shrouded the border of the Land of Rain. Shikaku Nara stood on a makeshift watchtower, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the tactical map.
The map, marking the locations of the five ninja village outposts, was wrinkled from the rain, just as fragile as the makeshift surveillance alliance it was in.
"Another reconnaissance team has lost contact." Akatsuchi pushed aside the tarpaulin and walked in. Water droplets condensed on Iwagakure's Forehead Protector. "This time, we sent three of our elite troops."
Shikaku sighed and drew another cross next to the Kumogakure marker. This was the ninth failed reconnaissance mission— Sunagakure lost four Puppet, Kirigakure lost two assassination squads, and Kumogakure's sensory squad was completely wiped out.
"I told you, infiltrating Amegakure directly would be suicide." Shikaku put away the map, the oil lamp casting a flickering shadow on his tired face. "You all saw Pain's abilities in the Heavenly Screen."
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the tent. The two went out and saw a group of Sunagakure surrounding Konoha sentry post, loudly complaining:
"Don't you Konoha have a successor to the 'Yellow Flash'?"
Where is that Taijutsu ninja who opened the Eight Gates in the Heavenly Screen?
"Why should we be stuck here in the rain while your experts hide in the back?"
The young Konoha ninja blushed, his hand already on his Kunai. Shikaku stepped forward, his shadow silently extending to perfectly separate the two.
"Stay calm." His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of authority. "This internal strife is exactly Akatsuki."
Sunagakure, a Sosuke Jonin Sunagakure, crossed his arms and sneered, "Captain Nara makes it sound so easy. Your Konoha has the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the Copy Ninja Kakashi, and Sannin... And what about us?"
Amidst the sound of rain, Shikaku keenly noticed the ninjas from the other villages nodding in unison. He took a deep breath and pointed to the distant tower shrouded in the rain:
"Do you really think that the Shinra Tensei's that destroyed Konoha in one strike from the Heavenly Screen was something that could be solved simply by having more people?"
These words instantly silenced the noisy campsite. Only the sound of raindrops pattering on the tents echoed in everyone's ears.
"Acting rashly now would only alert the enemy." Shikaku took the opportunity to unfold the map. "The Five Great Nations have reached a consensus: until a way to counter the Rinnegan is found—"
"A consensus?" The Anbu Captain the Kirigakure's ANBU suddenly interrupted, "How much intelligence have you Konoha and Kumogakure secretly exchanged? We in Kirigakure don't even know."
Shikaku felt a throbbing pain in his temples. This pointless suspicion had played out countless times in the past few weeks.
The sense of crisis brought by the Heavenly Screen is being eroded by old hatreds— Sunagakure resents Konoha's victory in the Third Shinobi World War, Iwagakure cannot let go of the humiliation of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Kirigakure also harbors resentment over their defeat back then...
"Report! Report!" A Konoha Chunin suddenly rushed into the camp. "Chakra reaction detected in the southeast! Suspected... suspected Akatsuki member!"
All the ninjas instantly went into battle mode. But when they arrived at the border, they only saw a bloodstain washed away by the rain and a half-stuck Iwagakure Forehead Protector in a tree.
"It was the reconnaissance team we sent out yesterday..." Akatsuchi's face turned extremely ugly.
Rain washed over the bodies of the three Iwa ninja, and bloodstains spread across the muddy ground like a grotesque abstract painting. Ninjas from five villages stood around the corpses, the air so thick it seemed as if you could wring water out of it.
"Hmph, how ironic." A Jonin Kumogakure suddenly broke the silence, his thick arms crossed over his chest, the Raikage's guard badge gleaming coldly in the rain. "Our four villages have lost so many elites, but Konoha— " His gaze swept over the Konoha Ninja behind Shikaku, "—not a single one is injured."
Upon hearing this, Sosuke of Sunagakure sneered, "Perhaps Konoha has already been secretly colluding with Akatsuki. After all... that Nagato Uzumaki was a disciple of Jiraiya, one of your Sannin."
"Watch your words!" Tokuma Hyuga of Konoha couldn't help but step forward, veins bulging around his Byakugan.
Shikaku raised his hand to stop his companion, his shadow spreading silently through the mud. He had long foreseen this situation—when fear and suspicion mix, someone will always become the target of everyone's criticism.
"Gentlemen," Shikaku's voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather, "I remember emphasizing at the first joint meeting that our mission is surveillance, not attack." He pointed towards Amegakure, "What's the difference between rashly infiltrating the lair of that monster with the Rinnegan and committing suicide?"
Shikaku. The past few days of maneuvering had exhausted him—by day he had to guard against Akatsuki attacks, by night he had to mediate conflicts between villages, and now he had to face these unfounded accusations. But as the mediator appointed by the Hokage, he had to maintain a semblance of peace.
"Gentlemen," he raised his voice, "what we should be doing now is strengthening our defenses, not --"
"Defense?" The Cloud Jonin Kumogakure suddenly sprang into action, Lightning Release Chakra pulsating across his body. "I've had enough of being a coward in this godforsaken place! Either Konoha sends its Teuchi, or this alliance is dissolved!"
Shikaku watched as the other ninja from various villages drew their weapons, and sighed inwardly. When Lady Tsunade sent him, she had said that this alliance, built on a "possible future," would ultimately be no match for the hatred of reality.
"Tomorrow I will propose to the Five Kage that Shikaku relinquish his shadow and make a concession, requesting that more elite Jonin from each village be sent." He specifically added, "Konoha will be the first to send new reinforcements."
This promise temporarily quelled the unrest. But as the various ninja villages returned to their bases, Shikaku stood alone in the rain, watching the encrypted scroll get soaked. The intelligence he had just written on it was now blurred and illegible.
Shikaku smiled bitterly to himself. This was the current state of the Surveillance Alliance—unable to be completely honest with each other, yet forced to fight side by side. The future shown by the Heavenly Screen ultimately couldn't withstand the suspicion and hatred of reality for these people.
"Strengthen vigilance." That was all he uttered in the end.
That night, as Shikaku was writing down the latest intelligence on the encrypted scroll, he overheard the Sunagakure discussing something in the next tent:
"If you ask me, the Heavenly Screen barrier might be Genjutsu created by Konoha..."
"That's right, the ' Eye of the Moon Plan sounds ridiculous..."
"Once we capture the Akatsuki, everything will become clear..."
Shikaku paused, then added a line of small characters at the end of the scroll:
[The surveillance alliance could collapse at any time; I suggest the Lord Hokage prepare in advance. --Shikaku]
On the other side...
Rainwater seeped in through the gaps in the tent, forming small streams on the muddy ground.
Akatsuchi sat quietly at the simple field table, his thick fingers stroking the newly sealed scroll. Outside the tent, the Iwa ninja were carefully placing the bodies of their three comrades into specially made sealing scrolls, and the faint sound of low sobs could be heard.
"Use the best preservation techniques," Akatsuchi ordered outside the tent, his voice as heavy as rock. "They are all heroes who shed their last drop of blood for Iwagakure."
After his subordinates left, Akatsuchi removed his Forehead Protector, his rough fingers tracing the fresh crack on it.
The flickering candlelight on the low table cast his weary face onto the tent fabric, its glow shifting intermittently. He took out a scroll of secret letter soaked in sweat—a letter sent three days earlier using the Earth Release technique, written in Ōnoki's own hand.
"Remember, on the surface, we should join forces with other villages to put pressure on Konoha, but at crucial moments, we must cooperate with Shikaku Nara. Akatsuki's target is the Tailed Beasts, and we at Iwagakure... don't have any extra Tailed Beasts for them to covet."
Akatsuchi smiled wryly as he put away the secret letter. As Ōnoki's most trusted bodyguard captain, he knew all too well the Lord Tsuchikage's scheme—to maintain the facade of the alliance of the Five Great Shinobi Villages while preventing Iwagakure from being the first to charge in as cannon fodder.
(Konoha has the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kumogakure has the Eight-Tails...)
(We at Iwagakure can't afford any more trouble...)
He unfolded a strategic map, with red markers showing the recent losses of each village: the three reconnaissance teams of Kumogakure were all wiped out, Sunagakure lost five Puppet, and Kirigakure even lost a Kekkei Genkai ninja... As for Konoha, just as the Kumogakure accused, it had suffered zero casualties so far.
"It's not that Konoha is afraid to fight..." Akatsuchi muttered to himself, "It's that Shikaku Nara knows exactly what he should and shouldn't do."
Inside the Sunagakure base...
The dim light flickered. Sosuke roughly ripped off his Forehead Protector, which was stained with rain and blood, and slammed it heavily onto the makeshift cot. The Sunagakure mark on the Forehead Protector gleamed dimly in the light, just like his gloomy mood at that moment.
"What's wrong with you today?" The older Sunagakure, Jonin Fuyi, lowered his voice, his face, weathered by sand, filled with disapproval. "Elder Chiyo repeatedly instructed us before leaving that all actions should follow Konoha's lead. And you, in front of the other ninja villages, directly provoke Shikaku Nara!"
Outside the tent, the Sunagakure were inspecting the Puppet's mechanisms. Amidst the whirring of gears, Sosuke's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "Senior Fuyi, didn't you see? Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure are all putting pressure on Konoha! If we keep backing down—"
"Back down?" Fuyi sneered, pulling a secret letter from his robes. "Take a look at this. Three days ago, Elder Chiyo sent a secret letter from Konoha."
Sosuke unfolded the letter, his pupils suddenly contracting. The letter detailed the terms of support Konoha was willing to provide—including the return of part of the war reparations, the opening of border trade, and even a promise to assist Sunagakure in rebuilding its Puppet army.
"This..." Sosuke's fingers trembled slightly. "When did this happen?"
"At the Five Kage Summit following the Heavenly Screen Incident," Fuyi put away the letter, lowering his voice even further, "Why do you think Elder Chiyo suddenly changed her attitude? Because we in Sunagakure... can no longer withstand any more war."
Sosuke slumped down, the images he had seen in the Heavenly Screen flashing through his mind— the Sannin of Konoha, the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf that opened the Eight Gates, and Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. And Sunagakure? Apart from the elderly Chiyo, there wasn't a single strong person who could stand alone.
"The future in the Heavenly Screen..." Sosuke's voice was terribly hoarse. "If it's all true, then what are we, Sunagakure? There's even that missing-nin Sasori in Akatsuki... We declared war on Konoha back then because we suspected the Third Kazekage was assassinated by Konoha. And what happened? The murderer was one of our own ninjas!"
Fuyi didn't answer immediately. He took out an exquisitely crafted Puppet part from his bag and gently wiped it. "After watching what was playing on the Heavenly Screen, I was also furious. That Sasori guy... actually turned the Third Generation Lord's corpse into Human Puppet. But what our village needs now is peace."
Sosuke's breathing suddenly quickened, and the anger in his eyes almost burst forth.
"Anger won't solve anything." Fuyi calmly assembled the Puppet. "The Fourth Kazekage, in alliance with Orochimaru, attacked Konoha, only to be annihilated. Now, we Sunagakure are like lizards in the desert; we must learn to survive in the cracks."
Fuyi patted Sosuke on the shoulder one last time. "Remember, a true ninja doesn't act rashly. Elder Chiyo chose to endure to buy Sunagakure time to catch their breath."
He thought bitterly that in this perilous Shinobi World, sometimes living... is more important than so-called dignity.
Kirigakure Outpost...
The night was deep, with only a few dim lanterns swaying in the wind, casting dappled shadows. The Anbu Captain pushed open the heavy wooden door, his boots clattering on the damp floor. He removed his Anbu, revealing a tired yet stern face, with a hint of impatience still lingering between his brows.
"Captain!" Several subordinates immediately stood up straight and saluted, but he simply waved his hand, signaling them to continue their duty.
He walked to a low table in the corner and sat down, pouring himself a cup of cold tea. The bitter liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't quell the irritation in his heart. Thinking about what had happened today, the pressure that other villages had put on Konoha had almost reached the point of open hostility, while Kirigakure had stood by and watched coldly.
"How ridiculous..." He chuckled silently, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. Clearly, each village harbored its own ulterior motives, yet they pretended to be united against a common enemy.
He recalled the scene before his departure, Mei Terumi summoned him alone to the Mizukage's Office. At that time, she leaned against the window, her fingertips lightly caressing her teacup, her tone calm yet undeniably authoritative:
"Remember, we in Kirigakure are not taking sides right now—but if it really comes to a critical moment, we must stand with Konoha."
She paused, her red lips curving slightly into a meaningful smile. "As for the rest of the time... let them make a scene."
He was somewhat puzzled at the time, but today's farce made him understand completely— Konoha will always be the target of everyone's hatred.
Even the Sunagakure, which they had just defeated, was now provoking Konoha. He sneered and shook his head. Sure enough, there are no true allies in the Shinobi World, only eternal interests.
However, this is for the best. At least Kirigakure doesn't have any Tailed Beasts now, so even if Akatsuki wants to make a move, it won't be their turn. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the hazy rain in the distance, his eyes gradually turning cold.
"Pass down the order—" he said to his subordinates without turning his head, his voice low and firm. "Everyone, forbid them from approaching Amegakure for reconnaissance."
"But Captain, the people from the other villages are still continuing..." a member of the Anbu couldn't help but speak up.
"Let them go." He sneered, his eyes sharp as knives. "We, the Kirigakure, only watch the show, we don't participate."