Since the Third Hokage assigned Team 7 their mission, it had taken them less than a day to arrive in Takigakure.
Although the Akatsuki Organization's Kakuzu, Hidan, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Biwa Juzo had set out first, the Land of Grass lay between them and Takigakure, so they had actually arrived later than Kakashi's Team 7.
What was more, because of the earlier upheaval in Kusagakure, it had become a subordinate ninja village of Konoha. This made the four Akatsuki Organization members wary of passing openly through Kusagakure.
After all, Konoha had stationed some of its ninja in Kusagakure.
If they slipped up and their goal of capturing the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was exposed, drawing the attention of the other major ninja villages that possessed tailed beasts, the losses would far outweigh the gains.
To avoid that possibility, the four Akatsuki Organization members had deliberately gone around the Land of Grass.
That was the main reason they had arrived in Takigakure later than Kakashi's Team 7.
What the four Akatsuki Organization members had not expected, however, was that someone in their organization—an organization full of spies—had leaked the news long ago.
So, taking the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki away easily was clearly impossible.
In fact, due to a series of chain reactions, the number of forces eyeing Takigakure had already far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Not only the Akatsuki Organization—even Soji had not anticipated it!
As for who would ultimately become the fisherman reaping the benefits, that was open to interpretation.
Or rather, no one could predict something like that.
Not even Soji.
Of course, that was on the premise that he did not intervene personally.
"Whoosh..."
Within the Land of Waterfall, Kakashi and the other three members of Team 7 had arrived before an enormous waterfall.
"Kakashi-sensei, did you bring us to the wrong