that.Otogakure - Orochimaru

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Back at the foot of the mountain, Night Moon felt a little puzzled when he saw the unconscious Sai.

"What's wrong with him?" Night Moon asked.

"I saw some interesting things in his genjutsu world. In that world, he and you went up the mountain to wipe out bandits and rescue hostages. And then… five Kusagakure appeared…" Itachi said slowly.

Night Moon realized something upon hearing Itachi's words: the genjutsu Itachi placed on Sai was a reflection of his innermost thoughts, and that genjutsu world would develop according to what he deemed logical. In Sai's genjutsu world, those five Kusagakure also appeared.

That means Sai knew those five Kusagakure would appear, implying they already knew each other. Their identities were obvious: they were Danzo's core.

"Then the two of you fought those five Kusagakure, were ultimately defeated, Sai blocked a fatal blow for you, and then I showed up to save the two of you."

When Itachi finished speaking, Night Moon finally understood Danzo's plan: he wanted to stage a scene so that Sai would gain the two of their trust, and also make him owe Sai a favor.

But Night Moon thought Danzo's mind must be a bit off; after all that effort, they lost one jonin and four chūnin just for this?

If Danzo's mind weren't flawed, then there must be a follow‑up, requiring Sai to earn their trust quickly.

Night Moon couldn't figure out exactly what Danzo was thinking, but… as long as I'm strong enough, that's fine.

Seeing Night Moon still lost in thought, Itachi reassured him: "Just be a little more cautious from now on, no need to worry too much."

He had watched the whole incident, so he naturally knew what Night Moon was pondering.

Night Moon nodded. "Indeed, when troops come, we block them; when water comes, we cover with earth."

Then Itachi smiled and said, "You've awakened the Sharingan; when you get back, your father will be thrilled, right?"

Night Moon could already picture how Fujigaku would look then; he would stare coldly and say, "As expected of my son, you only awakened the Sharingan at twelve. Your older brother opened his at eight, and it was already a double tomoe."

It hurts just thinking about it.

"I hope he'll be pleased," Night Moon replied, lacking enthusiasm.

Team Eleven's first mission—successfully completed!

After the mission, Itachi carried Sai on his back, and the three of them set off on the return journey.

Sai's injuries were, of course, inflicted by Itachi, so even if Sai woke up, he'd still believe the illusion he experienced was real.

After submitting the mission, Night Moon received a reward of 20,000 ryō. The mission details were based on what was written in Sai's illusion. Later, it was said that Danzo used the incident to propose sending troops to Kusagakure, building a Konohagakure north‑west defensive line there to fend off Iwagakure, but his proposal was rejected. This time, even the Daily Slash didn't side with him.

After learning this, Night Moon finally realized that the old trickster Danzo was aiming for a double‑win this time: he wanted Sai to gain their trust, and then use that as a pretext to propose sending troops to Kusagakure.

A month later, Night Moon and his team received a mission from the Land of Fire. Prior to that, they'd already completed several C‑rank missions.

This mission was to investigate frequent disappearances of infants and children in a small country north of the Land of Fire called Tatenokuni. The mission was rated C‑rank, but it was highly likely to involve shinobi, because Tatenokuni had its own ninja village, Otogakure.

Night Moon naturally understood the situation: Otogakure was founded by Orochimaru, and the child disappearances in Tatenokuni were surely his doing. Additionally, there was another noteworthy point: six years ago, members of the Uchiha Eagle faction, including Uchiha Setsuna, were taken away, and many have been recaptured over the past six years, but five Uchiha renegades, including Setsuna, have not been found; their last known whereabouts were in Tatenokuni.

Orochimaru? Maybe we could talk to him about something.

Since acquiring the Gigai crafting method after signing in, Night Moon has spent a long time trying to figure out how to actually make a Gigai. If he runs into Orochimaru, perhaps they could strike a deal.

Night Moon thought.

The next day, at the entrance of the mission hall, Night Moon met the clients for this mission: a gaunt‑looking couple.

"​They are the ninja squad that took your commission," the mission hall staff said, pointing at Night Moon's group to the couple.

The couple rushed over as soon as they saw them and grabbed Itachi's hand.

"Ninja masters, please help us, save our child!" the couple knelt before Itachi, crying.

Itachi quickly helped them to their feet. "We've already accepted your request and will investigate the matter thoroughly."

After a while, once the couple calmed down, they recounted the whole story.

"​About a year ago, in our Tatenokuni, babies and youths started disappearing. At the time it was only isolated cases, and the missing were orphans, so it didn't attract much attention. Some people reported it to local officials, but it eventually went nowhere."

"​Half a month ago, the child disappearances increased, and they weren't just orphans anymore; a few resident families lost children as well. Just a few days ago, our six‑year‑old child…"

The woman sobbed again as she spoke.

"​He just went out to play with friends and never came back… We searched the surrounding area but couldn't find him…" the woman choked out.

"​Then the families who lost children pooled money, hoping the ninja masters could help us find our child," the man beside the woman added.

After hearing them, Itachi was a bit puzzled and asked, "​Your Tatenokuni also has a ninja village, right? Why didn't you commission your own village and instead came to us Konohagakure? Our mission fees are higher than other villages."

The woman, angry and fearful, began, "​Those people…"

Before she could finish, her husband nudged her with his elbow, gave her a look, and she shut her mouth, saying nothing more.

He answered for her: "​Because we think Konohagakure's mission completion rate is high, and our Otogakure in Tatenokuni is just a small village that's only been around a few years, it can't compare to the number‑one ninja village in the shinobi world. I believe entrusting your Konohagakure ninjas to find our child gives us a better chance."