August 28, Konoha Year 39.
Akaseki brought Nonō and Guan Ze to report to the Cloud-Breaking Pass outpost three days ahead of the mission deadline. These two "assistants" had been assigned along with the mission. Assistants in name, they were clearly there on behalf of the Hokage Building to supervise Akaseki, the "inspector."
By then, command of the Land of Rain front had passed to Mitokado...
Although none of the old geezers in the Hokage Building were any good, compared with Shimura Danzō and Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura looked positively respectable.
Mitokado treated Akaseki in a strictly businesslike manner...
Akaseki had already received plenty of commendations for what happened in the Land of Grass, so Mitokado dispensed with further pleasantries.
And since Akaseki was an "inspector," he only needed to report in to Mitokado. After that, he could arrange his own assignments.
"A Jie, what mission is Jonin Orochimaru on?" Akaseki found Uchiha Jie from the inspection squad and asked him directly.
"Orochimaru... He went with that Jiraiya and that Tsunade to carry out an S-rank mission in the western Land of Rain." As Uchiha Jie spoke, he specifically pulled out the mission file.
Since the war had entered another stalemate, Konoha's ninja also had to carry out missions within the occupied territory.
Besides... over the past year, although the matter of "Uchiha Orochimaru" had yet to be finalized because of the war, practically everyone knew about it.
Even in Uchiha Jie's vocabulary, Orochimaru had already escaped the ranks of "that so-and-so." He probably wasn't far from becoming "Uncle Orochimaru."
"Three people for one mission?" Akaseki wore an odd expression. This really was a "vacation" in disguise. They had already started slacking off.
As chief inspector within the Land of Rain, Akaseki could review even S-rank missions. Once he