Missing

Four in the morning, inside the Sugar Refinery.

"I just finished checking."

Seeing Nawaki resting with his eyes closed, Sakuya stepped aside and spoke quietly to Orochimaru. "All the sugar in the Sugar Refinery has been moved, including the raw materials and the tools."

"Sakuya, you're not joking, are you?"

Orochimaru's eyes widened.

"What do you think?"

Sakuya shook his head.

"...This isn't good news."

Hearing that, Orochimaru frowned deeply.

The Sugar Refinery in the Land of Fang was an important sugar production hub for Konoha. Even if rogue ninja had occupied it for a while, at most they would have looted most of the money. They shouldn't have been able to take the key sugar-making ingredients and tools—large items that couldn't easily be carried off.

"...Unless these rogue ninja weren't after money in the first place."

He exchanged a glance with Orochimaru, and his heart sank.

"At a time like this, sugar is a strategic resource."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "For these rogue ninja to dare to empty the entire Sugar Refinery, sugar must have been their target from the beginning."

"This isn't something a handful of rogue ninja would dare to do on their own."

He paused, his tone growing steadily more somber. "I'm afraid some power we don't know about is backing them."

"And it's no small power."

Sakuya rubbed his chin, pondering.

The Land of Fang lay in the southwestern part of the Shinobi World. Though it was a low-lying country, it was surrounded by five nations: the Land of Fire, the Land of Pupil, the Land of Claw, the Land of River, and the Land of Rain.

That was precisely why this small country could maintain good relations with everyone without offending anyone. It had even willingly become a vassal of the Land of Fire, supplying it with sugar for years.

"To secretly mobilize people and empty out an entire factory without anyone noticing..."

Sakuya's gaze darkened. "Only those five neighboring countries have the strength and motive to do something like this."

"The Land of Fire wouldn't attack its own vassal."

Orochimaru shook his head, then continued Sakuya's thought. "Of the four smaller countries left, the Land of Pupil is much like the Land of Fang. It's a major producer of wood products for Konoha, and its ruler is a cousin of our Fire Lord. There's no way they would send rogue ninja to attack the Land of Fang. As for the other three—"

"Only one has both the ambition and the ability to do it."

Sakuya picked up the thread, his tone certain.

They exchanged a glance. The answer was obvious.

The Land of Rain.

That country, struggling to survive between the great powers, had never known peace in recent years.

Though Hanzo of the Salamander, the Demigod, was suppressed by many great nations, his ambition had never been limited to self-preservation.

"Things are getting complicated..."

At that, Orochimaru drew a deep breath and rapped his head in frustration. His words were heavy with concern.

What did it mean for the Demigod to start targeting a strategic resource like sugar?

He had already been itching to make a move along the border. Did this mean he was now ready to start the Second Shinobi World War?

With a Shinobi World War liable to break out at any moment, even Orochimaru, a renowned elite jonin of Konoha, felt tense.

"We have to send this news back to Konoha first."

Orochimaru and Sakuya nodded. They took out a scroll and wrote down the information they had pieced together. Then Orochimaru cut his palm and slammed it against the ground.

"Summoning Technique!"

As smoke billowed, a white snake the size of a palm appeared in front of Orochimaru.

It swallowed the scroll in Orochimaru's hand, flipped around, and disappeared.

"The message should reach Konoha by tomorrow noon."

Orochimaru nodded to Sakuya. "We just need to wait here."

"Before then, while we still have time, let's deal with the rogue ninja leader."

Sakuya said, "I think we might be able to get more secrets out of him."

[With the Shinobi World thrown into chaos, you felt uncertain about what lay ahead. Though you had retaken the port and the Sugar Refinery, the main culprit was still at large, and you didn't know who was pulling the strings. You didn't dare return to the village without permission.]

[So you and Orochimaru lay in wait inside the Sugar Refinery. But even after watching the place until noon the next day, you still didn't see the main culprit.]

"Strange. Where is he?"

At noon the next day, Sakuya stood on a tree branch in the forest outside the Sugar Refinery, looking utterly bewildered.

They had waited so long, but hadn't seen a single soul. Wasn't the rogue ninja leader supposed to come back the next day?

"The intelligence seems to have been wrong."

With a whoosh, Orochimaru appeared beside Sakuya and said, "It seems word of our presence at the Sugar Refinery got out."

"Impossible!"

Sakuya shook his head. "We captured all the rogue ninja here except for their leader, who was away. And we've kept our movements hidden the whole way..."

"That's what I can't figure out either."

Orochimaru frowned. "Who could it be..."

"Wait, Orochimaru. Something's not right."

Sakuya suddenly remembered something.

"Where's Tsunade?"

Yesterday, Tsunade had run off for some inexplicable reason and hadn't returned even by today.

Now that the rogue ninja leader was nowhere to be found, Sakuya had good reason to connect the two things.

Of course, he wasn't suspicious of Tsunade. She was a genuine Konoha ninja and would never betray the village.

What he was worried about was...

"Sakuya!"

Orochimaru stared into the distance, his voice suddenly changing.

"Look over there!"

He pointed toward the depths of the western forest. A trail of purple smoke was rising in the distance. Wherever it drifted, leaves were corroded and disfigured.

"Is that... poison gas?"

"Indeed. And judging by its size, it contains a tremendous amount of poison. Be careful, Sakuya!"

Orochimaru warned him. "That poison gas is drifting from Tea House City, the closest city to us."

"I have a bad feeling about this. Tsunade wouldn't have..."

Sakuya pushed aside the thought and looked gravely at Orochimaru. "How is Nawaki doing, Orochimaru?"

"He's doing all right for now. His injuries have improved quite a bit."

Orochimaru said, "But he's still not fit to fight."

"Understood."

Sakuya nodded. "Then take the injured and retreat. I'll go scout ahead."

"Take this."

Orochimaru took out a scroll. "There are gas masks inside. They should provide some protection against the poison gas."

*He came prepared.*

Sakuya gave him a surprised look.

Seeing that, Orochimaru explained, "The Land of Rain has been causing trouble along the border lately. The village bought a large number of gas masks in advance to counter the Demigod's poison. But they can only barely protect against the poison of ordinary salamanders. If we run into Hanzo of the Salamander's summoning beast, our only option will be to run."

"Understood."

Sakuya took the scroll and nodded. "I'll be back soon."