In mid-October of Year 46, Konoha's shinobi were in exceptionally high spirits, buoyed by the large number of missions they had been assigned.
The higher-ups hadn't let their guard down. On the contrary, they continued stockpiling food and ninja tools. Half of the Anbu and Root were also deployed, making intelligence work more important than ever.
After spending the past two weeks in constant meetings, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi finally had a rare moment to relax. Smiling warmly at Tsunade, who had come to give her report, he said:
"Thanks to you being in the village, these medicines can make a tremendous difference."
"Orochimaru hasn't been very enthusiastic about his work lately. When you have time, talk to him. There are some things I'm not comfortable saying."
Tsunade knew her teacher meant Orochimaru's increasingly close ties with Danzo. She wasn't interested in the matter, so she shook her head and replied simply:
"If there's a problem, just summon him over."
"Old Man, you know what he's like. Orochimaru isn't after power."
Hiruzen nodded. Tsunade hadn't noticed the change in Orochimaru's character, but he didn't want to say more about it. Instead, he changed the subject:
"Jiraiya and the others should have infiltrated the Land of Earth by now. We need to find out how far our opponents have gotten in developing the Tailed Beasts."
"Iwagakure isn't the only concern. Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is a huge threat. If they master this 'weapon,' the village will need to prepare as well."
"Do you have any suggestions for developing our Sealing Jutsu?"
After Uzushiogakure was destroyed by a coalition of several nations, the major shinobi villages had plundered its Sealing Jutsu. Konoha's inheritance remained relatively intact thanks to Mito Uzumaki.
Tsunade had inherited many precious techniques. Thinking of the Four-Symbols Seal used on Tailed Beasts, she replied helplessly:
"Sealing Jutsu are more advanced than Summoning Technique, but you're overestimating me, Sensei. I simply can't solve the problem of Tailed Beasts through a technique."
"When a Jinchuriki takes Tailed Beast Chakra, the Tailed Beast also absorbs the Jinchuriki's chakra."
"In that state, everything depends on the Jinchuriki's own strength."
Hiruzen nodded. Though he was known as the "Professor," he didn't have any particularly good ideas for developing the power of Tailed Beasts, either.
He couldn't help thinking of the Wood Release experiments from before, but in the end, Hiruzen put the thought aside. Wood Release was powerful, but the cost was simply too high.
"When you have time, keep an eye on Kushina. Anbu reports that she's been having nightmares. The Nine-Tails' power is constantly affecting her."
Tsunade frowned slightly at her teacher's suggestion, but in the end, she didn't bring up the restrictions placed on Kushina.
"At least let her have a normal relationship with Minato. Old Man, you're being too cautious about this."
Hiruzen didn't argue with his student. He needed to prevent any potential disasters, and having no freedom was better than letting the Nine-Tails run wild. As he got older, he couldn't help becoming more conservative.
"Enough of that. Since you're staying in the village, you could give Jiraiya some more thought. After all, you're getting on in years..."
"Old Man, what are you talking about?!"
The documents on the desk jumped as Tsunade slammed her fist down. Hiruzen could only force a bitter smile.
After Tsunade stormed out, Hiruzen puffed away on his pipe and stared at the group photo on his desk. In it, his hairline hadn't receded yet.
"I really am getting old..."
Jiraiya's team had been having a particularly rough time infiltrating the Land of Earth. At night, they continued eating dry rations inside a rocky cavern. The closer they got to their target, the more cautious they had to be.
The cave, carved out with Earth Release, was clean, but after half a month without a hot meal, Jiraiya had to reassure them.
"We'll be there in three days. When we get back to Konoha, I'll treat you all to a feast."
"Don't worry about safety. Once we reach the valley, protect the markers. If anything goes wrong, Minato can get everyone out of there right away."
Seeing how confident his teacher was, Minato Namikaze felt considerable pressure. But he knew he had to shoulder the responsibility now, so he immediately flashed a sunny smile.
"Sensei's right. As long as we protect the coordinates, my Flying Thunder God will keep everyone safe."
"The Iwagakure Jinchuriki may not have developed much of their power yet, so there's no need to worry too much about the mission."
The white-haired, dark-skinned, chubby man let out a long breath. Facing a Jinchuriki would have been tantamount to suicide if Jiraiya weren't leading the team, but he trusted his teammates and quickly chimed in:
"Minato's right. There's no need to scare ourselves..."
"You're the only one who's worried. I trust Minato and Lord Jiraiya completely!"
The man with long black hair and an androgynous air casually teased him. The two of them started bickering again, and Minato could only scratch his head and laugh along.
The members assigned to rendezvous with Jiraiya's team were made up of the Hokage's Direct Anbu and Root shinobi. Shu Furukawa had joined as a sensory and medical ninja. Wearing a mask, he quietly warned them:
"Shinobi are approaching our previous marker."
The Root shinobi from the Aburame Clan immediately added in a muffled voice:
"My Kikaichū are moving. The other side has destroyed one of our markers."
Shu's sensory range was nearly ten kilometers, though he claimed it was around six. Minato's range was also enormous. He touched the ground with his fingers and looked at Jiraiya.
"Sensei, should we eliminate them?"
Several Anbu also looked to Jiraiya. They all knew Minato's strength and speed; it wasn't an empty boast.
"We still have one marker left. That's enough. We'll pick up the pace from here."
Feeling a sense of urgency, Jiraiya ultimately decided against a risky attack. Seeing the serious mood in the group, he tried to lighten things up again.
"Good work, Shu. A shinobi always has to stay alert!"
"Haha, no wonder the Toad Sage had his eye on him."
Minato's two teammates both let out a long breath. They had nearly been discovered just approaching the valley where the Jinchuriki was, and the situation wasn't looking good.
"Lord Jiraiya, we'll take care of the guards outside the valley. Once we've placed the markers, Shu will notify you."
"After you enter the valley, Iwagakure may send a response team within ten minutes. Be extra careful."
The Anbu Captain wearing an animal mask gave another reminder. Jiraiya nodded gravely. They might come face-to-face with two Jinchuriki, so they needed to conserve their strength.
Two days later, the Iwagakure shinobi guarding the outskirts of an unnamed valley gradually fell silent.
At a high lookout post, Shu Furukawa silently drew a short blade from behind an Iwagakure ninja. The Kikaichū on the ground then took control of the body, keeping it standing upright.
A few brief sounds interrupted the assassinations, but they were quickly silenced. When the four members of the team regrouped, the Anbu Captain nodded in satisfaction.
Shu quickly formed hand seals and sent a message using a secret technique. Sensing Jiraiya's team begin to move, he quietly reported:
"Lord Jiraiya and the others have begun infiltrating the valley."
The Root shinobi from the Aburame Clan had played a major role in the operation. He'd dealt with the enemy's sensory ninja using his special venomous insects. Before the Anbu Captain could speak, he suddenly said:
"I have another mission!"
As he started to move, the Anbu Captain immediately stepped in front of him, one hand on the hilt of the sword at his back. He warned him coldly:
"Are you trying to disobey Lord Hokage's orders?"
Another Anbu silently stepped beside the Aburame Clan shinobi. Shu could only move over to the Anbu Captain, exasperated, and remind him again:
"We haven't even reached the target yet, senior. You don't want the mission to fail, do you?"
"..."