True and False Intelligence

A ruined temple three li outside the woods on Konoha's outskirts.

The three-man Hidden Cloud team arrived first.

They had just helped themselves to an ANBU base and obtained an "original copy" of Minato's rejection of three hundred thousand ryo in frontline repair expenses.

The three of them counted the scrolls while boasting to one another.

"Konoha's ANBU bases are defended like sieves."

"Minato Namikaze has run the village into such poverty. He can only fool commoners."

As soon as the words left their mouths, the space ahead seemed to twist apart.

Obito, wearing an orange spiral mask, stepped out of a black vortex and cut off their retreat.

The Hidden Cloud Jonin sneered as he drew his Short Sword. "Where did this trash come from? You dare block my path?"

Obito could not even be bothered to waste half a sentence on them.

The Mangekyo in his right eye flared to life, its scarlet glow painfully vivid amid the wind and snow.

The pupils of the three Hidden Cloud spies instantly lost focus, and they fell stiffly into the snow.

Obito snapped his fingers, and three White Zetsu emerged from the surrounding tree shadows, swiftly transforming into the Hidden Cloud spies.

Obito tossed the stripped clothes and Ninja Tools to the White Zetsu. "Go back and keep spreading the word that Konoha is about to collapse. Don't blow your cover."

In less than half an hour, all twelve spies had been dealt with.

Food shortages, lack of funds, abandoned equipment projects, collapsing morale—all the "truths" they had dreamed of seeing were fed to them without the slightest deviation.

The twelve unlucky men were packed into sealing scrolls and sent overnight to Orochimaru's underground laboratory, where they became the latest batch of high-grade consumables.

Inside the underground base.

Ye set