Open Up, We're Here to Help

"That's right!"

Tsukimi shed her usual laziness and made her decision with a grave expression.

"Mount Tenmoku is Rasa's main experimental base. He's spent a year building it up, so it's bound to have layers of defenses, traps, and barriers. It's too risky for our team to barge in. If we're discovered too soon, Rasa will have plenty of time to destroy everything, and all the leads we worked so hard to uncover will be wasted."

"So the safest approach is to contact the border forces for support." Kurenai nodded, agreeing with Tsukimi. "Once reinforcements arrive, we can cut off his escape routes and stop Rasa from destroying all evidence of the experiments when he's cornered."

Orochimaru's golden slit pupils narrowed as his gaze swept over the transport convoy preparing to leave the valley. His interest was plain to see.

He had already begun researching Hashirama Cells, and Rasa's experiments in adapting Living Puppets had stirred his curiosity and desire to investigate.

"Adapting and fusing living subjects with puppets, with toxins added to the mix... Hehehe. A fascinating line of research." Orochimaru licked his lips, amusement in his voice. "If I get the chance, I'd love to see the results for myself."

Orochimaru's this interested? Has he already started researching Hashirama Cell transplants? Is he hoping to find inspiration in Rasa's experiments?

Sunagakure never fielded Living Puppets even by the Fourth Shinobi World War in the original story, so Rasa probably failed in the end. But judging by this, could Orochimaru have been the one who stopped him in the original timeline? Did he take ideas from it and use them to advance his Hashirama Cell research?

You know what? That's entirely possible!

Tsukimi pushed those wandering thoughts aside and revised the plan.

"Asuma, remember this. I'm changing our assignments."

"Asuma, take all the intelligence we've gathered and head for the Land of Fire border immediately. Request support from the border forces. Once you bring the reinforcements here, wait for our signal. Avoid fighting on the way if you can. Getting our request through takes priority."

"Kurenai, Lord Orochimaru, and I will go on ahead and infiltrate Mount Tenmoku to scout it out."

"Repeat that back to me!"

Seeing Tsukimi's serious expression, Asuma reluctantly repeated her orders. Then he began protesting, his displeasure written all over his face.

"Why do I have to get help?"

His eyes burned with fighting spirit as he stared toward Mount Tenmoku. All he wanted was a head-on fight, not a trip to the rear for reinforcements.

"You've done all the work tracking down these clues. I've barely helped at all. Now that we've finally found the enemy's hideout, how can I miss the fighting? If Obito finds out, he'll laugh at me for three days straight! Let me go to Mount Tenmoku with you!"

Great. Another hothead. After spending two years with Obito, Asuma hadn't picked up any of his good points, but he'd learned impulsiveness and recklessness perfectly.

Obito, you're a terrible influence!

Tsukimi had expected him to object. She smacked the back of his head and snapped at him.

"What are you thinking, idiot? Do you think the three of us are going to charge into Mount Tenmoku and start fighting? He's had a year to build up that base. Just the three of us would have trouble escaping if we were surrounded, let alone winning a fight. We're going there to scout the enemy's defenses!"

Tsukimi pointed toward Mount Tenmoku. "We're at the stage where we close the net. We have to wait for the border forces. Otherwise, we'd be pushing deep into enemy territory alone, and everything we've done would go to waste. The sooner those forces arrive, the better."

"All three of us can sense or scout. You have the stamina and speed to bring the border forces back faster. There'll be plenty of fighting then. Got it?"

"Haha... Right. You three can only scout while staying hidden." Asuma scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "The reinforcements are the key to winning. I had it all wrong."

"You idiot. You've spent so long hanging around Obito that you've learned to stop using your brain, just like him!"

Asuma was about to argue that he was nothing like Obito when Orochimaru handed him a black token engraved with a dedicated communication Sealing Jutsu.

"This is a contact token for Western Border Command," Orochimaru explained. "It bears a Chakra seal the command staff can identify. When you reach the border forces' station, show it to them and you'll be able to meet the frontline commander directly. Then give him the complete intelligence report."

After Asuma took the token, Orochimaru pointed to the markings on its surface. "It also contains a one-use Chakra communication function. If anyone stops you, channel a little Chakra into it and you can contact the commander. Don't let it fall into Sunagakure's hands. The seal will destroy it if it does."

Asuma tucked the token securely against his body, then looked at Tsukimi.

"Be careful, all of you. Don't make any rash moves. I'll get there as fast as I can, so make sure you wait for me!"

"Just get going!"

Damn it. Asuma was such a dependable, honest guy in the original story. Look at him now. Idiot Two and Idiot Four have become Konoha's two biggest fools. It hurts to watch!

Under cover of night, Asuma raced toward the Land of Fire's western border. Before long, he vanished into the forest.

Only Tsukimi, Kurenai, and Orochimaru remained on the cliff. The transfer station in the valley was still brightly lit, with Sand Ninja hurrying back and forth.

A short while later, a supply convoy finished preparing to depart. Its wagons were loaded with Green Velvet Grass powder and toxin stabilizers, ready to head for Mount Tenmoku Base.

Kurenai looked down at the convoy and asked Tsukimi quietly, "Should we slip in with them to get close to the base?"

"No. We can't take that risk." Tsukimi shook her head.

Rasa was no decent man. He would even sell out his own village's Ninja to achieve his goals. He had surely planted safeguards along the road to Mount Tenmoku, and he had no shortage of sensory Ninja. An unfamiliar Chakra signature slipping into the convoy would likely put them on alert.

"We don't need to get near the convoy. My Shadowkhan can follow it."

Then Tsukimi recalled the records she had read in the Archives Room. She turned to Orochimaru and asked him a question.

"Lord Orochimaru, I looked through the transfer station's supply ledgers. Shipments to Mount Tenmoku have become noticeably less frequent lately, and the ratios between different materials have stabilized instead of changing constantly like they did at first. Can we tell how far their experiments have progressed from that?"

Orochimaru's slit pupils contracted slightly. After thinking it over, he gave his assessment.

"Reduced supplies and fixed ratios suggest they're past the initial stage of extensive trial and error. The experiments have likely entered a critical period of fine-tuning."

Orochimaru paused briefly before continuing. "At this stage, they no longer need to burn through raw materials. They need to adjust their parameters repeatedly. If a round of testing goes smoothly and the living subject, puppet, and toxins don't break down from a rejection reaction, Rasa's Living Puppet experiment will have achieved preliminary success."

Kurenai's heart sank. Her hands clenched without her realizing it. If the experiment succeeded, a batch of Living Puppets capable of inflicting corrosive poison would emerge. The consequences were unthinkable.

Tsukimi wasn't quite so pessimistic. The experiment hadn't succeeded yet. Even if it achieved preliminary success, that would only prove the method worked. Scaling up to mass production would take no less time and money than the initial experiments.

Rasa wouldn't have that kind of time. They were about to show up at his door with a surprise.

Open up, Rasa! We're here to help the community!