A month later, the Kumogakure kidnapping incident finally came to a close.
The only loose end left was probably Minato's stubborn insistence on settling on an official name for the Spiraling Ring.
The espionage crisis had made Maki fully grasp one brutal fact.
The holes in Konoha's internal security were far worse than he had imagined.
The Anbu's patrol routes, gaps between shifts, and even Kushina's daily movements-Kumogakure had known them all with pinpoint precision.
There was no way outside reconnaissance alone could have achieved that. Someone inside the village was clearly leaking intelligence.
Hanzō had the front bogged down, a spy network kept infiltrating the rear, and Danzo was still stirring up trouble in the shadows.
Remaining on the defensive would only leave them slowly bled dry.
Maki immediately made up his mind: take the initiative and strike behind enemy lines.
The Hokage's Office was dimly lit.
The Third held a pipe between his teeth, the latest reports from the Land of Rain Front spread across his desk.
Maki stood quietly before the desk, having already submitted his request to join the fighting.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not read the application right away. Instead, he quietly read out the contents of the battle report.
The positions outside Kusagakure had been forced back another half kilometer by Ibuse's poison gas. This week's casualties had jumped thirty percent compared to last week.
Jiraiya's Fire Release Ninjutsu could gain no advantage against the clouds of poison mist.
Orochimaru's snake assaults suffered greatly reduced mobility in the muddy terrain of the Land of Rain.
Tsunade's medical team had worked around the clock for days without rest, and exhaustion showed on every face.
"The Jinchūriki's seal has stabilized. There's no reason for me to keep staying in the village."
"Hanzō's Intelligence Network relies entirely on