Obito Uchiha's sneak attack

"Move out!"

"Yes, sir!"

With Shihōin Naraku in the lead, two ANBU squads followed him out of Konohagakure.

After two days, Shihōin Naraku led his subordinates into the Land of Iron, a neutral country shrouded in wind and snow year-round.

"Sir, no ambushes!"

An ANBU member knelt on one knee and reported with great respect.

"Mm. Go back and keep watch."

"Yes, sir!"

Dressed in warm clothing, Shihōin Naraku stood on an exposed rock and watched his subordinate leave.

He had noticed that lately, the ANBU personnel had begun treating him with increasing respect.

Looks like they all know I'll soon be promoted to commander.

With Kakashi Hatake stepping down and no new leader being brought in from elsewhere, it was hardly difficult to imagine Deputy Captain Shihōin Naraku being promoted to commander.

So the ANBU members had begun visibly changing their attitudes, treating Shihōin Naraku as their new commander.

Suddenly, Shihōin Naraku looked into the distance. A small black dot rapidly approached from afar. The newcomer was conspicuously dressed as a ninja, though his clothing was in Iwagakure's style. He was an intelligence operative Konohagakure had planted in Iwagakure.

An ANBU member soon went to meet him. After exchanging passwords, the ANBU member took an intelligence scroll from him and brought him before Shihōin Naraku, while the others became even more vigilant.

"Sir!"

"Mm."

Shihōin Naraku took the intelligence scroll, opened it, skimmed its contents, and put it away.

"You can go."

"Yes, sir!"

The ANBU member left, and the intelligence operative planted in Iwagakure knelt on one knee before Shihōin Naraku. He began reporting the secrets he had uncovered-information that could not be recorded on a scroll.

"...Deidara, a member of the Demolition Corps and a disciple of Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, has been confirmed to have defected!"

Shihōin Naraku paused, then pressed, "When did this happen?"

The operative held nothing back and answered directly, "The exact timing is unknown. Information about Iwagakure's Demolition Corps members is highly classified, so obtaining specific details is difficult. And because Deidara frequently caused explosive terror incidents in Iwagakure, he moved out of the village to live elsewhere, which meant we received this information very late."

"However, Iwagakure has yet to designate Deidara a rogue ninja. Instead, they're preparing to use this opportunity to make trouble for Konohagakure soon!"

"Hm?"

Shihōin Naraku could not quite understand Iwagakure's thinking. Their own ninja had defected; they could just go find him. Why blame Konoha?

The operative continued, "According to Iwagakure's intelligence, around the time Deidara disappeared, someone saw Konoha's rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi near Deidara's residence!"

Now Shihōin Naraku understood. Iwagakure's intelligence really was correct: Uchiha Itachi had indeed gone to find Deidara.

As he remembered it, the Akatsuki had sent Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Sasori to find Deidara. Then Uchiha Itachi had defeated Deidara and brought him into the Akatsuki.

Moreover, that defeat at Uchiha Itachi's hands had indirectly led to Deidara's future battle with Sasuke Uchiha.

The operative went on to report some other important intelligence, then quickly departed.

Watching him leave, Shihōin Naraku took out paper and a pen, wrote down the intelligence, and handed it to one of his subordinates along with the scroll, instructing him to take them back to Konohagakure for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If Iwagakure wanted to make trouble, they could go argue with the Third Hokage.

As it happened, Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was an old man too, just like Konoha's leader. Neither of those two scheming old bastards was easy to deal with, so they could sort this out themselves.

Still, Shihōin Naraku suspected it would ultimately come to nothing, unless Iwagakure decided to launch a war outright.

Putting the matter out of his mind, Shihōin Naraku led his subordinates off to complete their other missions.

More than ten days passed in a flash, and nearly all the missions Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned Shihōin Naraku were complete.

His subordinates had returned to Konohagakure with their intelligence and gains. Only Shihōin Naraku and two subordinates remained for the time being in the Land of Hot Water, northeast of Konoha.

"Ahh~ I'm absolutely exhausted."

Shihōin Naraku stretched luxuriously. With his mask off, a trace of fatigue showed on his handsome face.

"Running all over the Shinobi World in just over ten days. That old Third Hokage really knows how to work people."

"Since I'm in the Land of Hot Water, I might as well soak in a hot spring."

The Land of Hot Water was rich in natural resources and boasted numerous hot springs, attracting many tourists.

"This hot spring looks pretty good. Let's take a break."

Shihōin Naraku waved his two subordinates off to do as they pleased, then stepped into the hot spring inn himself.

"Whew, this feels wonderful."

Lying in the hot spring and feeling his fatigue gradually fade, Shihōin Naraku let out a long breath.

Stealing some leisure from his busy schedule, Shihōin Naraku soaked for a long time, washing away all his fatigue. It was not until the afternoon that he left the hot spring inn to find somewhere to eat.

After looking around and having a meal at a restaurant, he prepared to return to the inn to rest.

"Hey, handsome, interested in having a drink~?"

Walking down the street, Shihōin Naraku watched a beautiful black-haired woman approach him, her tone flirtatious and her lovely figure swaying.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile appeared on his face. "Sure. Where shall we drink? Any recommendations, beautiful?"

"Heeheehee... Looks like you know how to enjoy yourself, handsome. Follow me..."

The black-haired beauty beckoned with a finger, then led the way with swaying steps, while Shihōin Naraku followed without giving anything away.

As the two strolled along, the passing pedestrians grew increasingly sparse, and their surroundings became quieter.

Soon, they walked straight out of the bustling town and into the wilderness.

"Where exactly are you taking me?"

"Heeheehee, do you know what it feels like to poop?"

Strange words came from the black-haired beauty's mouth.

Shihōin Naraku still wore a smile, but in the next instant, he struck without warning, clamping a hand around the black-haired beauty's throat and squeezing hard.

Crack!

The black-haired beauty breathed her last!

But immediately afterward, the black-haired beauty turned into an all-white freak-White Zetsu!

Whoosh!

Two ANBU members appeared in front of Shihōin Naraku, drew their tachi, and kept watch on their surroundings.

Then one White Zetsu after another emerged from the shadows, completely surrounding Shihōin Naraku and his two men.

"Eliminate them!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two ANBU members charged straight out, sharp blades in hand. Unexpectedly, however, these all-white freaks proved utterly feeble against them.

Standing where he was, Shihōin Naraku quietly watched the scene, showing no intention of joining the fight. But just then, space began silently twisting behind him, and a hand wearing a black glove reached for the "oblivious" Shihōin Naraku.

Whoosh!

Body Flicker Technique!

Just before the hand caught him, Shihōin Naraku's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.

Clang!

Shihōin Naraku abruptly drew Kurikara, twisted around, and returned to his original position, the sharp blade sweeping through that arm.

Yet the arm seemed completely unharmed and remained just as it had been, as though Kurikara had cut through not an arm, but empty air.