Ōnoki had spent a long time venting his anger before turning to Mahiru.
"Get in touch with the Bounty Station. I need to hire some mercenaries..."
Mahiru was taken aback. Ōnoki rarely resorted to hiring mercenaries—the costs were far from cheap. On top of that, the village's economy had already taken a serious hit due to the ongoing situation in the Land of Earth.
"Lord Tsuchikage, there's no need. I can lead the team myself."
"Why rely on those money-hungry types?"
Mahiru volunteered without hesitation. As a Jōnin of Iwagakure, he was more than willing to contribute for the village's sake. But Ōnoki waved him off and began calmly analyzing the situation.
"If it were just Konoha, I'd send you without hesitation."
"But this time, Takigakure is involved. If I send you and they catch wind of it, it could backfire on us."
"Takigakure has always refused to get involved in conflicts between the Five Great Ninja Villages."
"So, it's better to leave this to mercenaries. That way, even if Takigakure suffers any losses, it won't be tied back to us."
Old and cunning as ever, Ōnoki's plan cleanly distanced Iwagakure from any direct involvement. It would also deal a blow to Konoha. Though expensive, if it achieved the goal, it would be worth every ryō.
"But would normal mercenaries really accept a mission like this?"
"Remember, this involves both Konoha and Takigakure."
Mahiru was still unsure. In his mind, even the greediest mercenaries valued their lives—what use was money if you were dead? Any team Konoha sent to Takigakure would at least have a Jōnin leading them. Would mercenaries really dare to take on such a dangerous job?
He wasn't alone in his doubt. Everyone present shared the same concern.
Ōnoki's cold chuckle cut through the silence.
"I don't know about the others, but I know a few who would take the job."
"For example, the one you encountered last time…"
"Kakuzu…"
A sinister gleam lit up Ōnoki's face, the grin on his lips growing wider.
"And I guarantee he'll be eager for this job…"
Others might not know, but Ōnoki knew very well—Kakuzu was originally a ninja from Takigakure who defected for various reasons. Sending him against his old village? He'd be more than motivated.
...
Ten days later, in the Land of Waterfalls.
Pakura's eyes sparkled as she looked at the waterfall ahead.
"What a beautiful waterfall."
"Heh, right? The Land of Waterfalls might be lacking in a lot of things, but waterfalls aren't one of them. Takigakure itself is hidden behind a massive one."
Kazuyama knew Takigakure like the back of his hand. He smiled as he introduced the area to Pakura.
Kakashi and the others had also paused their "training" for now, since they had arrived in Takigakure.
For Kazuyama, carrying a few suitcases was nothing—a single scroll could take care of it.
Don't ask where the scroll came from. Orochimaru's warehouse had more than enough blank storage scrolls lying around.
Orochimaru: …I'm used to it…
Kazuyama: Well, if you hadn't craned your neck like that, I might've believed you even more.
Kazuyama and the group officially entered the Land of Waterfalls. Their pace was leisurely—there was plenty of time before the Chūnin Exams, so there was no need to rush.
Better to enjoy the scenery and treat it like a vacation.
After another full day of travel, they finally arrived at the waterfall just outside Takigakure.
Seeing the people standing in front of the falls, Kazuyama smiled.
It was Yahiko, Konan, and Akaashi leading a team from Takigakure.
Of course, both sides were now operating under different identities and couldn't reveal who they truly were.
When Yahiko saw that the one leading the Konoha team was none other than his trusted friend Kazuyama, his eyes widened in surprise.
It took a quick nudge from Konan to bring him back to his senses.
"Welcome to Takigakure."
"I'm Yahiko, a Jōnin of Takigakure."
Seeing Yahiko putting on such a formal act, Kazuyama nearly burst out laughing—but thanks to his solid composure, he managed to hold it in.
The two, once extremely familiar with each other, shook hands like they were meeting for the first time.
"Kazuyama Gekkō, Jōnin from Konohagakure, here on orders from Lord Hokage to deliver an invitation to Takigakure."
After the formalities, Yahiko led everyone through the waterfall.
Pakura and Kakashi's group looked around curiously, taking in the sights of the village. Konan's gaze, however, landed on Pakura.
She had just seen Kazuyama pulling Pakura forward by the hand, and couldn't help but feel curious about it.
...
Once both teams had entered Takigakure, a figure suddenly appeared at the spot where they had just been.
He had green eyes, a face mask, and an ominous, murderous aura surrounding him.
"Target acquired."
"Eliminating them nets 40 million ryō..."
"Nice deal. But why is there an extra person?"
"That's more money. Ten million per head. Now it's five of them—50 million."
"And then there's Takigakure…"
In the next moment, he vanished.
...
Inside Takigakure, Kazuyama glanced around at the familiar surroundings.
"Pakura, take Kakashi and the others to get some rest. I'm sure our hosts have arranged proper accommodations."
He smiled at Konan as he spoke, and she immediately understood what he meant.
"Everything's already prepared. Follow me."
Pakura also realized Kazuyama had a task to attend to, so she went along with Konan without question.
Yahiko then led Kazuyama to Bobosai's office.
It was Kazuyama's first time meeting the leader of Takigakure. He handed over the invitation.
"Konoha's Ghost, Kazuyama Gekkō—one of the Twin Stars of Konoha. Heh, a hero at such a young age."
Bobosai chuckled lightly, his words making Kazuyama pause for a moment.
"Huh? Am I really that well-known?"
"Even the village head knows who I am?"
A faint sense of caution stirred in Kazuyama. After all, anyone who could become a village leader wasn't someone to underestimate. Who knew what this old man might be planning?
But he was clearly overthinking it. Bobosai simply sighed, then got straight to the point.
"Takigakure will participate in the Chūnin Exams as scheduled."
"We hope you'll look after our people, Jōnin Kazuyama."
"Yahiko."
Yahiko gave a nod and left the office with Kazuyama.
The mission had gone off without a hitch, just as Kazuyama had expected.
After all, this wasn't the first time Konoha had invited Takigakure to the Chūnin Exams. The only difference was that this time, it was happening during wartime.
But from the looks of it, there shouldn't be any problems.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake