Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Intelligence from Uchiha Itachi

"Does anyone want to make a contract with the Giant Chameleon?" Jiraiya asked offhandedly.

"Can it even compare to Shinho's Slug?" Naruto quickly asked.

"Of course not," Jiraiya replied, quirking an eyebrow, "but it's still a decent summoning creature with a fair amount of power."

After all, Lady Katsuyu was one of the three great sages of the ninja world, along with the White Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage.

Jiraiya had already tested the Giant Chameleon's abilities.

It was strong but limited in power—one of its talents was camouflage, expected of a chameleon.

From Jiraya's assessment, he suspected it might even be able to evade the Byakugan's detection.

Another was its sheer size, which could be intimidating to regular ninjas. Jiraiya thought it might be comparable to the Rock Toad of Mount Myoboku.

"Then I don't want it!" Naruto dismissed the idea with a wave.

Jiraiya suddenly reconsidered. Maybe Naruto should become a Myoboku summoner.

"I have Lady Katsuyu already," Shinho declined politely. "Give it to Sasuke."

Sasuke was a bit taken aback but quickly realized he could indeed use a summoning creature.

He didn't need the Shuzaki Lizard to be exceptionally powerful; as long as it could serve as a shield in critical moments, that would be enough.

"Thank you," Sasuke said, taking the scroll and writing his name on it.

Shinho glanced over and, sure enough, saw the name "Masashi Kishimoto" on it. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "Jiraiya, do you know a Masashi Kishimoto?"

"No, I don't. Must've been a ninja from the Land of Neck," Jiraiya replied, then gave Shinho a curious look. "Why, are you interested in him?"

"No, I just asked out of curiosity," Shinho said, shaking his head.

"Alright, mission's complete," Jiraiya said, moving on. "Let's head back to the village."

"Huh?" Naruto exclaimed, looking puzzled. "But I haven't done anything yet!"

"Your task is to master the Rasengan," Jiraiya reminded him. "Look at Shinho—he mastered it in just two days."

"Then, I'll have it down by tomorrow!" Naruto replied confidently.

Sasuke bit his lip in frustration. He had thought he'd be the first to master it or at least be able to match Shinho's speed. But the gap between them was larger than he'd imagined.

According to Jiraiya's estimate, Sasuke would need at least a week to master it. With the Chunin Exams two months away, he needed to find a way to grow stronger.

The four returned to Konoha the following day.

"So many people!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"Plenty of new faces around," Shinho said as he scanned the bustling streets. "They're probably here for the Chunin Exams."

"It's mostly merchants for now," Jiraiya said with a laugh. "Go ahead and explore if you want, see what they've brought that's different from what we have here in Konoha."

"Hey, Shinho, want to go together?" Naruto asked, barely containing his excitement.

"I'll pass," Shinho declined. "I need to see my teacher."

"What about you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, turning to him.

"I'm not free," Sasuke replied flatly. "I need to complete my Rasengan training."

"Fine!" Naruto said, reluctantly looking away from the bustling shops. "I'll train too!"

Jiraiya smiled nostalgically. Naruto's determination reminded him of his own younger self, constantly trying to keep up with Orochimaru.

But Shinho… he was calmer and more composed than Tsunade had ever been.

After Naruto and Sasuke left, Shinho followed Jiraiya to the Hokage's office.

"You're back? already?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she looked at them. "Jiraiya, are you sure they're ready to learn Rasengan?"

It had only been two days, which seemed far too brief to master such a complex jutsu. The Rasengan, though a jutsu without hand signs, was A-rank in difficulty.

She had estimated it would take at least two weeks.

"You underestimate your student too much, Tsunade," Jiraiya said, pointing to Shinho. "He already mastered it."

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She knew Shinho had exceptional chakra control, but this level of proficiency far exceeded even her expectations.

At this rate, once he learned yin seal, he'd quickly surpass her.

"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" Tsunade asked, recovering her composure.

"They haven't mastered it yet, but I taught them everything they need to know. It's only a matter of time," Jiraiya replied with a reassuring smile.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Tsunade said, picking up on his tone.

"I have to continue my mission," Jiraiya said calmly.

Tsunade waved him off, clearly fed up with the subject.

Jiraiya took that as his cue and leaped out the window, vanishing from sight.

"That man!" Tsunade huffed, clearly irritated.

"Don't let it get to you, sensei," Shinho said, reaching out to hand her a bottle of honey wine.

"At least you know how to cheer up your teacher," she replied with a satisfied smile as she took the bottle.

Just as she lifted it to her mouth, Shinho intervened.

"Sensei, drinking during office hours isn't appropriate. If people smell it on you, it could damage your reputation as Hokage," Shinho said, straight-faced.

"…" Tsunade glared at him, her teeth gritted in annoyance.

Shinho met her gaze fearlessly, holding firm.

After a few seconds, she gave in with a defeated sigh, setting the wine aside. "Being Hokage is the worst! I can't wait to be rid of this title!"

Shinho chuckled quietly.

"What's so funny?" Tsunade asked, irritated, and flicked him on the forehead.

Shinho rubbed his head, noticing her bare feet. As she balanced on her tiptoes, her round toes pressed against the floor, her arch taut, it made her look unexpectedly cute.

"I had an idea," Tsunade said, crossing her legs elegantly as she settled back in her chair.

"What idea?" Shinho asked, feigning curiosity.

"You take over my duties as the Hokage now and handle the workload. I'll keep the title," Tsunade suggested, crossing her arms with a look of pride.

"…?"

Shinho processed her words.

Is she serious? He almost admired her creativity when it came to avoiding work.

"No, thank you," Shinho shook his head firmly. "I refuse."

"Isn't being Hokage your dream?" Tsunade said, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course," Shinho replied seriously. "But I'm still a kid."

"What about you is still a kid?" Tsunade stood up to make her point, measuring his height. "You're nearly as tall as me."

Shinho's eyes twitched slightly. The work of laws of gravity as she stood up was rather… distracting.

Yeah, they're definitely not small

"I'm still just a Genin, though," Shinho reminded her with a slight smile.

"That's true." Tsunade thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, let's revisit this matter after the Chunin Exams."

At that moment, Shinho's thoughts drifted to Danzo.

If he could see this exchange, he'd probably keel over from sheer frustration. The title of Hokage, which he'd spent a lifetime yearning for, was now being casually tossed around.

Would Danzo make an appearance during the Chunin Exams?

His speculation was largely based on the "United We Stand" achievement he'd triggered. That, combined with Orochimaru's presence and the potential use of the Reanimation Jutsu, meant Tsunade might struggle to hold her own.

"By the way, will the Third Hokage attend the Chunin Exams?" Shinho asked abruptly.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's something Naruto was curious about," Shinho replied, smoothly passing the question along.

"Hiruzen's not the type to stay away from something like that," Tsunade replied after a pause.

Fair enough, Shinho thought. Despite his often-debated decisions, Hiruzen Sarutobi had an unwavering dedication to the village.

If Orochimaru were to reappear, there's no way he'd stand idly by. The history and complex emotions between the two ran too deep.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Tsunade said, adjusting her expression to one of authority.

The instant she saw that the visitor was Shizune, however, she relaxed slipping back into her lazy pose.

Shinho noted that, except for him, everyone else seemed to knock.

"Tsunade-sama." Shizune entered with a grave expression. "We've received information from Uchiha Itachi."

"Itachi?" Tsunade sat up straight, surprised as her slack expression instantly turned serious. "Are you certain it's him?"

Her surprise was understandable. Since joining the Akatsuki, Itachi had gone completely silent.

If it weren't for his substantial strength, Tsunade might have wondered if he had already perished somewhere.

"Yes," Shizune confirmed.

"What did he say?" Tsunade asked, visibly tense.

"He's asked to meet at the 'usual place' tonight."

"The usual place?" Tsunade murmured, brows furrowing. "That must mean the Uchiha compound."

"It's the only place it could be," Shinho agreed.

His first thought was of poor Sasuke, who might be going to suffer again. But then again, this can be seen as another way of getting him ready for what lay ahead.

The timing was just a bit earlier than expected; in the original timeline, Itachi had returned to Konoha only after the Chunin Exams concluded.

"The Chunin Exams are bound to draw a mixed crowd," Tsunade reasoned, rubbing her temples. "His return would be less noticeable. But the fact that he hasn't reached out in so long likely means something big is in the works with their organization."

Indeed, there was a major plan underway.

In the original events, Itachi had returned to Konoha with Kisame Hoshigaki on a mission to capture Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Following a skirmish with Jiraiya, they had withdrawn and delayed further action.

The Akatsuki had then remained inactive until several years later when they finally launched the Eye of the Moon plan and began their campaign to capture all Jinchuriki and tailed beasts.

"Well, guess we'll find out tonight," Shinho suggested, "Sensei, I'll go with you."

"That works," Tsunade agreed without much hesitation. Shinho had a knack for understanding things, and she had a hunch he'd be helpful. Besides, if she was grooming him to be Hokage one day, he ought to be more involved in village matters.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Itachi concealed himself within the thick foliage of an old tree, scanning the courtyard below.

Sasuke stood there with a water balloon in his palm, concentrating hard.

Inside, the chakra-driven water swirled chaotically in no particular pattern. A few seconds later, with a resounding pop, the water balloon burst, drenching Sasuke, who broke into a triumphant grin.

Sasuke had successfully completed the second stage of the Rasengan training, and it seemed he was now ready to move on to the sturdier rubber ball.

Itachi's brow furrowed slightly.

What sort of jutsu is this? Itachi mused. No hand signs… could this be the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan?

Minato Namikaze was famous across the shinobi world, and his signature jutsu was closely studied by many. The Rasengan and Flying Raijin were two of his most famous jutsus.

Itachi took a slow, steady breath. Sasuke's mastery of the Rasengan was a clear sign he was thriving in Konoha, and that Tsunade had kept her promise.

"Sasuke," called Mikoto from the house, wearing an apron, her voice soft. "Dinner's ready."

Sasuke left the training ground at once.

"How'd you end up all wet?" Mikoto noticed as he approached, and she instinctively reached out a hand toward him.

"I'll go change," Sasuke said, avoiding her hand by tilting his head.

"Alright, go ahead." Mikoto's face showed a trace of melancholy.

He'd grown up so much… The more he grew, the more distant he became. Not that their bond was any weaker, but his personality had definitely shifted over time.

Itachi watched the two retreat indoors, a hint of emotion flashing across his face before he composed himself again. He turned, sensing two figures behind him.

It was Tsunade and Shinho.

With a leap, he appeared before them.

"Did you come alone?" Tsunade asked without any preamble.

"No," Itachi replied, shaking his head. "My partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, is here as well."

"One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, known as the Tailless Tailed Beast," Tsunade muttered, frowning slightly. "So, he joined your organization as well."

"Our organization is called the Akatsuki," Itachi said, handing her a scroll. "This contains intelligence on the members I've compiled."

Tsunade opened the scroll quickly, scanning the contents.

The Akatsuki was listed as having nine core members, ranked across three tiers based on available intel.

The first tier included Madara Uchiha, Pain, Konan, and Zetsu. Itachi's knowledge of them was minimal, especially Pain and Konan, whom he had only seen a few times.

Yet from his research, he suspected that Pain might possess the legendary Rinnegan.

The second tier comprised Kakuzu, Sasori, and Hidan. Itachi had gathered quite a bit of information about Kakuzu due to his reputation in the underground bounty network.

Hidan, a follower of the Jashin cult from Yugakure, possessed immortality and used blood as a conduit for his jutsu. Sasori's background remained a mystery, though he was known to be a puppet master.

The third tier was made up of Kisame and Deidara. Kisame's file was well-documented. Deidara was a student of the Third Tsuchikage Onoki and wielded the explosive kekkei genkai, Bakuton.

Lastly, Itachi had included information about members who had departed, such as Orochimaru, and those who had died, such as Juzo Biwa.

Tsunade's expression grew grim as she read through it. The Akatsuki was even stronger than she'd anticipated. Each of these nine members, including Itachi, was formidable.

"What about this Rinnegan?" Tsunade asked, her brow furrowed with concern. The Rinnegan was rumoured to be the eye of the Sage of the Six Paths.

"I can't say for sure if it is the Rinnegan," Itachi replied, "I've never actually seen Pain in action."

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