Bab 64: Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Kaen looked at the boy before him. The boy had translucent-looking pale skin that contrasted with his dark-as-night hair and eyes. The boy had a total lack of emotions. His face had a permanently blank face. Kaen knew who the boy was, but he didn't exist in any records. He had no name, no home, no family. He was like a ghost. It was a perfect background for an assassin.
Kaen could tell the boy was personally tailored by Danzo. The conditioning has suppressed all of the boy's emotions while in Root. Even among the Root members, the boy was special. While Kaen and Hiruzen managed to relocate the rest of the Root members with the help of Nara and Yamanaka help, this boy didn't fit any criteria for any team.
Of course, he was left to take care of the boy. Kaen sighed as he looked at an obedient boy whose loyalty to the commanding officer was unquestionable. Inoichi Yamanaka confirmed that Danzo trained the boy to be loyal to Konoha. Like the other Root members, he would not betray Konoha and follow Hokage's orders.
"For today onward, your name shall be Sai," Kaen told the boy.
"Understood," The boy replied, not sounding happy to finally receive a name nor sad for not having one. "What are your orders, Hokage-sama?"
"You will join a special team and work to track and kill Orochimaru," Kaen told the boy. "You will support the team with all you have and listen to your commanding officer."
"Understood," Sai replied with a quick one-word sentence.
"I will give an unofficial mission, too," Kaen sighed as he didn't know what to do with Sai. "You will observe your new team and learn about them. What they like, what they don't, what they dream of, and what they fear. You are not to share that information even with me."
"Understood," Kaen didn't think Sai understood anything he had said.
"Good, wait outside," Kaen ordered, and the boy left the office. "Tenzo."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," A member of ANBU appeared before Kaen.
"You will join the same team as Sai, so from no own, you shall leave ANBU."
"Very well," Tenzo replied, his voice muffled under his mask.
"Call for the shinobi on this list," Kaen instructed Tenzo, throwing him a list he had made. "And unofficially, watch out for Sai and help him to integrate with the rest of the team."
Tenzo took off his mask and nodded with a smile before leaving. Kaen was exhausted by dealing with the Root members. But at last, it was done. They have joined other forces, and only time will tell how well they adjusted to their new roles. Kaen considered going after Orochimaru alone, but he couldn't relocate the work he had to do in Konoha.
Kaen leaned back in his chair and petted Ash, who lay on his lap. As Kaen spent most of his day in the office, he let Ash stay here. The cat wasn't a kitten anymore, and rather than play with Kaen, he would find a warm place to sleep. It was rather disappointing, but at least Kaen had something to do when he got bored with his work.
And work only increased with each day, especially after Itachi returned to the village. Kaen hated that a rumor had spread in the village that he was defeated. It annoyed him, but he decided not to address it. He put out a statement that Itachi, with his companion, thought that the Third Hokage had retired and the village was weakened, but when he found out that he couldn't attack it with Kaen and other Jonin still in Konoha, he ran with his tail behind his back.
"Hokage-sama," Tenzo returned to the office with five boys behind him. "I have gathered the people you asked for."
"Where is Kakashi?" Kaen asked but quickly dismissed the question as he knew the answer. So, instead, he looked at the boys. "Neji, Shino, Sasuke, and Shikamaru meet Sai. The five of you will work together from now on."
"Pleased to meet you," Sai said with no emotion. His face was blank as a piece of paper. His voice was monotone. It sounded flat, dull, and boring, and it didn't reflect any changes in mood or attitude.
"Yeah?" Shikamaru questioned Sai's words as he tried to see through Sai's blank expression.
"Who is he?" Sasuke asked, clearly taken aback by Sai. "He looks my age, but I never seen him in the academy nor heard of him."
"He worked in a special division in ANBU," Kaen explained, to the surprise of the others. "Because of his talent, he was picked up early and promoted to chunin at a young age. If you want more details, he is authorized to tell you if he wants to."
"Why have you gathered us?" Neji asked, even though he was visibly more curious about Sai.
"I'd rather wait for Kakashi before briefing you on more details," Kaen replied, unconcerned by Neji's disrespect. "But in the meantime, you should know Tenzo. He will be your captain with Kakashi."
While Tenzo introduced himself to the rest, Kaen impatiently scratched Ash's ear, waiting for Kakashi. Even though he understood why Kakashi was late to the meeting, it didn't mean he liked it. And Kaen, with each second Kakashi, was late, the thought of how he would punish him. Just as Kaen thought of the most devious thing he could do to Kakashi, the copy ninja came in.
"Sorry, I am late," Kakashi said, not even looking up from his book. "I saw a black cat on the short path, so I had to take the long path."
"Hmm," Kaen hummed, trying to hide his displeasure. "I will have to look into the issue of stray cats in my village."
Kakashi gave a perfect punishment that Kaen could enact on Kakashi. He will find all the stray cats on the streets and put them in Kakashi's house. He won't be able to use that excuse for the rest of his life. Satisfied with himself, Kaen's displeasure disappeared, and his frown was replaced by a smile that sent shudders down Kakashi's back.
"Maybe we should discuss our mission," Kakashi tried to change the topic as his lone eye twitched, sensing danger to his livelihood.
"Firstly, I should inform you that a team from Suna will join you," Kaen told them. "So, in total, there will be eleven of you. Three Jonin and eight chunin, and the codename of this operation shall be Serpent's End. I am the highest in command of this mission, and second in command shall be Kakashi. You may request support from Konoha or Suna, but it will be only temporary support. Otherwise, you will be on your own."
"Our main objective is to track down Orochimaru, who has been operating from the Hidden Sound Village," Kakashi said as he put down his book. "Our secondary mission is to eradicate all elements of the Sound Village and investigate Orochimaru's involvement with the Land of Sound, formally known as the Land of Rice."
"Right now, the Sound Village is well-hidden, and we don't have exact coordinates," Kaen added. "All we know for now is it's in the Land of Sound, east of the Fire Country. You must gather information, find Orochimaru's hideout, and eliminate the threat. We have someone with that information in our custody, but it might take longer to get it from her than expected."
"What if Orochimaru discovers us first?" Shikamaru asked. "I do not doubt Kakashi-san's skill, but even you, our Hokage, couldn't defeat him."
Kaen leaned forward, his fingers interlocking in thought. It was a valid concern that weighed heavily on his mind. And it was the most prominent reason he wanted to go after Orochimaru himself. Even with three skilled Jonin and eight talented chunin, Kaen didn't have high hopes of killing Orochimaru once and for all.
"Shikamaru, your concerns are not unfounded. Orochimaru is a formidable adversary," Kaen acknowledged. "That's why your best strategy is to maintain stealth and gather as much information as possible before making any direct moves. We must ensure that Orochimaru doesn't realize we're closing in on him before it is too late."
"We'll have to rely on our abilities, teamwork, and the element of surprise. Infiltration and surveillance will be key. We can't afford to tip our hand until we have concrete information on Orochimaru's whereabouts," Kakashi added as he had the same concerns. "But if we meet Orochimaru before that, our strategy will be to retreat or hold him off long enough for support to arrive."
"What about the Sound Village itself? If we locate it, should we engage in confrontation, or should we gather more intelligence first?" Shino, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke, his voice as steady as ever.
"IF you see a chance and believe in your capabilities to do so, you have permission to engage directly as you see fit," Kaen answered as he believed that Kakashi could make such a choice. "Otherwise, you will wait for support."
"How much time do we have to accomplish this mission?" Sasuke asked.
"Three years," Kaen answered. "This mission is dangerous, but it's crucial for the safety of our village and the stability of the region. Serpent's End will require your best efforts, teamwork, and resourcefulness. I have confidence in all of you."
"Understood, Hokage-sama," Sai, who had been silently listening, finally spoke his voice monotone, not betraying any emotions.
"You will depart as soon as possible. Prepare your equipment, gather supplies, and meet at the designated rendezvous point on the outskirts of the village. There, you will receive further instructions from our Suna allies. Remember, we cannot afford to fail in this mission," Kaen stood, pushing his chair back as he addressed the team one final time. "Good luck and good hunting."
With nods of determination, the team members filed out of Kaen's office. Left alone in his office, Kaen looked down at Ash, now stretching on the table. Kaen scratched Ash's chin before sitting down. He was worried about the team, as every one of them was a valuable asset to the village, but he had no choice but to leave it to them.
"Yugao," Kaen called out, and an ANBU woman with purple hair appeared before him. "How is our contact with Kirigakure going on?"
"We have made contact with the Fifth Mizukage, but she isn't too keen on others interfering with the village," Yugao answered quickly as she was prepared to inform him at any moment. "So far, she wants to isolate Kirigakure from others."
Kaen nodded. They would likely not even humor him with the messengers, but he needed to contact Kirigakure. So, he could only think of going himself. They could not ignore the Hokage. Kaen was required to make a deal with the Fifth Mizukage and make them his allies to achieve his goals. But he also didn't want the other villages to know his plans.
"Inform Anko and Hana that they should prepare for a mission," Kaen said and waved Yugao to leave. "We will go to Kiri ourselves."
Kaen had to start thinking not only about Orochimaru and the other villages but also about Akatsuki. For their plan to succeed, they needed all-tailed beasts in their hands. That is why Kaen thought of taking one of the tailed beasts without anyone noticing. And the Three-tails have lost its jinchuriki and would reform in a few years.
But it would be impossible to act without Kiri noticing him. So, he needed to talk with the Mizukage and make a deal with her. Kaen knew that Kiri was in bad shape after years of conflict with their own. As long as it was reasonable demands, Kaen was ready to agree to anything. But he had to move fast and unnoticed by anyone.
A.N. Sorry for not posting last week. My wrist was injured, and I had trouble writing with it, but it is better now, so don't worry. I won't be taking time for holidays, and will even post a new story next week, so please check it out.
As always, If you want more, up to seven advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852. And if you have any requests for stories, I will only take them on my pa treon.
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