Chương 107: Unveiling Secrets
Tsunade stormed into her office, grumbling under her breath as frustration etched lines upon her forehead. "Why are those two old fools reprimanding me?" she mused aloud, her voice laced with an air of annoyance. "They know very well who's truly pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Sinking into her chair, Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed her temples, the weight of numerous troubles weighing heavily upon her. "It's one problem after another," she muttered to herself, weariness evident in her voice. "When will I ever get a moment's rest?"
Standing beside her desk, Shizune sorted through a stack of documents, her gaze shifting between the papers and her troubled mentor. Sensing Tsunade's distress, she offered a reassuring voice. "It's just words, Tsunade-sama. Don't let it get to you. They only needed a place to vent after the Daimyo's anger was directed at them."
Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance, leaning her head on her hand with a sideways pout. "I suffered his anger as well, and for something as foolish as an action I didn't even take." she lamented. "Honestly, why would anyone be so idiotic as to send the Anbu to attack the nobles of the Land of Fire? It's just asking for trouble, regardless of success or failure. I certainly would not make a blunder like this, especially since we are short-handed, and I'm starting to wonder if this is the Daimyo's self-directed play to ask for more protection..."
Shizune let out a sigh, her voice tinged with concern. "Could it be that man again?" she mused quietly. "But even he can't be this foolish, right?"
"It's hard to say," Tsunade replied, frustration seeping into her voice. "Who knows what goes on in that man's mind?" She ruffled her own hair in frustration, her words dripping with disdain. "Damn Danzo! That treacherous old man can never let me rest easy. Despite the restrictions Sarutobi-sensei placed on him and no evidence of Root involvement, who else but him could secretly mobilize the Anbu?"
As Shizune sifted through a document, a frown creased her features. "But Tsunade-sama," she began, her voice hesitant, "Danzo's response was that the Anbu members provided as evidence had mysteriously gone missing during a mission." She paused briefly, a look of shock flickering across her face before she continued, "The Kurosawa village mission, to be precise..."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she glanced down at the document, her expression turning grave. "The Kurosawa village mission..." she trailed off, her voice filled with somber realization.
A shared glance between Tsunade and Shizune conveyed a mix of confusion and seriousness, the weight of the situation hanging heavy in the air.
At the gate of Konoha, Shino, Hinata, and Kiba stood patiently, awaiting the arrival of their new temporary jonin-in-charge who would lead them on their mission. Shino, his dazed eyes hidden behind his glasses, appeared lost in thought, his mind seemingly elsewhere.
As Kiba gently stroked Akamaru's head, he muttered to himself in a soft voice, "Finally, another real mission." He glanced up at the rising sun and added, "But why is this new instructor so late?"
Hinata nodded silently in agreement, her head bowed as she nervously fidgeted with her fingers. She occasionally stole glances at the quiet and steady Shino, sensing the weight of his contemplation.
Unbeknownst to the trio, a figure cloaked in the shadows observed them, jotting down notes on their personalities in a hidden notebook. Muttering to himself, the obscured man completed his observations, thinking, "With this information and the past week of surveillance, handling them should not prove too challenging."
Soon, a man with unkempt brown hair and a happuri-style forehead protector framing his stoic face emerged from the shadows. Dressed in the standard attire of a Konoha-nin, wearing a green flak jacket, he stepped forward to face Team 8.
His piercing, almond-shaped black eyes swept over the trio, and in turn, their gazes met his. Hinata shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the man's wooden expression, feeling a sense of unease settle within her.
"Hello," the man introduced himself in a calm tone. "My name is Tamato. I am your assigned jonin-in-charge, replacing your deceased mentor until I deem you three fit to take on missions independently."
After his introduction, silence hung in the air. Kiba and Hinata were visibly unsettled by the mention of their deceased mentor. Shino, on the other hand, displayed confusion upon hearing Tamato's name. His mind pondered how the letter 'Y' had transformed into a 'T'. Was it a typographical error?
"Well, since there are no objections," Tamato continued, unfazed by the silence, "I can proceed with briefing you on your mission-"
"Wait. We can actually object?!" Kiba exclaimed, shock evident in his voice.
Tamato responded calmly, his stoic eyes fixated on Kiba, sending shivers down his spine. "Yes," he replied. "But it won't change my assignment to oversee your progress."
Gritting his teeth, Kiba muttered to himself, "Che, then what's the difference?"
Tamato's gaze shifted to the silent Shino, pausing momentarily, before he resumed speaking. "So, your mission this time is..." He handed Shino a sheet of paper containing details about their task – a simple escort mission.
"I assume there will be no issues with your team's handling of this mission," Tamato stated with an air of confidence. "We have an additional covert objective, which I will disclose once we approach our destination to avoid any leaks. I will be present to ensure there are no accidents and to assess your performance. I trust you will all conduct yourselves maturely."
As Kiba grumbled unhappily, muttering a sarcastic remark, "That's what she said," Tamato maintained his unwavering expression, seemingly unaffected. "The client is already waiting for us," he declared. "Let us set off."
As the group embarked on their mission, Tamato discreetly observed the team from behind, his gaze focused, particularly on Shino, for reasons yet unknown.
Simultaneously, Shino's perceptive eyes subtly surveyed Tamato, their paths crossing as he observed this intriguing original anime character who had now assumed a new code name. A hint of greed flickered within Shino's deep gaze as his mind sifted through the plans he had set in motion.
Yet, despite his calculated demeanor, he couldn't shake off a sense of vigilance, as Karina had detected Tamato's peculiar attention directed toward him.
Is this Danzo targeting him once more? Or did Konoha discover something?
Meanwhile, in the Land of Wind...
Whoosh! A storm of wind unfurled over the scorching desert, causing the sand to roll and dance in the air, forming a small sandstorm that swirled and settled upon a new location. The desert's unforgiving heat seemed to intensify as the sand resettled, creating an eerie atmosphere in the barren landscape.
As her fan folded, a blonde lady with pigtails, dressed in a long-sleeved purple blouse under a grey top, a dark blue skirt, and a longer sash arranged in a bow, squatted on the sand.
Her hands brushed the grains of sand, her brows furrowed as her sharp eyes swept the messy terrain that betrayed no clues. "We've tracked them for weeks, and if our conjectures are correct, it should be here. How come there's not even a single trail?"
Kankuro, his gaze fixed on the uneven sand dunes caused by his sister's earlier outburst, pondered her question. "Perhaps we didn't dig deep enough?" he suggested, uncertainty lacing his voice.
Temari nodded thoughtfully, her gaze shifting to their formidable brother. She called out in a soft, yet firm tone, "Gaara."
Gaara, who stood nearby with his arms crossed, turned his gaze towards his siblings, causing both Temari and Kankuro to swiftly retreat behind him. The power radiating from Gaara was palpable as he raised his hands, an enormous amount of chakra draining from his body.
The sand in front of them began to rumble, splitting apart like a sea, as if an unseen hand was digging into the sand, pushing it aside to form two towering sand dunes. The ground trembled under the force of Gaara's manipulation.
Soon, Gaara's actions came to a halt, his breathing slightly labored, a clear sign of the immense amount of chakra he had exerted and the strain it had put on his body. However, it didn't take long for him to recover, as if his chakra and stamina were being replenished by a larger source - his inner beast, Shukaku.
The sound of flowing sand whispered into the trio's ears as they glanced down at the deep abyss that had been opened up by Gaara's extraordinary power. Temari exchanged a glance with Kankuro, silently communicating their next move. "Let me," she declared with determination.
Hopping forward, Temari opened her fan with a graceful sweep, settling herself upon it. With expert control, she guided the fan to dive down into the gaping trench, her eyes scanning the sides of the trench as the sand cascaded down into the dark abyss below.
Deeper and deeper Temari descended, reaching a point where the sand had partially hardened into sandstone, but Gaara's fine manipulations had turned part of it back into fine grains of sand, which continuously trickled down into the abyss. She thrust her fan into the sturdy sandstone wall, using it as a foothold to stabilize herself.
Standing on her fan, Temari peered down into the seemingly endless darkness below. In her hand, she ignited a flare, its radiant glow illuminating the surroundings. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the flare into the abyss, allowing its faint light to reveal the abomination hidden in the depths.
As the flare descended, its glow unveiled a grotesque sight, an abomination that defied description. It was a fleshy violet sphere, its exterior squirming and pulsating like a living creature. Strange insects crawled upon its surface, their movements adding to the creature's repulsive nature.
Temari's eyes narrowed in horror, her voice barely audible against the backdrop of the haunting darkness.
"What in the kama is that?"
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