"Tell the Leader not to worry. The Tsuchikage treats Deidara like his own rebellious grandson. Even if he gets caught, it's fine. Just remind Deidara not to get carried away and self-destruct out of embarrassment."
After instructing Kisame to relay the message, Makoto prepared to leave the Land of Waves.
Kisame and Itachi, having no other pressing tasks, decided to linger here for a while.
The Land of Waves was strategically perfect—sandwiched between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire.
Staying here allowed them to protect the new base while gathering intelligence from both major nations.
Kisame wanted to monitor the chaos unfolding in Kirigakure after the coup.
Itachi, unsurprisingly, wanted to be close enough to "check in" on Sasuke in Konoha.
Makoto set off alone once more.
"I need to find a way to get the Flying Thunder God Technique," he muttered, trudging down a dirt road.
"Even if I can't learn the main jutsu, the Flying Thunder Formation Technique would be a lifesaver."
He was already annoyed by the tedious travel times.
Among the Five Great Nations, the easiest targets for cooperation were currently Kirigakure and the soon-to-be-reformed Sunagakure.
Both villages were about to undergo a leadership change.
The old, stubborn Kage were on their way out (or already dead), and the new leaders would be desperate for stability.
Plus, unlike Konoha, their internal politics weren't a rat's nest of corruption.
Just thinking about Koharu and Homura—the two advisors in Konoha who managed to survive from the First Hokage's era all the way to the Boruto era—made Makoto want to laugh.
The old saying "the wicked live a thousand years" wasn't just a metaphor in Konoha.
Geographically, Amegakure was close to the Land of Wind, so cooperating with Suna wouldn't be a logistical nightmare.
But the Land of Water? That was a problem.
It was separated from Amegakure by the entire Land of Fire and a stretch of ocean. Coordinating with Mei Terumi would be a pain in the ass without instant transport.
The Flying Thunder God was notoriously difficult to master, but the Flying Thunder Formation? That was designed for the average grunt.
If three random Genma-level guards in Konoha could learn it, the difficulty barrier couldn't be that high.
....
Konoha.
Team 7 returned to the village, exhausted but victorious.
Kakashi submitted the mission report and received their payment.
"Ramen! Ramen! I'm gonna buy the limited edition miso-pork instant cups!" Naruto cheered, dancing around the mission desk.
Kakashi sighed, looking at his hyperactive student. "Naruto, don't buy instant noodles. You're a growing boy. I'll treat you all to barbecue tonight."
He shook the envelope of ryo he had just received.
"Really?!" Naruto's eyes sparkled. "Long live Kakashi-sensei!"
After a bout of celebrating, the three genin left the Hokage's office, leaving Kakashi alone with the Third.
Kakashi's demeanor shifted instantly.
"Sandaime-sama, I need to report the details of the mission. It escalated.... significantly."
He explained the jump of the mission from C-rank to A-rank, the encounter with Zabuza, and the unexpected interference from Makoto group.
Listening to the account, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't show any fear.
He took a slow puff from his pipe, smoke curling around his weathered face.
"Kakashi, it seems entrusting Naruto and Sasuke to you was the right decision. You handled it well."
"Sandaime-sama, there's one more thing."
Kakashi hesitated.
He had debated whether to report this part, but Makoto's words were too specific to ignore. Even if they tried to hide it, secrets like this had a way of leaking.
"We also encountered Uchiha Itachi. He has joined an organization."
"Oh?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained calm.
He was one of the few people who knew the truth—It was he who had sent Itachi to infiltrate the Akatsuki as a spy.
"Itachi used Genjutsu to restrain me," Kakashi continued. "But his companion... he spoke to Sasuke. He told him things about the history of the uchiha clan."
Kakashi relayed everything Sasuke had told him: Indra, Ashura, the Tablet, and the method for sharingan evolution.
"Ashura? Indra?"
Even Hiruzen, the "Professor of the Shinobi World," had never heard these names.
But when Hashirama and Madara were mentioned, he sat up straighter.
"Madara fused with Hashirama's power? Where did they get this information?"
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, his brow furrowing.
He wasn't sure if this "companion" was feeding Sasuke real history or just manipulating him.
But as Kakashi spoke about the connection between Naruto and Sasuke, Hiruzen's frown began to relax.
"Sandaime-sama, do you think what they said is true?" Kakashi asked.
"Kakashi, the content of the story doesn't matter," Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke. "The motive does."
"The core purpose of those fantastical stories was simply to push Sasuke toward obtaining Naruto's power."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "Jiraiya once told me about a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage. He said Jiraiya's student would be the Child of Prophecy who changes the world. We thought it was Minato, but now... if Naruto becomes Jiraiya's student, he fits the description perfectly."
"Coupled with the Uzumaki longevity and the Nine-Tails... Naruto is a powerhouse of potential. Even ignoring this 'Ashura' nonsense, his chakra alone is a coveted resource."
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
He had connected the dots and at the end of his analysis, Hiruzen thought of a name.
"Orochimaru."
"Sandaime-sama?" Kakashi blinked.
"This reeks of Orochimaru's schemes," Hiruzen said gravely. "He defected precisely because I caught him researching Hashirama cells and experimenting on bodies. This explanation fits Orochimaru perfectly. What he calls 'good intentions' is nothing but his deception."
"Moreover, Orochimaru has been quiet lately. It's highly likely he has joined this organization as well."
"Then what is his goal?"
"Sasuke's body. Or perhaps both Sasuke and Naruto."
"..."
Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine.
His admiration for the Third Hokage grew!
He hadn't even considered Orochimaru. But it made perfect sense.
The biological experiments, the forbidden knowledge, the obsession with the Uchiha... Hiruzen had analyzed the situation effortlessly.
Actually, if Makoto knew about this, he would have admired Hiruzen too.
The old man had managed to get the process completely wrong, the culprit completely wrong, and the motive completely wrong—yet somehow arrived at the correct answer to a totally different question (that Orochimaru wanted Sasuke).
It was a masterclass in accidental genius!
"Um, wait a moment, Sandaime-sama."
Kakashi suddenly remembered the punchline. "There was one last part. The man gave Sasuke two choices to obtain this power. One involved harming Naruto—likely the cell transplantation."
"And the other?"
"The other..." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward. "He told Sasuke that he needs to... ingest Naruto's semen daily. Specifically, he called it 'drinking his milk.'"
"HUUUHH?" Hiruzen froze, the pipe halfway to his mouth.
He looked utterly confused.
"What are you talking about? Kakashi, say that again?"
"He told Sasuke... to drink Naruto's milk. Every. single. day."
"..."
"..."
After confirming he hadn't misheard him due to his old age, Hiruzen fell into a long, profound silence.
Finally, he let out a deep, weary sigh.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen looked at his elite Jonin with pity. "Have you been reading too much of Jiraiya's adult novels lately? Has the stress finally caused you to lose the ability to distinguish between reality and fiction?"
Hiruzen shook his head.
Drinking milk? That sounded like a bad plot from Icha Icha Paradise!
Thinking about Kakashi's mental state, Hiruzen decided he should probably cut down on his own reading habits.
Maybe he should just stick to using the Crystal Ball to peek into the bathhouse—at least that was real.