Kakashi's team set out. If nothing unexpected happened, they would encounter Temari slowly walking on her way home, then rush straight to the Sand Village, where they would learn that Gaara had been captured by the Akatsuki. After Sakura healed Kankuro's injuries, they would immediately pursue the enemy in order to rescue Gaara.
"I have a bad feeling."
If everything went according to plan, this was how things would unfold. Tsunade would also dispatch Guy's team for support, the reason being that she suddenly had a bad feeling.
This time was no exception...
In the Naruto storyline, Tsunade's premonitions are exceptionally accurate. Ethan thought that if she lived in a magic world, she might master something like the Great Prophecy, or become an astrologer or a sage.
Ethan was called to the Hokage's office today, which was rare. As an advisor, he usually didn't handle anything, but everyone in Konoha knew: if the Hokage summoned the advisor, it meant something big was about to happen.
"What do you want me to do?"
Ethan yawned. His half-asleep appearance greatly annoyed Tsunade.
However, this wasn't the time to dwell on that. Tsunade glanced at the shattered teacup beside her and decided to send Ethan. Even if it was just her imagination, sending Ethan would put her mind at ease.
"I want you to go support Kakashi's team."
"Me?"
That was strange. Wasn't this mission originally assigned to Guy's team? However, Ethan understood after thinking about it for a moment.
In the original plot, Kakashi's team only had Naruto and Sakura as subordinates. Although Kakashi could already activate the Mangekyo Sharingan, he still couldn't use the Mangekyo technique, Kamui, freely.
His strength was nowhere near what it was now, and Sasuke, who now possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and could even use Susanoo, wasn't part of the original team at that point.
According to the normal timeline, this team's combat power was already off the charts. Taking on Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara shouldn't have been a problem.
But Tsunade still had a bad feeling, which meant something had likely changed.
Even with two ninja who had mastered the Mangekyo Sharingan, Tsunade still felt uneasy. That meant the unexpected event must be very troublesome. Guy's team… was no longer enough to handle it.
Guy's team was a strong combat unit in Konoha. If even they couldn't manage the situation, Tsunade didn't have many choices left.
Specifically, only three: Jiraiya, Itachi, and Ethan.
"Not just you. I'm planning to have him go with you."
Kakashi's team was very important, and Ethan was also a critical figure in Konoha. To ensure everyone returned safely, dispatching as many high-level combatants as possible was the most reliable option.
"Is it that troublesome?"
"This is safer."
"Alright."
Ethan glanced at Itachi, who had appeared beside him. He was in standard Anbu attire, and probably no one would have guessed that the Fifth Hokage's most trusted guard was actually Itachi, one of Konoha's most infamous rogue ninja.
"I'll go back and pack, then head out."
Tsunade nodded. She didn't rush him because if he wanted to, his travel speed was the fastest in the entire ninja world.
By the time Ethan finished packing and changed into gear suitable for combat and arrived at Konoha's gate, Itachi was already waiting quietly in a corner outside.
"Since we're already outside, you don't have to wear that mask anymore, right?"
"I should still wear it. After all, I'm supposed to be dead."
Itachi remained extremely cautious about Zetsu, that elusive spy. He didn't want the Akatsuki to know he was still alive. Only by remaining in the shadows could they maintain an advantage—he hoped to use this information gap to ambush the man claiming to be Madara Uchiha.
"Also, unless it's an urgent situation during this mission, I won't take action."
He was very aware of Ethan's strength. Even the two Akatsuki members whose abilities he couldn't fully grasp were likely within Ethan's capabilities.
So unless absolutely necessary, he planned to remain hidden and act as a last resort.
The Hokage had sent him mainly as backup. This support mission was Ethan's to lead.
"I know. When we arrive, there's no need for you to show yourself. Just stay hidden and act as insurance."
"That's for the best."
"By the way, you can't use your real name now. What should I call you? Don't you have a codename?"
"..."
Itachi currently reported directly to the Hokage and didn't have to answer to anyone else. Those temporarily assigned to him just called him "Captain." So even after being back for so long, he was still a strange presence without a codename.
"Anyway, there's no one else around. Whatever I say, I'm saying to you. A codename doesn't matter."
"Alright, as long as you don't mind."
Ethan suddenly had a mischievous thought. He recalled a novel where the protagonist gave Itachi a different body, one that originally belonged to a powerful girl who used it when operating in the human world.
He had considered using that girl's name as a codename for Itachi, but unfortunately, Itachi seemed to sense something and firmly refused.
"What a shame."
The casual conversation ended there. They were both quiet for the rest of the journey. It wasn't until they were far from Konoha that Itachi suddenly spoke, asking a question he had wanted to ask for a long time.
"Why have you always stopped me from removing the curse mark on Sasuke?"
During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru left a curse mark on Sasuke, like a branding, claiming him as his own and declaring: Sasuke is mine.
Itachi knew the curse mark was essentially a fragment of Orochimaru. Keeping it on Sasuke served no benefit, so not long after returning to Konoha, he prepared to remove it himself.
But Ethan stopped him, saying that the mark still had some value.
However, he never explained further, and Itachi had patiently observed for a long time. Even though Ethan had been guiding Sasuke to grow stronger, he still hadn't seen what role the curse mark played.
Now that they were alone, he finally brought it up.
"Sasuke's growth is progressing smoothly. That thing increases his sense of crisis... well, actually, it helps temper his mental strength and willpower."
The key component of the curse mark Orochimaru created lay on a spiritual level. The Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan, naturally had stronger spiritual strength than most (although the chances of mental instability also seemed higher). Ethan was treating Orochimaru's spiritual imprint as a whetstone, hoping Sasuke could overcome and eliminate it through his own will. If he could achieve that, Sasuke's spiritual power would receive a massive boost, and his overall strength would grow further.
After understanding Ethan's reasoning, Itachi had only one thought: This is too dangerous.
"What is this compared to the thing inside Naruto? What Sasuke has is just a fragment of Orochimaru's spiritual mark. If he can't even overcome a small part of Orochimaru, what will he do when he faces the real thing?"
Itachi had to admit, Ethan's words made some sense. Sasuke was facing dangers not much less than Naruto's, and he couldn't always protect him. Letting him grow strong on his own was the best solution.
As they chatted, Ethan suddenly thought of something.
"Do you think we'll run into Orochimaru this time?"
"..."
Itachi fell silent for a moment before giving his answer.
"Very likely."
Due to Ethan's repeated interventions, the plot had already changed significantly.
Sasuke never defected to Orochimaru but stayed in Konoha.
Itachi's return, the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, and Danzo's death meant Sasuke had no reason to leave. Combined with his rapid improvement, he had no motivation to seek Orochimaru's power.
But Orochimaru was still obsessed with Sasuke's body. He had been hiding in the shadows for so long, and his current body was reaching its limit again. He was likely no longer willing to wait. Launching an attack while Sasuke was away from the village was probably his best chance—certainly more reliable than launching a frontal assault on Konoha.
Furthermore, Kakashi's team was going to confront Sasori and Deidara of the Akatsuki. If Orochimaru suddenly appeared at the height of that battle, his chances of success would be much higher.
What he didn't expect was that Sasuke had already mastered the Mangekyo Sharingan and could use Susanoo—and he was accompanied by Kakashi, who could also use Mangekyo and Susanoo.
"It seems the Fifth Hokage's premonition had some logic behind it..."
Tsunade understood Orochimaru's personality. Her gut told her he would cause trouble, which explained her unease.
Orochimaru feared Itachi most of all, so she instinctively assigned Itachi to this mission to ensure everything went smoothly.
Things unfolded just as Ethan had guessed. When he learned the direction Kakashi's team had taken from the Sand Village (because of their increased strength, they had solved things quickly, so the Leaf's support message hadn't arrived in time, and Kakashi's team had already gone after the enemy), Ethan and Itachi immediately rushed toward the battlefield.
Sure enough, Orochimaru appeared.
After a brief observation, Ethan quickly grasped the situation.
Chiyo was doing her best to protect Gaara. Because Team 7's strength was overwhelming, they had broken through the hideout's defenses and prevented the Akatsuki from fully extracting Shukaku. They had only managed to extract part of its chakra, so Gaara was unconscious but not dead.
With the Akatsuki's plan disrupted, a battle was inevitable. Deidara and Sasori were no easy opponents and even forced Kakashi and Sasuke to activate their Mangekyo Sharingan.
At that moment, Orochimaru suddenly attacked, but his sneak attack was blocked by Sasuke's Susanoo. He failed to capture Sasuke and was forced to retreat, making the situation more complicated.
Just when Chiyo thought things couldn't get any worse, Ethan arrived.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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