Chapter 142: Cleverness
"I see. Mourning fallen comrades... I suppose I hadn't noticed that," Orochimaru said with a light chuckle.
"So, Lord Orochimaru, what is it you want from me? If I recall correctly, you are currently a rogue ninja of Konoha. Although I am not part of the Pursuit Squad, I have an obligation to bring a traitor back—or kill them. Especially someone like you, who holds so many of Konoha's secrets."
Tonbo Tobitake pulled a small knife from his tool pouch. Using his Eye of the Creator technique, he magnified it into a massive blade. His gaze toward Orochimaru became sharp and piercing.
Even though he had no desire to fight Orochimaru—and knew Orochimaru wasn't particularly fond of unnecessary combat either—he had to maintain appearances. He was, after all, an inheritor of the Will of Fire.
"Don't be so tense. I've only come to make a deal with you," Orochimaru smiled, unfazed by the weapon.
"A deal? We aren't exactly close. I'm not sure what we have to trade," Tonbo replied.
"I want information on the Rinnegan," Orochimaru said, cutting straight to the chase. He had coveted the Rinnegan for a long time. However, the opponent's abilities were too troublesome, and without more intel, he found it difficult to make a move. After learning that Tonbo Tobitake had managed to make Pain suffer a setback, he had been dying to know what method Tonbo used. He had only delayed his search because his own jutsu development had been at a critical stage.
Tonbo's voice turned low and serious. "A rogue ninja asking me for a trade... are you trying to get me to defect? You should spend more time worrying about how to deal with Konoha's Pursuit Squad."
"I can grant you eternal life. I have already created a technique for immortality," Orochimaru threw out his bait. "A man like you, who has experienced war, should understand the fragility of life. You know how precious such a technique is."
The Tonbo Tobitake standing before him was unlike any child he had met before. As a man with both elders and children to care for, Tonbo was full of hope for the future. Therefore, Orochimaru offered his highest stake.
"Or perhaps you need other ninjutsu? I can teach you anything. I know most of the techniques within the Scroll of Seals."
Tonbo wasn't tempted in the slightest. He could obtain ninjutsu through legitimate channels, and more importantly, he didn't want to derail Orochimaru's destiny. Sasuke's future growth depended on Orochimaru's involvement. Before he was strong enough to face every enemy the protagonist group encountered, all his plans were just theories. If the protagonists' "cheats" failed because he interfered, and his own plans didn't meet their goals, he'd be dead!
Thus, holding the sword in his right hand, he formed a seal with his left. "These are all meaningless things that cannot sway my convictions. So, Senior Orochimaru, you should just come back to Konoha with me!"
Swoosh!
Stab!
Using Body Flicker, he appeared instantly in front of Orochimaru, plunging the long blade into his body.
"What impressive genjutsu, and such steadfast conviction. That old man Sarutobi Hiruzen made a wise decision in spreading that Will of Fire. However... yesterday's sun cannot shine on today's leaves. Such will, when faced with the fragility of life, will eventually twist and break," Orochimaru chuckled, completely indifferent to the blade impaling his torso.
His mouth opened wide, and another Orochimaru slithered out, simultaneously breaking the genjutsu Tonbo had just cast.
Seeing this, Tonbo retracted his sword. "As expected of the Legendary Sannin. Just try not to die out here; it would cause Konoha quite a lot of trouble."
Swoosh!
With one last look at Orochimaru, Tonbo vanished using Body Flicker.
Orochimaru didn't say anything more. He simply smiled. "Thank you for the concern. It seems I won't be getting any intel out of him."
They were both clever men. They understood that neither could truly defeat the other at this moment, so they didn't waste time lingering. As for Tonbo's parting words, Orochimaru understood the meaning. Because he carried so many of Konoha's secrets, even his corpse would leak immense amounts of intelligence. It truly would be a headache for the village.
That is exactly why I seek eternal life, Orochimaru thought.
Swoosh!
Tonbo Tobitake caught up with his team, safe and sound. The enemies' signal flare from earlier had likely been sent from too far away, and they hadn't caught up. There was no need for them to, anyway. After seeing the battlefield Tonbo left behind, the reinforcements likely realized their comrades were all dead.
Sure enough, the rest of the journey was uneventful. They successfully brought the eleven survivors of the Hagoromo clan back to Konoha. Tonbo handed them over to Sarutobi Hiruzen for processing. For the time being, they were placed under ANBU supervision to ensure this wasn't some elaborate plot by an enemy nation.
Hokage's Office.
"You've done excellent work. I will upgrade this mission to S-rank," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, a smile on his face as he reviewed the mission report. "Also, Tonbo, I assume your personal goals aren't finished yet? I authorize you to take some time off for a rest."
It was clear that the Hokage was very pleased with the outcome.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Tonbo thought to himself: Just as I expected. The reason he hadn't worried about whether Hagoromo Ken could afford an S-rank reward wasn't because he believed the man had a secret stash. That was uncertain.
However, based on the intel he gathered from the enemies' minds, the enemies were thorough. The Hagoromo elders who went to trade with Gato were almost certainly dead. This meant the clan was effectively wiped out, save for these few. In the entire Land of Fire, only Konoha was safe. They would likely stay in Konoha, or rather, Sarutobi Hiruzen would make sure they stayed.
This was a top-tier ninja clan of the Land of Fire; their bloodline was intact, and they possessed natural advantages in ninja talent. Adding their lineage to Konoha was a guaranteed win for the village. Thus, the reward money was never an issue—the Hokage would see to it, and Tonbo had earned massive "favor points" in the process.
He had gained the reward, the credit, and the time off. A perfect result. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered fighting so many people for a group of strangers.
After finishing their report, the squad vanished from the office. Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled to himself. Now, to persuade the Hagoromo survivors. Tonbo's quick decision-making had made him very happy. Konoha was about to gain another Great Clan, growing even stronger for the future.
The four teammates went their separate ways. They were all at least Chunin capable of leading their own units; this had only been a temporary team-up. Amidst jokes and laughter, they left to handle their own affairs.
Tonbo Tobitake did not go home. Instead, he rode a messenger hawk back toward the Valley of the Resting Wind. It had only been a few days; there was no rush to return. Otherwise, he'd be buried in paperwork, missing this critical window for his ninjutsu research.
Iruka's House.
"Tianyu! Maki! You two brats! You've been hiding this from me for so long?!"
Naruto let out a roar of fury. He stared at the photo Iruka-sensei had pulled from the cabinet. In the picture were several people—including that one familiar face.
Naruto directed his fiery rage at Tianyu and Maki, who were hiding behind Iruka. Choji sat nearby eating potato chips, feeling for the first time that he might actually be a genius.
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