"Genji, please come in," the Hokage's kind voice called the masked ninja in just as he dismissed his present company.
Haruto looked curiously at the other ANBU in the room.
"You are the other survivor." It was indeed the sole survivor of ANBU Team Gamma. Standing just feet away, Haruto saw the de-masked ninja and noticed how remarkably young he looked and sounded; though he still wasn't as young as the blond prodigy.
"It's an honor, Genji-san. My name is Sai, chuunin and rookie ANBU. I wish to personally thank you for saving my life. I didn't expect to survive that encounter."
"Don't worry about it. I was just doing my job. I'm sorry I couldn't save any of your friends." Haruto pulled the customary modesty act, but inside, he did feel something akin to pride. Truly, the escape he had engineered from the hostile infested Rain territory was nothing short of remarkable; not to mention the ridiculous number of kills he managed to score.
"No matter what, I'll be available to help should you ever require assistance for a mission." With the solemn promise made, Sai left the Hokage's office.
"It would appear that you have gained one new ally, Haruto." Sarutobi was hoping to start out light and gradually ease into the serious stuff.
The young ANBU rotated his head and gave him a pensive, almost dark look. "That's the thing. I gained just one new ally because everyone else is dead. What the fuck happened, old man?"
The Sandaime Hokage sighed. Might as well get it over with. He tossed the young ninja a scroll.
"That's a priority message from one of my students, Jiraiya of the Sannin. It says that he hasn't sent any intelligence update regarding Rain in months. Someone forged the intelligence reports that you and Gamma Team ended up using."
This is bad. Sarutobi's expression was grim.
"Okay, the fake intelligence and information I understand, but how in the world did they manage to forge Jiraiya's authentication signatures? He's one of the Sannin! The only way for someone to do that was if that other person was of the—" Haruto's eyes glazed over in horrific understanding. "—Sannin as well."
"It was Orochimaru, wasn't it?"
The Hokage nodded sadly. "You are correct as always, Haruto. Orochimaru was also my student and Jiraiya's best friend. He of all people had the best chance of undermining Jiraiya's information network so completely."
The disguised blond chanced a look at his sponsor and did not like what he saw. "It gets worse, doesn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. It would appear that my wayward student had set more than one trap. Jiraiya attached information regarding Rain's domestic situation for the period just prior to your mission. He found nothing to indicate official cooperation or collusion between them and Orochimaru."
"Impossible. The Rain nin were ready for us and outnumbered us by over 4 to 1." The numbers ultimately meant little given the completely lopsided kill ratio, which was largely due to the Haruto factor.
"Yet you, Yuugao and Sai managed to escape. I don't mean to diminish your admirable feat, but step back and rationalize the circumstances." Haruto swallowed his angry retort and did as the old man suggested.
"Did anything seem unusual?"
"The Rain ninja did seem rather disorganized in the brief period when I engaged them in combat. It was as if they couldn't make up their mind over who was in charge. They also moved and attacked in clustered formations which made them easy targets for my explosive tags. Logically, if they had been long forewarned about a ninja force from Konoha, they would have employed better combat tactics and had better unit to unit cohesion."
Sarutobi nodded. "Right. There's also something else. Yuugao said that on the night of their escape, they overran two unsupervised genin teams near Hidden Rain. Her assessment was that their jounin sensei had been rushed north to set up the trap."
Haruto nodded slowly. It was a sound assessment. "So, Rain received the warning of our arrival with enough time to set up a trap but not enough time to plan out every detail." The young ninja rubbed his temple in annoyance. "But if Rain wasn't colluding with Orochimaru, then that meant our original intelligence from Mizuki was false or even… falsified."
"I'm afraid so," the Hokage confirmed.
"Orochimaru purposely left false information in Mizuki, and we fell for the bait hook, line, and sinker. Of course! Why else would such a weak ninja have been privy to such sensitive information?" A thoroughly shaken Haruto maneuvered to a chair and sat down.
Damn! Damn!! DAMN!!! The young prodigy was furious with himself. He would have screamed if he had the energy.
"Is there anything else?" Sarutobi sighed once more as he produced a slender kunai blade and handed it over.
"That one belongs to you, I believe." Haruto shifted the small weapon, which was covered in dried blood, in his hand. His head fell in resignation as his eyes glanced at the inscription on the side, "May the Will of Fire guide your path!" Tenzou had presented Haruto a kunai carved with the motto of Konoha in honor of his joining.
"I was told that they found it buried inside the daughter of the Lord of Rain Country. The Rain diplomat asked rhetorically if that was supposed to be a declaration of war."
Shit. Haruto almost fell out of his seat in shock and horror. He had killed the offspring of a foreign leader in their own territory. The potential political and diplomatic fallouts for Konohagakure and for the Land of Fire in general were enormous. Damn it, it just was not his week.
"Have they mobilized their military yet?"
"There was an attempt at mobilization, but it would seem that Hidden Rain had suffered such losses that they dared not formally declare war."
There was little doubt as to who had caused such enormous losses. Haruto's chest swelled with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Such a reaction was expected but apparently it was not appreciated by the Hokage, who frowned ever so slightly.
"The current military impotence of Rain is the only thing that prevented outright war. However, that did not prevent Rain representatives from making many unkind comments, which elicited a very strong reaction from the Fire Lord."
Haruto definitely did not like where all this was leading.
Though Rain was officially a pro-Fire Country nation, its virulent expansionism had caused great tension with its senior partner, sponsor and neighbor. And since Fire officials had not been informed of Konoha's secret ANBU mission, the Fire Lord had no way of knowing that Rain's indignation and anger were justified.
"The Fire Lord has ordered a large samurai force to the border and requested ninja reinforcement. I sent a sizable task force which included two elite ANBU squadrons. Rain was most unhappy, but earlier today it did reaffirm its allegiance to the Land of Fire." Of course, it was not as if Rain had many options. In a very public and humiliating fashion, the small country was compelled to bow before its neighbor's overwhelming military might.
"You could have told the Fire Lord the truth. He could have then apologized to the diplomats from Rain."
"Okay, then what? Rain would have demanded your head along with the heads of Yuugao and Sai. No, Haruto. I did not condemn Hiashi Hyuuga all those years ago for protecting his daughter. Neither will I condemn you and the others for loyally serving Konoha. There was also a bigger reason for why I did what I did, which I'll get to later." Sarutobi then took a moment to collect his thoughts while Haruto waited and fidgeted in silence. "To an extent, Rain is responsible for its current predicament. Do you know why, Haruto?"
The young boy nodded solemnly. "Well, Rain made some really inflammatory remarks and alienated many people. Maybe that's why no one believed its claims against us."
"Precisely. Ninja villages and territories hostile to us have refused to back Rain. Even the Raikage of Kumo, who is certainly no friend of ours, grudgingly admitted that we were merely exercising our natural right in reigning in the overweening ambitions of a satellite state. Rain is to be pitied for suffering despite being innocent of any actual wrongdoing," the Hokage explained.
Haruto nodded again. It was the cycle of life. The strong exercised their will over the weak while the weak lived for the day when they could become the strong.
"I don't inform you of all this just to make you feel bad, Haruto," the elderly Hokage stated as he clinically eyed the young ninja. "You were a very vocal advocate of this mission so I know you feel guilty about the results… as you should be."
Haruto gulped. He had been oh-so enthusiastic, so aggressive and eager to prove himself when the old man finally took him into his confidence during those late night strategy sessions. And for what? An ignoble defeat for Konoha and a personally humiliating lesson for himself.
"It's very important for a person to take personal responsibility for his or her errors. It's doubly important for ninja, as it is a lesson that is often neglected in our profession. In this case, however, ultimate blame rests not with you, but with me. As Hokage, I supported your assumptions and approved your covert mission."
"But—"
Sarutobi held up a hand to stop the expected protest. "When you become Hokage and lives are lost because of your action or inaction, then you can assume the role of the guilty party, but not before that. Right now, you're only an informal advisor to the Sandaime Hokage."
Normally, such a statement would have been considered a slight, but under the circumstances, it did much to lighten the weight Haruto felt.
"I understand, old man."
Small smiles were shared between the two. Sarutobi, in particular, was most pleased. As far as the reigning Hokage was concerned, Haruto was perhaps Konoha's greatest asset of this generation. Borrowing a term from one very colorful jounin, it would be a travesty if his "flames of youth" were burned out so early.
Sarutobi drummed his fingers on his desk. That reminded him. There still was the matter of Team Gai, who were dragged into the brief engagement between Tenzou's force and Haruto's Rain pursuers. At the very least, the jounin sensei would need to be sworn to secrecy.
"Good. Get some rest and go have fun. I'll need you soon enough. My student Jiraiya informed me that he will return to Konoha as soon as he can. I think he would like to speak with you at some point. Don't worry, he doesn't blame you. In fact, he said that he probably would have done the same thing." The Hokage handed Haruto another secret scroll.
"He is much more concerned with what Orochimaru has been able to do. The scroll in your hand has classified information regarding military deployments and activities in the two major western powers, Iwagakure and Sunagakure. The volume of diplomatic exchange between the two ninja villages has increased drastically in recent months."
Iwa and Suna. Now, that was a curious alliance, considering how Suna had backed the assassination of the last Tsuchikage just a few years ago. It was also disturbing since such an alliance would only have been formed with one purpose in mind.
"They intend to attack and overwhelm Konoha? Isn't Suna supposed to be at least neutral to Konoha since the Land of Wind is an economic ally of the Land of Fire? The Wind Lord would never allow it to happen."
Sarutobi smiled, but remained quiet, allowing Haruto to work out the answer by himself.
"Ah, so that's why it's been done secretly, duh. They intend to win quickly so that the Kazekage can present the conflict to the Wind ruler as a fait accompli."
"That is very likely, but only if Jiraiya's intelligence is correct," Sarutobi reminded. "My student, however, tells me that this information has been verified by multiple sources, so it is very likely true. It was on this basis that I decided to keep your mission a secret and to send a large ninja force to support the Fire Lord's samurai army."
If Iwa and Suna truly intended to wage war, then Konoha could not afford to be suddenly blind and deaf. The Land of Rain sat at the crucial junction between the countries of Fire, Wind, and Earth, and was therefore an indispensable listening outpost and buffer region for the Land of Fire. It was imperative that the country be kept in the pro-Fire camp. All this made sense, but Haruto had just one question.
"Had Rain not backed down, would you have supported an invasion?"
"Under the current circumstances, yes. Thankfully, it didn't come to that. Haruto, I want you to know that I worked and will continue to work to prevent outright war. I personally took part in two wars between the major hidden villages and I have no intention in taking part in a third. But we don't always get what we want in life."
"When you leave, I ask that you don't share any of our discussions, even the non-classified parts, with friends your age, Haruto. They don't need to know this."
The young ninja's eyes momentarily took on a hard edge. "I strongly disagree, but I think I know what you mean."
Sarutobi smiled wearily. 'I'm sure you do.'
"Thank you, Haruto. You may go."
As Haruto turned around, he looked at the geographic map that hung on the wall. He could not help but feel a vague sense of helplessness. In the aftermath of just one botched mission, the entire region west of the Land of Fire had become destabilized, and Konoha's own strategic position was made dangerously vulnerable. All because of a single traitor named Orochimaru. What astounding brilliance, what divine intuition, and what gifted fortune the snake must possess. Haruto also recognized the sickest part of it all. No matter what the old man might say to the contrary, he had helped make it happen. By suspecting Mizuki, by handing the traitor over for interrogation, and by advocating for the Rain mission, Haruto had ensured Orochimaru's masterful triumph.
The reality of defeat left a bitter, bitter taste in the young prodigy's mouth. Haruto vowed to never taste it again. Not if he could help it.