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Land of Lightning.
"Fourth Raikage, this piece of intelligence is quite unusual," said a subordinate.
Sitting in the Raikage Building, the Fourth Raikage A, who had succeeded his father after the Third Great Shinobi War, was trying to suppress his impatience as he read the intelligence. His brows furrowed in a serious expression.
"It's indeed suspicious, but we can't take it lightly. Let the Intelligence Department investigate and verify its authenticity. If it's true, a bit of money is nothing to worry about."
The Raikage didn't take the intelligence lightly, but he also didn't pay it too much attention. After all, there were always a few traitors each year.
There were spies in every country, and there were also traitors who betrayed their village's interests for high rewards. Some did it for jutsu, some for revenge, and others simply out of fear for their lives, falling into the hands of their own spies.
In short, the shinobi world was never short of traitors; they had always been around. However, this time, the traitor seemed to have a rather unusual identity, as they knew some intelligence about the Leaf Village's border.
"Keep a close eye on this lead and determine if the traitor is real or fake."
The Fourth Raikage spoke in a low, serious tone. The ninja who had come to report nodded respectfully, "Yes, Fourth Raikage."
Such traitors could also be fake. They might initially pass on some genuine intelligence to gain trust, but then, at a crucial moment, they would pass on one piece of false information, setting a trap that could cost many elite ninjas their lives. This was a common tactic used by all countries.
Even if they knew there was a possibility of false information, the ninjas of each country still pursued it eagerly because they had their own specialized departments to analyze and verify the authenticity of the intelligence.
Land of Earth.
In the office of the Third Tsuchikage in Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki read through the intelligence passed to him. Despite his extensive experience, he showed no emotion, calmly placing the document on the table.
"Keep a close watch on this intelligence and verify its authenticity."
"Yes!"
"If it's true, we can even offer more money and goods, as long as the intelligence is accurate."
The experienced Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki had seen too many such traitors and didn't take this piece of intelligence too seriously.
Kirigakure, Land of Water.
In a dark room, Kabuto Yakushi looked at the intelligence in his hand and smiled cruelly, "Hehe, so it's just a little worm. I hope your intelligence is genuine; otherwise, I won't mind torturing a few Leaf ninjas to vent my anger."
Fire Country Border.
Uchiha Yoru returned to his tent with a relaxed expression, holding the activity funds Shisui had just delivered. Seeing the funds, he broke into a smile.
Indeed, nothing beats taking advantage of others. The Uchiha clan, being the first noble family of Konoha, was truly generous to its own, despite their arrogance.
Not only did he receive one million in mission rewards, but the clan also sent him additional funds. After exchanging everything, a pleasant, crisp sound echoed in his mind.
[Gold: 280,000]
Seeing the number, Uchiha Yoru smiled, "Not bad. I need to work harder. If I can join Orochimaru's ranks, the resources I'll receive will be even greater."
The one million mission reward was earned when he openly called Orochimaru 'sensei' in the camp the next day. The Uchiha ninjas immediately reported this shocking news back to the clan, and the mission was considered a success, even better than expected.
The clan even gave him another task: to do everything possible to join the Sannin Orochimaru's ranks, with all the elite Uchiha at the front lines supporting him.
With a smile on his face, Uchiha Yoru began forming hand seals: Pig - Dog - Rooster - Monkey - Sheep.
Summoning Technique!
A puff of white smoke appeared, and a gray eagle materialized on his shoulder. This was the summoning animal he had purchased for 30,000 gold.
The eagle had no special abilities, couldn't understand human speech, and had only slightly more intelligence than ordinary animals. This was precisely why he had chosen it.
Lacking intelligence meant that even if the eagle was captured by a ninja, genjutsu or memory probing techniques would reveal no clear memories. It simply didn't have the capacity.
However, it was an excellent way to transmit intelligence. The gray eagle slowly opened its mouth and spat out three scrolls.
The eagle then disappeared in a puff of white smoke. Uchiha Yoru, rubbing his hands together, opened the scrolls. Seeing the thick gold bars, he broke into a satisfied smile.
Recharge!
[Gold: 330,000]
"Tsk, tsk, as the saying goes, 'Murder and arson, and you'll wear a golden belt.' The ancestors were right indeed."
Seeing his gold increase to 330,000, Uchiha Yoru's face showed a mix of excitement and frustration. Damn it, why couldn't his talent be a bit better?
If his talent had been better, he could have graduated earlier and made a fortune during the Third Great Shinobi War.
It was a wasted effort! In the years since he graduated, he had worked hard to earn only 500,000 gold, which included money from the clan, his parents' inheritance, and the sale of their properties.
Knowing that they would have to relocate after the Nine-Tails Incident, he had sold their properties in the prime location, which helped him accumulate 500,000 gold.
"Just for the initial information, I earned 50,000 gold. If I sell more intelligence, especially important information!"
At this thought, Uchiha Yoru's face lit up with excitement, almost shouting out loud.
As for whether selling Konoha's intelligence for money was shameful, he had only one thing to say: nonsense! The Uchiha clan was on the brink of extinction. He was saving the clan.
If his intelligence could spark border conflicts, it would truly save the clan.
Once a war broke out, even if it was just a localized conflict, Konoha would be preoccupied with the war, making it difficult for them to take action against the Uchiha.
How could this be called selling intelligence? He was clearly saving the clan and the decaying Konoha.
"With 330,000 gold, I don't lack in ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu. My bloodline limit isn't ready for an upgrade, so the only way to quickly improve my abilities is..."
Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes. This was probably the last peaceful time in Konoha. Once Orochimaru defected, the borders would become unstable, and the localized war would last for years.
In the original story, the Land of Lightning came to Konoha to sign a peace treaty, proving that the two sides had been in conflict for many years. Uchiha Shisui returned from the battlefield with the Hidden Mist ninjas, and only then did Konoha truly stabilize.
The Nine-Tails Incident, where the Fourth Hokage died in battle, was a trigger that heightened tensions at the border. Even he could sense that some small villages were trying to incite a war between the major powers for profit.
When Orochimaru defected, it would likely be the start of a localized war. If not for the heavy losses each country suffered during the Third Great Shinobi War, it wouldn't be a localized conflict.
It was time to exchange something.
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(End of Chapter)