Chapter 101: LV10 Rasengan, the Turbulent Uchiha
"Akatsuki, huh?"
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Haruta stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Sharing information about Akatsuki wasn't a problem for him—especially since it was tied to one of his hidden missions.
However, how he presented this information to maximize his own benefits required careful consideration.
More importantly, he needed to justify his source of intelligence.
He couldn't just say it was information he had secretly gathered, could he?
Even if people believed that, there was no way such detailed intelligence could have been acquired for a mere few hundred thousand ryō.
No, he needed to raise the price!
It was just like raising livestock—humans provided for pigs, and pigs provided for humans. A mutually beneficial arrangement.
This was about respect!
"Karin, you should head back first," Haruta said after thinking it through.
He turned to her with a smile.
"Sorry, something came up, so Yugao and I won't be able to accompany you."
"I understand."
Karin was quite considerate.
However, before leaving, she shot a glare at Jiraiya.
Her first impression of him wasn't great—he was perverted, wasted her time, and was generally annoying.
"…"
Jiraiya's mouth twitched, but he didn't argue with a child.
Instead, he curiously studied Karin.
"So, she's a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan… She does resemble Kushina a bit."
As if recalling painful memories, Jiraiya sighed.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's deaths had deeply affected him, and to this day, he still struggled to move past them.
After exhaling heavily, he composed himself and spoke seriously.
"Alright, let's talk about Akatsuki.
You two were the first to discover them. While I've read numerous reports, you have firsthand experience."
"Akatsuki is dangerous, but also extremely secretive.
If we really want more information, I'd suggest capturing Ōnoki."
Haruta pretended to consider the matter before answering.
"After all, Ōnoki has hired them multiple times, so he probably knows more than we do.
We did interrogate Kitsuchi before, but he's just a subordinate. How much could he possibly know?"
"…"
Jiraiya massaged his temples.
Haruta truly was a disciple of Danzō's school of thought. His first suggestion was something so outrageous!
Good thing this was Konoha—there was no way Haruta would actually act recklessly.
Besides, considering how things were going, Konoha likely wouldn't send Haruta to Iwagakure again anytime soon.
Still, this kind of mindset… It really needed some work.
"Kitsuchi is Ōnoki's son. Watch what you say. Also, please stop coming up with these insane ideas—I'm begging you."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Haruta nodded, spreading his hands.
"Honestly, that was just my practical way of thinking. As for what I know about Akatsuki, the intel isn't that detailed.
For example, they are likely lurking in the small countries surrounding Iwagakure. They also tend to recruit rogue ninja, which makes it easier for them to operate.
But didn't Lord Jiraiya just say that there's been some movement in Kirigakure? Maybe we can find some connections there.
And if we do, it probably won't be good news for us."
"Not good news?"
Yugao asked in confusion, not quite understanding Haruta's meaning.
Jiraiya, however, immediately caught on.
"The intelligence network you set up was in the Land of Grass, and the first time we encountered Sasori was in Sunagakure. If Uchiha Obito is in Kirigakure, that means—"
"Their headquarters is in some small country, but their members are highly scattered."
Haruta completed Jiraiya's thought and then added with a sigh,
"Unless they have a major mission requiring everyone's presence, capturing them all at once would be extremely difficult."
Jiraiya scratched his head helplessly upon hearing this. If that was the case, then things were truly troublesome.
Without a clear target or location, catching them would be no easy task.
Though their organizational structure seemed decentralized, for a group consisting entirely of powerful rogue ninja, this setup was actually quite fitting.
These missing-nin were all rebellious by nature—how could they be easily managed?
Most of the time, they did their own thing, but when a mission came up, they acted together and split the profits. It was the only way such an organization could function.
"Looks like this is going to be a real headache."
Jiraiya sighed, though in his mind, he had already set a potential course of action.
"Speaking of which, Lord Jiraiya, who is that Konan?"
Just as Jiraiya was deep in thought, Haruta blinked and asked curiously,
"The battle was intense, but I still noticed your reaction. You seemed reluctant to strike—so you knew her before?"
"Well..."
Jiraiya was silent for a moment before nodding with some helplessness.
"Yes, I knew her very well. She was once one of my students… I just never expected—"
He sighed deeply but still went on to tell the story of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
This wasn't really a secret. Since Haruta was tasked with investigating Uchiha Obito, he would inevitably clash with Akatsuki in the future.
And since Konan was a member of Akatsuki, letting him know about her in advance wasn't a big deal.
"Myōboku Mountain informed me that Yahiko and the others had died eight years ago. So, I never returned to that painful place.
Who would've thought that Konan survived and even joined Akatsuki? Fate really plays tricks on people…"
"The Land of Rain… eight years ago?"
Haruta rubbed his chin as if recalling something, then muttered,
"Now that you mention it, when I first joined Root, I noticed that there were very few strong members left.
I asked Lord Danzō about it, but all I got was his anger and a warning from Aburame Ryoma to keep my mouth shut.
Later, I secretly looked through some files and found a few records.
Eight years ago, Lord Danzō seemed to have gone to the Land of Rain, apparently to assist Hanzo the Salamander in eliminating a rebel ninja faction.
In the end, only he and Aburame Ryoma returned."
"Hmm?"
Jiraiya froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically.
"Hanzo? Eliminating rebel ninja? What the hell happened?"
"Well…"
Haruta suddenly put on a troubled expression, as if hesitating to speak.
Jiraiya immediately understood his implication.
"You have my word—I won't reveal anything about this, nor will I let you get involved!
I swear on it! And if necessary, I can trade some jutsu with you in exchange for the information. Please, I need to know!"
Then, as if remembering something, Jiraiya turned toward the dazed Yugao.
"And you—Haruta's little girlfriend—I also hope you won't say a word about this, not even to the old man, Lord Hokage.
Because this concerns your boyfriend's safety. You can leave if you want, but I beg you not to leak anything!"
"I—"
Yugao's face turned slightly red, but in the end, she nodded.
"I won't say anything… besides, Haruta's actions weren't exactly…"
Sneaking a peek at classified documents was a serious crime in the Anbu.
She hadn't expected Haruta to be so… "mischievous."
Then again, since it was something he did when he was younger, it made sense.
And if it weren't to help Jiraiya, Haruta wouldn't have mentioned it.
She certainly wasn't going to tattle on him.
"Alright, but my memory is a little fuzzy."
Haruta still feigned hesitation, pretending to think hard before continuing.
"Back then, I was scared—snooping through classified files isn't exactly a smart move."
"I understand, I understand! No worries, I did the same thing plenty of times as a kid!"
Jiraiya reassured him immediately.
And he wasn't lying—back in the day, he, Tsunade, and even Orochimaru used to sneak around like that.
Compared to their antics, Haruta's actions didn't seem too bad.
Haruta glanced at Jiraiya. So, while I'm making things up, you actually did this kind of stuff, huh?
"There weren't too many details in the records."
Haruta sighed inwardly—You really know how to play the game.
Then, he resumed his storytelling.
"Basically, it said that a group promoting pacifism had emerged in the Land of Rain, threatening Hanzo's rule.
Hanzo promised some kind of benefit to Lord Danzō, so Danzō led Root to assist in the extermination.
I don't know the final outcome, but since Lord Danzō personally led the operation, those people were probably wiped out."
Haruta deliberately kept things vague.
After all, a failed operation like that wouldn't have been documented in detail.
It was likely even glossed over to justify requesting more funds from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Clearly, Danzō did manage to secure additional funding.
As for the cursed seal placed on Root members, Haruta hadn't forgotten. But Jiraiya probably wasn't too familiar with Root's internal workings.
Even if he was, it wouldn't be an issue—Haruta was officially part of Anbu now, so removing the seal made sense.
Of course, Jiraiya wasn't dwelling on that now. He was completely shaken by what Haruta had just revealed!
Eight years ago, Myōboku Mountain's intelligence told him Yahiko and the others had died.
And eight years ago, Danzō and Hanzo had collaborated to exterminate a peace organization…
"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan—was it really you?"
Though phrased as a question, Jiraiya was almost certain of the answer.
No wonder Konan had said, 'You have no idea what we've been through.'
No wonder she dismissed his suggestion of returning to Konoha with such disdain.
They had already rekindled their hatred for Konoha—without him even realizing it.
And the culprit behind all of this was—
"Shimura Danzō!"
Even without knowing exactly what happened, or how many of his students had survived,
Jiraiya was already filled with fury toward Danzō.
They had been moving toward peace…
They had started to change…
Perhaps the seeds of peace could have been sown in the Land of Rain…
But Danzō and Hanzo had crushed all of it, creating yet another natural enemy for Konoha!
"Looks like Danzō's troubles just got worse."
Haruta glanced at Jiraiya's clenched fists and knew he had just added fuel to the fire against Danzō.
But this time, he wasn't trying to frame him—everything he had said was true.
As for whether that classified report actually existed? That was another question entirely.
But did Danzō do it?
The answer was obvious.
And probably not just once.
[Hidden Mission Completed]
[Unveiling Akatsuki's Secrets (2)]
[Mission Rating: B]
[Reward: 5 Free Points]
As Haruta pondered, his system panel updated.
He was stunned.
He had just been spinning a story for Jiraiya—who knew he'd actually complete a hidden mission?
This was way too easy!
Given how easy it was to earn those points, Haruta wasn't going to complain about the B rating.
After all, all he did was tell a story—there was no direct action involved.
Not to mention, his explanation had been vague. He merely outlined Akatsuki's dark origins and stirred up some resentment toward Danzō.
Even so, he still received a B-rank mission evaluation and five free points.
That was a solid deal.
"Maybe I should tell more stories in the future?"
Haruta's eyes gleamed as he considered the idea.
He had already mentioned Uchiha Obito's interest in capturing the Tailed Beasts, as well as Akatsuki's similar objectives.
Was there an opportunity to connect the two narratives?
As this thought crossed his mind, Haruta decided that next time, when the chance arose, he would make sure to plant the idea in Jiraiya's mind.
How could he pass up such an easy way to earn free points?
In fact, he started thinking about even more intriguing topics—like the history between the Senju and Uchiha clans, the connection between Ōtsutsuki Hamura and the Hyūga clan, and even the true origins of their ancestor, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
And of course, the larger mystery surrounding the Ōtsutsuki clan as a whole.
"If all of these can be turned into hidden missions, I'll be set..."
As a transmigrator, the most valuable thing he possessed was the knowledge in his mind.
It gave him an edge, a way to foresee and shape the future.
But turning that knowledge into actual rewards wasn't always easy.
Fortunately, his system seemed to simplify the process—allowing him to convert information directly into hidden mission rewards.
This was practically a goldmine.
"Alright, I understand now."
Just as Haruta was sorting through all the valuable knowledge in his head, Jiraiya finally spoke up.
"Thank you, Haruta. Without you, I wouldn't have realized how deep this 'story' actually goes."
"Lord Jiraiya, I think there might be some misunderstandings here. For example, I could have remembered the timeline incorrectly?"
Haruta blinked, feigning innocence.
Jiraiya nodded, smiling slightly.
"I get it. That's why I plan to investigate this matter properly. But don't worry, I won't let you get involved in any way.
Oh, and as a token of my gratitude for giving me this lead, I've decided to teach you a jutsu.
It complements your Flying Thunder God Technique and will enhance your offensive capabilities.
This technique was created by my disciple, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Its name is..."
As Jiraiya spoke, he extended his hand, and a spiraling mass of chakra suddenly formed in his palm.
In just a few moments, a stable yet terrifyingly powerful chakra sphere had already formed in Jiraiya's hand!
"Rasengan!"
Hearing the name, Haruta couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Jiraiya really loved promoting this technique, huh?
But after some thought, Haruta felt it wasn't a bad thing. His offensive techniques were somewhat limited, after all.
Besides, Rasengan had a vast number of variations, seemingly adaptable to any chakra nature. That made it an excellent fit for him right now.
Still, just thinking about it gave him a headache.
He wasn't aiming to replace Asura.
He wanted to surpass him.
Not… become another Naruto Uzumaki.
---
Konoha, Root Base.
Bang!
Danzo slammed the scroll Orochimaru had sent him onto the table, his expression twisted in rage.
That bastard! How dare he!
Danzo had never imagined that Orochimaru would defy him—let alone disobey his orders and secretly spare a survivor!
This left Danzo in an extremely passive position. To him, Orochimaru's actions were no different from betrayal.
Yet despite his fury, Danzo knew he couldn't do much about it.
After all, Orochimaru had been unlucky this time—Jiraiya personally led the operation, completely disrupting their plans.
And Danzo couldn't even explain the situation to him.
What was he supposed to say? That Sarutobi Hiruzen had cut him out of everything related to Haruta?
That he wasn't even allowed to participate in the negotiations with Iwagakure?
He was the Hokage's advisor, for crying out loud! This kind of humiliation was unacceptable.
"Damn it! So this is the power of the Hokage? He can do whatever he pleases?"
Danzo gritted his teeth, but after a moment, he let out a slow breath.
Because deep down, he knew—Hokage authority was absolute.
Even though he was already second only to the Hokage… compared to Hiruzen, he was still nothing.
The only way to change that was to seize power for himself.
And the first step… was Haruta.
Danzo forced himself to calm down. If he wanted to become Hokage, he had to keep Haruta under control.
Even though he had placed a cursed seal on Haruta, the boy's rapid growth made him uneasy. Would the seal still work in the future?
That was why he needed to eliminate Nonō Yakushi and Kabuto Yakushi.
He needed to create new bonds.
A deeper hatred.
Something that would make Haruta dependent on him!
"At the same time, I must make Haruta realize—only by making me Hokage will he have the chance to uncover the truth about Orochimaru."
Danzo muttered to himself, then glanced at the scroll on the ground.
For now, stabilizing his relationship with Orochimaru was the top priority.
He hesitated for a moment before picking up a brush and writing:
"I will compensate you, but don't push your luck. I was the one who leaked your location—certain concessions must be made to keep things running smoothly. As for Jiraiya's involvement, I was unaware. Perhaps your reputation has simply grown too large."
Danzo reread the message several times before nodding in satisfaction.
Neither submissive nor arrogant.
It maintained an air of superiority without revealing any fear.
That was the key to controlling the conversation.
After a moment of thought, he continued writing:
"As for the survivor you left behind, fine. Consider it my gift to you. At the very least, it proves my sincerity. This can also be compensation for not informing you beforehand. Now, are you satisfied?"
Danzo put down his brush, debating whether to sign his name.
But after some thought, he decided against being too aggressive.
This mission of Haruta's was bound to anger Orochimaru.
Danzo knew that much.
Still…
Was there a way to turn this situation to his advantage?
Haruta hadn't come looking for him yet.
That likely meant he still didn't know the full story.
Or perhaps Orochimaru hadn't lied.
Before taking any further action, Danzo needed to confirm the facts.
For now, keeping Orochimaru in check was the priority.
As for whether the survivor would pose a problem…
After some thought, Danzo realized—this might not be a problem at all.
In fact, it could become another tool to control Haruta.
If this person had been with Orochimaru for so long, could it be that they were already brainwashed?
Could their words even be trusted?
And if Orochimaru tried to expose their past dealings…
Who was to say that Danzo wouldn't accuse him of forging the evidence?
There were always ways to turn the tables.
Finding opportunities in adversity—
That was the key to winning.
Danzo had survived countless power struggles over the years.
Even in the darkest of places, he had honed his skills.
Though the situation was unfavorable, this could still be an opportunity.
"Deliver this to Orochimaru."
Danzo handed the scroll to Aburame Ryoma.
"By the way, any news from the Anbu?"
"Apologies, Lord Danzo. Recently, we haven't been able to gather much intelligence from them."
Aburame Ryoma took the scroll, shaking his head helplessly.
Ever since the first round of negotiations with Iwagakure, when Danzo had used Sunagakure to exert pressure, Hiruzen had taken countermeasures.
Not only had he severed Danzo's connection to Haruta—he had also cut Root's ties with the Anbu in certain areas.
Especially regarding Haruta.
That was why Root had no idea when Haruta had set out, when he had returned, or even how many people had come back.
And that was despite the fact that Konoha had more than one entrance.
There were many secret passageways designed for Anbu and Root operatives to move covertly.
If those units used the main gate, enemy spies lurking in the village would notice them immediately.
"…Forget it. I understand."
Danzo nodded and stopped pressing the issue.
He had more important matters to handle.
Beyond keeping Orochimaru in check—
He needed to reclaim the power he had lost.
He refused to be sidelined.
His goal was to become Hokage.
Being marginalized was unacceptable.
And there was another interesting development…
The Uchiha Clan.
Recently, they had been acting strangely.
Especially Uchiha Shisui—who was about to leave the Anbu.
A perfect opportunity.
"An entire clan of traitors, Hiruzen… If you insist on protecting them, you're only giving me more leverage."
---
"Shisui, have you made your decision?"
"Yes, Lord Fugaku."
In the Uchiha Clan's main residence, within a quiet pavilion, Shisui sat across from Uchiha Fugaku.
Gazing at the fish swimming in the pond, he nodded slightly.
He had come to express his stance and formally announce his decision.
Deep down, he wasn't entirely willing to leave Anbu.
But the current situation left him no choice.
"…Welcome home."
Fugaku smiled approvingly.
"You've worked hard all these years. With Itachi in the Anbu, we don't need you there anymore. The clan needs your strength."
Shisui's return was good news.
His Mangekyō Sharingan would help ease tensions within the clan.
For years, Shisui had been seen as a symbol of the 'dove faction.'
His presence in the Anbu had put pressure on the clan, raising concerns about his allegiances.
But now, he was back.
Fugaku could use this to solidify Uchiha unity.
"That being said, I hope you won't refuse visits from your fellow clansmen."
Fugaku smiled.
"Many will want to speak with you. Even if you don't care for politics, please don't turn them away."
"I understand."
Shisui nodded, then hesitated.
"Lord Fugaku… you know I've been in Anbu. I've seen and heard many things.
Is the clan truly in danger?"
Fugaku let out a sigh.
Danger?
Perhaps.
But was it really the Uchiha who created this situation?
Or was it… someone else?
Shisui fell silent, his mind flashing back to Haruta.
And the story he had told him.
Danzo…
Danzo was the real problem.
Fugaku calmly took a sip of tea, his gaze fixed on the pond.
"To Konoha, perhaps the Uchiha are indeed dangerous. But tell me, Shisui, is that truly the case? Is this a crisis of our own making, or have we been forced into it?"
Shisui was taken aback.
A crisis of their own making… or something imposed upon them?
Haruta's words surfaced in his mind once again.
Danzo.
Danzo was the real culprit.
But then another thought arose—what exactly had Fugaku done about it?
After spending so much time in Anbu, Shisui knew that leaders had the power to make critical decisions.
Even within the Anbu, squad leaders and captains had the authority to override commands when necessary.
So why hadn't Fugaku taken action?
Was it because he couldn't? Or because he wouldn't?
Or…
Shisui shook his head, unwilling to continue that line of thought.
Yet, Haruta's face lingered in his mind.
And with it, memories of everything they had experienced together.
Haruta's methods had always left Shisui dumbfounded.
Many of his decisions clashed with Shisui's values, completely exceeding his expectations.
He had even overstepped his superiors multiple times—whether it was Jiraiya or others.
Yet, time and again, his choices had been correct.
A ninja's duty was to complete missions and protect the village.
This latest mission had been filled with complications, yet they had still managed to gather intelligence on Orochimaru and Akatsuki.
By all accounts, it had been a success.
Even though they had burned down Iwagakure's headquarters, in the end, Iwa still had no choice but to negotiate with Konoha.
"So, if the clan leader is the problem, does that mean I am too?"
At that thought, Shisui suddenly broke into a cold sweat. It felt like he had just entertained a thought he absolutely should not have!
After all, he wasn't Haruta.
---
"Some things are beyond our control. Look at this pond—doesn't the Uchiha resemble the fish within it?"
Uchiha Fugaku had no idea what kind of blasphemous thoughts were running through Shisui's mind at that moment. He let out a sigh and pointed toward the pond below.
"This pond represents our village. On the surface, everyone seems free, but in reality, they are all confined by the boundaries of the water.
The ones who truly control the fate of these fish are the people sitting by the pond, leisurely sipping tea while watching the fish struggle.
If they ever decide that a fish is being disobedient or that a particular fish simply doesn't belong here, they have countless ways to remove it as they see fit.
No matter how hard the fish try to prove themselves, does it really change anything?
The moment someone bears ill will toward you, no matter what you do, they will always see you as evil."
Fugaku took another sip of tea and murmured, "That's enough for today. You're tired, and so am I."
"I understand. I'll take my leave, then."
Shisui's expression was somewhat grim. He gave a small nod, stood up, and bowed before turning to leave.
His mind was in turmoil. Many things seemed to be beyond his understanding, and he desperately needed some time to clear his thoughts.
---
As he left, Fugaku remained seated by the pond, quietly lifting his cup to his lips.
"In the end, aren't you just another fish in this pond?"
He let out a sigh.
"All Uchiha are fish trapped within this pond, and the pond itself is the Uchiha clan. No one can escape this confinement."
"I can't escape. And you… you can't escape either."
---
On the Road Back to the Senju Clan's Old Residence
Yugao walked beside Haruta, her face full of disbelief.
"I always knew you had talent, but I never imagined it would be this incredible."
Then, as if recalling Jiraiya's devastated expression, she couldn't help but laugh.
"But still, seeing Lord Jiraiya take such a blow—it's a rare sight."
"Hmph, my talent has always been exceptional. But my real strength lies in my physical abilities."
Haruta raised an eyebrow, chuckling lightly.
He wasn't wrong—his physical stats were already at LV11, which was no joke.
He had the distinct feeling that even if someone tried to overwhelm him with Shadow Clones in (bed) the future, he would have absolutely no problem dealing with them.
"Tch, what nonsense are you spouting now?"
Yugao huffed in mild annoyance but quickly thought of something.
"Oh, and you better not follow in Lord Jiraiya's footsteps! And don't even think about reading his books! Do you hear me?"
"But… haven't I already finished reading them?"
Haruta blinked, looking puzzled. But Yugao seemed to know something he didn't.
"Don't think I don't know! He's writing a whole series! You're not picking up his bad habits!"
If anything, I might be worse than him…
Haruta gave an awkward laugh but still nodded.
Honestly, he never really found Jiraiya's books all that interesting.
Before he transmigrated, he had lived in an age of overwhelming information. To him, Jiraiya's writing felt like nothing more than children's literature.
Besides, as an adult, he had read and experienced far more than what those books had to offer. It was nothing remarkable.
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, he changed the subject with a grin.
"Jiraiya may have some… questionable interests, but there's no denying that he's a great teacher.
When we get back, I'll teach you the Rasengan! He did say we could learn from him, right? Let's work on it together!"
---
Learning the Rasengan
The Rasengan wasn't particularly difficult—at least, not for Haruta.
The main challenge lay in chakra control, since the technique was derived from the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Once someone understood the "formula" and had exceptional chakra control, the difficulty of learning it dropped drastically.
What's more, after coming into contact with the Rasengan, Haruta discovered something shocking:
[Rasengan Learned]
[Due to Chakra Level LV10, Rasengan is now LV10]
Even Haruta himself was taken aback.
He had originally focused on increasing his chakra level to enhance his combat effectiveness. He never expected that doing so would allow him to master the Rasengan instantly.
But upon further thought, it made sense.
The Rasengan was a technique based on pure chakra with no elemental affinity. It required no hand seals, and its "default state" was completely neutral.
This made it a perfect match for Haruta's high-level chakra.
That was why, the moment he learned it, the Rasengan's level automatically matched his LV10 Chakra.
"In the end, my chakra stat isn't just about quantity like Naruto's—it also includes control, strength, and other factors. But Naruto…"
Naruto's chakra was naturally rebellious.
Even when he first started learning the Rasengan, his chakra control was terrible—likely due to the chaotic nature of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
But Haruta didn't have that issue. His chakra was fully optimized.
"Still, I wonder… if I add elemental affinities to the Rasengan, will its level drop?"
Haruta's chakra level was high, but his elemental jutsu weren't quite on the same level—most were around LV7, and he hadn't even invested in Lightning Release at all.
He was hoping to cheat the system a little.
If a LV7 elemental affinity merged with a LV10 Rasengan, would it enhance the technique, or would it weaken it?
He wasn't sure yet.
But it didn't really matter—he could always experiment later. Either way, this was a major power boost for him.
---
Yugao gave him a suspicious look.
"You're acting weird again. You always seem like you're up to something."
She huffed and brushed her long hair back.
Ever since Haruta had complimented her loose hairstyle three years ago, she rarely tied it up anymore.
"But seriously… Shisui is leaving soon. Our team just got even smaller."
"Yeah… but there's nothing we can do about it."
Haruta nodded, reaching out to take her hand with a small smile.
"But at least we're still together, right?"
"You're such a pain."
Yugao shook her head lightly, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Haruta's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
With Shisui gone, their options for dealing with Obito had shrunk.
That meant…
Who will Konoha assign as my new teammate?
Especially since he knew that Kirigakure was making moves.
They could be deployed at any time.
Surely they wouldn't expect just the two of them to handle it alone… right?
Wouldn't they assign a new team leader at least?
Wouldn't that make more sense?