"Report target's position."
"Repeatedly patrolling Area D3... returning to B2... Wait, back in D3 again."
"...What do you mean? It's like he's walking a dog out there. Can you give me a confirmed location?"
"Can't help it, target seems hyperactive... Okay, they've stopped now."
"Are you sure?"
"Confirmed. They appear to have started chatting."
"Excellent. We prepare to move immediately."
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Boss... I don't think this will work. Setting aside the target's strength, those two highly skilled Suna Jonin have been shadowing him constantly these past few days. One of them is even the infamous Sasori... We should reconsider, wait longer. Maybe a better opportunity will arise."
"There won't be a better opportunity! I received intel – he's leaving Suna today to return to Konoha. We have to make our move now... Don't be afraid. I'll handle the assassination attempt myself. You just need to observe. This kind of thing relies on surprise; the difference in strength is secondary."
As the man spoke, he radiated an air of "no matter how skilled you are, a single brick can take you down." It was clearly flawed judgment. He likely had never witnessed a truly powerful ninja... Take the First Hokage, for example. What good would stabbing him with a knife do? You couldn't inflict damage faster than he could heal.
Meanwhile, Habara was currently engaged in a one-sided chat at Sasori. Although Sasori didn't want to hear a single word, he unfortunately couldn't plug his ears.
Having thoroughly enjoyed prodding Sasori's sore spots for a while, Habara skillfully steered the conversation back to the official track:
"In summary, Sunagakure's preparations are thorough, with no major oversights. That puts our minds at ease. In due course, Konoha will dispatch Jonin to participate in the Chunin Exams here as scheduled."
After delivering the necessary platitudes, Habara added smoothly, "More important than this, Suna's political situation is currently very stable. As your allies, this truly makes us happy for you. As long as you don't stray onto the wrong path again, lasting peace and stability between our nations should be within reach."
The implication was beautifully delivered. Habara effortlessly shifted the blame for previous wars between Konoha and Suna onto Suna's shoulders.
Suffering the verbal assault wasn't just Sasori, but also Orochimaru in a different time and place. While Habara's words often leaned towards sarcasm and ridicule – unpleasant but logical – Tobi's speech tended to be pure nonsense... necessary to mask his true identity as Uchiha Obito, crafting a distinct, outlandish persona.
"Oh, right, one more thing I almost forgot," Habara continued casually. "Recently, we in Konoha have developed a type of drug that can rapidly increase a ninja's strength. The boost is significant, that goes without saying, but the crucial part is that it has absolutely no toxic side effects. Would Sunagakure be interested in something like that?"
Before either Sasori or Matsuyo could respond, Habara added, "I happen to have a sample on me right now. I can provide it for you to try out first."
Letting Suna have a little taste was fine. They needed to know that following the big brother meant getting a share of the meat. One or two doses of the Curse Mark of Man wouldn't shift the power balance between Konoha and Suna; the real impact came from large-scale application. Whether Suna tried to replicate it after seeing its effects... well, the spirit of scientific research was always worth encouraging. People needed to have dreams, after all.
Habara smiled faintly and said no more on the topic.
Receiving no response from the two puppet masters – conducting a one-man comedy routine wasn't much fun – Habara lost interest and decided it was time to leave Sunagakure. This decision brought a hidden sigh of relief from Sasori; the torture, at least, was finally ending.
Habara didn't bother with formalities like bidding farewell to Elder Chiyo. Everyone here clearly wished he would disappear as quickly as possible, so he decided to be considerate and depart promptly.
"Alright, my mission is complete. It's time I left Sunagakure," Habara announced.
As the trio headed towards the village exit, a young ninja, appearing about seventeen or eighteen years old, walked towards them.
This was precisely the kind of situation Habara had anticipated. In a ninja village this large, there were bound to be a few hotheads who felt the leadership was too weak when facing enemies, who wanted to prove Suna's fighting spirit with their own bloodlust.
The young man walked with an unnatural, discordant gait. Seeing this, Zaemon Matsuyo frowned slightly, but just as she was about to step forward, Sasori reached out and stopped her.
Sasori simply couldn't be bothered with such foolishness. He had no desire to even look at brainless shinobi like this. He shook his head slightly, signaling Matsuyo to wait and observe. Matsuyo, perhaps thinking Sasori had some deeper insight, quieted down.
Their plan wasn't hard to guess: assassinate Suna's mortal enemy. As for who that unfortunate enemy might be... well.
Habara seemed completely oblivious. As the two parties were about to pass each other on the path, the young Suna ninja suddenly exploded into action. He lunged towards Habara, and then—
CLANG!
—thrust a kunai towards Habara's chest.
The crisp sound of impact nearly sent the kunai flying from the young ninja's hand. The tip of the blade snapped clean off.
Habara nonchalantly brushed off his shoulder where the kunai had struck. "Standing perfectly still letting you stab me, and you can't even break my defense," he remarked mildly. "What a failure as a ninja."
He reached out and clamped a hand on the somewhat stunned assassin's shoulder. Turning to Sasori and Matsuyo as if nothing of consequence had occurred, he said conversationally:
"Looks like this one could really use that strength enhancer I just mentioned."
Without giving the two puppet masters a chance to reply, or the assassin any room to resist, Habara moved with lightning speed, deftly injecting the sample he carried into the young attacker's shoulder.
He then released his grip. The assassin stumbled backward, lips trembling uncontrollably, undoubtedly convinced he'd just been injected with some lethal poison.
Alright, Habara didn't need to do anything more. He had given the opponent a chance to perform, and this was the result? Pathetic.
Elsewhere, Orochimaru, clad in the black-and-red clouds of an Akatsuki cloak, walked across the surface of a vast sea. Following behind him was another figure dressed identically... The Akatsuki uniform still looked remarkably punchable.
The person following Orochimaru had distinct features, primarily a swirling orange mask that covered his entire face except for a single eyehole. Beyond that, he talked... a lot. This individual called himself Tobi, and his outward persona was foolish and obnoxious.
Currently, Akatsuki was in its recruitment phase, striking out in various directions to gather talent. This time, Orochimaru and Tobi were paired together... In truth, Tobi was there to monitor Orochimaru, whom he constantly suspected of having ulterior motives.
Orochimaru, conversely, also found Tobi peculiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. His instincts screamed that this giggling, goofy ninja was extremely dangerous and warranted vigilance.
In fact, perhaps someday, when Orochimaru faced Pain, or rather, the Nagato behind Pain, and could utter the phrase, "Your Lordship is indeed handsome, yet the true hero is the one holding the sword by the bedside," he might finally understand the source of his current unease regarding Tobi.
When the pair crossed the sea and set foot on a particular island, a white snake suddenly materialized at Orochimaru's feet. The snake then spat out a letter.
Orochimaru picked up the letter, glanced at it casually, and then incinerated it without changing expression.
Tobi caught the faint smile playing on Orochimaru's lips. "Oooh, Mister Orochimaru, sir!" he chirped. "Is something amusing?"
"Nothing," Orochimaru replied smoothly, his voice like silk. "It's just... someone has prepared a fine play and graciously invited me to participate."