"Another failure."
Danzo reread the Root reports, trying to come up with another cunning plan to eliminate or capture the spy. However, all his ideas ran into rational arguments of logic that told him to back down.
Usually, Shimura was not one to give up. If he wanted to achieve a goal, he would do so by any means. And at this moment, his thoughts revolved around a shinobi named Saitama. According to his operatives' reports, the bald shinobi's power defied understanding. The Raikage's speed, Tsunade Senju's physical strength, immunity to ninjutsu and genjutsu, and astonishing sensory abilities. In fact, it still remained unclear whether this guy had any weaknesses at all. But there are no invincible enemies. Even bijuu can be defeated.
The new organization Akatsuki had not lived up to his expectations. The four S-rank rogue ninjas had been dealt with like genin. Moreover, the bald guy had saved Root agents from the explosion resulting from the mercenaries' combined techniques. So, it turned out that Saitama knew he was being watched. He knew and still saved Ne's spies...
"What kind of game are you playing, Saitama?" — the man nervously drummed his fingers on the table.
His thoughts jumped to another piece of news, no less unpleasant.
The bijuu-possessing Hatake Kakashi had caught one of the mercenaries. When one of Ne's operatives brought a verbal report about this, the Root Leader's heart skipped a beat. But he regained his composure in time, not showing the slightest change in his expression.
So stupid to get caught. No wonder Akatsuki failed; that bunch of rogue ninjas were idiots. Except for Itachi, of course. That shinobi would play his role as required.
However, concern gripped Shimura that his name and Root's involvement might surface during the interrogation of the Jashinist. If Danzo had his way, he would have already arranged an accident for the rogue ninja, but the problem was that the guy was immortal, and openly kidnapping the mercenary's head from the interrogation department would look too suspicious.
Danzo slowly exhaled to calm down. His worries were pointless. The masked man wasn't an idiot to divulge such things to his people. Hidan was an executor. A minor figure who could be sacrificed. Madara should have foreseen this. Therefore, this idiot knew nothing. Danzo nodded, trying to convince himself of this.
His people worked in Morino's department, so if any information about the recent order surfaced, Shimura would only have to pack his bags and leave Konoha. If his previous attempts to kill the bald guy could be ignored, now this Saitama was a jonin of Konoha and a full-fledged resident of the Village. Hiruzen had even pushed him into the Military Council, although not every shinobi was accepted there. In short, everything had become much more complicated.
Signal fuin notified the Ne Leader of a visitor.
A Root agent entered the office – a boy with red hair wearing a rabbit mask. He immediately dropped to one knee.
— Danzo-sama, Yamanaka extracted information from the priest's head, — the shinobi reported.
— Continue, — Danzo said dryly, gripping the armrest of his chair.
— The administration now knows the approximate composition of Akatsuki and the location of their base, — the Root member nodded.
— Approximate composition? — Shimura repeated.
— Exactly. Most of the meetings were mainly held via communication through the artifact rings that the mercenaries possess, so Hidan personally met some members only a couple of times and doesn't really know anything about them.
— Anything else?
— If you are asking about Konoha's order to kill the bald guy, then the rogue ninja also knows nothing about it.
Danzo exhaled in relief, mentally thanking the gods, but outwardly maintained a stony mask of cold indifference. After all, it was unbecoming to show emotions in front of subordinates.
— You are dismissed.
The Root member bowed his head and left the room without a word.
One less problem. His involvement could not be traced, which was gratifying. This news lifted a weight off the Root Leader's shoulders. He had already contacted Orochimaru and made an offer that the snake sannin could not refuse. Therefore, there would be a mini-war at the end of the Chunin Exams. Yes, sacrifices were unavoidable in such matters, but the end justified the means. Moreover, this move would make everyone understand that the Third himself was to blame for allowing such a thing to happen. This would leave a large stain on the Hokage's reputation. True, Hiruzen himself would most likely not live to see the circumstances clarified. The old man had become too careless and would pay for it. But the future stability and prosperity of the Leaf required sacrifices. Konoha needed a strong leader, ready to make tough decisions and take risks. And Danzo was the only one who fit this role.
Only one unaccounted factor remained in this plan, a factor that could disrupt everything.
Danzo's gaze caught on Saitama's photograph from his file. A foolish face, an absent look; in general, the guy didn't look like someone who could playfully handle four S-rank rogue ninjas. The bald guy's entire appearance could mislead anyone. But not the Root Leader.
"The perfect spy. But whose?"
Danzo scratched the cross-shaped scar on his chin, then placed his hand on the bandages.
An idea suddenly visited his head.
"Of course, how didn't I think of it before?"
He wanted to smile, but his facial muscles had become so unaccustomed to such things that a crooked grimace crept onto his face.
"It's time to meet this bald guy personally. And convince him to work for the good of Konoha."
Danzo knew how to convince. Even without considering Shisui's Mangekyo. He perfectly understood human nature and knew what each individual needed. As for the application of Kotoamatsukami...
This jutsu was capable of subtly changing the thoughts of anyone it was applied to. Danzo had previously had to use this technique only once, to "convince" the Hokage of his vision for the fate of the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. The Root Leader simply didn't risk going further, as he didn't know the exact consequences of the technique, and if Hiruzen suddenly started behaving differently or expressing thoughts completely alien to his worldview, it could arouse suspicion among others, which was quite inconvenient for Shimura. It was precisely because of the lack of detailed information on this dojutsu that Danzo had not yet turned the Kage of all the villages into his puppets. It was unclear whether the suggestion could be undone if it sharply contradicted one's own beliefs; perhaps the technique needed to be periodically refreshed.
Despite the enormous temptation, Danzo realized that the risk was too great. After all, if information about the existence of such power leaked, Konoha would be wiped out, as had happened to Uzushiogakure. Therefore, the existence of Kotoamatsukami should be kept in the strictest secrecy. And this technique should only be used in the rarest of cases. However, now, apparently, the time had come. Danzo did not believe that the Mangekyo Sharingan technique would not work on the bald guy. Kotoamatsukami was not ordinary genjutsu. Therefore, it was time for active measures on the part of the Root Leader.
Danzo's hoarse laughter filled the room.
"If everything works out, then soon I will gain absolute power in Konoha, and along with it, a tamed shinobi at the Kage level..."
***
At first, He couldn't understand for a long time why everything had gone off plan. What factor had influenced such a rapid acceleration of events?
The failure in the Land of Waves was quite unexpected, but not critical. The weakening of the mercenaries was fully compensated by the acquisition of a huge amount of funds. However, this was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Akatsuki no longer needed money; they now had resources in their hands thanks to which they could boldly unleash a World War. But on the other hand, the clash with the bald monster had severely shaken the confidence of some of the rogue ninjas in their own abilities.
And while one could come to terms with one defeat at the hands of Saitama, the defeat of his people by Kakashi was very... unexpected. Since when had Kakashi become so strong? And even more unexpected was the capture of one of the organization's members. An unacceptable oversight. If the mercenary had been captured by someone from Kumo, Iwa, or any other village, He would have been completely calm, because the Jashin priest could endure any torture, and it was impossible to loosen his tongue in that regard. But the problem was that Hidan had fallen into Konoha's clutches. And as He remembered, the Yamanaka didn't need torture to extract the necessary information.
Fortunately, this rogue ninja knew very little. Actually, the Jashinist wasn't particularly interested in what the organization did. He was calmly allowed to make sacrifices to Jashin, and the priest didn't think about anything more, but even the small amount of information he had in his head was enough to alarm the Leaf shinobi.
Because of the recent failures, He realized one thing: Akatsuki could no longer operate from the shadows. They would have to come into the light and demonstrate their capabilities to the whole world.
The original "Eye of the Moon" plan threatened to go to the bijuu's tails. Instead of slowly accumulating power, gradually capturing jinchuriki, and directly collecting the Tailed Beasts, they would soon have to expect reconnaissance groups from Konoha. Perhaps not immediately; after all, the Chunin Exams would soon be held in the Leaf, so the shinobi from Konoha would be busy with their own affairs. But in a couple of months, some Toad Sage would definitely pay a visit to Amegakure to find out what was what. There would be no full-fledged combat operations; Konoha had too little information, and it wouldn't share its conclusions with the other Great Villages right now.
Nevertheless, even in this case, they should hurry. There was no point in waiting any longer. The Chunin Exams in Konoha would become a turning point that would set the wheels of events in motion. It remained to decide what to do with the Fourth Mizukage. A pocket village was, of course, good, but He couldn't be torn between what would happen in Konoha and Kiri. Therefore, it was necessary to decide what to do with the Sanbi jinchuriki.
Yagura, under genjutsu, would do what He commanded. The civil war in Kiri was about to erupt. True, what was the point now? Everything was getting out of control. Therefore, it was necessary to grab the bijuu by the tail. Or rather, by three tails. After all, it wasn't necessary to seal the Tailed Beasts in the Gedo Mazo in order...
Or was it? That was too risky. What if the Hokage got the idea to send the same Saitama and Kakashi for reconnaissance?... What to do?
The man nervously ruffled his spiky black hair. After which, he leaned back wearily in his stone armchair.
Events had begun to gallop. It felt as if a carefully planned game was collapsing because someone had thrown a joker onto the shogi board and started dictating their own rules. But the most unpleasant thing was that He really couldn't be torn. His presence was necessary in Kirigakure to periodically refresh the genjutsu on Yagura. However, now, because of Hidan's capture... he would still have to replace the priest. And... Circumstances required moving the Three-Tails jinchuriki to the Akatsuki base for subsequent bijuu extraction. All that remained was to do the smallest thing – "kidnap" the Kage of one of the Great Villages, and to do it in such a way that the jinchuriki would be missed as late as possible.
He took an orange ring from his cloak pocket and put it on the index finger of his left hand.
— Are you sure, Madara? — Nagato asked, watching the actions of the true leader of Akatsuki.
The man turned his gaze to Pain.
— Yes, — a muffled voice came from under the spiral mask. — It's time for me to take the stage...
***
This time, the Leader gathered everyone at the main base in Amegakure.
Kakuzu scowled as he surveyed the Akatsuki members. They were gathering in person for the first time in a long time.
Sasori argued with Deidara about whose art was better. Kisame, grinning, gently stroked Samehada, who was purring with pleasure. The swordsman's partner stood and watched the others aloofly; the Uchiha, in general, seemed indifferent to everything around him.
In the center of the hall, illuminated by sparse torches, Pain – their Leader – sat on a stone chair, deep in thought. To his right, slightly behind him, stood Konan. This seemingly fragile kunoichi was one of the strongest in their group. Few had seen her abilities, and Kakuzu was among them. He had seen what the girl was capable of in action, and her techniques were truly impressive.
— And you call your explosions art? — the puppeteer croaked. — Fool, art is what is tested by time, it is beautiful and elegant. True art is eternal beauty.
— Eternal beauty, huh... — Deidara drawled, as if tasting the phrase. — Sasori no danna, I respect you as a fellow artist, but art is what blooms for a moment before it withers.
— You're talking nonsense again, — Sasori said.
— No, you are mistaken, hmm...
— Deidara, you definitely don't understand the true essence of art, — Akasuna began to raise his voice.
— Danna, art is the beauty of the final moment...
— Enough, — Pain said, silencing the restless pair. His rinnegan gaze pierced Kakuzu. The Akatsuki treasurer grimaced. He disliked being looked at like that. Like he was nothing. Yes, he wasn't the strongest in Akatsuki, but his invaluable experience made him a dangerous opponent. And although he had lost in a fight with Kakashi, it wasn't really his fault, at least that's what he thought.
— I am displeased with you, Kakuzu.
— Leader, this will not happen again, — the mercenary bowed his head almost imperceptibly. — We can gather a group and attack Konoha to take Hidan back...
— Of course, this will not happen again, — Pain said, interrupting his subordinate. — But forget about Hidan. He was caught. And it was his own fault. The Jashin priest was useful to us, but we don't have time to extract him now.
Kakuzu raised his head and looked gloomily at the Leader. The treasurer didn't like Hidan. Rather, he hated him – yes, it was a fact that was foolish to deny; but abandoning a partner like that, leaving him in the hands of the enemy, he considered extremely unworthy. Kakuzu loved money more than anything in the world. And he only valued it. Nevertheless, paradoxically, he had become attached to the Jashin priest. They could work perfectly as a pair, despite the difference in their views and mutual dislike.
"Looks like I'll have to say goodbye to Hidan."
Not that he would miss his partner much. Not at all. It's just that the Akatsuki treasurer thought that each of them meant something in this organization. However, after the Leader's decision today, the man strongly doubted it. Apparently, for the red-haired man, they were all just tools.
— Today, a new shinobi has joined us, — Pain announced.
Kakuzu gritted his teeth.
"They immediately found a new one to replace the broken tool. How efficient..."
— They found a replacement for the psycho priest so quickly, huh? — Deidara quietly inquired, voicing Kakuzu's thoughts. But the Leader ignored the bomber's words.
— His name is Tobi, — Pain introduced the newcomer.
A guy stepped into the center of the hall, like everyone else, he was clad in a cloak with red clouds. His distinguishing feature was an orange spiral mask with a hole for his right eye. Short black hair stuck out in different directions. On the index finger of his left hand was a ring with an orange signet – this ring had previously belonged to Hidan.
— Hello everyone! — the newcomer shouted cheerfully, waving his hands actively. — I'm Tobi! Please take care of me!
Silence hung in the air. The gazes of those present locked onto the mercenary in the spiral mask.
"Noisy," Kakuzu mentally stated.
— Oooo... Why is everyone so serious? — the guy asked, looking around.
— Kakuzu, from now on, Tobi will be your partner, — Pain declared. — He will temporarily take Hidan's place.
— I'm very happy, — the headhunter croaked sarcastically, squinting. He had simply killed all his previous partners. Only with Hidan had they formed a kind of mutual understanding.
The more he looked at the shinobi in the orange mask, the more the mercenary realized that he missed the cursing idiot with maniacal tendencies, and the new partner would most likely not live even a couple of days, because already from the first impression, the treasurer wanted to kill him.
Meanwhile, Tobi came closer.
— Kakuzu-san, — did it seem to him, or was the new member's mask looking at him... with reverence? — Kakuzu-san, you are my idol, — the newcomer clasped his hands in a prayerful gesture.
— You are so cool! And mysterious... — Tobi continued to sing his praises. — By the way, that mask really suits you.
"Looks like Akatsuki is now taking idiots," flashed through the headhunter's mind. He began to get irritated, and when he got irritated, heads usually flew and hearts were torn out.
The mercenary slowly exhaled, trying to pull himself together. It was probably reckless to kill this idiot right at the meeting in front of the Leader, especially since Kakuzu had previously brought bad news and made a mistake. Therefore, for now, he would not touch this poor fellow. At least for a couple of days. And then they would see. After all, no one was safe from accidents...
— By the way, I heard that your head was recently cut off, — Tobi continued meanwhile. Kakuzu's fists clenched. How did this newcomer know about that? — Getting old, huh? But it's okay, I'm young, I'll help you next time. And you won't go down from one hit...
— And... you won't have to play dead anymore, — he added in a whisper, placing a hand on his mask. True, everyone heard this phrase.
— I'll kill him, — Kakuzu growled, looking at the Leader. The pride of a headhunter and a veteran of past world wars did not allow him to silently swallow the insults of some greenhorn newcomer.
— You can try, — Pain offered indifferently after a moment's pause.
The treasurer's eyes widened, and a grin stretched across his lips beneath his mask.
"Permission to kill from the Leader. Even considering the fact that nothing is known about this idiot, he is probably a strong shinobi; after all, Akatsuki doesn't take weaklings. So, he must have a strong heart..."
A black tendril darted towards the torso of the new Akatsuki member. A moment – and it pierced his abdomen.
However, Tobi didn't seem to notice.
— Leader-sama said that you also lost to some bald guy before. He beat you up like a child. You're not planning on retiring by any chance?
The headhunter ignored the newcomer's outpouring.
"Intangibility? Or genjutsu?"
Suddenly, the masked man "noticed" the tendril in his torso, after which he yelped and jumped aside.
But then his nervousness disappeared somewhere, and he struck a shy pose, covering the lower part of his mask with his palm:
— Kakuzu-san, you are such a scoundrel. First a date, and then you'll start sticking all sorts of things into me.
— What the hell are you talking about, idiot? — the mercenary growled.
— Can you treat me to some dango? Tobi loves dango. By the way, Tobi is me, — he pointed a thumb at himself and struck a proud pose. — And do you like dango, Kakuzu-san?
— I can't stand it, — the treasurer grumbled. The tendril of threads retracted back into his arm.
Apparently, this shinobi was not as simple as he seemed. He couldn't be taken by surprise. But Kakuzu could sometimes be quite patient. This time, he needed to pull himself together. Since the masked guy had been assigned as his partner, he would wait. He would wait until the other lost his vigilance.
— A-a-a... I understand, — Tobi nodded. — You like hearts, right? What a heartbreaker you are, — he drawled, grabbing his mask with his hands.
"Got it. This mercenary will pretend to be a clown, trying to hide his true strength," Kakuzu concluded.
Silence fell in the assembly hall, broken by Pain:
— Well then, let's begin. I have gathered you here to give new instructions and to reveal the details of the plan. But the main thing...
The Leader took a dramatic pause, then said:
— The time has come for Akatsuki to take active steps and declare themselves to the world...
***
Conference Room in the Hokage Tower
— Mma-mma... what are you staring at, Asuma? Did you see a ghost or something? — the Copy Ninja inquired.
Sarutobi formed a seal and said, "Kai."
Kakashi rolled his eyes and pulled a tangerine from his pocket, then leisurely began to peel it.
— Come on, Kakashi, — Asuma widened his eyes in feigned surprise, approaching the jonin. — Buddy, you're on time? No, wait, you're even ten minutes early. Did a bijuu die in the forest or something?
Hatake ignored Sarutobi's teasing.
— Want a tangerine?
— Nah, — Asuma chuckled, taking out a pack of cigarettes. — I'd rather smoke until the meeting starts.
Free jonin and some clan heads had been summoned to the war council. The meeting was unscheduled, urgent, so many shinobi simply wouldn't be able to come due to missions.
The hall was spacious, a huge window thrown wide open showcased a wonderful view of the setting summer sun. The room was bathed in orange light. A pleasant aroma of freshly cut grass drifted from the street, and the surroundings were immersed in the chirping of singing cicadas.
Shikaku Nara, leaning back in his chair, Akimichi Chouza, crunching on chips, and Kakashi, peeling a tangerine, were already sitting at the long table. Asuma slumped down opposite the tactician, who was quietly snoring, his eyelids closed. The lazy clan head hadn't missed such a wonderful opportunity to sleep.
The others gradually began to trickle into the hall. The heads of the Yamanaka, Hyuga, and Inuzuka clans. Inoichi sat between Shikaku and Chouza. Hiashi and Inuzuka sat on the other side of the table, near Asuma. Then Kurenai entered. Sarutobi, releasing smoke rings, winked at his girlfriend; she smiled back.
Some jonin had been deliberately not notified. For example, Might Guy. He had begun to train intensely with his student and asked to be disturbed only in extreme cases. The head of the Aburame clan was on an expedition searching for new types of insects somewhere in the Land of Fire, so he also wasn't distracted from his work.
The shinobi began to talk quietly. Some continued to mind their own business, waiting for Hiruzen. Yamanaka asked Shikaku something, but the latter just waved him off and asked to be woken up when the Hokage arrived.
Minute after minute ticked by. Asuma told short anecdotes, but neither the cold Hyuga nor the predatory Inuzuka appreciated his humor, and the others simply didn't listen, lost in their own thoughts.
Only a few people knew the reason for the gathering; the rest were slowly consumed by curiosity. Some were nervous, looking enviously at the peacefully snoring Shikaku. But most of those gathered felt at home.
Kurenai asked Kakashi since when he had been carrying a katana, to which Hatake waved it off and offered the girl a tangerine.
— I won't refuse, — Yuhi said.
— Peeled?
— Go ahead, — the kunoichi chuckled.
The shinobi quickly peeled the fruit, then tossed it to the girl. She deftly caught it and began to observe the Copy Ninja with her peripheral vision. Kurenai had once been in love with Kakashi. There was something mysterious, attractive about this shinobi that had previously ignited a burning interest in the girl. However, the guy had ignored all her hints for a long time, so soon the girl had to forget about her infatuation, especially since Asuma had begun to court her actively. The latter turned out to be quite persistent, and Yuhi couldn't resist. What could she do? After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush... But she didn't regret anything. Sarutobi was a wonderful person and a reliable man.
Suddenly, all conversations ceased. Kurenai turned her head towards the entrance and froze at what she saw. As, indeed, did everyone else...
— Well, are we late? — asked the bald guy in a yellow jumpsuit with red boots and gloves.
— Saitama, please shut up and go sit down, — Anko whispered quietly, but everyone heard these words.
— Okay, — the guy scratched his bald head and began to look for a place for himself. He immediately noticed the large Chouza and decided to sit next to him. Anko sat down near Saitama.
— Are those... chips? — the bald guy inquired.
— Crunch-crunch, yeah, crunch-crunch...
— Cool. Can I try some?
At such a question, Akimichi even stopped eating.
— What? — Chouza repeated, apparently thinking he had misheard.
— I said, will you let me try some chips? — Saitama repeated.
Akimichi looked at the bald guy as if he were a moron, then glanced at the bag of chips, then looked at the bald guy again, then back at the bag... and so on several times.
— Who are you anyway? — the fat man asked.
— I'm Saitama. B-class hero... ahem, I mean, jonin of Konoha.
For a while, Akimichi processed what he had heard, then, nodding to his thoughts, continued to devour the chips and said:
— I see, crunch-crunch...
Saitama made an offended face and turned to Anko:
— Hey, he's ignoring me.
— It's obvious, you asked Akimichi for his chips.
— So what?
— So that. You better sit quietly. The meeting will start soon.
— Well, it hasn't started yet, — the bald guy pointed out. — By the way, I went all over the market, but I still couldn't find any potatoes. Damn, where did that fat guy get chips? Where can you even buy potatoes?
— Crunch-crunch, you need to know the good spots, crunch-crunch... and I'm not fat, I just have — crunch-crunch — broad bones...
— Cheapskate, — Saitama muttered quietly.
Akimichi looked into the half-empty bag, then cast a dissatisfied glance at the bald guy, after which he announced:
— Sorry, I don't give to strangers. And I don't have much myself... crunch-crunch.
— Uh... Okay, — Saitama resigned himself to this fact. — By the way, do they serve tea here?
— Please shut up, — Mitarashi hissed.
— Okay then.
Saitama, clicking his tongue in displeasure, leaned back in his chair and began to rock back and forth out of boredom. After a couple of minutes of examining the portraits of the Hokage on the walls, he turned to the girl:
— By the way, Anko. Do you happen to have anything to eat?
The kunoichi flashed her eyes, but silently took a piece of gum from her cloak pocket.
— Oh... Great. Not chips, of course, but it'll do for now.
Asuma looked at the newcomer with curiosity. Nothing special. And his costume was frankly idiotic. Guy in his green jumpsuit looked more organic than this bald guy in his eye-searingly bright tights.
Sarutobi was already finishing his second cigarette when Tsume lightly patted him on the shoulder. He turned to the head of the Inuzuka clan, and from the malicious gaze of her predatory eyes with their narrow vertical pupils, the jonin almost swallowed his cigarette.
— Uh... You... Ahem, did you want something, Tsume-san?
— Quit smoking. This stench is making me sick.
— Yes, of course, — Asuma hastened to extinguish his cigarette butt. After all, he was wrong here; Inuzuka had a very sensitive sense of smell, so smoking in the presence of the head of the dog clan was an extremely ill-considered decision.
The girl smirked at this, baring one of her fangs. And the jonin hastened to turn away.
His gaze fell on Kakashi... He didn't like what he saw.
— Kakashi, what's wrong with you? — Sarutobi began worriedly. — Are you feeling unwell?
The Copy Ninja's hands trembled noticeably. The visible part of his face was as white as chalk, and a lone drop of sweat trickled down his temple. The shinobi himself, shrinking, tried to appear smaller than he actually was.
— Hey, what happened? — Asuma continued to press. — Maybe we should take you to the hospital?
Everyone present was now observing Kakashi's condition, even Shikaku had woken up and stared at the jonin with lazy interest.
— I... I... I'm f-f-fine, — he said.
Kakashi's breathing quickened, and his body began to shiver when the bald guy paid attention to him.
— You're not fine at all, white hair, — Saitama declared, popping a small bubble and continuing to chew his gum. — Let me take you to the hospital, it's so boring here...
— N-no, n-no need! — Kakashi hastily shook his head.
— Are you sure? — the bald guy asked again. — Look, I'll be there in a flash, you won't even have time to blink.
— No, I'd b-be-better off myself, — Hatake, swallowing nervously, suddenly jumped up and headed for the door, but his trembling legs couldn't support him, and the shinobi's body was caught by the timely arrival of Yuhi.
Asuma rose from his seat and approached the jonin. He examined his eye with the pupil dilated across the entire iris, felt his pulse.
— His pulse is racing, — Asuma said, shaking his head. — Apparently, it's a delayed-action poison. We'll take him to the hospital and come back, — Sarutobi told the others. After which, Asuma and Kurenai quickly carried the Copy Ninja away, jumping straight through the open window.
— Damn, — Saitama drawled. — And I was already thinking I'd save an innocent by taking him to the hospital.
— You'll have another chance, — Mitarashi informed him.
Whispers about the strange incident with Kakashi circulated throughout the room. Various assumptions were made about where and when Hatake could have been poisoned. They asked Shikaku's opinion, as the smartest of those present. To which he grunted, casting a fleeting glance at Saitama, before deciding to doze off again, ignoring the rising argument...
The sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon. And the orange haze was replaced by a pinkish streak in the sky. The same colors were visible in the conference hall. The Hokage entered the room. All conversations ceased.
Hiruzen walked to the largest armchair. He sat down at the head of the table, his stern gaze sweeping over those present.
— Where are Kakashi and Asuma? — the Third asked.
He was immediately answered in a jumble of voices that Kakashi was either poisoned or had poisoned himself with something, and Asuma and Kurenai had rushed to take the shinobi to Konoha Hospital.
The Hokage, slightly raising an eyebrow, merely nodded at this. The old man raised his hand – the people fell silent. He took out his pipe and lit it, the head of the Inuzuka clan barely perceptibly wrinkled her nose at this.
— Many of you are probably wondering why I have gathered you here, — Hiruzen began. — After all, the scheduled meeting is still two weeks away. Nevertheless, we have received important information that should be carefully considered.
He paused, then began to recount what he had managed to learn thanks to Kakashi's actions.
Namely, the Hokage spoke about the Akatsuki organization, their supposed goals, approximate composition, and location. Actually, this was all that the Yamanaka had managed to extract from the head of the tirelessly cursing mercenary. There were also the Sandaime's personal thoughts regarding the terrorists, how they intended to seize power. Hiruzen also began reading information from Anko's written report, which detailed what she had managed to learn from Guy's team and from Saitama when he fought the four mercenaries.
When the presentation of the main information ended, the ruler of Konoha stared expectantly at his subordinates.
— Any ideas?
Shikaku stretched with a crackle and, shaking off his drowsiness, took the floor:
— Hokage-sama. The news is certainly important, but it's unclear what to do with it at the moment.
The Hokage, releasing a smoke ring, squinted:
— Explain.
— It's simple, — Nara scratched his beard. — Let me remind you that the Chunin Exams will begin in six days. Therefore, in the coming weeks, we won't have time for a terrorist organization whose main base is located in Amegakure. And, in my humble opinion, all military power during this period should be concentrated in the Village.
— You suspect that the guests might surprise us? — Hiruzen inquired.
— I believe that Konoha should be prepared for anything during the exams. The war ended a long time ago, however...
"Pop," Shikaku was forced to interrupt himself.
Everyone turned to the loud sound. It turned out to be Saitama, who had popped his chewing gum bubble. The guy was drowsy, and to avoid falling asleep, he tried to keep himself occupied. At the moment, he was rocking back and forth on his chair in time with the measured ticking of the wall clock that hung between the portraits. Periodically, he blew bubbles with his gum, which immediately burst.
— Continue, — the Hokage demanded from the analyst.
— Hmm... Well, as I was saying, a group of high-ranking rogue ninjas with unclear goals is, of course, bad, but at the moment we have more important tasks. Namely – to successfully conduct the Chunin Exa...
Nara was forced to interrupt himself again, as Asuma jumped into the hall through the window. After taking his seat, Sarutobi Jr. reported:
— Kakashi is in the hospital. Kurenai is with him now. Just in case. His condition has stabilized on its own. Also, medical-nin are examining him at the moment, but no traces of any poisons have been found according to the preliminary diagnosis.
— Good, sit down, — Hiruzen nodded. — Shikaku?
"Pop," the loud sound of a bursting bubble rang out again, but since the Hokage didn't focus on it, the others decided to follow his example, trying to ignore the eccentric bald shinobi.
The head of the Nara clan cleared his throat, then continued:
— So, as we know, one of the mercenaries was killed by Kakashi. The second is with us in the interrogation department. That leaves six. Even if the information in the Jashin priest's head is incomplete, let's say there are even eight of them. In any case...
"Pop"
Those present turned to look at the bald guy. He had blown too large a bubble, which logically burst. Now chewing gum was all over Saitama's face, and he was frantically trying to peel it off, but, losing his balance on the rocking chair, the guy fell backward.
Anko, who had been watching all this, slapped herself on the face.
— Did this bald guy really handle four S-rank rogue ninjas? — Hyuga asked skeptically.
— Uh-huh, — Mitarashi said, without taking her hand off her face...
***
Shikaku's words at the Council sounded quite convincing. Therefore, by voting, the shinobi chose a neutral position, namely – to let events take their course. First of all – they would hold the Chunin Exams. Scattering forces by sending strong ninja to scout the rogue ninjas' lair was too reckless. Jiraiya had not yet returned from his mission. Kakashi suddenly had some health problems. As for Saitama, Hiruzen had his own plans for this shinobi, so the bald guy also wouldn't go anywhere for now.
And if Akatsuki suddenly wanted to extract their partner, then Konoha, on the contrary, should double its vigilance, put additional guards, increase patrols, and bring as many shinobi as possible into the Village. And Shikaku's thoughts regarding the hypothetical attack by possible allies also made the jonin show solidarity on this issue.
When everyone was about to leave, Hiruzen said:
— Saitama and Anko. I would like you to stay.
After waiting for everyone to leave, Hiruzen began to tap the tobacco out of his pipe.
— The Chunin Exams are in six days, — the old man said.
— Yes, we're aware, — Mitarashi nodded.
— Morino Ibiki has been appointed proctor for the First Stage.
The girl still didn't understand where the Third was leading.
— I have news for you. You are both appointed proctors for this Chunin Exams. To be more precise, for the Second Stage.
— What? — Anko couldn't help but exclaim.
The girl's eyes widened to the size of saucers. During the mission, they had temporarily stopped Saitama's theoretical training. Saitama didn't know many things. The kunoichi wanted to conscientiously start his training upon arrival in Konoha, because the Hokage's assignment hadn't been canceled, and today Hiruzen had hinted at it unequivocally. But... appoint Saitama as a proctor? For the current Chunin Exams?
— Uh... — Anko stammered. — Yes, Hokage-sama.
She really wanted to object and send the old man to the bijuu with such news, but an order was an order.
— This... What other exam? I'm already twenty-five. I don't want any exams at all, — the bald guy whined.
— Calm down, — Anko rolled her eyes. — You won't be the one taking the exam. On the contrary, you will be the one controlling the exam for the genin.
Saitama opened his mouth again. Thoughtfully scratching his head, he nodded seriously:
— I understand. But I'd like to know something...
— Ask away, — the Hokage waved his hand.
— I think I heard about it somewhere, but... what exactly is the Chunin Exams?
— ...
— ...
Hiruzen fixed an annoyed gaze on Anko.
— I understand, — Anko said worriedly, bowing her head. — We'll start studying right away... — at this phrase, the bald guy shuddered, and he realized that sometimes it was very useful to keep quiet and pretend that you knew and understood everything.
— Wonderful, — the Hokage nodded. — By the way, Saitama, are you aware that your student is in the hospital?
— Naruto? — the bald guy asked, scratching his skull. — And how did he get there?
— I think, — the old man relit his pipe, now with fresh tobacco, — you should find out on the spot, — he smiled.
— Let's go visit him, — Anko declared, correctly interpreting the old man's intentions.
— A-a-a... okay then, — the bald guy agreed.
— Is that all, Hokage-sama? — Mitarashi inquired.
— Yes, you may be dismissed for now...