[Uchiha Clan Grounds]
Naruto and Sasuke, who had recovered their physical strength, under Itachi's lead, finally made it back the next morning.
And they didn't enter through Konoha Village's main gate, but came straight here to the Uchiha clan grounds.
When they arrived, from a distance they saw Rengoku standing with Gaara at the gate, speaking with Hyuga Sota.
"With me watching, naturally nothing will happen. As for Gaara being extracted of his tailed beast, just write that truthfully."
"I will personally inquire with Akatsuki's side, only a One-Tails Shukaku, after all."
Sota responded, "Then I'll head back first. Naruto shouldn't go out again for now."
Rengoku nodded, "No problem. Their strength is a bit lacking, just right for some special training."
After bowing, Sota departed.
By Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, he should have been monitored by the Hyuga clan.
But the men under Hyuga Sota deliberately tried to curry favor with Rengoku.
This "monitoring" was just for show.
Even Naruto leaving the village this time should have been monitored by the Hyuga, but since Rengoku personally followed along, the Hyuga simply pretended nothing had happened.
As long as things went smoothly, naturally the people of Konoha turned a blind eye.
After all, everyone could see, the Hyuga clan was deliberately trying to please the Uchiha.
But this time, when the Nine-Tails jinchuriki's squad was attacked, things were different.
The Hyuga clan would certainly face questioning.
Sota's coming here meant asking how Rengoku intended to handle this matter.
Rengoku's meaning was to push himself forward to take the blame. If the advisory elder personally guarded the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, of course it was very safe.
And the Hyuga could see far, who said they weren't there?
After all, the report was written by themselves. They could just write that Elder Rengoku, in order to protect the Nine-Tails jinchuriki Naruto's safety, caused the One-Tails jinchuriki Gaara to have his tailed beast extracted.
As for Gaara's situation, that was his own situation.
How simple.
Anyway, since Rengoku's stance was clear, Sota would no longer be in a difficult position.
"Gaara!", Naruto immediately bounced over.
"Great!", Naruto prepared to give Gaara a loving hug.
But once again the sand blocked him.
"Naruto, I'm fine," Gaara looked no different from usual.
Naruto was relieved.
"Ah, Principal, your hair, why is it white?"
Sasuke trailed behind Naruto. Seeing Naruto so warmly trying to hug Gaara, he only curled his lip.
"Sensei, your hair, why is it white?"
Gaara opened his mouth to answer, but Rengoku waved him off.
"It's nothing. Gaara is fine, you two don't need to worry."
"Your first mission ended in failure, but the responsibility wasn't yours this time."
"Although you didn't handle it well, you can slowly learn later. Since you yourselves weren't hurt, that's enough."
"You three are one squad. Do you know the procedure for a failed mission?"
The three glanced at one another, "We know, Principal. We'll go to the Mission Center now to close the mission."
"Go on," Rengoku waved his hand.
The three set out together toward the Mission Center.
———
Itachi saw Rengoku's head full of white hair, and worry showed in his eyes.
"Senpai, how are you?"
Rengoku lightly shook his head, "It's fine, it'll pass after a while."
Itachi was reassured.
"Senpai, we just return Shukaku to Sunagakure like this, is it so Obito can capture it later?"
"I thought you wouldn't ask," Rengoku laughed.
Itachi looked slightly embarrassed. By his past personality, he definitely wouldn't have asked.
But now, with his relationship with Fugaku already mended, Fugaku had told him: if you don't understand, then you must ask.
Even though he had experienced many things,
Itachi was still not yet sixteen.
From Rengoku's perspective, he was still an immature boy.
The key was, he wasn't familiar with Shukaku, and didn't even know Rengoku's intent this time.
Their spot was near the Uchiha clan's front gate, naturally very safe.
Rengoku raised three fingers, "Three reasons."
"One, let Akatsuki appear outwardly hostile to us, so those who want to target us will come out to use Akatsuki against us."
"Two, to craft Master Senku's persona, by changing the jinchuriki, the battlefield's priority shifts, which later makes it easier for Nagato or Obito to capture tailed beasts."
"Three, Shukaku is not so easy to control. Especially after being forcibly confined by me for over two years, it's now in a frenzied, completely uncommunicable state."
Folding his fingers, Rengoku looked toward the west, that was the Land of Wind's territory.
"Sunagakure's economy is very poor. Rasa has always been panning for gold in the desert to supplement Sunagakure's finances."
"Do you know what that means?"
Itachi thought for a moment, "Rasa is indispensable?"
Rengoku nodded slightly, "Precisely because of that indispensability, Rasa thinks too highly of himself."
"He never feels he is wrong."
"You know about Gaara's childhood torment, right?"
Rengoku reminded, and Itachi nodded slightly.
He continued explaining, "That state of thinking too highly of oneself is exactly the same as you were back then, always feeling you were right."
"As long as they can't seal the tailed beast, all of them are failures."
"Sunagakure will try many experiments, but each attempt drains their strength."
"Even if they succeed, it doesn't matter. For the Uchiha clan, tailed beasts are the least of our worries."
"As for whether Obito or Nagato will later collect the tailed beasts, that depends on how things develop."
Rengoku looked at the sky, "You must be clear, we have many enemies."
"Grow quickly. The clan cannot have only me as the strong one."
Itachi also looked up at the sky with Rengoku, "I understand, Senpai."
———
[Konoha Village Mission Center]
"Let's see, escort mission, client dead, mission failed."
The Konoha staff reviewed Sasuke's squad's mission and was now processing it.
"Hm? This client didn't write down a compensation beneficiary for mission failure," The staff muttered.
In the chaotic shinobi world, escort missions could indeed fail.
As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the mission system here still had safeguards.
After all, hiring the village for a mission, if it failed, the village bore responsibility.
Regardless of how much compensation, at the very least the mission money had to be refunded.
But this time, the client was Itachi in disguise, so naturally no beneficiary existed.
The staff didn't care, no payout was even better.
He said to Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara outside the window:
"You're lucky. The other party didn't list a compensation beneficiary, so you don't have to pay anything."
"But from now on, the rank of missions you can take will be lowered."
After the three walked out of the Mission Center, an Anbu immediately went to report to the Hokage.
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