Even though Lock's reasoning made perfect sense, orders from the Hokage were absolute — and Jiraiya had no choice but to obey them.
"The old man's command is clear," Jiraiya said gravely. "If Iwagakure and Sunagakure remain quiet, we have to take the initiative."
Lock frowned. "Take the initiative… how? Are we attacking first?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "Not with force. We make contact with both villages. If we can win one over, we'll have the upper hand against the other."
Lock frowned deeper. "That sounds… naive. Do you think they're that easy to fool?"
To him, the plan sounded too idealistic. Konoha was the strongest among the Five Great Nations, and Sunagakure, the weakest. If he were the Tsuchikage or the Kazekage, he'd never ally with Konoha. Not when the Land of Fire had always been envied for its prosperity — the center of every major conflict in history.
No matter how one looked at it, Konoha was too big, too strong, too threatening. The other villages saw it as a common enemy, not a potential ally.
Jiraiya exhaled slowly. "You're not wrong. The old man doesn't expect much. But he wants to try. Besides Iwa and Suna, there's one more village caught in between us — Amegakure. The Land of Rain. Hanzo's territory."
Lock's expression hardened at the name. "Hanzo of the Salamander."
"Yeah," Jiraiya said. "That guy isn't someone to underestimate. He's not one of the Five Kage, but in sheer strength, he's close. The old man wants us to reach out to him, too. If war breaks out, the Land of Rain will be caught right in the middle. Whether it stays neutral or joins one side could decide the whole balance."
Lock was silent for a while before bowing slightly. "Understood. I'll carry out the mission. Please give the order, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya sighed. As the commander stationed on the front lines, he couldn't leave. The task had to fall on Lock — and that worried him deeply.
The plan required Lock to secretly contact the leaders of three different hidden villages — Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Amegakure. It was dangerous, bordering on impossible.
Jiraiya didn't understand why the Third Hokage had chosen someone so young for a mission like this. But then, he also knew this had to be done in complete secrecy. Official channels were out of the question — and stealth was Lock's greatest strength.
"Lock," Jiraiya said at last, "the old man gave you an option. You don't have to accept this mission. If you refuse, we'll handle things through slower, diplomatic means."
Lock smiled faintly. "No need to persuade me, Sensei. If Lord Hokage chose me, he must have his reasons. I won't betray his trust. Besides," his eyes glinted with quiet confidence, "if nothing else, I'm good at escaping."
Jiraiya studied him for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine."
This mission was vital to the village — personal feelings had no place here. As shinobi, they followed orders.
"Your assignment," Jiraiya continued, "is to make contact with three villages in sequence — Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and finally, Amegakure."
He unfolded a map on the table between them. "If war breaks out, Amegakure will be trapped between the three nations. Unless Hanzo keeps his neutrality, he'll be drawn into the conflict no matter what."
"The old man knows Hanzo well enough," Jiraiya added. "That man's ambitious — and prideful. Which means he can't be ignored."
He pointed toward the Land of Earth. "Start with Iwagakure. They're the most dangerous and the most unpredictable. The Third Tsuchikage has been eyeing the Land of Fire for years. Their finances are strained, and they need war to recover. That's what worries the old man the most."
"Next is Sunagakure. You know their condition better than I do. If their situation's truly as bad as you said, then their stance is critical. They'll either ally with us or with Iwa — there's no middle ground."
"And finally… Amegakure," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "Smallest of the three, but the hardest to deal with. Hanzo's dangerous — proud, unpredictable, and obsessed with power. He's the kind of man who bows to no one."
Lock nodded quietly. He already understood.
Jiraiya handed him three sealed letters, each marked with the Hokage's insignia. "You know what to do with these."
Lock took them carefully and tucked them into his cloak. He could feel the weight of what they represented — not just ink and paper, but the Hokage's will, Konoha's entire diplomatic stance resting on his delivery.
"Listen, Lock." Jiraiya's voice softened. "If something goes wrong and you can't escape… don't be a hero. Surrender. We'll find a way to bring you back."
Lock paused. The words struck a chord — but he knew the truth.
If he were captured, the odds of Konoha paying the price to redeem him were close to zero. Still, he appreciated the concern.
"Understood," he said simply.
To him, this mission already felt off. Sending a single operative — and a young one at that — to carry out secret negotiations across three rival nations? It sounded like a plan made by people who valued politics over lives.
But he couldn't refuse. Not now.
Whether it was faith, loyalty, or resignation, he would go.
He wasn't naive. He knew exactly why the Hokage chose him. He was fast, discreet, and had already proven he could survive impossible odds — like escaping an ambush from Kumogakure. Hiruzen must have seen that report and decided he could handle this.
Lock sighed quietly. "Tch… guess that's what I get for being too good at staying alive."
A wry thought flickered in his mind.
If it had been Danzō giving this order, he'd assume there was a trap waiting at the end. But Hiruzen — for all his hypocrisy and caution — wouldn't send him to die for nothing. There had to be a purpose.
He shook his head, brushing aside the doubts.
Maybe he was getting too cautious lately — too paranoid. Ever since the Root assassinations and his years in the shadows, his mind had changed. He analyzed every move, every order, wondering what lay beneath.
That wasn't good for a shinobi. Overthinking led to hesitation. And hesitation got people killed.
"Enough," he muttered to himself, taking a slow breath. "Focus."
Whatever doubts he had, whatever fear crept in — it didn't matter now.
A mission was a mission.
He had his orders. He would see them through.
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