Tsunade slammed the heavy stone slab aside with a resounding thud, cracked her knuckles, and strode toward the lone surviving rogue ninja. Only his head remained above ground, trapped by Orochimaru's earth technique. Her lips curved into a bright, dangerous smile.
"So," she said lightly, "what was that you just muttered? I didn't quite hear you."
The bandit's eyes went wide as she drew closer.
"I'll… I'll avenge Hiruzen-sensei!" Jiraiya declared, marching forward with a furious scowl.
"Y-you… don't come any closer!" the trapped man stammered, terror flickering in his gaze as both young shinobi closed in.
Orochimaru watched calmly from a few steps back, golden eyes cool and analytical. The physical resilience of people in this world is remarkable, he thought as the unfortunate bandit endured a flurry of punches and kicks from Tsunade and Jiraiya yet stubbornly clung to life.
When the man finally sagged into unconsciousness, Orochimaru turned toward the dark silhouette high in the trees. "Hiruzen-sensei," he called evenly, "if enemy shinobi are involved, doesn't that raise this mission from C-rank to B-rank? And the reward should be adjusted accordingly."
Jiraiya paused mid-punch, blinking. "Wait… yeah!" He glanced toward the "body" slumped on a branch—Kunai still protruding from its chest—then froze. "Hold on…"
The supposed corpse was no corpse at all. As the mist cleared he could see it properly: a human-shaped wooden dummy, a piece of paper with a crudely drawn face stuck to it.
"A backup… a replacement jutsu?!" Jiraiya's jaw dropped. "All that panic for this?"
"That's why I called you an idiot," Tsunade said dryly. She had seen through the trick from the start.
"Shut your mouth!" Jiraiya barked, cheeks flaming as he glared at the bandit whose swollen face now resembled a bruised pig.
High above, a warm chuckle drifted down. Hiruzen Sarutobi released the strip of cloth that had secured him to the trunk and dropped lightly to the ground. "I wanted to see how far you three could go against an ambush without my prompting or assistance," he explained, smiling. "Your performance exceeded my expectations."
He let his approving gaze linger on Orochimaru. Always full of surprises. Then he nodded toward Tsunade and Jiraiya. "You two as well. Impressive work."
"Don't change the subject, Sensei," Orochimaru replied coolly. "Rank matters—and so does the reward."
For a fleeting moment Hiruzen wondered if someone had tampered with the stipend meant for Orochimaru's late parents, but dismissed the thought. He had overseen the payment himself; not a single ryo could have been stolen.
"You're right," he conceded after a beat. "This will need to be discussed with the Land of Tea's daimyo's steward. If ninja are involved, it qualifies as a B-rank mission."
He turned toward Tsunade. "Before that—can you treat our prisoner?"
Tsunade folded her arms, frowning. "Treat him? He tried to kill us."
"Exactly!" Jiraiya barked, punctuating his agreement with a sharp kick to the unconscious rogue. "Why bother patching that up?"
"To extract information," Hiruzen said simply.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. Information… this might be more complex than a mere pirate hunt. Another hidden village could be pulling the strings.
Tsunade heaved a long sigh, realizing the truth in her teacher's reasoning. "Fine, fine. I'll handle it." Kneeling beside the battered enemy, she pressed her glowing green hands to his wounds. Chakra flowed steadily; the grotesque swelling of his face eased, and soon his eyelids fluttered open.
Hiruzen smiled. "Tsunade, you'll make an exceptional medical ninja one day."
"Medical ninja?" She snorted. "I never learned Medical Ninjutsu to save lives. I learned it so I can hit people as hard as I like without worrying about them bleeding out."
Her small fist tightened, radiating a heavy pressure that made even Jiraiya inch away instinctively. The newly awakened rogue ninja went pale as chalk.
"Why did you attack us?" Hiruzen asked pleasantly, though his eyes sharpened. "And what is your connection to the pirates raiding the fishing boats? Tell us everything."
Jiraiya and Tsunade flanked him, wearing identical, ominous smiles.
The captive gulped. Memories of their earlier assault—those relentless fists—flashed through his mind. "P-please! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything, just don't kill me!"
He babbled every detail he knew. Unfortunately, the information was scant. Their small crew had been hired only to harass fishermen and disrupt shipping. They didn't know the identity of their true employer.
After securing the prisoners to the trees for later retrieval, Team Sarutobi relocated, cleaned the battlefield, and lit a fresh campfire. The night passed without further incident.
---
Suspicions
As flames crackled, Jiraiya snapped a dry branch and tossed it into the fire. "Sensei, who do you think hired that ninja to guard the pirates?"
Hiruzen gazed into the dancing embers. "I don't know," he admitted with a faint smile. "Perhaps someone doesn't want us eliminating these pirates at all."
"That sounds awfully superficial," Jiraiya muttered.
Inwardly, Hiruzen considered darker possibilities. Sunagakure? Hidden Mist? The Land of Wind bordered the Land of Tea. Either village—or another—could be manipulating events to weaken Konoha indirectly. Even in peacetime, the great villages never ceased their covert schemes.
"Whatever the reason," Tsunade said with a yawn, leaning against Orochimaru's shoulder, "we didn't learn anything truly useful."
Orochimaru turned slightly, startled by the sudden weight. Her warm breath brushed his collarbone.
"Heh. Just let me rest a minute." Tsunade flashed a mischievous grin, brown eyes glinting in the firelight.
"Suit yourself," he said, eyes returning to the flames. Their reflections flickered like molten gold as he pondered the hidden gears of the shinobi world. The last war had ended, but clandestine operations had not. Perhaps these raids were part of a long game—chipping away at Konoha's strength one mission at a time.
---
Arrival in the Land of Tea
Morning came crisp and bright. Team Sarutobi traveled swiftly and soon reached the bustling port of the Land of Tea. The daimyo's steward greeted them with obvious relief. When he heard that the pirates had hired rogue ninja, his face blanched.
"This is graver than we feared," he admitted, bowing. He immediately increased the mission's payment and begged them to eradicate the threat as quickly as possible.
Hiruzen accepted the new terms with quiet confidence. Beside him, Orochimaru allowed himself a rare, satisfied smile. A B-rank reward—finally worth the effort.
The team devised a plan: disguise themselves as fishermen and lure the pirates into the open.
---
The Calm Before the Storm
The next morning dawned flawless. The sky stretched cloudless and blue, the sun glittered on gentle waves, and a fresh breeze carried the scent of salt. Perfect fishing weather.
Buoyed by the presence of Konoha shinobi, local fishermen—many too frightened to sail for days—eagerly launched their boats. Nets splashed into the sparkling water, hauling up glistening catches.
Team Sarutobi blended in seamlessly. Hiruzen and Orochimaru cast lines with practiced ease while Tsunade coiled rope and Jiraiya, predictably, flirted half-heartedly with passing fisherwomen.
---
Pirates Attack
The peaceful rhythm shattered with a sudden whoosh. Dark figures burst from beneath the waves, water cascading from their shoulders. Pirates brandishing katanas landed hard on the wooden decks, snarling.
"If you want to live," barked the scarred leader, licking his blade, "jump overboard and swim back to shore!"
"Obey, or die where you stand!" another growled.
The fishermen froze, terrified—but one sturdy boat owner stepped forward, fists clenched. "No! This is my livelihood. I'll never hand over my ship!"
"So be it," sneered the scarred pirate. He raised his sword—
—and shrieked as it suddenly tore from his grasp, clattering into the deck before bouncing overboard. A powerful kick had sent it flying.
"Face Jiraiya-sama, you little punks!" Jiraiya proclaimed, striking a dramatic pose.
Behind him the boat owner stared at the broken railing where the sword had gouged deep. "M-my boat…" he moaned, aghast.
Orochimaru only sighed. Hopeless show-off. He glanced toward a neighboring vessel already under attack and blurred through hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a soft pop, four identical Orochimaru clones appeared and sprinted in different directions to shield the fishermen and drive back the raiders.
"Jiraiya, quit playing around!" Tsunade barked as she drove her fist into another pirate's jaw. She drew a kunai just in time to parry a katana. Sparks flared with a sharp clang! Her knee shot upward with brutal precision.
A sickening crunch followed. The pirate's scream cut off into a strangled whimper as his eyes bulged and he collapsed, curled like a shrimp.
Jiraiya winced and instinctively crossed his legs. Note to self: never spar with her.
Even Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at the sheer ferocity of the strike.
"What are you staring at? Move!" Tsunade snapped, then blurred through hand seals of her own. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Three more Tsunades appeared and leapt toward other threatened boats to back up Orochimaru's clones.
She had once dismissed the Shadow Clone as impractical, but after mastering it she discovered its versatility. Training, reconnaissance, medical research—it was invaluable.
---
A Hidden Threat
As the team fought to protect every fishing vessel, the ocean itself seemed to darken. From the misty surface, several masked figures emerged, water beading on their cloaks. Their porcelain masks bore the unmistakable insignia of the Hidden Mist Anbu.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. Water clones…?
"Could the Land of Water be behind this?" Hiruzen muttered, sensing the sudden spike of killing intent.
The answer glinted in the cold steel of the masked assassins' blades as they advanced across the waves.
To be continued…