Iwagakure Entrusts Akatsuki with Investigating the Sage's Hidden Treasure
Land of Earth Hidden Stone Village (Iwagakure).
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
"Look at this!"
The door to the Tsuchikage's office burst open as a young girl of about twelve rushed in without knocking.
She was grinning brightly, clutching a newspaper and waving it excitedly in front of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
"Hehehe!"
Seeing his energetic granddaughter, Ōnoki's stern expression softened. He accepted the newspaper with a fond sigh and began reading.
The hidden treasure of the Sage of Six Paths?
What nonsense is this?
In all his decades as Tsuchikage, he had never heard of such a thing.
His first instinct was that this was fabricated intelligence likely propaganda meant to stir chaos among the Five Great Nations.
Still, since his beloved granddaughter had rushed in just to show it to him, he humored her and kept reading.
Then one line made him pause.
"Information provided by Konoha missing-nin, Uchiha Itachi."
Ōnoki's eyes narrowed.
Now that… was interesting.
He read the rest carefully.
The article was short, but by the time he finished, the ease had vanished from his face.
Instead, a rare expression of uncertainty appeared.
Could it be true?
Did the Sage of Six Paths truly leave behind a hidden legacy?
Was that the real reason why legends like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha possessed power that surpassed the age?
And Sarutobi… did Konoha bury the truth to monopolize it?
It sounded absurd.
Yet disturbingly plausible.
For the first time in years, Ōnoki couldn't immediately dismiss something as rumor.
"Grandpa! What do you think?" the girl asked eagerly. "Should we go to Konoha and search for the Sage's treasure?"
"I heard that whoever finds it can become the god of the shinobi world!"
"Just like Lord Hashirama back then respected by everyone!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
This was none other than his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
Ōnoki's expression hardened instantly.
"Kurotsuchi."
His voice carried rare severity.
"You are absolutely forbidden from leaving Iwagakure without my permission."
"The Sage's treasure is not some adventure story. If it exists at all, it will bring disaster."
"Understood?"
Kurotsuchi froze, startled by her grandfather's sudden seriousness.
"…Understood," she muttered reluctantly, pouting.
Ōnoki sighed.
"Don't make that face. Grandpa will call Deidara back to play with you, alright?"
"Really?!"
Her gloom vanished instantly.
"That's great! I just learned a new Earth Release technique. I wanted to show him!"
"Alright, alright," Ōnoki chuckled. "Even if I have to drag that troublemaker back in chains."
"It's a promise!"
"It's a promise."
"Now go play with your friends. Grandpa has work."
"Okay~!"
Once Kurotsuchi left, the warmth drained from Ōnoki's face.
Silence filled the office.
Whether the Sage's treasure was real or not didn't matter.
What mattered was the intent behind the rumor.
Someone was clearly targeting Konoha.
Using the Sage's legend to stir the world.
A scheme of this scale could not be simple.
A seasoned Tsuchikage did not look only at the surface. He understood the undercurrents beneath political storms.
And this storm… felt dangerous.
"I don't want anyone from Iwagakure rushing into this blindly," he muttered.
After a moment of thought, he made a decision.
"Send for Kitsuchi."
An ANBU operative vanished instantly.
Soon, a tall and broad-shouldered man entered the office Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi.
"You called for me, Father?"
"This is your mission," Ōnoki said, handing over a scroll.
"Carry it out immediately."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"And listen carefully you are not to involve yourself in anything related to the Sage's treasure. Under any circumstances."
Kitsuchi blinked in surprise, then nodded.
"…Understood."
He knew better than to ignore a warning delivered in that tone.
Hidden Rain Village (Amegakure)
Since choosing to remain dormant, the organization Akatsuki had little large-scale activity.
Nagato and Konan managed Amegakure while occasionally accepting mercenary commissions to maintain funding.
Sasori buried himself in puppet research, partnering with Deidara whenever funds ran dry.
Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki took missions periodically to refine coordination.
Hidan and Kakuzu, too unstable to remain idle, were often sent on bounty hunts.
As for Uchiha Yi and Zetsu the two were nearly inseparable, always whispering about unknown plans.
No one knew what they were plotting.
On this day, Kitsuchi arrived with a mercenary commission from Iwagakure.
Konan chose not to receive him inside Amegakure itself. Instead, she met him at a concealed Akatsuki outpost.
"Heh. Long time no see, Konan," Kitsuchi greeted casually.
It was clear this wasn't their first interaction.
"State your business," Konan replied coolly.
Unbothered by her icy tone, Kitsuchi placed a scroll on the table.
"A commission. Will Akatsuki accept it?"
Konan didn't answer immediately. She opened the scroll and read.
Mission: Travel to Konohagakure and gather intelligence regarding the Sage of Six Paths' hidden treasure.
Her brows lifted slightly.
Even Iwagakure had taken the bait.
Truthfully, when the rumor first spread, even she and Nagato had been shaken.
Part of it sounded convincing the logic was disturbingly coherent.
Yet another part of her suspected manipulation.
And if there was anyone capable of orchestrating such a psychological storm…
Her thoughts drifted to Uchiha Yi.
And Zetsu.
Though she had no proof, her intuition told her they were involved.
"What do you think?" Kitsuchi asked. "Will you take it?"
Konan remained silent for a long moment.
In the past, she would have accepted instantly. Akatsuki survived on missions like this.
But now…
If this rumor truly originated from Uchiha Yi, taking the mission might interfere with his plans.
When had that started?
When had she begun considering his intentions before making decisions?
Perhaps it began the first time he addressed her not as a superior…
But gently.
"Teacher Konan."
A faint ripple stirred in her usually still heart like paper wings brushing a quiet sky.
"I'll give you an answer tomorrow," she said finally.
Not a refusal.
But not acceptance either.
And for the first time in years, Konan found herself hesitating.
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