At a small lake near Mushiking Valley, a tall man dressed in a Konohagakure shinobi uniform and wearing a Konoha forehead protector was crouching by the lake, filling a bucket with water.
He had a cigarette in his mouth and a scar on his face. He seemed ordinary, like any common shinobi you might find in Konohagakure.
However, this seemingly "average" individual was, in fact, Sasuke Sarutobi, a powerful shinobi whose name echoed throughout the shinobi world, even commanding respect from the Uchiha clan.
Hiruzen's ability to master all five chakra natures and countless ninjutsu at such a young age was not only due to the tutelage of Hashirama and Tobirama but also deeply connected to having such a powerful father. At the very least, his five chakra natures were inherited from his father, Sasuke Sarutobi.
Perhaps it was due to his confidence in his own strength, or simply because the area was sparsely populated, but Sasuke made no effort to conceal his presence. He had casually built a wooden hut by the lake, appearing to have lived there for some time.
Just as he lifted the water-filled bucket near the hut, Sasuke stopped, looking up into the dense forest behind the hut.
Soon after, two figures appeared one after another in his line of sight. When he clearly saw them, Sasuke's lips curved slightly.
"Though I guessed that Hokage-sama and Tobirama would send you, Hiruzen, I truly didn't expect you, Hibari, to be among them too..." Sasuke said with a chuckle.
The next second, both Hiruzen and Hibari appeared before the hut. Before Hiruzen could even speak to his father, Hibari's voice rang out first.
"Hahahaha, Sasuke-jiisan, didn't expect that, did you? Don't underestimate me too much now. I'm a legitimate Konoha shinobi now, you know! So, of course, I have to contribute to the village!" Hibari said cheerfully, taking out the forehead protector from his pocket and playfully showing it to Sasuke, as if proving something.
Sasuke looked at the forehead protector and said with a smile, "It seems Hokage-sama and Tobirama finally had the heart to let you out..."
After a brief chat, Sasuke looked at his son and asked, "Hiruzen, does Hokage-sama have any instructions?"
Upon hearing his father's question, Hiruzen quickly replied, "Father, Hokage-sama has ordered Hibari and me to assist you. Our mission is to investigate the movements of Chomei, the Seven-Tails, and confirm whether the information has truly leaked. If it has, then we need to determine if a third party is involved..."
At this point, Hiruzen paused and glanced at Hibari. Hibari instantly understood his meaning. It seemed this 'Uncle' Hiruzen was still looking out for him, wanting him to feel involved in the mission.
So Hibari immediately spoke up, "Once it's confirmed that a third party is involved, our mission is to delay their actions and await Hokage-sama's arrival..."
After listening to both of them, Sasuke fell silent for a moment, seemingly pondering something. Then he said, "So, Hokage-sama will be arriving personally soon to handle this matter, right?"
"That's right. After all, the implications of this matter can be either big or small..." Hiruzen nodded.
"Sigh, it's also my failure to handle things properly, otherwise, it wouldn't have come to this point. I never expected that Takigakure would produce a missing-nin at this time... leading to the intel leaking. It truly brings shame to the village," Sasuke said with some remorse.
"Sasuke-jiisan, you don't know Takigakure, and it's impossible for you to be familiar with the people in their village. Making a mistake in such a place is understandable, so you don't need to blame yourself too much. Speaking of which... from what you just said, has the intel leak been confirmed?" Hibari first comforted the self-reproaching Sasuke, then asked with great curiosity.
Hearing Hibari's words, Sasuke nodded and replied, "That's right. After my investigation, that fellow Kakuzu... that missing-nin from Takigakure, has already been selling information about Chomei on the black market. And I also learned that this information already has a buyer..."
"So, the intel leak has been confirmed, and even the possibility of a third party being involved has become extremely high... Is that right?" Hiruzen frowned, asking softly.
"Indeed. So, we must also prepare for this. Before Hokage-sama arrives, we absolutely cannot let anything happen to Chomei..." Sasuke said firmly.
Hibari listened, unceremoniously picking up a steamed bun from the table in front of the hut door. He took a bite and mumbled, "Sasuke-jiisan, is Chomei, the Seven-Tails, truly in the valley behind us right now?"
Sasuke didn't mind Hibari's casual demeanor, seemingly long accustomed to the boy's ways. He nodded and said, "That's right. I've already investigated inside. There's indeed a massive chakra presence, and I even personally witnessed Chomei's figure, so I can confirm that it's in there."
Upon hearing this news, Hibari quickly devoured the bun in a few bites, then eagerly said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's quickly go in and keep an eye on it! And give me a chance to see the world..."
"Hahahaha, aren't you afraid that thing will hit you with a Tailed Beast Ball? Then you wouldn't even leave a speck of dust behind..." Sasuke said with a laugh.
"With me following you and Hiruzen... Ojiisan, why would I be afraid of that?" Hibari said, completely unconcerned.
"Flattering us won't work," Sasuke said with a smile. However, after a brief pause, he continued, "But since you two are here, we indeed need to go in. We don't know if a third party will join, but if they do, they will undoubtedly be our enemies. So, we need to set up some 'gifts' first."
"Setting traps, I'm good at that! Even Tobirama-jiisan has fallen for my tricks in that regard..." Hibari said with great confidence upon hearing this.
"No one knows when those guys will come. Without further ado, let's move out now..." Sasuke said with a smile.
Then, Hibari and Hiruzen helped him pack away the items in the wooden hut. Afterward, they watched as Sasuke formed a single hand seal and quietly uttered, "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
As Sasuke's words fell, the ground beneath the wooden hut instantly turned into a pool of soft mud, and the hut quickly sank into it.
"He can use that jutsu with just one hand seal..." Hibari mumbled, clicking his tongue. 'Is this why Sasuke-jiisan is so renowned in the shinobi world?'
Hiruzen, standing nearby, seemed completely unbothered, and it appeared this wasn't his first time participating in such 'house-destroying' acts. He very smoothly cooperated with his father.
He casually performed a few hand seals, and then a stream of water from the lake behind them rushed over, connecting the Swamp of the Underworld to the lake and washing away all the surrounding footprints.
Looking at the scene now, the surrounding environment appeared completely natural, with no trace of anyone having lived there. This made Hibari understand why Sasuke had built the house by the lake.
"Learned, learned," Hibari nodded repeatedly.
These things couldn't possibly be learned from reading books in the village; experiencing them firsthand was much better. Indeed, 'reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles,' knowledge and action combined, was truly the best.
Seeing Hibari's look of newfound understanding, both Hiruzen and Sasuke smiled, though neither said much.
After taking care of these matters, the three wasted no time and quickly headed towards the nearby Mushiking Valley.
Tobirama's mastery of 'sensing' techniques was exceptionally high, and he occasionally taught Hibari some of these skills. Therefore, Hibari had some outstanding abilities in 'sensing.'
Soon after stepping into Mushiking Valley, Hibari sensed a massive chakra deep within the valley, occasionally accompanied by a sense of pressure that spread throughout the entire Mushiking Valley.
"Should I say, as expected of a Tailed Beast? We haven't even seen its shadow, and its presence can already be felt..." Hibari murmured softly.
"Ordinary shinobi might go their entire lives without seeing a Tailed Beast even once. This is valuable experience and knowledge, Hibari," Hiruzen said with a smile.
At the same time, a hint of excitement also appeared in his eyes. As he said, Tailed Beasts at this time were not like in later generations, where they seemed to appear to show off frequently. Nowadays, Tailed Beasts were precious, and ordinary people rarely got to see them.
After walking some distance, Sasuke stopped and said, "Any further inside, and Chomei, the Seven-Tails, might discover us. Our traps might also be triggered by it, and then things could get out of hand. So, let's start here..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hibari's lips curved into a smile, and he said confidently, "Sasuke-jiisan, and Hiruzen-nii, hold on for a moment. Let me show you Senju Hibari's craftsmanship first."
"It's Hiruzen-jisan, you brat..." Hiruzen corrected him again, somewhat displeased.
Sasuke seemed long accustomed to the relationship between Hibari and his son, so he didn't mind Hibari's 'disrespectful' words. Instead, he said with a chuckle, "Alright, then let me see what kind of trap you're talking about that could even trip up Tobirama..."
"Just you watch," Hibari said with a smile.
At the same time, he began forming hand seals.
Watching Hibari's movements, Sasuke murmured softly to himself, "Earth Release ninjutsu...?"
"Earth Release: Earth Sinking Jutsu!" Hibari also said softly.