"By the way, Sasuke," Namikaze Raimon said, his eyes crinkling into a smile as he regarded his dark-haired student. He seemed to have developed a sudden, intense interest in nomenclature. "Have you settled on a name for that new technique of yours?"
Sasuke shook his head slightly. Naming wasn't his forte; destruction was. "I was thinking… Raiton: Chidori Rōga no Yari?" (Lightning Release: Chidori Wolf Fang Spear?) He tilted his head, awaiting judgment.
"Ehhh~" Raimon drew out the sound, his expression one of mild disappointment. "A jutsu's name is its soul! It has to have impact! It has to resonate!"
He stroked his chin, a maestro contemplating a symphony's title. "How about… Raiton Hiden: Chidori Senbon – Shi o Yobu Rōga Chō Shūshuku Yari!" (Lightning Release Secret Technique: Thousand Bird Needles – Death-Invoking Wolf Fang Ultra-Retractable Spear!)
He nodded, immensely pleased with himself. The name was a mouthful, an epic poem of pain. "Well, Sasuke? What do you think?"
Seeing the clear pride on his sensei's face, Sasuke swallowed any objection about practicality or brevity. This attention, this focus on his development… it was something he hadn't felt since his family was whole. A strange warmth flickered in his chest.
"Hai. It's… perfect, sensei." The name was absurd, but the sentiment behind it wasn't.
'Just you wait, Itachi,' he thought, his Sharingan spinning faintly with renewed resolve. 'My 'Death-Invoking Wolf Fang Ultra-Retractable Spear' will make you bloom like no Uchiha has before.'
****
"Achoo!"
In a dimly lit room in Amegakure, Uchiha Itachi, who was lying on his stomach to relieve pressure on his still-tender posterior, felt an abrupt, inexplicable itch in his nose. He frowned, a rare flicker of concern crossing his pale features.
'Has the progression of my illness accelerated?' He performed a quick internal diagnostic. 'No… the condition remains stable. There should still be enough time… for Sasuke.'
His gaze shifted to Kisame Hoshigaki, who was gingerly testing the flexibility of his own recently-healed glutes. A plan, cold and necessary, formed in his mind. "Kisame. Your assistance will be required once more."
Leaving a convincing shadow clone in his place, the real Itachi melted into the perpetual rain of the hidden village, his purpose a silent mystery.
****
Back in Konoha, the evening found the Hokage Tower under siege—not by enemies, but by its own disgruntled shinobi. A crowd had gathered at the base, their voices a storm of discontent.
"Hokage-sama! The Sarutobi clan is going too far!""Do they intend to leave any scraps for the rest of us?!""We have families to feed!"
The issue was mission monopolization. Ever since the clan had gone into overdrive to pay off Raimon's debt, they had become locusts on the mission board. No task was too small or too menial—from weeding gardens and unclogging drains to finding lost pets. For over half a month, non-Sarutobi shinobi had seen their income dry up completely.
"Hokage-sama! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old! My whole family depends on my mission pay!" a chūnin pleaded, his desperation palpable.
Tsunade stood at the top of the steps, her expression stern. She was aware of the problem. The Sarutobi clan's actions, combined with their heavy-handed tenure running the Military Police, were creating dangerous fissures in Konoha's stability. Personal loyalty to her sensei was one thing; the welfare of the entire village was another.
"Everyone, quiet down!" Her voice, amplified by chakra, cut through the din. "I hear your grievances. Effective tomorrow, I am issuing a directive: the Sarutobi clan will be barred from accepting any new D or C-rank missions for the foreseeable future. Priority will be given to those who have gone without work."
A wave of relieved murmurs passed through the crowd. With the Hokage's promise, the angry mob slowly dispersed.
Tsunade's frown deepened as she watched them go. 'Sensei… you've left me no choice. You can't strangle the village for the sake of one clan.' Then, her thoughts took a sharp, cheerful turn. 'Enough of this politics! Let Jiraiya deal with the paperwork fallout.'
A brilliant, greedy smile replaced her frown. 'La la la~ My precious dice! Tonight's the night I break the house!' With a clear and joyful goal, she headed straight for Konoha's most discreet—and well-funded—underground gambling den.
****
Within the Sarutobi clan compound, the atmosphere was funereal. Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the report, his face growing darker with each word. The lines of age and stress seemed to deepen instantly.
"...and so, Hokage-sama Tsunade has officially barred the clan from all low-rank missions," the messenger finished, bowing low.
"The Fifth Hokage shows no respect for you, her former teacher! She disregards your authority completely!" one hot-headed clansman spat.
"Enough!" Hiruzen's fist slammed onto the table with a crack that echoed in the quiet room. A jolt of pain immediately shot up his spine. "Agh… my back…!" He winced, clutching his lumbar region. "Tsunade is the Hokage now. Her decrees are law. I cannot… and will not… overturn them for personal gain."
He took several steadying puffs from his pipe, the familiar smoke doing little to soothe his frustration or his aching back. The pragmatist in him knew Tsunade was right. But the clan patriarch was furious.
"Why… why must they focus solely on those paltry village missions?" he groaned, the weight of his clan's shortsightedness pressing down on him. Years of indulgence had made them soft, fearful of real risk.
"What of the larger sum? How much have we gathered?" he asked, changing the subject to the only thing that mattered.
The accountant's face was pale. "S-Sandaime-sama… we are still… over five hundred million ryo short."
Hiruzen felt a headache, distinct from his back pain, begin to throb. Time was running out.
"Have you been sitting on your hands?!" he snapped. "The money from a single high-profile rogue-nin bounty or a well-planned 'interception' of a wealthy merchant caravan from a neighboring country exceeds months of D-rank pay!"
"But, Sandaime-sama! We've already… cleared out all the known rogue ninja in the Land of Fire! The border merchant routes are becoming suspicious!"
"Then look beyond the borders, you fool!" Hiruzen nearly shouted, his patience evaporating. "The Land of Lightning is rich! The Land of Hot Water is decadent! The Land of Iron has wealthy merchants! Must I draw you a map?!"
"Y-yes, Sandaime-sama! Right away!" The chastised clansman, Sarutobi Hitakiba, scrambled from the room, eager to escape the old man's wrath.
Left alone, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned heavily against the wall, one hand massaging his throbbing temple, the other supporting his bad back.
"Aish… these useless…" he muttered, slowly shuffling towards his quarters, a picture of aged, beleaguered authority.
***
Early the next morning, as the first light touched Konoha, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at Raimon's designated meeting point. Naruto was already there, running through a vigorous series of stretches in the yard, buzzing with energy.
"You're all prompt. Good," Namikaze Raimon said, stepping out of the house. Behind him, Tsunade emerged looking distinctly worse for wear, with dark circles under her eyes and the aura of someone who had unsuccessfully battled fate and dice all night.
Raimon surveyed his team, lined up before him. Sasuke, coiled and eager. Naruto, brimming with chaotic excitement. Sakura, determined but anxious. "Is everyone prepared?"
"Hai, sensei! We are ready!" Sasuke responded immediately, his body thrumming with the desire to test his new power against a legendary name.
Raimon saw no need for speeches. He wasn't a corporate manager. In a flash of yellow light, Hiraishin activated, and the group vanished from Konoha, reappearing in the dense, misty forests bordering the Land of Rice Fields.
"Sensei, where is he?" Sasuke asked immediately, his Sharingan active, scanning the shadows.
"Uncle! I want Snake-Uncle to taste my Spiny Sea Urchin!" Naruto chimed in, cracking his knuckles.
Raimon's senses, honed by decades of warfare, spread out. The hidden base of Otogakure was close. In the undergrowth, a small, pale white snake observed the intruders for a moment before silently slithering away, its mission complete.
****
Deep within the labyrinthine underground base of Otogakure, Orochimaru's expression was grave. The report from his spy snake had just reached him.
"Kuso… He's come after all." He had been on edge since Raimon's last proximity half a month ago, his essential research already packed into scrolls for a rapid departure. The attack on Konoha had provided a temporary reprieve, a false hope that the yellow demon had bigger concerns. That hope was now dust.
He couldn't outrun the Flying Thunder God. His only option was… misdirection.
With swift, decisive motions, he summoned his most promising Sound Four—Tayuya, Sakon & Ukon, Jirobō, and Kidōmaru. His golden, serpentine eyes settled on the foul-mouthed kunoichi, Tayuya.
"Tayuya. I have a critical mission for you." His voice was smooth, dripping with false promise. He leaned forward, offering the carrot he knew young, ambitious shinobi craved. "Succeed in this diversion, perform exceptionally…"
A wide, almost paternal smile spread across his pale face."Work hard, and I'll let you be the star of next year's Otogakure propaganda films. A true… movie star."