Naruto: Kakashi of the spider sage

On Shisui's side, he was tailing Yahura Otona, keeping to the shadows as he moved through the bustling capital. At first, he had assumed this mission would be straightforward—an infiltration and intelligence-gathering assignment for just two shinobi. However, as he continued his surveillance, he quickly realized that there were too many moving parts, too many players involved for just him and Kakashi. Even with the use of multiple shadow clones, he was barely able to keep up with everything happening.

He had stationed seven of his clones to spy on the various leaders of the noble faction, while his real body kept a close watch on his main target, Yahura. Tonight, as expected, Yahura received the mission files. This was the moment Shisui had been waiting for.

Moving carefully, he followed Yahura, who had entered an elegant black carriage. It rolled smoothly through the cobbled streets, heading toward the city's outskirts. Shisui kept a fair distance, his body flickering from rooftop to rooftop, making sure not to lose sight of the carriage. Eventually, it passed beyond the capital's walls, continuing down a narrow, well-traveled road.

After what felt like an hour, they arrived at a small village. It was unremarkable, with modest homes and a scattering of villagers moving about their evening routines. However, something about the place felt off. Yahura's arrival did not raise any suspicions among the people; rather, they seemed accustomed to it, as if his presence was a regular occurrence.

Shisui narrowed his eyes. Could this be the headquarters of The Golden Shore?

Moving stealthily, he approached the village, weaving through alleys until he reached the central building where Yahura had entered. Using his silent footwork, he infiltrated the headquarters unnoticed and found himself an optimal vantage point. Inside, Yahura was seated in a dimly lit chamber, waiting. Minutes passed before another figure entered—a man who carried himself with an air of authority.

What struck Shisui as odd was that, despite The Golden Shore being a subsidiary of the noble faction, this man was not acting subserviently toward Yahura. In fact, he had even kept him waiting.

The man spoke first. "Apologies, Yahura-sama, I had to deal with a certain mess."

Yahura, looking unbothered, smirked. "I've already apologized for the tunnel, but it wasn't my fault. The shinobi you provided were trash. I heard they were taken out rather easily."

The man clenched his fist but restrained himself. "So, did you get any information? Did you find out who was responsible?"

Yahura leaned back, looking amused. "From what I've heard, two shinobi arrived at the Daimyo's palace under the pretense of dealing with the 'Kaguya rogue ninja' who was massacring villages outside the capital. They're quite young, but I'm certain you've heard of them. One of them, in particular, has given your people quite a bit of trouble."

The man tensed. "Just tell me."

Yahura's smirk widened. "The first one is Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan. The second is Shisui of the Body Flicker."

Shisui, listening from the shadows, felt his mind race. The man's reaction was telling—his hands trembled for a brief moment before tightening into fists. There was fear behind his eyes.

Yahura chuckled. "Oh, yeah, I heard your leader even put a 'Flee on Sight' order on him. Allowing your shinobi to escape if they encountered him."

That pushed the man over the edge. With a sudden burst of rage, he slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it into pieces. Yahura, however, only looked more entertained.

Shisui remained in his hidden position, silently taking pictures with his camera. The man's reaction had all but confirmed what he suspected—this faction was backed by Iwagakure.

The man finally regained his composure. "Are they still in the capital?"

Yahura nodded. "Kakashi was seen with the Daimyo yesterday. It seems like they're also investigating Kaizo. That fool isn't even hiding his ambitions. He thinks that his status as the Daimyo's brother will protect him."

The man sneered. "Once they officially leave the capital, tell me. I will take care of them myself. Also, we need more funding. Have Kaizo push for more missions through the Daimyo. We need the extra resources to redirect the tunnel. We'll have to find new manpower, and it needs to be completed within three weeks."

Yahura sighed. "I'll speak with Kaizo and manipulate him into working with me. That should be enough to force more missions through the Daimyo. Alright, I've stayed here long enough. If I linger, it will raise suspicions."

With that, Yahura left. Shisui, however, stayed behind for a little longer, confirming his suspicions. A few moments later, a group of shinobi flickered into the chamber, kneeling before the man.

"Nobaku-sama, are these our new missions?" one of them asked.

"Yes. Divide them amongst yourselves and complete them within three days at most."

That was all Shisui needed to hear. Silently, he slipped away and began his journey back to report to Kakashi.

On Kakashi's side, he was reporting his findings to the Daimyo. He laid out his plan: the moment Kaizo met with his leader of this operation from the Land of Iron, Kakashi would observe. If the leader of the operation was a high-ranking official with direct ties to the Land of Iron, he would act immediately and apprehend them. If not, he would continue investigating until he found someone that did.

The Daimyo nodded in agreement. "My Twelve Guardian Ninja are at your disposal. If you require their aid, do not hesitate to call upon them."

Kakashi inclined his head. "Thank you."

With that, he left the palace. However, instead of returning to the guest quarters, he found himself back on the rooftop. He had grown fond of this spot. The fresh air, the wide vantage point—it was one of the few places where he felt at ease. He even considered sleeping here again tonight.

Just as he was settling in, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Senpai! Were you really about to fall asleep? Take the mission more seriously."

Kakashi cracked open one eye to see Shisui standing over him, arms crossed.

"Quit nagging and just report what you found," Kakashi said lazily.

Shisui sighed but did as he was told. He recounted everything—from tailing Yahura to confirming that the noble faction was backed by Iwagakure. The moment Kakashi heard about the 'Flee on Sight' order, his mind went into deep thought.

"A 'Flee on Sight' order, huh? Yeah, Sensei had one of those too. His was issued by Kumo. If I remember correctly, you earned yours fighting against Iwagakure during the war."

Shisui nodded. "That's right. And it makes sense now. The tunnel wasn't just a means of infiltration—it was designed to connect to the Land of Fields, a small nation caught between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. Iwa could march its forces through the Land of Fields with no resistance, but they can't cross directly into Fire Country without provoking war. That's why they need the tunnel."

Kakashi exhaled. "Then this situation is far more serious than we initially thought."

Shisui hesitated. "Senpai… I think we should call for reinforcements. This is bigger than just us."

Kakashi was silent for a long moment before he spoke. "Yeah. You might be right."