Naruto: Kakashi of the spider sage

Night had fallen once again over the capital, the soft glow of lanterns illuminating the streets below. Kakashi sat perched on the roof of the Daimyo's palace, his lone eye scanning the city. It had been two days since the Hokage's orders arrived, instructing them to wait for backup before making their move. In that time, he and Shisui had gone over their plans repeatedly, refining their strategy for the ambush on Kaizo.

While Kakashi understood the necessity of waiting, patience had never been his strong suit. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he considered their situation. He knew Jiraiya was also supposed to be en route, but trusting the Sannin's sense of timing was like trusting a cat to deliver a message—it might arrive today, next week, or never. If Jiraiya was in the Land of Hot Water indulging in his usual... research, it could take him another week or two to get here. That left Kakashi and his team to handle things for now.

Just as he was about to check their supplies again, two figures approached from the east, moving swiftly across the rooftops. Kakashi and Shisui stood as Might Guy and Itachi Uchiha landed lightly before them.

"Ah! Kakashi! Shisui! The flames of our youthful battle shall once again burn brightly!" Guy declared, striking a dramatic pose.

Kakashi sighed. "Good to see you too, Guy."

Shisui grinned. "Glad you two could make it."

Itachi, ever composed, gave a small nod. "Kakashi-senpai. Shisui."

After brief greetings, Kakashi took a map from his pouch and spread it on the roof. Guy, Itachi, and Shisui gathered around, though there was an unspoken question lingering in the air—why exactly were they meeting on top of the Daimyo's palace? Kakashi pretended not to notice their curious glances and got straight to the point.

"This is where we'll intercept Kaizo," Kakashi said, pointing to a secluded area near the city's outskirts. "He's scheduled to meet his contact in five days, but before that happens, we need to deal with his brother. If we don't, Kaizo might go underground the moment he realizes something's off. That means we move within the next two days."

Shisui tapped the map. "How much resistance are we expecting?"

"Kaizo's brother is guarded by mercenaries, likely samurai hired from the Land of Iron. We don't know their exact numbers yet, but they won't be weak."

"Hmph. No matter their number, my youthful strength will shine through!" Guy declared.

Kakashi ignored him and continued. "We'll operate in two teams. Shisui and I will engage the brother directly. Guy, I need you running interference, keeping his bodyguards from overwhelming us. Itachi, you'll be our support—eliminate threats quickly and silently, and if the situation turns south, we'll rely on you to tilt the battle in our favor."

Itachi's dark eyes studied the map before nodding. "Understood."

With the plan in place, they spent the next few hours going over contingency measures before finally dispersing for the night.

Paradise Isles – Two Days Later

The soft glow of the moon reflected on the ocean waves as a small unit of ANBU moved through the thick forest. Their leader, Tiger, ran at the front, his mask concealing all but his sharp focus.

"Sir, are you sure this is the right way? We've been searching non-stop for four days," one of the masked shinobi asked.

Tiger didn't slow. "We have no choice but to follow every lead. If Jiraiya-sama is here, we need to find him now."

The squad entered a small city, its streets still lively despite the late hour. Tiger signaled for his team to spread out. "Search every bar, inn, and bathhouse. Jiraiya-sama should be here somewhere."

With that, they each disappeared into the night.

Inside a dimly lit gentlemen's club, a semi-old man with wild white hair lounged comfortably in a private room. Bottles of alcohol surrounded him, and two young women giggled as he spun an extravagant tale, though his words were slightly slurred.

"Alright, ladies, let's go do some... research," Jiraiya said, winking. Before he could make his next move, a knock sounded at the door. He sighed dramatically and reached into his wallet, handing the girls a handful of bills.

"Seems work is calling me," he muttered. "Thank you for the lovely evening."

One of the women smiled and kissed his cheek before leaving. Jiraiya coughed into his fist, composing himself as a masked figure flickered into the room.

"Greetings, Jiraiya-sama," Tiger said stiffly. "Lord Hokage has issued an urgent mission. We require your presence in the capital immediately."

Jiraiya smirked as he took the scroll and skimmed its contents. "Oh? My grand-student's involved in this, huh? I heard he picked up some weird, unheard-of Sage Mode. Might be interesting to see if it's just a gimmick."

He tucked the scroll into his robes and stretched lazily. "Alright, you can go now. I'll be on my way soon."

As Tiger vanished, Jiraiya chuckled to himself. "Heh, I wonder if Kakashi even knows about the history between the Frog and Spider Sages. This could get interesting."

Outside the Capital – The Same Time

Kakashi stood with his arms crossed as he observed Guy, Shisui, and Itachi sparring against one another. With two more days until their mission, he had arranged this session for two reasons: to pass time and to better assess their abilities.

Guy was a known factor—his speed and taijutsu were unmatched, and Kakashi had absolute trust in him when it came to executing the plan. Shisui, as always, moved like a blur, his mastery of the Body Flicker technique making him almost untouchable. But Itachi was a wildcard.

Kakashi had heard the rumors. A genius among geniuses. The youngest ANBU ever appointed. But hearing about someone's abilities and seeing them in action were two different things.

As the sparring match intensified, Itachi's calm, calculated movements became more evident. He dodged, countered, and struck with frightening precision, adapting instantly to both Guy and Shisui's attacks. Kakashi narrowed his eye.

"He's reading their movements... and predicting them. He's not just fast—he's impossibly efficient."

The match came to an end with Itachi avoiding Guy's powerful kick at the last second while countering Shisui with a well-placed kunai.

Kakashi exhaled. "Alright. I've seen enough. We're ready."

As the sun began to set, they all knew—tomorrow, the real mission would begin.