Naruto: Troublesome Ninja Haruta

Chapter 23: Lord Ebizō, Lord Danzo Sends His Regards

"Impossible... this is impossible..."

In an abandoned village within the Land of Wind, Pakura stared blankly at the document in her hands, completely frozen in shock.

Beside her, Haruta, Yugao, and Shisui—who was still dripping eyedrops into his Sharingan—paid her no mind.

The battle a day ago had been anything but easy. Sasori's puppets were not only numerous and deadly but also highly dangerous!

To make matters worse, that bastard could fly using his puppets.

While Sasori only had to focus on using his puppets in battle, Haruta and the others had to juggle multiple concerns...

The most critical objective was preventing Sasori from escaping, which had drained them of both energy and chakra. Fortunately, everything had gone relatively smoothly.

"And honestly, we should be thanking Sasori right now..."

Haruta glanced around at the abandoned house they were in. As expected, this village had most likely been wiped out by Sasori during one of his "supply runs."

And because of his identity—and the fact that he was carrying around his "Third Kazekage collectible"—Kabuto had been able to act.

If all went as expected, Sunagakure was probably conducting a massive manhunt for Sasori right now...

"How are you feeling?"

As Haruta silently thanked Sasori for his contributions to their cause, Yugao sat down beside him.

"I never expected this mission to be such a mess… and I definitely didn't expect to run into something like this."

She glanced at Pakura, who was still staring at the document in a daze. Then, turning back to Haruta, she added,

"You really are amazing."

"I've always been amazing, senpai."

Haruta shrugged with a grin.

"If I weren't, how else would I protect you?"

"I wasn't just talking about your combat skills..."

Yugao pressed her lips together for a moment before quickly changing the subject.

"I meant the fact that you managed to predict Sunagakure's moves so accurately."

"He's right, Haruta—you really are impressive."

Shisui, still tending to his eyes, spoke up as well. He hadn't questioned how Haruta had obtained the documents.

At the very least, he knew Haruta wouldn't dare fabricate something this important.

Besides, given Haruta's background, it wasn't far-fetched that he had certain connections.

But to be able to deduce Sunagakure's situation with such accuracy, even without specific intelligence—that was something only a rare few could do.

"Alright, enough about me. Let's focus on wrapping things up."

Haruta shook his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"We've gathered all the intel we need. It's time to plan our exit."

They had thoroughly disrupted Sunagakure. And one way or another, they had completed their mission.

This was also why Shisui trusted Haruta's intel—because it was meant to be reported. In their line of work, forging intelligence could get you killed.

"Of course."

Shisui nodded. However, he hesitated for a moment before asking,

"And what about your other plan? Also… what do you intend to do with Pakura?"

By plan, he was referring to Haruta's efforts to weaken Sunagakure. Shisui was eager to see the Uchiha's reputation grow.

"You'll see soon enough, senpai. As for Pakura, we're sending her back."

Haruta sighed.

"The plan is basically complete. How are you only realizing that now?"

He wasn't about to explain everything in detail. Instead, he gave Shisui and Yugao a meaningful look before speaking again.

"But before that, there's something I need you two to do."

"Go on."

Neither Shisui nor Yugao hesitated.

Haruta had already earned their full trust.

However, after hearing what Haruta said next, both of them froze.

---

Near the River Country Border

"Why haven't they arrived yet?"

Ebizō stood in a desert oasis, frowning as he waited.

The previous battle was still fresh in his mind. He had seen the Third Kazekage's puppet… and he had seen him.

"Is it really you, Sasori...?"

Ebizō remained silent, contemplating how he would break this news to his sister.

More importantly, he was considering ways to minimize the political fallout.

But then, the previous night, a man calling himself "Shuji" had requested an audience.

The stranger had not only provided this meeting location but had also handed him a kunai—one bearing an unmistakable Konoha military marking.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't be anything significant. Many villages could forge such symbols.

But under the current circumstances, Ebizō couldn't afford to take any chances.

Especially since "Shuji" had used the Shadow Clone Technique.

"Just how deep is Konoha's involvement in this mess?"

Ebizō felt deeply unsettled.

But given the political stakes, he had chosen to err on the side of caution.

And so, he had set out that very night, arriving at this designated meeting point.

Yet the wait was starting to wear on his patience.

Just as he was beginning to suspect he had been tricked, he spotted two figures approaching.

"That's..."

Ebizō's brows furrowed.

One of them wore a mask—likely an ANBU operative.

The other…

"Pakura?"

Pakura had been captured by Konoha?

Ebizō's expression darkened.

But at the same time, he felt some relief—at least she was alive.

"Lord Ebizō, greetings."

The masked figure—Haruta—spoke calmly as he stopped in front of him.

"You're from Konoha?"

Ebizō scrutinized the young man before him. His voice was grave as he continued,

"You've got some nerve causing trouble in Sunagakure. Should I be impressed by your audacity… or should I kill you?"

"That depends entirely on you, Lord Ebizō."

Haruta's tone remained indifferent.

He briefly glanced at the silent Pakura before speaking again.

"After all, there are ANBU hidden all around us. With a single command, you could have me surrounded. But… are you sure that's what you want?"

"Do you really think Konoha would claim responsibility for what you've done?"

Ebizō scoffed.

An ANBU agent causing chaos in the Land of Wind? If his identity were exposed, it would be as good as a death sentence.

Unless he managed to make it back to Konoha, his own village wouldn't acknowledge his actions.

"Of course Konoha won't. But I don't just represent Konoha."

Haruta shook his head.

If he was daring to meet Ebizō face-to-face, it wasn't just because he was confident in his own abilities—he had other leverage.

"And you should know we're professionals. We've already gathered all the necessary intel."

Haruta's eyes gleamed.

"If you make a move against me, some very... sensitive information will be leaked.

"After all, I'm here on behalf of a very important person—to discuss a partnership with you."

"What information?"

Ebizō's expression darkened.

But he could tell this wasn't an empty bluff.

Haruta smiled.

Then, with a solemn expression, he softly said,

"Lord Ebizō… Lord Danzo sends his regards."

"...."

Damn it.

Danzo?!

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