Kitazawa arrived in the Land of Rice Fields.
The Land of Rice Fields borders the Land of Fire, located to its north.
Previously, the Land of Rice Fields had no Ninja Village — only a small number of Ninja clans and individual Ninjas — until Orochimaru appeared and established Otogakure.
Kitazawa traveled north and soon saw Otogakure, the village founded by Orochimaru. He didn't enter directly but instead detoured toward a nearby valley.
Before Otogakure's creation, the most famous Ninja clan in the Land of Rice Fields had been the Fuma clan.
They once attempted to revive their clan with Orochimaru's help but were instead exploited, ultimately suffering heavy losses and complete failure.
Although the Fuma clan did not join Otogakure, they still worked for Orochimaru. Their mission was to monitor Ninjas from other villages near Otogakure.
If they discovered anyone heading toward the village, they were to eliminate them. In the original story, they had even attacked Jiraiya and Uzumaki Naruto.
Kitazawa quickly found the Fuma clan's residence. The clan had declined, leaving only three Jonin: Fuma Kagero, Fuma Kamikiri, and Fuma Jigumo.
Kitazawa did not engage them; he merely glanced at their base before leaving.
As he walked away, he formed a series of hand signs. His body and appearance changed, transforming into Fuma Kamikiri.
With this disguise, Kitazawa successfully entered Otogakure and began gathering intelligence.
With his strength, only Orochimaru himself could possibly see through his Transformation Technique. He simply needed to avoid approaching the building where Orochimaru resided.
Actually, Kitazawa could have infiltrated directly, but he transformed into Fuma Kamikiri just in case.
He raised an eyebrow and silently entered an underground hall. The layout resembled an arena. Inside, a large number of young men and women were engaged in fierce combat.
Kitazawa was thoughtful. These young fighters were clearly the talents Orochimaru had gathered — both to select usable subordinates and to find suitable vessels.
Simply put, when his body aged, he would transfer his soul into a new vessel.
In the original work, the reason Orochimaru meticulously trained Sasuke was because Sasuke was his chosen perfect vessel.
After leaving the underground hall, Kitazawa continued exploring Otogakure.
Soon, he spotted a white-haired young man — Kimimaro. At this point in time, Kimimaro was not yet the bedridden invalid he would become later.
Kitazawa suddenly had an idea — to have Kimimaro join the Genius Class.
The Genius Class rankings had remained largely fixed for some time; someone new was needed to shake things up. Kimimaro would be the perfect candidate.
First, in terms of age, he fit the criteria — about the same age as Haku, only two or three years older than Naruto and his peers.
Second, in terms of strength, he possessed the potential to contend for first place.
Shikotsumyaku was one of the most remarkable Bloodline Limits, granting terrifying control over one's bones.
His bones were as hard as steel, serving as both offense and defense. Nearly invincible in close combat, Kimimaro also had decent long-range capabilities.
However, there were two problems.
First, he suffered from a Bloodline disease. In the original story, he died because of it — even Orochimaru and Kabuto couldn't save him.
Yet now, Konoha had Medical Ninjas like Tsunade, Kitazawa, Kabuto, Nono Yakushi, and Shizune, so there might still be hope.
Second, he only obeyed Orochimaru's commands. For Kitazawa to recruit him into the Genius Class, he would first need to deal with Orochimaru.
There was a possibility. Kitazawa's original plan involved cooperating with Orochimaru — having him assist Konoha with scientific research, though under strict restrictions.
As for whether Orochimaru would agree, he most likely would, because he didn't want to die.
Kitazawa continued touring Otogakure. He met Kimimaro and Guren but did not encounter the Sound Four. It seemed his guess was right — they were still too young and hadn't yet become Orochimaru's subordinates.
After completing his investigation, Kitazawa left Otogakure.
He returned to Konoha the next morning.
The Ocean Heart Jewelry Store had already opened. On his way to the ANBU Base, he took a detour to check it out — business was booming, with long queues outside.
Given that it had just opened and that Tsunade was involved in its promotion, such popularity was expected. In time, the crowd would thin.
Ninjas earned well, but their expenses were high — for ninja tools, exploding tags, and medical costs. Usually, only Jonin had spare money to buy jewelry.
Kitazawa returned to his office at the ANBU Base. Picking up a pen and paper, he began documenting intelligence on Otogakure, including details on the Fuma clan.
The Fuma residence was not far from Otogakure. When Konoha eventually surrounded Orochimaru, they would likely be discovered by the clan — meaning they had to be eliminated first.
Midway through writing, Kitazawa suddenly realized something was missing. He looked up and called out, "Konan."
No one answered.
"Has she returned to the Akatsuki Organization?"
Kitazawa was a little puzzled but quickly brushed it off and resumed writing.
Half an hour later, he had filled an entire scroll with intelligence. After reviewing it carefully and confirming there were no mistakes, he got up and headed for the Hokage Building.
Upon reaching the Hokage's office, he knocked, then entered.
"Tsunade-sensei, this is intelligence on Otogakure."
He handed over the scroll he had written.
"That fast?" Tsunade looked surprised. Had he really gathered information on an entire Ninja Village in less than two days?
If it had been anyone else, she would've assumed they were joking. But Kitazawa was always serious when it came to important matters.
"Otogakure was established recently," Kitazawa replied calmly. "There isn't much intelligence to collect."
"That's true." Tsunade nodded, opened the scroll, and began to read.
A moment later, she closed it.
"Orochimaru is indeed quite capable," Tsunade commented. "Given enough time, Otogakure might become an existence second only to the Five Great Nations."
She was referring to the genius cultivation mechanism — similar to Root's — though the method was far too cruel. She also wondered where Orochimaru had managed to find so many geniuses.
"For our Konoha Village, the only real threat is Orochimaru." Tsunade chuckled lightly, her tone much more relaxed.
She had previously worried that Otogakure's growing strength might cause Konoha heavy losses. But now, it seemed that Otogakure was just a small Ninja Village capable of only a limited threat.
"I think Kimimaro is a usable talent who can join the Genius Class."
Kitazawa paused and said, "Moreover, he suffers from Bloodline disease, which can also make him a subject for our treatment."
Bloodline disease was a rare condition in the Ninja World, appearing only with a very small probability. Most Medical Ninjas had never even seen it, let alone gathered any relevant data.
Kitazawa's meaning was simple — Kimimaro had considerable medical value.
He was concerned that Kimimaro might be killed during the battle between Konoha and Otogakure, so he informed Tsunade in advance, hoping to spare the boy's life.
"Bloodline disease? It can indeed be researched."
Tsunade nodded and then asked, "But if he joins the Genius Class, can he behave himself?"
"He listens to Orochimaru," Kitazawa said, knowing what she was worried about. "As long as Orochimaru is in our hands, he will definitely comply."
"Alright then." Seeing that he had already considered it thoroughly, Tsunade said nothing more.
After all, Kitazawa was the teacher of the Genius Class, and she trusted that he wouldn't do anything detrimental to his students.
"When are we taking action?"
Kitazawa reminded her, "I think the sooner the better, to prevent Orochimaru from being prepared."
"In that case, let's make it Saturday," Tsunade said after a brief thought.
Even though it was a small-scale war, it couldn't be fought hastily. Today was Wednesday — two days remained until Saturday, enough time for Konoha's Ninja to prepare for battle.
"Kitazawa, I'll trouble you to notify them within these two days." Tsunade unhesitatingly became a hands-off boss.
Kitazawa had already been to Otogakure and understood its strength best. As the head of the Anbu, it was also proper for him to issue the notifications.
Kitazawa was slightly startled. This was equivalent to granting him military authority — he could decide who went and who didn't.
Kitazawa began to ponder.
Uchiha Itachi definitely had to go; his Mangekyo Sharingan was a safeguard against Orochimaru.
Might Guy could also join — if Orochimaru experienced a sudden power surge, Might Guy could open the Eight Gates and kick his ambitions to pieces.
Actually, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya could also be brought along, but those two might not follow his and Tsunade's commands. It wouldn't be ideal if they ended up stealing the credit during the fight. Moreover, to face Orochimaru alone didn't warrant such a lineup.
Kitazawa suddenly let out a quiet "eh." He remembered that Orochimaru also had Edo Tensei.
However, Edo Tensei, which hadn't been perfected by Yakushi Kabuto, wasn't particularly threatening.
Even so, bringing the Sealing Squad was necessary, since sealing techniques were effective against the resurrected Ninja.
Besides, Orochimaru might not even have time to use Edo Tensei — performing it required preparing part of the target Ninja's flesh and blood, as well as a living sacrifice, in advance. It was difficult to use Edo Tensei mid-battle.
There was also the matter of Orochimaru's Summoning Beasts — the snakes from Ryuchi Cave.
But with Tsunade present, the Slug from Shikkotsu Forest could counter them. The Summoning Beasts of the Three Great Sage Regions were theoretically equal in strength.
"I'll go find them now."
After greeting Tsunade, Kitazawa left the Hokage Building.
---
After a brief thought, he headed to the Hyuga residence.
Hyuga Hiashi had sent about twenty Ninja to help the Ocean Heart Jewelry Store with production, many of them Jonin.
They might be needed in the coming battle against Otogakure, so they had to be informed early.
"Konan." As Kitazawa walked, he sensed something and called out.
Konan immediately appeared before him.
"Returned to Akatsuki Organization?" Kitazawa asked.
"I went to the Capital of the Land of Fire," Konan replied honestly. "I wanted to know what kind of necklace could sell for eighty million ryo."
"You want to learn?" Kitazawa asked with a slight smile.
Konan hesitated for two seconds, then nodded.
Seeing this, Kitazawa wasn't surprised. He had already sensed her intent. Akatsuki was short on funds — it would be strange if she didn't want to learn.
"What are your thoughts?" Kitazawa asked curiously. He wanted to know what Konan had learned after following him for so long.
"The Land of Rain has found a silver mine and is currently mining it," Konan replied. "We originally wanted to sell the silver ore directly, but now we want to sell jewelry."
"Selling jewelry is indeed more profitable." Kitazawa nodded.
Selling silver ore meant acting as a raw material supplier — the downstream end of the industry. But selling jewelry was a step further, moving upstream and directly controlling the value chain.
"But there are two problems," Kitazawa added. "One is how to design, and the other is who to sell to."
Konoha could sell to the nobles of the Land of Fire because of Tsunade's influence and her relationship with the Daimyo's mansion.
Akatsuki, however, could not — and they couldn't compete with Konoha either.
"Design, for now, there isn't any," Konan admitted.
She had already seen the two necklaces in the Capital of the Land of Fire and didn't think such designs were something ordinary people could create.
"Can we sell to the nobles of the other Four Great Nations?" Konan asked humbly.
The Land of Fire was out of the question; they couldn't outsell Ocean Heart Jewelry Store.
But besides the Five Great Nations, the other small countries were very poor, making it difficult to sell at high prices.
"It's fine at first, but once merchants catch on, you'll face fierce competition."
Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "These local merchants have more advantages than you, such as resources, transportation, and manpower."
Ocean Heart Jewelry Store didn't worry about competition for two reasons.
First, they had a relationship with the Daimyo.
Second, their designs were unique.
If the Akatsuki Organization were to follow suit, they wouldn't have these two advantages.
Konan fell silent.
After Kitazawa said that, she realized that making a lot of money was not that simple. She couldn't come up with a good solution to these problems for a while.
Konan's heart suddenly stirred, and she looked at Kitazawa.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Can you be our Advisor?"
The idea of asking Kitazawa to be the Akatsuki Organization's Advisor, though whimsical, could make money.
A necklace worth eighty million ryo was equivalent to Kakuzu's efforts for half a year or even a year.
"Why would I help you?" Kitazawa was slightly taken aback and asked back.
"It's not help, it's a transaction."
Konan thought for a moment and said, "You make money for our Akatsuki Organization, and our Akatsuki Organization will pay you a corresponding reward."
"That sounds pretty good." Kitazawa nodded and said, "I can agree to that."
"What reward do you want?" Konan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"It can be a share of the profits, or it can be your Akatsuki Organization undertaking missions for me," Kitazawa said with a smile. "You know, in my position, some things are inconvenient for me to do."
Konan couldn't help but ponder. This didn't sound like it would harm the Akatsuki Organization.
The Akatsuki Organization was already a mercenary group; it was essentially the same whether they did missions for Kitazawa or for other employers.
"I have one condition: if you are to become the Akatsuki Organization's Advisor, you'll need to use a different identity," Konan explained. "There are some members in the Akatsuki Organization who have grudges with Konoha Village."
If Nagato knew about inviting Kitazawa as an Advisor, he definitely wouldn't agree, so she could only make something up and temporarily keep it from him.
"No problem." Kitazawa nodded and agreed.
The majority of Akatsuki Organization members held grudges against Konoha Village.
Nagato's parents were killed by Konoha Village Jonin. Sasori's parents were killed by Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake. There was also Orochimaru before, but he had already defected.
The mysterious masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara — who was actually Uchiha Obito — no need to say much about his grudges with Konoha Village.
Actually, Kakuzu also counted. After all, the reason he defected from Takigakure was the failed assassination of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
If it weren't for Kitazawa's butterfly effect, Uchiha Itachi would also be added.
If he went to the Akatsuki Organization and revealed his identity as a Konoha Village high-ranking official, he would surely be attacked.
"You mine first; once you have a certain stock of silver ore, then you can find me," Kitazawa paused and said. "If I design the jewelry styles, there will be a design fee."
"Mhm." Konan had no objections.
As he said, everything would proceed according to the transaction.
"I'm going to the Hyuga residence; you don't need to follow me."
Kitazawa waved his hand and continued walking forward.
Konan disappeared from her spot.
---
"Kitazawa." Hyuga Hiashi actively came forward to greet him.
"I'm here to convey Tsunade-sensei's orders," Kitazawa said with a serious expression.
"Speak." Hiashi also put away his smile upon hearing this.
"Form four Byakugan squads, preferably all Jonin," Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.
Hiashi couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
Although the Hyuga Clan was a major ninja clan in Konoha Village, instances of sending out sixteen Jonin at once were few and far between.
"Is there going to be a war?" Hyuga Hiashi couldn't help but ask.
"Half right," Kitazawa didn't explain further. "Assemble at the Forest of Death at 9 AM on Saturday; you'll know our objective then."
Assembling at the village gate would cause too much commotion; the vast Forest of Death was more suitable.
After talking with Hyuga Hiashi, he went to the Konoha Military Police Force.
Uchiha Fugaku was at the Konoha Military Police Force during the day, so he didn't go to the Uchiha Clan residence.
"Clan Head Fugaku," Kitazawa said directly, "please form four Sharingan squads, preferably all Jonin."
"What is this for?" Fugaku looked surprised.
"Assemble at the Forest of Death at 9 AM on Saturday; Tsunade-sensei will tell you the reason then," Kitazawa paused and said. "Make sure Itachi participates."
Fugaku's eyes lit up, and he agreed.
Tsunade specifically asking for Uchiha Itachi to participate showed that Itachi had gained her trust. The probability of the Uchiha Clan producing a Hokage was getting higher and higher.
Kitazawa then went to find Might Guy, Kakashi, and Maruboshi Kosuke, among others.
He notified all the Jonin he remembered who were Elite Jonin. In short, in this team battle, Orochimaru definitely couldn't be allowed to escape.
---
Two days passed in a flash.
Although Konoha Village was peaceful, among the Jonin, there was an unusual atmosphere.
Saturday, 9 AM, somewhere in the Forest of Death.
The arriving Jonin all looked at each other, feeling puzzled because this lineup was too luxurious.
Was the Fourth Ninja War about to begin?
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