In the Darkening Chat Group, Hattori listened to Naruto and Sasuke's accounts, laughing so hard he could barely straighten up.
[Dark Group Owner: So, you actually convinced Pain and Orochimaru, and pinned all the blame on that guy Danzo?]
[The Dead-Last Jinchuriki / Second Pillar Thinks He Can Do It: That's right.]
'Too outrageous!'
Hattori's eyes curved into crescents as he rocked with laughter.
Although SasuNaru's slick maneuvers were guided by him from behind the scenes, providing the intelligence, for it to actually happen...
As a transmigrator who knew the original plot, it still felt unbelievable.
A three-way free-for-all between Konoha, Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki.
Danzo might become the biggest hidden mastermind behind it all.
'Pain appearing before Orochimaru, shouting about making them know pain...'
"Just imagining it is interesting." Hattori chuckled, feeling a sense of anticipation.
[Second Pillar Thinks He Can Do It: However, Pain won't act immediately. They still have other Biju's Jinchuriki to capture. They'll probably wait until several key fighters return, around a month from now, before truly making their move.]
[The Dead-Last Jinchuriki: I need time too. After Orochimaru got the intelligence, he immediately started preparing countermeasures. It'll probably take him over a month to find a way to deal with Akatsuki.]
Seeing SasuNaru's messages, Hattori nodded slightly.
[Dark Group Owner: During this time, lie low and try to gather as much concrete intelligence as you can about these two organizations. In a chaotic battle, the more familiar you are with your surroundings, the more likely you are to seize the initiative.]
[Second Pillar Thinks He Can Do It / The Dead-Last Jinchuriki: Mm.]
In Amegakure and Otogakure, Sasuke, as a top VIP possessing intelligence on the Kyubi's Jinchuriki, was housed by Pain near an Akatsuki's base, under strict protection.
Naruto was treated by Orochimaru as an important informant and temporarily resided in the deepest part of Otogakure to avoid detection by Konoha.
Both positions were perfect for fishing in troubled waters and gathering intelligence.
The coming month would be one of brewing storms.
How much SasuNaru could gain from this muddy water depended entirely on their preparations during this time.
...
Meanwhile, on Hattori's end.
"Finally, the Naruto situation is settled for now."
"I've really been worrying about these two a lot lately." Hattori rubbed his temples, leaning back tiredly on the sofa.
In his line of sight, Lilamon was carefully tending to a potted plant, a new hobby she'd recently discovered.
Plants nurtured by her not only grew faster but also tended to develop in more mystical and aggressive directions.
On the other side, Angewomon lay on the sofa.
Hattori looked at her speechlessly.
"Angewomon, can you stop scrolling through news about that Esper Alliance? It's really not that interesting. Isn't it nice to just stay cozy at home?"
"Mmm, Master, but... the rewards are really generous." Angewomon pouted her pink lips, putting effort into acting cute.
Since yesterday, she had been obsessed with her phone.
The news she was following was, of course, the Esper Alliance's recently ubiquitous 'Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Tournament'.
Held once every four years, it gathered powerful individuals.
There were star players active within the Alliance, household names.
There were also reclusive masters from deep mountains and old forests, their strength mysterious and unfathomable.
Even past champions and scions of great families would participate.
The reason was simple:
The rewards were just too substantial.
Aside from the hard-to-refuse cash prize of ten billion, the winner could choose any one of the world's rarest resources, lands, secret treasures, or ruins to claim as their own.
This was a covenant established by the Global Esper Alliance, unbreakable by anyone.
Thirty years ago, a tournament champion chose 'Relic No. 30', located on an uninhabited island in the Pacific.
Unexpectedly, they discovered a legacy left by an alien civilization and broke through to stellar levels.
He thus became a permanent legend of the tournament.
After seeing this news, Angewomon had been hoping Hattori would participate.
After all, since arriving in the real world, she had been gathering all sorts of information.
This world was far more mysterious than they had imagined.
Alien ruins, ultra-ancient creatures, sites of old gods were distributed in various corners of the world.
These mysterious resources were controlled by hidden forces, difficult for ordinary people to access.
The Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Tournament was one of the few overt opportunities.
Angewomon sincerely hoped that her Master would seize this chance to soar.
"Ah, lah, lah... In this world, reward and risk are always proportional. There's no such thing as an easily obtained windfall... Hey, don't look at me with those eyes." Hattori shook his head, about to lecture her, but found Angewomon puffing her cheeks, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, looking like she'd cry if he didn't go.
He immediately relented.
"Alright, alright, we can go. But my principle is: absolutely no life-threatening risks. The three of us will stay safely at home, and I'll send a clone to try, okay?"
Angewomon's tears vanished as she smiled, nodding like a pecking bird.
Hattori stroked her smooth hair, a helpless smile on his face.