"Are you a cat shedding crocodile tears?"
Jiraiya asked with a headache, while Takemi was perfectly serious.
"No, I just find it regrettable that the Ninja World lost such a resilient person. But he didn't trust me back then, so he probably deserved it."
"Didn't trust you? No, wait, didn't you always leave a Flying Thunder God Mark on him? Was he wrong for not trusting you?"
"It's precisely because he's too good at judging people, and wasn't it Hokage-sama who hinted it? Didn't he say…"
"Stop, don't say anymore. Didn't you see Naruto and Sasuke are here?"
"Also, cat shedding crocodile tears isn't false compassion, it's when a cat presses on its tear ducts while eating a mouse."
"…"
"That…"
Fortunately, Kakashi spoke in time, saving Jiraiya from further embarrassment.
"Sasuke, how's the search for your stone tablet coming along?"
"Haven't found it yet, but this also has to do with the Second Hokage's intentions."
Sasuke heard Kakashi call him. Although he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't continue watching Takemi bicker with Jiraiya, he immediately adjusted his mindset and spoke, "Because it's a secret operation, even the Anbu haven't been mobilized. It's all up to us, and it's not just the Naka River Shrine. There are stone tablets in other places too, so…"
"Sweeping them all up, that's really his style."
Takemi nodded. Tobirama was always extremely cautious in everything he did, unwilling to leave any opportunity.
Plus, Hashirama himself didn't 'remember' if the Senju clan also had something, so he would definitely cautiously trust his older brother's memory.
"It doesn't matter. When we get back, we'll basically have a result. So, let's get ready to depart."
"Huh? No Sakura?"
Naruto, hearing they were about to leave, asked curiously.
However, noticing Sasuke's gaze, he couldn't help but purse his lips.
Sakura was still part of their team, but unfortunately, she had already fallen quite a bit behind.
Even if she was still affiliated with this squad, some missions were indeed not suitable for her to join.
"Alright, let's go."
Takemi shook his head, thought for a moment, and then reminded them.
"There's a reason why Sakura wasn't called. Every time Kakashi-sensei, Pervy Sage, and I go out, we always encounter all sorts of trouble."
"???"
Kakashi and Jiraiya's breathing hitched. Were they the ones bringing trouble?
Could it be that we are the harbingers of disaster?
"So, to be safe, it's naturally better to have a streamlined and sufficiently excellent team."
"…"
"Also, always be prepared to encounter the Akatsuki."
"…"
"After all, with Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage here, the probability of encountering them is really high."
"…"
As soon as he finished speaking, Takemi's eyelids suddenly twitched, and he immediately understood.
[New Side Mission Acquired]
[Three years, do you know what I've been through in three years?]
[Defeat the invading enemies and let them know what you've been through in the past three years]
"We're here again."
In Takigakure, Takemi looked at his surroundings and nodded.
Takigakure was still the same as before. This country, situated between the Land of Fire and Land of Earth, looked devoid of life.
This wasn't surprising, as the two major countries had already seized its survival resources.
Furthermore, in the current Ninja World, it hadn't joined Konoha's alliance, and its seemingly neutral stance had actually pushed it into a deeper abyss.
If it weren't for having a Tailed Beast, during the Great Ninja Wars, they would have probably become a battlefield like other small countries.
"I wonder what we'll encounter this time."
"I hope we don't encounter anything."
Kakashi, walking and reading, retorted when he heard that, and Jiraiya also nodded.
"Indeed, we're just here as a visiting group. It's better to have fewer incidents."
"Senpai, do you think they'll agree?"
Sasuke pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "Also, do you think we'll really run into the Akatsuki?"
Sasuke's eyes had already lit up when he heard Takemi say, 'there's a high probability of encountering the Akatsuki.'
He had been holding back from asking more, but now that these questions came up, he naturally couldn't resist.
"To be honest, I don't think they'll agree."
Takemi thought carefully for a moment before shaking his head.
"In their perception, they possess a Tailed Beast, so they probably won't consider themselves a small country."
"And when Obito made his move, Takemi stopped them."
Kakashi closed his book. He would be serious when discussing crucial matters, and Jiraiya was the same.
"Besides that, they haven't encountered Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki, so they naturally don't know the danger of that guy and still believe that a Tailed Beast can handle all troubles."
"Actually, dealing with a Tailed Beast isn't difficult. Your Uchiha clan has many methods."
Takemi patted Sasuke's shoulder, saying with a smile.
"The First Hokage once said that Madara could control the Nine-Tails, and didn't that Obito also control a Tailed Beast to deal with Naruto's parents back then?"
"That bastard..."
Naruto snorted, and Sasuke clenched his fists.
Naruto knew everything that had happened back then, so it was impossible for him not to hate Obito, and Sasuke also knew quite a bit.
Takemi, and even Konoha, wouldn't hide certain things from him.
Especially since he followed Tobirama, he would know some information, more or less.
After all, everyone knows that it's better to guide than to block.
Rather than waiting for others to mislead him, it was better for Konoha to openly inform him of some necessary matters.
For instance, the Nine-Tails incident became the fuse, and Danzo played a role in fanning the flames.
He attacked Shisui, preventing him from using his Mangekyo ability to save his clan.
And the Uchiha and Konoha were at odds, but the Third Hokage had clearly told Itachi that Konoha and the Uchiha could both take a step back.
As a result, Itachi was eventually approached by Danzo, who explicitly told him that either they all die together, or everyone else dies, leaving only Sasuke alive.