Border Inn.
Uchiha Itachi never mentioned his assessment tasks.
This future double agent for the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's upper echelons only relayed the intelligence about Uchiha Obito passed on by members of the Intelligence Department to Hatake Kakashi.
"Obito hasn't been caught?"
Hatake Kakashi lowered his head and began to ponder.
The purpose of this team's trip to the Land of Earth was to track Uchiha Obito's whereabouts and, in the process, disrupt his other schemes at the Hidden Rock Village.
Using his miraculous Space-Time Dojutsu, Uchiha Obito could indeed easily evade capture by the Hidden Rock Village. So where would he settle next?
Did he leave?
Or is he still hiding within the Hidden Rock Village?
Such matters couldn't possibly be handled by the Intelligence Department's members.
The entire Hidden Rock Village was on lockdown for a week, and thousands of ninja couldn't find Uchiha Obito's whereabouts. Could the members of the Konoha Intelligence Department really find him?
And the most crucial thing…
Did Uchiha Obito control the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han to assassinate the Third Tsuchikage Onoki to gain power over the Hidden Rock Village, or was there another conspiracy?
If we want to investigate Uchiha Obito's plans further, and understand more about the information he's exposed, we must find a way to contact the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han...
Since the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han has had contact with Uchiha Obito, just like the Three-tailed Jinchuriki Karatachi Yagura, he must know something…
"What about the intel on the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han?"
Hatake Kakashi proposed a rather dangerous infiltration plan: "I'll find a way to sneak into the Hidden Rock Village. I must meet with the Five-Tails Jinchuriki…"
Of course.
There is a problem.
Even if we can meet the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, there might not be an opportunity to obtain information about Uchiha Obito from him. There's even a high probability of being captured by him…
The risk of this operation is extremely high, a near-death mission.
Yet there is a slim hope of convincing the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han to willingly provide information and help in capturing Uchiha Obito who controls him.
However, for ninja, this is precisely what they learned in training. Every infiltration and intelligence-gathering mission must be done with the risk of being captured or losing one's life.
The most painful part is…
Before securing any meaningful intelligence, those ninja who sacrifice themselves for information-gathering missions never know if that information would indeed be of use.
Ninja always seem to pay a hefty price to complete tasks with poor cost-effectiveness, sacrificing lives just for intel on Uchiha Obito.
This is quite normal.
The threat posed by Uchiha Obito is immense, yet the information on him is too scarce.
Akihara Kagura felt that this infiltration plan had too low of a cost-effectiveness ratio because he had a wealth of information on Uchiha Obito, and could even influence his thinking…
"I feel that this infiltration idea is flawed right from the start…"
Akihara Kagura looked at Hatake Kakashi's white hair, shook his head, and said, "Captain Kakashi, are you sure… no one in the Hidden Rock Village recognizes you?"
"..."
Hatake Kakashi really wasn't confident about that.
To say nothing else, many Rock ninja have died by his hand during the war period, along with others he killed while on missions over the years…
If Hatake Kakashi announced himself here, this little inn would be quickly overcrowded by his enemies, and a line would even form outside…
"Let me handle it."
Akihara Kagura voluntarily took on the task, casually saying, "The Hidden Rock Village shouldn't know me. I can boldly infiltrate…"
"This will be even more dangerous for you…"
Hatake Kakashi shook his head, looking at Akihara Kagura. "Kagura, you are Konoha's future; you cannot be lost here."
Moreover, this guy hasn't received full infiltration training. He might be discovered by the Hidden Rock Village even before meeting the Five-Tails Jinchuriki!
Akihara Kagura's Wood Release will become, like the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, a powerful tool to intimidate great nations for Konoha in the future.
The main reason Akihara Kagura was brought to the Land of Earth this time was because he had experience fighting Uchiha Obito, and secondly, because of his formidable combat ability – he could break through even if surrounded by many enemies…
Of course.
Expecting Akihara Kagura to fight his way out of the Hidden Rock Village seems unrealistic…
"Don't worry."
Akihara Kagura looked at Hatake Kakashi, who was strongly opposed, and added, "I am, after all, a ninja from the Root; I'll draft a complete infiltration plan right away."
"First, outline your plan…"
Hatake Kakashi still felt a bit unsure. He wanted to hear Akihara Kagura's plan and see if it could provide him with any ideas.
Akihara Kagura extended his hand confidently and began explaining his plan: "First, I'll infiltrate the Hidden Rock Village and then capture the Third Tsuchikage Onoki. From him, I'll extract the location of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki…"
"Calm down!"
Hatake Kakashi helplessly rubbed his forehead; he shouldn't have expected anything from Akihara Kagura's plan: "Don't think every village's Kage is like the Mizukage. The Third Tsuchikage Onoki's strength is terrifying…"
"An example?"
Akihara Kagura asked for an example.
"..."
Hatake Kakashi was at a loss for words.