Chapter 63: The Hidden Cloud
The Main Gate of Konoha.
Under the arrangements of Hiruzen Sarutobi, a team was already waiting. In the distance, several figures gradually came into view.
"Stay sharp. Not long ago, the Hidden Cloud intercepted and slaughtered merchant caravans carrying ore from the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron. This so-called 'alliance' might just be a Cloud conspiracy."
In the shadows, several ANBU monitored the area for any signs of an ambush.
"The possibility exists. However, since the Hokage's orders have been issued, we simply carry out the mission as commanded."
"Honestly, why didn't Lord Hokage order a counterattack? That trade route is vital for Konoha's ninja tool resources!"
"So this is Konoha. Hmph. Occupying the most fertile land in the Land of Fire... it truly is irritating."
"They still have some strength. I heard that recently on the border of the Land of Fire, Seniors Kawasuke and Saimatsu were killed by a Konoha squad."
"Who killed them? Was it Kakashi Hatake, the one who obtained the Uchiha Sharingan? Or the famous Shisui of the Body Flicker? Or perhaps the Hokage's direct ANBU?"
"According to spy intel, they were defeated by two Jonin leading two brats. The men were named Hayama Shirakumo and Tonbo Tobitake."
"It seems Konoha still produces plenty of talent."
"Hmph, so what? Once our mission is complete this time, we will further strengthen our village's power."
"Stop talking. We've arrived at Konoha."
The envoys from the Hidden Cloud Village each carried a blade on their backs, their muscles exceptionally solid.
Intelligence Analysis Division.
Rustle, rustle!
Tonbo Tobitake flipped through various documents and records left by the previous division head, striving to master the workflow of the Analysis Division as quickly as possible so he could figure out how to slack off effectively.
"Some parts of the job are quite relaxed, but it requires a lot of brainpower. Luckily, I have a brain."
The work of a Division Head, besides being responsible for collecting and organizing the intelligence read by subordinates and submitting important findings to the Hokage, also involved analyzing the corpses of enemies. They had to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of enemy ninjutsu into reports for the Hokage.
The workload didn't seem high, but it was actually quite tedious because intelligence involved so many variables. It required tracking iterations of enemy ninjutsu and codes, and analyzing potential enemy movements from subtle clues.
For example, like the economic analysis modern people are familiar with: if a certain resource is suddenly bought or shipped in large quantities on a specific day, many things can be deduced. This was his real job; reporting to the Hokage was actually the easiest part. Fortunately, this was what he excelled at.
"The Cloud envoys should be bickering with the Third right about now, shouldn't they?"
He kept a small part of his mind on the matter. It was a famous event from the original story, after all, and he was curious enough to wonder exactly what the Third was thinking that would lead him to hand over Hizashi Hyuga.
Three days into the Cloud's visit.
After three days of bickering and frequent communication between the envoys and the Hidden Cloud Village, an alliance agreement was finally reached. It was called an alliance, but it was essentially a non-aggression treaty—one that could be broken at any moment.
For the signing ceremony, the Hokage invited the heads of various clans and department leaders. Tonbo Tobitake was among them.
"Boring. I'd rather this end quickly so I can go back to my advanced research on sound Genjutsu," he sighed.
His recent promotion and the Cloud alliance had cut into his research time. He had already reached the stage of manipulating the enemy's sense of hearing; in a few more months, he would be able to make an enemy hear whatever sound he wanted them to hear.
Sound Genjutsu wasn't just about using sound to trap an enemy; it also involved using other methods to cause the enemy to experience auditory hallucinations. The visual and auditory systems are interconnected, not two separate lines.
"The Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf Village formally establish an alliance agreement."
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Cloud envoys concluded the ceremony. Tomorrow, the envoys would return to the Hidden Cloud.
The event happened anyway.
While Tonbo Tobitake was at home sleeping with his wife, in the darkness of the Hyuga estate, a Cloud envoy attempting to kidnap Hinata from the Main House was killed.
The next day, Tonbo caught wind of it. The entirety of Konoha was in a state of high alert. Because the ceremony had just been completed the day before, a Cloud ninja dying in Konoha today was too unexpected for the high-ranking officials.
The Hidden Cloud envoys were aggressive, refusing to admit to their actions and instead throwing mud at Konoha. They claimed Konoha feigned an alliance to make them lower their guard, only to kill them to obtain Cloud intelligence from the corpse.
Ultimately, it played out just like the original story. The world gained a boy who believed in fate, and lost a younger brother who died in his older brother's place. The Hidden Cloud gained a useless corpse.
For a time, many Konoha officials sighed with heavy hearts.
Neji Hyuga clenched his fists, looking at the portrait of his father in the funeral hall, his grief impossible to hide. Hiashi Hyuga, leading Hinata, stepped forward to place a chrysanthemum.
After the Cloud envoys departed, Tonbo Tobitake was suddenly summoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Tonbo, the Barrier Development Division has been established. I need you to take on an additional role."
There was a trace of fatigue in Hiruzen's eyes; clearly, the recent incident had weighed heavily on him.
"Understood," Tonbo accepted.
He had mentioned barrier development a long time ago, and only now did they remember it. He suspected this incident had given the Third more thoughts about preventing future trouble.
As for barrier techniques, although Tonbo hadn't studied them intensely lately, his genius mind allowed even casual thought to mature his previous techniques. He hadn't slacked off. Taking on another job just meant more tasks, but since these were missions—and missions meant money and resources—it was acceptable.
Moreover, holding two important positions that were both village-bound greatly reduced the chances of him being sent out of the village. This meant more time to spend with his family and wife. He was willing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued: "At the same time, with your current abilities, you should be able to learn that Genjutsu. I have approved your application."
Upon hearing this, a smile broke across Tonbo's face.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"Mm. Go. That technique is very dangerous; do not force yourself."
Tonbo automatically filtered that last part; his talent didn't allow for ninjutsu that were too difficult to learn. He walked out the door with a smile, politely closing it behind him.
After Tonbo left, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "Sigh... I'm getting old. If I were ten years younger, I would never have let the Cloud act so arrogantly. Now, I can only hope to nurture more children like Tonbo who can stand on their own in the coming years!"
Regarding the Cloud incident, it wasn't that he didn't want to fight, but that he didn't dare. The Third War had only ended a few years ago; Konoha had just begun to recover and its residents were finally living stable lives. If they went to war again, forget whether Konoha could take it—the Land of Fire's high command wouldn't allow it.
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