Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual

"Konan, you're back?"

In Amegakure, Pain sat atop a high tower, overlooking the village through the rain. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke.

Behind him, a woman with blue hair and a black robe adorned with red clouds approached.

"Yes, I'm back. But I encountered something unexpected."

Konan nodded, recalling what had happened earlier. She spoke softly,

"Someone went there and left a bouquet of flowers as a tribute. If I'm not mistaken, the only person who would do such a thing is him."

"Jiraiya-sensei, huh..."

Even though Konan's words were vague, Pain immediately understood. His tone carried a hint of nostalgia.

"I didn't expect him to still remember us. But unfortunately, this is no longer the past. His beliefs likely no longer align with ours."

"I know. I regret it too."

Konan nodded. She had long understood that Jiraiya would never agree with their current path.

"I'm just curious why he came to the Land of Rain. If I hadn't gone there, I wouldn't have even known he was here. Is he heading for Amegakure?"

"Probably not. I haven't sensed any unfamiliar presences."

Pain shook his head. The Rain Tiger at Will Technique gave him immense confidence, but that only made the situation more troubling.

"It's likely they've noticed the activity near Iwagakure and are passing through the Land of Rain to reach the Land of Earth."

"Why not go through the Land of Grass or the Land of Waterfalls? Wouldn't that be closer?"

Konan asked instinctively, but she quickly stopped herself. Her question left Pain in brief silence as well.

Perhaps they had taken this detour to pay their respects.

"There's no going back, Konan."

After a long pause, Pain shook his head.

"Notify the others and have them move into position as quietly as possible."

"Wouldn't that attract Ōnoki's attention?"

Konan hesitated, frowning slightly.

"It's just a precaution. If something does go wrong, they can provide support. I don't want to provoke Ōnoki unnecessarily."

At this stage, the Akatsuki was still in need of funds. Pain had even been secretly using the organization's finances to develop his village.

Offending Ōnoki now would not be wise.

"I understand. I'll make the arrangements."

After some thought, Konan nodded and turned to leave, leaving Pain alone in the rain.

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

After a long while, he shook his head.

"What a pity, your beliefs and stubbornness..."

"This place is truly awful."

Within the Land of Earth, three figures dressed in black robes with red clouds walked silently.

Kisame, carrying the Samehada on his back, glanced up at the sun in the sky and shook his head.

Having lived in the humid Land of Water for so long, the dry climate of Iwagakure made him uncomfortable.

"At least it's better than the Land of Wind."

Sasori, hidden within Hiruko, spoke in a low, raspy voice.

"Enough with the small talk. Do we have any information on that brat, Deidara?"

"Nothing concrete yet. That pitcher plant hasn't shared much."

Itachi shook his head. At the moment, they hadn't received any detailed information from Zetsu, only a vague indication that Deidara was nearby.

"But this place really isn't great."

"Oh? I didn't expect you to complain, Itachi-kun."

Kisame grinned, his sharp teeth making him look like a shark.

"By the way, you didn't get to participate in the Third Great Ninja War, did you?"

"..."

Itachi glanced at Kisame but didn't bother to respond.

Kisame was mistaken. Itachi had participated in the war—albeit as a three- or four-year-old.

It was during the war with Iwagakure that he killed for the first time, an event that had haunted him ever since.

"Alright, enough idle chatter. Let's stay focused this time."

Sasori looked up at the sky before speaking in a low voice.

"Deidara is Ōnoki's disciple. Though he's caused quite a bit of trouble, Ōnoki still recognizes him.

There might be some protection around him. If we find him, make it quick and clean. I don't want any unnecessary complications."

"Oh, I didn't expect the infamous Sasori of the Red Sand to be so cautious. Seems like some rumors really can't be trusted."

Kisame raised an eyebrow, smiling as he spoke.

"It's not caution; I just don't want to clash with Pain."

Sasori shot Kisame a sidelong glance before replying coldly.

"Ōnoki is indeed strong, and he possesses the legendary Kekkei Tōta. If possible, I'd rather turn him into one of my puppets.

A puppet made from him would undoubtedly be extraordinary. But unfortunately, he's our client, which makes it impossible."

Creating puppets required money, as did maintaining Sasori's arsenal of hidden weapons and poisons.

This was where hidden villages proved their value, providing the necessary resources and a stable income through missions.

Life as a rogue ninja was no joke.

"Tch, as if you could defeat Ōnoki."

Kisame shook his head lightly. Kekkei Tōta was no laughing matter.

Sasori raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, a pitcher plant suddenly emerged from the ground ahead of them.

"There you are. Good. I've got the details."

Black Zetsu glanced at the three of them and spoke in a low voice.

"Deidara is in a temple to the west. There's an Anbu squad stationed nearby, so be cautious."

"The west, huh? Got it."

Itachi nodded and turned to leave, but Black Zetsu spoke again.

"One more thing: I suggest you wait before making your move. It'll draw less attention that way. Also, there's something else you should know."

"Hmph, just spit it out."

Sasori snorted coldly, while Kisame turned his gaze toward Zetsu.

"You've got tails."

Black Zetsu remained unfazed as he continued,

"This matter has already caught Pain's attention. To prevent complications and ensure you have backup if something goes wrong, he's mobilizing reinforcements.

But that will take time. So, wait before acting—it'll make things easier later."

"Tails?"

The three exchanged glances. They hadn't noticed anyone following them.

"Who?"

They grew more serious, but Black Zetsu shook his head.

"Not sure. But it's definitely not someone trivial."

"This place is so much better than the Land of Rain."

In a border village, Kitagawa Minamoto looked up at the sunny sky and nodded in satisfaction.

Although they were still at the border, the climate had already changed. Looking ahead, they could see the rugged terrain of the Land of Earth.

Unlike the flatlands of the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth was filled with rocks and mountains.

But at least it didn't have the endless rain of the Land of Rain.

"There sure are a lot of mountains here."

Jiraiya peered through a telescope at the terrain ahead and muttered,

"No wonder this place is so hard to invade. It's surrounded by natural defenses."

"And I've heard that the only way into Iwagakure is through narrow passes."

Kakashi added,

"During the Third Great Ninja War, the only way to invade the Land of Earth was by sea. That's what happened back then."

Minamoto nodded. He knew what Kakashi was referring to.

Back during the war, Kakashi's team had destroyed Kannabi Bridge, cutting off Iwagakure's supply lines and forcing them to surrender.

Of course, there were deeper reasons behind this.

For example, the Third Raikage had led his troops into Iwagakure to gather intelligence, only to be discovered.

In the end, the Third Raikage sacrificed himself to protect his men, fighting off thousands of Iwa-nin for three days and nights before dying of exhaustion.

This forced Iwagakure to shift its focus to defending against Kumogakure, leaving them unable to continue their conflict with Konoha.

"Alright, enough reminiscing."

Jiraiya put away his telescope and said,

"The Anbu sent by the old man have left us a message. They've tracked the movements of that mysterious organization.

They've already entered Iwagakure. We'll head in later. It's a good thing we have the Anbu's support this time; otherwise, this would've been a real headache."

"Agreed."

Kakashi and Minamoto nodded. Having the Anbu's support would save them a lot of trouble.

Especially in a place as vast as the Land of Earth, with its borders touching three smaller nations.

Without a proper intelligence network, the three of them alone couldn't possibly handle the investigation.

"Alright, let's rest for now."

Jiraiya packed up his things and strolled off, whistling.

"I'll go scout the area. Consider it gathering intelligence."

"Jiraiya-sama, I'll come with you."

Minamoto blinked and started to follow, but Kakashi grabbed him by the collar.

"Get back here. What are you up to?"

"I-I just wanted to set up some Flying Thunder God markers. It'll make our return easier, Kakashi-sensei."

"You've already set them up. I saw you. And don't think I don't know what you're planning."

Kakashi sighed, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.

This must be how Hiruzen Sarutobi felt when he heard about his students' antics.

"You're coming with me. You want to become a Jōnin, don't you? How can you do that without a solid foundation? Go study."

"But this is mission time! Isn't free time meant for rest?"

"Make the most of every moment. You need to study hard."

"Wait, you're reading Make-Out Paradise and making me read The Three Ninja Rules? That's not fair!"

"Minamoto, I'm your teacher."

"You will regret this!"

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