VI

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Arc VI Chapter 1

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Satoshi got up this morning and didn’t stay at home,?a brilliant idea he already regretted. He had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling.

He faked?an illness, but he?went against all his self-preservation?instincts?and joined?his fellow Root?ninja.?It was?a good day to die.

Satoshi?approached his comrades.

Noriaki?greeted him with a smile.” What a surprise,?Satoshi. Why are you here??Aren't you supposed to be sick?”

Satoshi coughed to maintain his act. “I am, but my condition?improved, and I am able?to join you.”

Noriaki grinned. The old fox saw through his scheme. “I am pleased?to hear?that.“

“I thought you were only pretending.”

Satoshi smiled. “No idea?what you are talking about.?Why should I simulate?”

“I am just?a little hypochondriac and worried about my health, but I?can’t let you all die without me.?I would miss you.”

Noriaki chuckled. ”That's?the Satoshi we all love and miss.”

Satoshi's smile grew uneasy. “What's?our plan?then? Throwing men against her and burying her?under our corpses?”

Subaru clarified, ”Kind of. you aren’t far from the truth.”

Satoshi sighed in resignation. ” I told you,?attrition is a terrible idea.”

“It's a matter of whether the girl first runs out of chakra, or we out of men. Judging by our numbers, I doubt this strategy will work in our favour.”

They had two battalions, eight companies. Their numbers wouldn't suffice should Asami deploy her firepower. The pyromaniac princess loved her explosions,?and her swords, but primarily?her?explosions.

If she dropped??a second Shimabara?on them, it would be?game over. They could be happy if there even remained a Konoha afterwards.

Noriaki agreed.” True?enough, but luckily, we aren’t alone. We got some reinforcements.”

Satoshi raised his eyebrow. That was new. ”And who are these reinforcements?”

Danzo was a powerful man, but even his resources were limited.?He couldn’t create ninja out of nowhere.

“Fu didn’t specify anything, but he promised us additional troops to soften up her resistance.”

“So?we use them as cannon fodder and pray that we don’t get slaughtered afterwards?” Satoshi summarised their strategy.

“More or less. It's a gamble whether we can take her out?before she takes us out. But otherwise,?it's business as usual.”

Satoshi?didn't look?convinced, but?he kept silent. ”I see.“

“When does the?operation start?”

Noriaki paused. ”That's?the complicated part.?Killing a kunoichi of Asami's calibre won’t go unnoticed. The village council?will ask questions, uncomfortable questions we will have to answer. Especially,?if things?don’t go smoothly.”

“We need a pretence, a good pretence?if we get caught.”

Satohi listened. His scepticism was written all over his face. ”And where do we?get our?pretence?from?”

“That's?not the issue.”?Noriaki presented him a scroll. ”We have this.”

Satoshi studied the document. His eyes widened.?The scroll bore the official seal of the Hokage and ordered all available elements to arrest Asami on sight for high treason. Asami betrayed the village and needed to be detained.

Satoshi looked up. How did they get their hands?on something like this?

Noriaki dispelled?his confusion. ”Fu delivered the scroll this morning.”

Satoshi blinked. Apparently, Danzo?used?his brain cells once. Considering all the bullshit he pulled off over the years, it was a miracle that Danzo was still a free man. The amount of evidence he?left behind was staggering

They were ?responsible for Shisui’s death, but no repercussions?followed. Shisui committed suicide?and Itachi kept his mouth shut.

They failed?to kill Kakashi to retrieve his Sharingan?and even got their cover blown, but Kakashi’s lips remained sealed.

Several assassination?attempts on?Hiruzen?failed, but nothing happened.

The Hokage overlooked?their ?repeated transgressions. He was well aware of ?Danzo's ?activities, but he chose to tolerate them for the sake of the village. They were Konoha's ?darkness.

Satoshi rolled up?the scroll. “I guess this will be a false flag operation.”

Noriaki nodded. “Exactly, our mission is to provoke an escalation. Shouldn’t be?all?too difficult considering her infamous temper.”

”And who is responsible for?baiting?the dragon?”

“Good that you ask, we were just about to determine who gets the honour. You?arrived just in time to participate.”

“Wonderful.”?Satoshi maintained his smile.

Noriaki?produced a?few sticks from?his pouch.”Nobody volunteered, so we are drawing?lots. The?loser will?command the 1st Company and face Asami.”

Satoshi drew, and his luck didn't fail him. He won the big prize.

Satoshi rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Oh, come on!“ The world wasn't fair.

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