Chapter 29: Intelligence
Breakfast was on Kakashi.
Might Guy and Hikari—two bottomless pits when it came to physical training—devoured their meals with gusto.
But Hikari didn't freeload without giving something in return.
She handed Kakashi a valuable piece of intel:
"Take a scroll of the Shadow Clone Jutsu to Ninja Tool Depot and sell it. You could get up to 500,000 ryō. If it's the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, you might even fetch a million."
Kakashi's visible eye gleamed with interest.
He knew both techniques—one B-rank, one A-rank.
They were general-purpose jutsu permitted for circulation within the village. The principles and hand seals were similar, but the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu demanded far more chakra and had a higher ceiling, hence its classification as a forbidden technique.
But "forbidden" didn't mean "unusable." It just meant caution was required. In the shinobi world, where survival trumped rules, any jutsu that killed effectively was a good jutsu.
Normally, the Shadow Clone Jutsu would sell for maybe 100,000 ryō at best. After all, Water Clones and Earth Clones were decent alternatives. The real appeal of Shadow Clones was their versatility—no nature transformation required.
But a million ryō? That was no small sum.
An S-rank mission's maximum payout was around that much—and those missions were lethal. Even a jōnin couldn't guarantee survival, let alone solo completion. And after Konoha's 10% cut, taxes, travel expenses, medical bills, and gear repairs… a hard-earned reward might dwindle to 10,000 ryō in hand.
If Hikari's intel was accurate, this could equal ten A-rank missions' worth of profit.
Kakashi memorized every detail.
He didn't doubt her for a second.
After witnessing Hikari defeat Kazama effortlessly and then unlock the Fourth Gate in seconds, Kakashi's view of her had shifted—from condescension to respect, and now to something bordering on awe.
Strength and talent bred trust.
Someone like her wouldn't lie over trivial matters.
---
Kakashi won. Hikari didn't lose either.
The 100,000 ryō deposit was non-refundable, and she couldn't afford the remaining balance yet.
But now that Kakashi owed her for the intel, "borrowing" his Shadow Clone scroll was fair game.
Net result? She'd effectively paid 10,000 ryō to learn the technique, earned Kakashi's goodwill, and secured a potential pipeline for elemental jutsu from his vast arsenal.
Even the shopkeeper at Ninja Tool Depot profited.
That morning, passersby had seen their chakra paper test results plastered everywhere—proof of Hikari's five-nature affinity. Skeptics were silenced by eyewitness accounts from shinobi who'd been there, and business boomed.
A true win-win-win.
---
After breakfast, the trio went their separate ways.
- Kakashi, tempted by easy money, headed to Ninja Tool Depot to hawk his jutsu.
- Hikari shouldered her bag and left for the academy.
- Might Guy, desperate to repay his debts, marched toward the Hokage's office—intent on selling Hikari's intel for mission pay.
He aimed for a fourth win.
…But things didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped.
---
### Hokage's Office, Konoha Administration Building
Tok… tok… tok…
A deep-brown tobacco pipe tapped rhythmically against the desk, scattering ashes.
Behind the broad oak table, Sarutobi Hiruzen scowled at the report in his hands, his forehead creased deeply enough to crush a fly.
The Uchiha clan grew bolder by the day.
Members were being recalled from missions. Clan meetings multiplied. Even Itachi's intelligence had dried up—trust was eroding.
This report came from Root, Konoha's shadow surveillance division.
Five days prior, a mysterious merchant in the Land of Iron had purchased a massive arms shipment, discreetly funneled into eastern Fire Country. The buyer's identity and the weapons' whereabouts were initially unknown.
Now, Root had answers:
The merchant was the Nekomata, allies of the Uchiha. The weapons, sealed in scrolls, were smuggled back into the clan compound by returning members.
The Uchiha were preparing for rebellion.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door swung open, revealing Might Guy in his signature green spandex.
He strode in, waving a haphazardly scribbled report.
"Lord Third! I've completed the intelligence-gathering mission on Hikari! Please review!"
Hiruzen's frown deepened.
He'd assigned this as a long-term task. One day was absurd—even Root needed five just to track Uchiha arms deals.
Was this oaf scamming for mission pay?
Yet the Hokage's face remained grandfatherly, wrinkles softening into a benign smile.
"Ah, Guy! Already finished?
"But intelligence must be thorough. If it's just trivial observations, no need to report—keep it for your own records."
His tone was gentle, masking skepticism.
Guy, oblivious to subtext, stood firm.
Last night's fire had wiped out his savings. He owed Hikari a billion ryō and was now borrowing meal money from Kakashi.
"Lord Hokage, this intel is critical!"
Hiruzen's patience frayed.
With the Uchiha crisis brewing, he had no time for nonsense.
"Fine. Summarize it."
He reclined, relighting his pipe, already mentally drafting countermeasures against the Uchiha.
Guy, undeterred, cleared his throat and began.
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