Naruto:This Time, I, Kotetsu Hagane, Will No Longer Be Lazy

The night was thick with silence, broken only by the rustling of leaves as the wind whispered through the trees. The moon was barely visible behind dark clouds, cloaking Konohagakure's streets in shadow. For Team Ro, this mission was a delicate one. Their objective was to neutralize a group of Kusagakure shinobi who had infiltrated the Land of Fire, on the main roads to Konohagakure. These saboteurs were planting explosive tags in strategic locations, hoping to wipe out merchants and vendors traveling to Konohagakure. If successful, the mission would make the village look unsafe, forcing trade routes to shift toward the Land of the Clouds. Undermining Konohagakure's authority, causing their economy to nosedive and security to be called into question.

Ko Hyūga stood in the shadows, his lavender eyes narrowed as he observed the path. The mission was clear—no mercy, no mistakes. This was a critical mission, and failure would lead to spiral of problems for the village. 

The team—Kotetsu, Ko, and their captain Yamato—was hidden at the outskirts of the targeted area. Their mission was to track down and eliminate the twenty Kusagakure shinobi who had set up their ambush along the trade route. The saboteurs were working in pairs, planting explosive tags in the ground and marking them with kunai. These tags, when activated, would devastate anyone who came through, especially merchants transporting goods that Konoha needed.

"Stay silent," Yamato murmured through the hand-sign symbols they had perfected for stealth communication. A subtle flick of his fingers signaled Ko and Kotetsu to move forward. The team was split into groups of two. With Kakashi, Itachi, Yugao, meeting them up front. While Kotetsu would accompany Ko and Yamato to the far side of the target zone, moving to the center to flank.

Kotetsu's breathing was slow and controlled, his senses heightened. He could feel the presence of the enemy in the air—like a predator closing in on its prey. The signs were subtle, but Kotetsu knew the terrain from his memories, but not well. He noticed the faintest displacement in the dirt where the saboteurs had recently dug, leaving tags and other where they try and cover their tracks with calculated precision.

Ko, his silent partner, moved a few paces ahead, signaling Kotetsu to follow. They crouched behind a large boulder, peering through the underbrush to spot their targets. There were two Kusagakure shinobi, both focused on planting another tag. Ko's fingers twitched, performing a hand sign in the dark—a signal to wait for his lead.

With a swift movement, Ko drew a kunai, silently stepping closer to the shinobi. They had no idea what was coming. Ko's instincts guided him as he lunged at the first target, slashing the kunai through the shinobi's neck. The second shinobi attempted to turn, but Kotetsu's sword severed the man's throat before he could even react.

Both were down in seconds.

"Two down. Keep moving," Kotetsu signed, his face grim.

Back with Kakashi's group

The next group of Kusagakure shinobi was trickier. There were four of them stationed near the road, with a complex series of tags already in place. Kakashi and Itachi exchanged glances, realizing that they were too many to take down silently without alerting the others.

Itachi's mind raced but he remained calm. He formed a quick hand sign and whispered, "We need a diversion."

Kakashi nodded, quickly tossing a flash bomb into the clearing. It exploded in a burst of light, blinding the enemy for a moment. Yugao three eight set of shuriken at the enemy, two for each. The kusa ninja immediately acted and tried to shield themselves with kunai. Itachi seized the opportunity. He darted forward, his body a blur, and engaged one of the shinobi in close combat. His movements were fluid, practiced—each strike was precise, aimed to kill outright. He delivered a sharp blow to the shinobi's ribs, then the neck.

The second shinobi lunged at Yugao with a kunai, but he was met with a swift counter with her sword, he enemy was left dead. Two more were left but it soon turned to one as Itachi was too fast for them. The last member tried to run but only heard the chirping sound of a thousand birds.

Lightning blade! Then you must be

Slash! Kakashi pierces the last one in the heart, staring at him with a look that could kill on its own.

"KAKASHI!" With that be the last thing the kusa ninja see's or says.

"Search the area, check for any survivors" Kakashi muttered, but his tone left no room for argument.

"Right!" Yells Yugao and Itachi.

They had dealt with half of the enemy, but there were still many more to go. As they continued their pursuit, the final group of Kusagakure shinobi caught wind of their presence. The remaining saboteurs had set up a deadly trap, triggering a series of exploding tags as they activated a series of wire traps.

Kakashi and Itachi arrived just in time, Itachi threw Kunai with calculated precision. Disarming all the explosive tags from detonating.

Seeing this in the anime I wouldn't think much of it but being here I now know how much of a genius Itachi is. Disabling an explosive tag in the Naruto world requires a combination of ninja skills, knowledge of the tag's mechanisms, and quick thinking. In the anime, there are several ways to disable or counter an explosive tag. Sealing jutsu, Stopping the activation by paralyzing the caster, creating a barrier or shield, or outright using a juts to destroy it. 

Using a jutsu would still cause the explosion to go off, barriers are more for reacting to the tag and not stopping it. And Ko is the only one that can paralyze the target. But what Itachi did was destroy it with a precise strike. For reference its like hitting a bullseye on a target. 

The saboteurs were swift and cunning. One attacked with a barrage of kunai while another set off a series of explosive tags around them. This seperating Kakashi and Itachi from the rest as the team , narrowly avoiding the blast.

"Defensive positions!" Kakashi yelled out.

"Yamato Cover their backs!" Kakashi yells out

As the smoke cleared, Kotetsu surveyed the area. The remaining saboteurs were in disarray, but they were still dangerous. One of them, a skilled Kusagakure ninja, leapt from the shadows with a windmill shuriken, forcing Kotetsu to defend. He dodged to the side, but the edge of the weapon clipped his arm.

Ko, quick on his feet, incapacitated the enemy from behind with a clean hit to the neck, while Kotetsu finished off the last one with a swift slash to the neck.

'Okay not going to lie if this is what ANBU is like then this is easy. To be fair this team is too stacked for us to have any issues. We are after all only fighting Kusa ninjas, a place known for making shinobi that barely fir the chunin level and nothing else.' Kotetsu silently thought in his head.

With the saboteurs neutralized, Team Ro regrouped, taking care to cover their tracks. Their mission had been successful, but the true test was yet to come. They were soon joined by none other than Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha, who arrived to conduct the interrogation of the remaining survivor.

The lone Kusagakure shinobi, bruised and bleeding, was brought to a makeshift interrogation room. His spirit was broken, and it was clear he had nothing left to resist. Itachi, cold and efficient, stepped forward, his Sharingan activated as he looked down at the captured shinobi.

"Why target Konohagakure?" Itachi asked, his voice low and commanding.

The shinobi's eyes flickered nervously. "We were hired by Kusagakure to destabilize Konoha's economy. Merchants and traders would avoid the village, forcing them to turn to the Land of the Clouds instead. Konoha would be weak, isolated."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Who gave the orders?"

The shinobi hesitated before he was overwhelmed by the pressure of Itachi's Sharingan. Under the intense gaze, he finally relented. "The order came from the top. The council ordered us.

Our council was forced into cooperating with the hidden cloud to weaken Konoha's economy. This could have led to tensions on a small-scale. 

"I see so your village was used as a proxy for the Land of Lightning." Itachi's cold words sounded as if he wasn't affected in this in the slightest. But as a fan of the anime I know of Itachi's true pacifist nature.

Kusa ninja: They offered to send some aide for us if we went to war with Takigakure over border disputes and resources.

Itachi: "Who else showed interest in this."

Kusa ninja: "The Fourth Kazekage, though we were not given any specifics beyond the mission itself."

Kakashi nodded. "Thanks for your cooperation."

Then in the next second he was stabbed in the heart with a tanto. With the enemy revealed, the mission came to a close. With Team Ro following procedure in burning the bodies and using earth jutsu to clean off any traces of Konoha's interference.

The night air was crisp, cool against their masked faces as Team Ro moved through the treetops, their figures blending into the darkness. Silent as shadows, they hopped from branch to branch, gliding over the dense forest under the cover of the moonless night. The mission required absolute stealth—no wasted movements, no unnecessary sound. Below them, the vast expanse of Kusagakure's domain stretched endlessly, a land embroiled in a war of its own.

Kotetsu remained deep in thought, his mind swirling with the implications of their last mission. The captured Kusagakure shinobi had spoken under Itachi's genjutsu, revealing more than they probably intended. The explosive tags, the sabotage, the attempt to redirect merchants away from Konoha and into Kumogakure's grasp—on the surface, it seemed like another calculated move in the struggle for influence. But something didn't sit right.

The war between Kusagakure and Takigakure had been ongoing for some time, yet it had remained a minor conflict, unnoticed by the great powers. Why would Kusagakure stretch its forces thin by provoking Konoha as well? Were they being pressured, manipulated? The Hidden Cloud's involvement was the most obvious, but it would be naive to assume they were the only ones pulling strings. Suna, ever opportunistic, could have a hand in this. But was there another player? Someone lurking in the shadows, fanning the flames while remaining unseen?

Kotetsu exhaled slowly through his mask. The council of Kusagakure was known for its fractured leadership. Different factions vied for control, and in times of war, desperation made leaders easy to manipulate. Were they acting on their own interests, or had another village whispered in their ears?

Kakashi's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.

"You've been quiet, Kotetsu," he said, keeping pace beside him. The copy ninja's single visible eye remained locked forward, but Kotetsu knew he was paying attention to everything—including him. "Something on your mind?"

Kotetsu didn't answer right away. He knew Kakashi had another mission within this mission—one assigned by higher-ups. Keep an eye on him. Assess him. Kotetsu wasn't sure if it was because of his growing skill or because someone suspected him of something. Either way, Kakashi was watching.

After a pause, Kotetsu finally spoke. "Something doesn't add up."

Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "How so?"

"The Kusagakure shinobi we captured... They admitted to sabotaging Konoha's trade routes, forcing merchants to go through the Cloud instead. That benefits Kumogakure, obviously. But Kusagakure is already locked in a war with Takigakure. Their resources are stretched. If they were smart, they'd be trying to stay neutral."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully but said nothing, letting Kotetsu continue.

"I get the feeling there's another village involved," Kotetsu murmured. "Someone pushing Kusagakure into making reckless moves. Kumogakure and Suna are obvious threats, sure—but what if there's a third hand in all this?"

The silence that followed was heavier than before. Kakashi gave no immediate answer, but Kotetsu could feel the weight of his scrutiny. It meant something that Kakashi had wanted to hear his thoughts. Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen.

For now, they pressed forward through the night, their mission still unfinished, the truth still buried in the dark.

------------------

By dawn, Team Ro returned to Konohagakure, slipping through the village gates undetected and making their way to the Hokage's office. The mission had been a success, and now it was time to report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, his aged features unreadable as he listened to their debrief. Each member of Team Ro recounted their role in the mission with precise detail—how they had neutralized the Kusagakure saboteurs, ensured no traces led back to Konoha, and confirmed that the explosives had been meant to divert trade to the Hidden Cloud. When the final words were spoken, Hiruzen nodded solemnly.

"You are all dismissed," he said, voice steady. "Except for you, Kakashi."

The remaining members of Team Ro bowed and exited in silence, leaving only Kakashi standing before the Hokage. The room grew quieter as Hiruzen exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his eyes settling on Kakashi with keen interest.

"I want to hear your thoughts," the Hokage said. "About Kotetsu."

Kakashi met his gaze, unflinching. "He's perceptive," he admitted. "He believes there's a third player involved in this. That someone is manipulating Kusagakure beyond just the Cloud and Suna."

Hiruzen leaned back, stroking his beard. "I've had the same suspicion," he admitted. "Suna has never trusted Kumogakure much. Their so-called alliance isn't strong enough to guarantee this level of aggression. And the Cloud—while always hungry for power—has never respected Suna as an equal, not even as much as they disdain Iwagakure. If they're moving with such confidence, it means they have a strong force backing them. A force willing to wage war… or at least support it."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Kakashi remained silent, knowing that Hiruzen rarely voiced thoughts without careful consideration.

Finally, the Hokage's eyes sharpened. "Can Kotetsu be trusted?"

Kakashi didn't hesitate. "Yes. He's not brave enough to betray the village," he said, the hint of a smirk hidden beneath his mask. "And even if he was, he has no reason to. His loyalty to Konoha is firm."

Hiruzen studied him for a moment longer before nodding. "Good. You may go."

With a respectful bow, Kakashi turned and left the office, leaving the Third Hokage alone with his thoughts, the tendrils of smoke from his pipe curling into the air like the many unseen forces at play.