Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

Mui listened with growing excitement, involuntarily agreeing, "I understand. Though I'm only an ordinary genin, I'll do everything in my power!"

"Don't underestimate yourself. You're not ordinary—and you cannot afford to be ordinary!" Seiki smiled slightly. "How could you become the leader of Grass Village if you remain average?"

Mui looked stunned. "Leader?"

Seiki nodded. "Only when you become Grass Village's leader can we reduce resistance toward our future plans!"

A flame of ambition burned brightly in Mui's eyes. "I will become the leader of Kusagakure. Only then can I become your 'arm'!"

"That's getting a bit ahead of ourselves," Seiki chuckled. "Let's return to discussing Iwa's arrangements."

Mui worked hard to calm his excited heart and laughed along. "If those Iwagakure ninjas knew that the seal originally meant to protect their secrets had secretly been changed by that person into a seal protecting his own secrets, they'd probably die from anger!"

"What a shame we won't get to see their angry faces!" Mui sighed, continuing. "Besides that person, Iwagakure sent one jonin, five chunin, and twenty-seven genin. As for Grass Country, nearly half the high-ranking officials have been infiltrated—starting with the feudal lord of Grass Country, the Finance Minister..."

Listening to Mui's long list of names, Seiki subtly narrowed his eyes.

After speaking, he erased his lingering aura, opened the window, and reinserted the small scroll into the waiting pigeon's beak outside. Then he used Genjutsu to erase part of the pigeon's memory before sending it off.

Puzzled, Mui remarked, "But that message was..."

Seiki calmly closed the window. "Don't worry. I have my own calculations."

Hearing this from Seiki, Mui asked no further questions. He now trusted Seiki almost unconditionally—if Seiki said it would be fine, then it would be.

"I also have another matter I'd like to discuss with you."

...

Finance Minister's Mansion.

Seeing Seiki return, the three people already waiting there finally relaxed.

Asuma, who had been impatiently waiting, immediately declared, "Let me share what Kurenai and I discovered first—the Hokage Office has definitely changed. A large portion of missions are now preferentially assigned to Iwagakure ninja. I suspect Grass Village's upper ranks may have already thoroughly infiltrated!"

Inoichi Yamanaka spoke with a heavy voice, "From my conversations with Ueno Shin, I've uncovered a terrifying truth—that the feudal lord of Grass Country may have already turned against Konoha!"

Seiki nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right. Besides the feudal lord, there's also the Finance Minister, Foreign Minister..."

After listening to Seiki recite a long list of names, everyone fell silent.

They had no doubts—Seiki was careful and reliable, so if he said it, it had to be true. Yet confusion lingered in their hearts.

Something felt off—we're all still making guesses and suspicions, yet you seem to already have all the answers.

We're all out there gathering intel—how come you've got all the answers?

Seiki smiled as he accepted the compliment. "Beyond this, I also know about Iwagakure's deployments and strength here in Grass Country."

Asuma gave an alarmed exclamation, "Seiki, what exactly did you do to that Mui guy? How could he possibly tell you all this?"

Seiki replied calmly, "Because I turned him."

The group fell silent again. For someone to be sent by Iwagakure as a spy meant he must've been highly trusted—an individual considered absolutely loyal even by Iwagakure standards.

How was it…that Seiki managed to turn him within just several hours?

Yamanaka Inoichi, an experienced information specialist ninja, nearly questioned his entire existence. Was it really that easy for Inoichi Yamanaka to gather intel?

What the hell had he been doing all these years? Seriously!

Asuma asked blankly, "So our mission is done already?"

Inoichi bitterly chuckled, "Looks like it."

He originally wanted his students to see how a Jonin handles missions—let them get a taste of real action.

Yet the mission had barely begun—how come Seiki led them straight to the finish line?

This kind of win felt just plain humiliating!

"Then rest well tonight and return tomorrow…"

"Inoichi-sensei, please wait a moment," Seiki interrupted. "Although the intelligence on Iwagakure has been collected, during this process, I discovered another piece of information."

Kurenai asked in surprise, "Other intelligence?"

Seiki spoke with a heavy tone, "Iwagakure has stationed two Jonins in Grass Country. And the Jonin leading this operation appears to have developed some unusual intentions."

Inoichi's eyes flickered slightly. "Seiki, explain clearly."

Seiki said seriously, "To put it simply, there's a Wish-Granting Casket inside Hozuki Castle, rumored to grant any wish to whoever opens it. This Iwagakure Jonin truly believes in this legend and attempts to gain access to its power by sacrificing prisoners' lives. Naturally, for Iwagakure's official report, he claims it's to control those prisoners in Hozuki Castle, treating them as hidden forces for use in war…"

Inoichi couldn't help but interrupt, "Wait, Seiki, how do you know this?"

"This is also something I learned from Mui."

"But shouldn't there be seals covering such important secrets on him?"

"What he unconsciously revealed was already enough for me to deduce the general situation. Moreover, judging from his reaction, I believe I haven't guessed incorrectly." Seiki spoke calmly, as if describing a trivial matter.

Inoichi found himself confused once again. Could even sealed information be bypassed like this?

Perhaps too many shocks made Asuma start to go numb. He snapped out of it before Inoichi. "So can't we spread this information to cause internal chaos within Iwagakure?"

"You're overestimating him. Given Tsuchikage's authority within Iwagakure, a mere Jonin wouldn't change anything. However…" Seiki paused thoughtfully. "This might be an opportunity to shift Kusagakure's balance of power."

"Asuma, your eyes are sparkling," Seiki chuckled. "You want to use this chance to eliminate Iwagakure's presence in Grass Country..."

Before he could finish, Yamanaka Inoichi quickly interrupted, "Absolutely not! It's far too dangerous! After all, the enemy consists of two jonin, plenty of chunin and genin, and even prisoners from Hozuki Castle. Not with odds like this against us!"

"Professor Yamanaka, don't worry; I'm not some reckless hothead," Seiki smiled reassuringly. "Since I brought it up, I naturally have some preparations."

"Yeah, Seiki must've already figured out a plan..." Asuma Sarutobi was egging him on when he suddenly realized something. "Wait, did you just call me a hothead?"

Inoichi also calmed down slightly upon recalling Seiki's usual demeanor. "Okay then... how exactly do you plan to do it?"

Seiki explained methodically, "First is Mui. As a descendant of the Hozuki Clan, he understands the [Wish-Granting Casket] best, which is precisely why that Iwa jonin values him so highly and even placed a seal on him deliberately. And because of that seal, he probably won't question anything Mui says!"

Everyone immediately caught onto Seiki's idea.

Kurenai's eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked, "So you're suggesting we let Mui play the role of a wedge between them?"

"Under normal circumstances, it would be very difficult to succeed," Seiki replied, clasping his hands together under his chin, "but... for someone who already has doubts in their heart, even the smallest bit of suspicion could make them act recklessly without thinking twice!"

"This was for dealing with the outside. Now comes handling things within," Seiki said gravely, turning to Inoichi. "Professor Yamanaka, the mental techniques of your clan should be able to accomplish this part, right?"

After hearing Seiki's full explanation, Inoichi's eyes sparkled—convinced at last. "If everything goes according to plan, there might actually be a chance of success. If that happens, we won't only be able to root out Iwagakure's influence in Kusagakure but also provoke Grass Village into resenting Rock, eventually forcing them back to Konoha's side."

Asuma Sarutobi nodded repeatedly. "Even if the plan fails, we still have Seiki's [Flying Thunder God] to get us out of there!"

Inoichi exhaled deeply. "Alright then… I'll go crazy with you guys this once!"

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