Naruto：Immortality and the Eight Inner Gates[Double agent]

In the forest clearing, the logistics team ninjas gathered around, gawking at the flattened corpses of the Sunagakure elite shinobi. A strange sense of security filled their hearts.

Eleven elite ninja from Sunagakure had been taken out so effortlessly, without even a proper confrontation.

It felt almost surreal.

Initially, some of them had doubted the strength of Team 11. But now, all skepticism had vanished.

This wasn't surprising, though.

For the past half-year of war, Rinjin had not participated in any battles. Even within the village, his reputation was obscure;

Outside of the higher-ups, very few knew of his existence.

But now, the entire logistics team felt completely at ease with Team 11 guarding the rear.

If it weren't for the fear of upsetting Princess Tsunade, they might have even suggested assigning Team 11 to lead the way.

After all, that massive iron ball gave off an unmatched sense of security.

While the rest of the team reveled in their newfound confidence, those at the front of the convoy—Tsunade's squad—couldn't bring themselves to smile.

The two rescued shinobi had brought terrible news.

Jiraiya's unit had been ambushed!

A week ago, under the orders of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, Iwagakure launched a surprise attack on the Sunagakure forces led by Chiyo.

Caught off guard, Chiyo and her troops were forced into a retreat, withdrawing from the central battlefield of the Land of Grass to the border shared with the Land of Rain.

Sensing an opportunity, Konoha made a decisive move. Orochimaru led a strike force to attack Iwagakure's rear lines, aiming to cut off their supply chain.

For Konoha, the more chaotic the battlefield, the better.

If they helped Iwagakure repel Sunagakure, Konoha would soon find itself facing both Iwagakure's main forces and sporadic ambushes from Sunagakure.

Such a scenario would be highly disadvantageous for Konoha.

Only by keeping the majority of Iwagakure and Sunagakure's forces tied up in the Land of Grass could Konoha create an opportunity for its own troops to rest and regroup.

The geography of the Land of Fire was both a blessing and a curse.

In times of peace, its central location in the shinobi world made it a hub of trade and commerce, granting it immense prosperity.

But in times of war, that advantage turned into a debt that had to be repaid.

And right now, it wasn't just Iwagakure and Sunagakure—there was also a looming threat from the north, a certain major power watching for any sign of weakness.

For Konoha, the best strategy was to keep Iwagakure and Sunagakure locked in conflict, using the immense logistical and economic strain to wear them down.

It was with this strategy in mind that Konoha's leadership chose to extend a helping hand to Chiyo rather than exploiting her retreat.

However, this plan had backfired spectacularly in the face of a united Sunagakure-Iwagakure coalition.

As it turned out, Ōnoki's relentless assault on Chiyo had been nothing more than an act to deceive Konoha.

The two cunning veterans had played their roles so convincingly that even Konoha fell for it.

Once bitter enemies, the Sunagakure and Iwagakure forces merged seamlessly, catching Jiraiya's reconnaissance and containment unit completely off guard.

It had already been a full day and night since Jiraiya's unit was ambushed.

The thought of this made Tsunade's squad increasingly anxious.

Now, they faced two choices:

Hand over the task of escorting the logistics team entirely to Team 11, while Tsunade led her squad to the battlefield.

Continue escorting the logistics team while sending Team 11—or rather, Rinjin—to handle the crisis.

The first option would guarantee the safety of the logistics team but might put Jiraiya in danger.

The second option would also ensure the logistics team's safety, and with Rinjin's speed, Jiraiya would likely be fine.

Tsunade wrestled internally, weighing the pros and cons of each choice.

There was, of course, a third option: rely entirely on Rinjin.

The thought of this made Tsunade even more conflicted.

It wasn't about pride—she knew how to prioritize when the lives of her comrades were on the line.

Her hesitation stemmed from uncertainty about how to persuade Rinjin.

She had some understanding of the relationship between Konoha's leadership and Rinjin;

To put it simply, the dynamic was less like a superior-subordinate relationship and more akin to a contractual arrangement.

The reason Rinjin was on the battlefield at all was due to Tsunade leveraging their personal friendship, using the excuse that he was there to protect her as her personal shield.

And there was nothing wrong with that.

If the roles were reversed and Rinjin needed her help, she would undoubtedly do the same for him.

This was a matter of personal loyalty, untainted by the village's interests.

In other words, her current role was more like the "campus queen's bodyguard" than the "village's princess."

When Rinjin had previously led Rie, Teuchi, and Fugaku to the Land of Grass, Tsunade had joined them as a friend and medical ninja, not as the granddaughter of the First Hokage or Konoha's esteemed princess.

Silence. A long, heavy silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Tsunade suddenly stood up. Her commanding gaze swept over her squad members as she spoke in a firm tone:

"Kato Dan, I hereby appoint you as temporary captain! Your mission is to escort the logistics team to the frontlines!"

With that, she turned and began walking toward the rear of the convoy.

"Wait, what about you?"

Kato Dan's anxious voice called out from behind her.

Without turning around, Tsunade continued forward, her resolute voice echoing:

"I'm going to the frontlines to provide support!"

Hearing this, Kato Dan pressed his lips together, wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent.

Tsunade truly had the power to turn the tide of a battle.

Her immense chakra reserves, unparalleled medical ninjutsu, and the support of Katsuyu, the Slug Sage—

Given enough time, she could even alter the course of an entire war.

At the rear of the logistics team, Rinjin remained as relaxed as ever, leisurely munching on sunflower seeds and reading a book.

In the entire convoy, he was the only one completely at ease, showing no signs of the tension that came with an impending battle.

"Rinjin!"

From a distance, Tsunade's voice rang out, carrying a hint of seriousness.

Hearing this, Rinjin nonchalantly tucked his book into his ninja pouch and looked up with an innocent expression.

"What's up?"

Instead of answering directly, Tsunade quickly approached him, leaning in to whisper:

"Jiraiya's in danger. Let's go."

At these words, Rinjin's brow furrowed instantly, his demeanor turning serious.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

Rinjin nodded firmly, wasting no time.

Clapping his hands together, a puff of white smoke erupted beside him, and three shadow clones appeared.

"Take care of Shikaku. I have something urgent to handle."

With that, Rinjin placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder, and in an instant, they vanished.

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