This series of developments had completely dispelled the Third Hokage's doubts and hesitations—so much so that the old Hokage even felt a twinge of guilt. Though guilt was guilt, it didn't stop him from remaining cautious of Hinata.
Insisting that Hinata be placed on Team 7 wasn't just about compatibility with Sasuke and Naruto. It was also a subtle balancing act: since Hinata had practically taken control of Konoha's entire new generation, at the very least, the upper echelons didn't want her grouped with other clan heirs again. If she were, with her manipulative talent, she'd easily pull them all into her orbit, and those clans would shift from neutral to full support of her—naturally, since their children would already be aligned with her.
And so, with Sasuke's clan wiped out and Naruto being a complete loner, grouping those two volatile outliers with Hinata served a dual purpose. It limited her influence over other heirs and, more darkly, if either of those two were to cause trouble, Hinata would be implicated. That could then be used to damage her reputation—or even justify placing her under blame-based control.
But regardless, the Hinata Group had grown far beyond a mere kids' club. It had become the core power circle of Konoha's new generation. That's why jonin like Kakashi and Asuma showed real respect—and even fear—toward Hinata.
In their eyes, she wasn't a child. She was a future high-ranking authority of Konoha.
If nothing went wrong, Hinata would easily become an elder-level figure in the future. And all this had been acknowledged by the village's leadership before she even became a full-fledged ninja. That's why even someone like Danzo had decided, after weighing the consequences, to try pulling her to his side.
With her support, he believed his odds of becoming the Fifth Hokage would rise significantly.
Connections, finances, status—Hinata's group had maxed out all three in Konoha. In the real world, that would've been more than enough to run for national office.
Only in the ninja world was there still one missing component: power. And that's why her group continued to train and grow stronger.
After all, Hinata had arrived with full marks in Politics, Welfare, Economy, and Ambition—so naturally, she could look down on a one-trick loser like Gato.
"This place had everything going for it… and it still got dragged into ruin by a short-sighted idiot. But~ maybe that's our opportunity."
She lifted her pale eyes, the corner of her mouth curling into a sharp, ambitious smile—one that perfectly matched the words she let out.
"Very well~ Tazuna, we'll help you. We'll save this nation. Hehahahahahaha~~!"
---
"Tch~ What a buzzkill dump. There's not even decent food around here?"
Hidan muttered irritably as he roasted two fish over a campfire. He and Kakuzu had originally planned to buy food from a local market, but due to Gato's long-term lockdown, there was barely anything for sale—edible or otherwise. In the end, they had to catch their own dinner.
"Well, I've got a handle on the situation. A merchant named Gato currently controls the place, and the Daimyō's one of those 'take the bribe and look the other way' types. Works perfectly for me."
Kakuzu flipped through a stack of intel, his voice tinged with rare satisfaction. Hidan perked up too as he turned the fish: "Oh? So basically, as long as we keep the Daimyō's mouth shut with cash, we get to play local tyrant? Aha~ that means I can preach Jashin-sama as much as I want around here!"
"In theory, yes. But first, we need to get rid of the obstacle—and that guy's probably loaded."
Kakuzu tucked away the intel and flexed his fingers. "Eat fast. We're finishing this tonight."
"Hah! You don't need to tell me twice. There's no kill I won't enjoy!"
Hidan licked his lips, gleaming with bloodlust. They couldn't make a move on Daimyō-level figures just yet, but someone like Gato—no background, criminal scum? He was fair game. No one would miss him. In the underworld, black eats black was a rule everyone accepted.
Just then, a strange buzzing caught their attention. Kakuzu looked up, spotting a white clay dragonfly flying straight toward him. He blinked, extending his ring-marked Akatsuki hand to catch it.
"Huh? Isn't that one of Deidara's bugs? What's it doing here?"
Hidan stared at the little clay drone, clearly confused. These were communication tools coded to track Akatsuki rings and deliver messages.
"No… Deidara should still be in the Land of Fire. So this means someone else…"
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. Infusing chakra into the drone, he sent it back into the air and followed its lead—Hidan tagging along, fish in hand.
The dragonfly didn't travel far. It stopped at a stretch of beach where a slender figure stood facing the ocean. As they approached, the figure raised a hand, catching the drone as it shrunk into her palm.
"Is that Kakuzu and Hidan? Does Lord Pain have more orders?"
The girl had smooth black hair, a graceful frame, and a voice laced with calm reverence. Kakuzu and Hidan exchanged glances.
Plenty of people knew their names. A fair number knew Pain's name. But only one person they'd ever heard referred to Pain as "Lord"—and that was Suigin Tou, mentioned in a previous intel exchange.
If someone had been spying on Akatsuki when Suigin Tou used that phrase, they'd know. But Akatsuki was airtight—there were no leaks.
Still, it was possible she'd been captured or brainwashed. Either way, this called for a deeper conversation.
"Could it be… Suigin Tou?"
Frowning, Hidan gave Hinata a once-over. Then it clicked: "Ahh, I get it. That girl we caught for you last time was just a stand-in, huh?"
"Didn't think we'd run into you here. So, is this body your real one?"
Kakuzu added, curious. But his next question betrayed his true instincts: "Let me guess. You're after this country too?"
"Heh…"
Hinata turned to face them, and just from Kakuzu's phrasing, she instantly understood their purpose here. No doubt—they were after the Land of Waves as well.
"As expected, Lord Pain's vision is sharp. This nation may lack resources, but its location is beyond perfect. Ideal for building a factory."
That comment relaxed Kakuzu. He gave an approving nod. "Good. If you're saying that, then you really are Suigin Tou."
"Heh~ Then let's exchange intel. I think it'll help our cooperation this time."
Hinata didn't waste time. Unlike in the original, Kakashi wasn't in a coma—so if she stayed out too long and got discovered, it'd be a mess.
A few minutes later, she and Kakuzu had exchanged all known intelligence on the Land of Waves. Most of what Kakuzu knew, Hinata already had—but it helped to confirm her own findings.
"So… you're here as a genin escorting the old bridge builder, huh?"
Kakuzu stroked his chin. "And the guy's trying to build a bridge to reconnect this nation with the outside world? Interesting."
"Wait, hold on. Wouldn't reconnecting with the outside world be a pain? Are you saying we're supposed to kill the old guy too?"
Hidan tilted his head. "Aren't your sensei and teammates living with him right now? You want us to take them out too?"
"Hahaha. If that's what you want, I'll do it for free. How's that?"
Kakuzu grinned dangerously. Dark-hearted as ever, he loved a betrayal.
"No need. Even if I did want them gone, I'd rather do it myself. Actually—quite the opposite. I want the bridge to be completed."
Hinata smiled. What a joke. Blow up Naruto's bridge? Only a fool would think that way. A structure like this, in real life, would cost billions and take years to complete. She didn't have to lift a finger and could just reap the benefits—why destroy that?
"Huh? But won't the bridge cause problems? Too many travelers, too much openness… I don't get it."
Hidan was clearly struggling to follow.
"Gato tried to lock things down because he lacked the strength to rule otherwise. But you two—don't tell me you lack power? Besides, in this world, sea routes are far easier to control than land routes. Kakuzu, with your Earth Release, tell me—is it hard to add a ring of reefs around the sea routes here that no ship can pass?"
Hinata lifted her chin, oozing arrogance. But Kakuzu wasn't offended—he was impressed.
"Ohhh~ I see! You're flipping the strategy. Block all water routes completely, then funnel everything through the bridge. That way, control becomes even tighter!"
In the real world, water routes are hard to lock down. Gato only controlled the main ports and punished illegal departures—but people like Tazuna still found ways to sneak out by boat.
But in the ninja world? With Earth Style jutsu, adding reefs—or even building artificial islands—wasn't just possible, it was easy with enough chakra.
And reefs were basically checkpoints for ships. No vessel, no matter how good, dares sail blindly through a field of hidden rocks. Either detour—or destroy the reef entirely.