**Tsunade recalled the moments after meeting Haruto Saito in Da Tao Village. At the time, she had been worried that Haruto might have done something reckless, but she hadn't questioned him about it. Back then, even though she hadn't fully trusted Haruto, she hadn't thought there was anything seriously wrong.**
**But now…**
**"Is there no more accurate information?" Tsunade asked the middle-aged ninja, her fists clenched tightly on the table.**
**"No," the middle-aged ninja shook his head. "The informant was in Da Tao Village at the time. He witnessed everything firsthand. What he knows should all be written in the scroll."**
**"Is there still a chance he's alive…?" Tsunade murmured, her voice low, as if she were asking a question or speaking to herself.**
**The middle-aged ninja found it difficult to answer. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "The possibility is very low… The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist emerged completely unscathed. This means he was no match for them at all…"**
**"Given the Seven Swordsmen's style, they wouldn't show any mercy," Orochimaru said coldly.**
**Jiraiya frowned and glanced at Orochimaru. Why was he saying something like this at a time like this? Wasn't it just going to make Tsunade feel worse?**
**"However…" Orochimaru continued, "Haruto Saito was targeted by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist because he assassinated Fujita Asa. Based on the intelligence we have, Fujita Asa was the Mist's top intelligence analyst, possessing extraordinary investigative and analytical abilities. He undoubtedly trained many of the Mist's Anbu ninja!"**
**"In other words, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were likely his students! Not direct disciples, but they owed him a debt of gratitude and held him in high regard. That's why the Seven Swordsmen pursued Haruto without hesitation, seeking to avenge Fujita Asa!"**
**"What's the point of saying this now?!" Jiraiya couldn't help but interrupt.**
**"What I mean is…" Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya and then turned to Tsunade, "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are out for revenge! This isn't just a mission for them—it's personal! In a situation like this, they won't let Haruto go, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll kill him outright."**
**"Are you saying…" Tsunade seemed to understand something, her red-rimmed eyes widening as she spoke urgently.**
**"Haruto might have been killed, or he might have been captured alive!" Orochimaru deduced. "Given Momochi Zabuza's style, it's highly likely he would want to capture Haruto alive and make him suffer. So, there's a chance Haruto is still alive!"**
**Bang!**
**Tsunade's fist slammed heavily onto the table, leaving a deep imprint.**
**"He's definitely still alive!" Tsunade declared with absolute certainty.**
**"Perhaps," Orochimaru replied calmly.**
**Jiraiya gave Tsunade a complicated look, sighing inwardly. He understood that Orochimaru had given Tsunade a glimmer of hope, and Tsunade had latched onto it like a lifeline. Even though the likelihood of Haruto being dead far outweighed the chance of him being alive, Tsunade was determined to believe the latter!**
**Still, no matter how slim, there was a shred of hope.**
**"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," the middle-aged ninja said.**
**"Hmm," Jiraiya acknowledged with a grunt.**
**Just as the middle-aged ninja was about to leave, Orochimaru spoke up again. "Wait!"**
**"Sir?" The middle-aged ninja turned to Orochimaru.**
**At this moment, Tsunade was too emotionally overwhelmed, and Jiraiya was too distracted. Only Orochimaru remained calm and composed, his expression unreadable. It was he who had thought of a crucial question.**
**"Has this matter been reported to the Hokage?" Orochimaru asked.**
**"Uh…" The middle-aged ninja hesitated, then shook his head. "No. When an Anbu ninja dies in action, we first report it to the Anbu outpost in the Land of Whirlpools. They then relay the information to the Anbu headquarters in Konoha." His tone was slightly odd, as if he didn't understand why this needed to be reported directly to the Hokage.**
**"You don't know who he is?" Orochimaru frowned slightly.**
**"Haruto… an Anbu ninja…" The middle-aged ninja hesitated again. "His real name is Haruto Saito, right?"**
**"You don't know who Haruto Saito is?" Orochimaru repeated.**
**"Uh…" The middle-aged ninja was completely baffled.**
**Haruto Saito? Was he famous?**
**"How long has it been since you returned to Konoha?" Orochimaru pressed.**
**"It's been two years, sir," the middle-aged ninja replied.**
**"Hmm…" Orochimaru grunted, then added, "Then you should know that the Hokage recently took on a new personal disciple, right?"**
**"I've heard about it," the middle-aged ninja said, before his expression suddenly froze.**
**It was him—Haruto Saito!**
**The Hokage's personal disciple!**
**He had heard the name Haruto Saito before, but it hadn't clicked immediately. He hadn't expected that Haruto would join the Anbu and be sent on a dangerous mission to the Land of Whirlpools. According to rumors, Haruto was only twelve or thirteen years old, wasn't he?**
**The Hokage's personal disciple, dead in action just one month after becoming a student!**
**If this news spread, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation!**
**"Send an urgent, top-priority report to the Hokage," Orochimaru ordered.**
**"Yes, sir!" The middle-aged ninja snapped out of his daze, quickly acknowledging the order before hurrying off.**
**After he left, only the three of them remained in the room.**
**Orochimaru's expression remained impassive. Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, who was clutching the scroll and reading through the intelligence again. The report didn't mention whether the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had taken any prisoners when they left.**
**But prisoners weren't necessarily carried openly—they could have been sealed inside an object.**
**Additionally, the report mentioned that the ninja hound had also disappeared after the battle.**
**Could it be that the hound had taken Haruto away using some special method?**
**Tsunade's thoughts began to drift toward more hopeful possibilities.**
**The room fell silent.**
**"Tsunade," Jiraiya suddenly spoke up.**
**"Hmm," Tsunade acknowledged with a grunt, still reading the scroll.**
**"What should we do now?" Jiraiya asked.**
**Tsunade looked up at Jiraiya, then at Orochimaru. After a moment of silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "We're going to the Mist's forward camp!"**
******
**On the northern coast of the Land of Whirlpools, in Haichao Village.**
**This was one of the most prosperous civilian villages in the northern part of the Land of Whirlpools. Its advantageous location, close to the North Sea port, made it a hub for trade. The village had a permanent population of around thirty thousand, with an additional fifty thousand transient residents.**
**Under the blazing sun, the bustling streets of Haichao Village were alive with activity. Vendors called out to passersby, and travelers moved through the crowded streets.**
**A tall young man had just stepped out of a restaurant, accompanied by an elderly man in his sixties. Both were dressed plainly, walking and chatting in low voices.**
**"After delivering the letter, come back immediately. I'll head to Luoshui Village…" the old man said quietly.**
**"What about the money? Should I arrange for someone to transport it, or…" the young man replied in a hushed tone.**
**A small figure in a black cloak and bamboo hat emerged from a nearby alley, quickly approaching the two from behind.**
**"Hey!" a clear voice called out from behind them.**
**"Huh?" The old man and the young man turned around simultaneously.**
**A flash of blade light! Quick as lightning.**
**The small figure drew their sword and slashed twice in a cross pattern, the movements so fast they seemed like flashes of light. In the blink of an eye, the sword was sheathed again.**
**Thud! Slash!**
**Bright red blood sprayed from the necks of the old man and the young man, gushing like a fountain.**
**Whoosh!**
**A golden light erupted from both of their bodies.**
**"Sixteen, seventeen," the small figure silently counted in their mind.**