Chapter 229: Ch.229 The Identity of “A”
Hokage's Office.
Kakashi handed a freshly compiled interrogation report to the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage, this is the intel that the Interrogation Division just put together."
Taking the report, the Third Hokage asked, "Did they confirm those people's identities?"
"Mhm, it's confirmed." Kakashi nodded and continued, "The leader is a rogue shinobi from Hidden Mist named Night Owl, a jōnin from the Hogan clan. The other three members are more complicated—some are rogue shinobi from Hidden Mist, some from the Land of Hot Water's shinobi village—but none of them are weak; their strength is roughly at the level of tokubetsu jōnin."
The Third Hokage frowned slightly and carefully flipped through the report.
Kakashi continued his briefing: "That group is quite infamous in the Land of Hot Water region. Hidden Mist tried multiple times to capture them, but always came up empty-handed."
"They tried to kidnap Uchiha Shinji?" The Third Hokage glanced at Kakashi. "That's why they infiltrated the village?"
Kakashi nodded lightly. "I've triple-checked. Their primary target was indeed Uchiha Shinji."
The Third Hokage asked, "So how do you explain their assault on Sasuke—abducting him, too?"
Kakashi answered, "Coincidence... That's their version of events."
Not pressing that issue further, the Third Hokage continued reading the report. After a few moments, he set it down. "So according to this, Sasori and Deidara from the Akatsuki hired Night Owl, instructing him to sneak into the village to capture Uchiha Shinji. Then 'A,' also of the Akatsuki, ambushed Night Owl in the Forest of Death and stole both pairs of Hogan from him and one of his subordinates?"