I'm Inside Naruto Manga

During the peaceful era, the Land of Fire thrived. As the Joint Chunin Exams, involving several Ninja Villages, approached, an unusual seriousness pervaded Konoha. The influx of foreign Ninja brought not only new faces, but also a cold and aggressive demeanor from different regions. The frequency of Ninja patrols on the streets increased, but thanks to effective propaganda, even the civilians sensed a subtle tension without showing much concern, eagerly anticipating the Chunin Exams.

Logan just stayed home. In the past few days, he saw the growing presence of Ninjas from Sunagakure, Kusagakure and other Ninja Villages. These Ninjas, unlike those who grew up in Konoha's stable environment, ranged from the overtly confident to the quietly observant.

Occasionally going out to buy things, Logan would see sporadic foreign Ninjas. Having seen all sorts of people during his years of training and time in the ANBU, although it was a novelty to the Konoha's villagers, these unfamiliar faces in their unique attires didn't intrigue him much.

By the way, when meeting the Ninjas from Otogakure, Logan had to avoid them. After all, he had made a big fuss before and even destroyed a section of their wall. Though he was wearing a mask at that time, but just in case, it was best to avoid being recognized and the potential conflict.

The summer cicadas buzzed incessantly among the leaves, their chorus heralding the building heat, which promised to explode in energy soon.

Konoha's Ninjas, especially the Jonin, became busier, and daily missions for Team 7 temporarily halted. Even Logan hadn't seen Kakashi for a while.

Logan remained a bystander to Konoha's changes, his involvement in the Chunin Exams seemingly minimal. As he basked in the blazing sunlight, a pair of siblings he once helped made their way from the Land of Fire's border to Konoha.

Logan, who had once boasted 'in the name of Konoha's Ninja', would never know the profound impact of that night on a little girl. Driven by a newfound dream, Mai, holding her brother's hand, headed toward the unknowns of Konoha.

Fates intertwine, with some paths converging and others diverging. The protagonists would soon face their next battles in the predetermined story, and Logan, too, had matters to attend to.

"If you are not satisfied with the information, just say so. I can provide something more significant. Why did you make such a big deal out of it?" Logan, who was dressed in casual clothes at home, was lying on the wooden floor of his courtyard, staring at the drifting clouds. Right now, he is muttering to himself, "You even tattled on me, making Pain call me out with the Magic Lantern Body Technique for a scolding..."

Logan was recently troubled by another incident. On the day Kakashi handed out the registration forms to Naruto and his team, Logan had casually complained about not being questioned regarding his spy activities, and sure enough, that very night, Zetsu showed up.

Because Konoha's security level is very high, Zetsu didn't take the risk to visit in person, but used the Sky Ring Logan has to call him out.

"Hey, Zetsu, long time no see!"

In the hollow of a vast, dark mountain, Logan's semi-ethereal form stood on a stone pillar. With the colorfully shifting projection technique, he immediately spotted Zetsu on another pillar, greeting him familiarly.

"Oh." Zetsu's white half chuckled and responded, "You seem to be in good spirits?"

'That smile doesn't seem friendly.' Logan glanced at the projection on the main stone pillar, Pain was present as well.

"Yeah, I've been eating well, sleeping well, and I can go up five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. How about you?"

"..." White Zetsu's projection shook slightly. He wanted to complain about Logan's words, but he held back.

"Raiden Hattori!" White Zetsu's tone turned stern, "I called you here to discuss your intelligence-gathering efforts in Konoha."

"Oh, I see." Logan looked at the silent and brooding big boss beside him, and said guiltily, "Is there any problem?"

When White Zetsu heard this, his expression grew more animated, "Of course there's a problem! The information you've sent is too basic. What the hell the 'proportion of singles among Konoha's Ninjas', 'the number of women in the Third Hokage's entourage'... What's the point of telling me these information? The information you've been sending is no better than before you formally joined the organization!"

As Akatsuki's intelligence chief, Zetsu had to handle all kinds of intelligence and arrange it, and Logan's reports often drove him to frustration.

"I think it's okay." Logan retorted with an uneasy expression.

"I think it's not!"

"Then, why don't you write it down first? Next time..."

White Zetsu opened his mouth and was about to continue to condemn Logan's useless behavior when Pain, who was silent all this time, raised his hand and stopped the quarrel between the two.

Then, a voice, stern and cold, echoed, "That's enough."

Pain's Rinnegan was striking under the projection's light, "Konoha is the largest Ninja Village among the Five Great Nations, with the strictest security. It's understandable that 'Sky' finds it difficult to obtain valuable information."

'Whoa, he's actually defending me.' Logan thought in surprise, 'Maybe Pain sees my potential? Indeed, after consistently skating by with minimal effort, White Zetsu's complaints felt a bit unfair...'

"But." Pain said in a more serious tone and looked at Logan, "There is something. The organization had a meeting some time ago and is about to start the next phase of our plan: the capture of the Biju!"

Logan paused for a moment, feeling the weight of Pain's words and the oppressive aura of his Rinnegan, 'They had already held the meeting?'

"You were in the Land of Waves at the time, and your ring didn't respond, so you weren't present." Pain continued, "However, it's noteworthy that you've infiltrated the team of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki. That's a valuable piece of information."

At the mention of the Land of Waves, Logan glanced inadvertently at Zetsu, 'His information network is vast indeed.'

'Pain's initial comforting words clearly weren't his true intention, it was the typical leadership tactic of cushioning criticism with some praise.'

"...So, Zetsu's main focus will be on the roaming Biju and their Jinchuriki. Konoha's affairs won't be his primary concern, but 'Sky', the intelligence you've sent is indeed too trivial."

"The organization expects you to fulfill your duties properly."

That was the final word. After Pain said it, he stopped talking. The meaning was very obvious: 'Don't think we can't see that your lazy behavior. It has caused dissatisfaction in the organization.'

"Yes, leader." Logan acknowledged, bowing slightly. His agreement to gather intelligence for Zetsu was initially an internal arrangement between the two of them, but with the Biju Capturing Plan in motion, Zetsu had lost patience and escalated the issue to Pain, which wasn't unexpected.

Pain nodded, then ended his projection.

In the deep darkness, only Logan and White Zetsu remained.

White Zetsu shrugged, feeling quite satisfied, and instructed, " You heard him. Now, I'm giving you a clear task. Within half a month, obtain the fiscal distribution of the Land of Fire, especially the detailed expenditure related to the Ninja Village. "

"Once you give me this information, I'll give you access to the 'internal documents' we talked about." White Zetsu chuckled.