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Chapter 28: Mission From Agent Ipatch
🕑 Added 2025-06-13 11:49:19 +0000 UTCKakashi was sitting and drinking tea as one of his phoned tinged.
A new mission had come through: hunt down the Ten Rings, a shadowy organization linked to the kidnapping of Tony Stark, and gather intel on Stark's whereabouts and condition—dead or alive.
The mission came from all three of his mercenary handlers—Elena Voss, Marcus Kane, and Li Wei—who vouched for a mysterious client known only as "Agent iPatch."
Kakashi had read about Tony Stark in news feeds: a genius inventor, CEO of Stark Industries, and the U.S. military's top weapons supplier.
'Rich, brilliant, and arrogant. He sounds like a headache.' Stark's wealth rivaled nations who was a playboy, but his kidnapping and the attack on him in Afghanistan had sent shockwaves through global markets.
The Ten Rings' involvement was the only lead, and Kakashi's mission was to mainly find information about Ten Rings and where Tony stark was if he was alive.
At Kamar-Taj, he'd studied the Ten Rings while researching mystical organizations that operated on Earth. There was at most a para on it.
The library's scrolls described the group spanning a thousand years, toppling kingdoms and governments.
'Konoha's not even a century old. An organization that ancient…' The thought was staggering, their longevity hinted at immense power and secrecy.
Kamar-Taj deemed them a "mortal affair," refusing to intervene, but their leader, the Mandarin, was a ghost, his name whispered in fear even among some of the Kamar Taj members.
'A thousand years of terror. They make the Akatsuki look like amateurs.' Kakashi thought
With little to go on, Kakashi summoned his ninken pack, his loyal dogs materializing in a puff of smoke. Pakkun, the pug, yawned, scratching his ear. "What's up, boss? Another vampire hunt?"
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Not this time, Pakkun. I need intel on the Ten Rings. Spread out, sniff around North America—ports, black markets, anywhere sketchy. Look for their operatives."
Bisuke, the terrier, tilted his head. "Ten Rings? Those the guys with the fancy jewelry obsession?"
Kakashi chuckled. "Something like that. Be discreet. No barking at squirrels, Shiba."
Shiba huffed, offended. "That was one time!" The pack dispersed, their noses to the ground, blending into the city's underbelly.
Kakashi leaned back, his mind racing.
'A thousand-year-old group doesn't leave much of a trail. But everyone slips up eventually.'
Days later, the ninken returned with a lead: individuals sporting Ten Rings tattoos—interlocked circles inked on necks, hands, or arms—were buying military-grade weapons across North America's underbelly.
'Tattoos? Either they're fanatics who worship Ten Rings, or it's a mark of membership.'
Kakashi deduced the latter, the tattoos might be a badge of loyalty to an organization that thrived on secrecy. 'I wonder why no one figured this out until now. Well, time to pay one a visit.'
He targeted a low-level arms dealer in Chicago, a burly man named Viktor with a Ten Rings tattoo on his forearm.
Kakashi tracked him to a rundown motel, waiting until midnight when Viktor's snores echoed through the thin walls.
Kakashi phased through the door using Kamui, his kunai gleaming as he loomed over the sleeping man.
Viktor jolted awake, his scream cut short as he reached for a gun under his pillow. Kakashi's Sharingan spun, casting a genjutsu that trapped Viktor in a loop of falling through darkness.
"Relax," Kakashi said, his voice low and calm. "Answer my questions, and you might wake up."
Viktor's eyes were wide, his voice trembling. "W-what do you want?"
Kakashi leaned closer, his kunai at Viktor's throat. "The Ten Rings. Who's your boss? Real name."
Viktor shook his head, sweat beading on his brow. "I don't know! Nobody knows the Mandarin's name! He's… he's like a myth!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "Where is he?"
"Somewhere in Tibet, China! That's all I got, I swear!"
"What about Tony Stark? Where'd you stash him?"
Viktor's confusion was genuine, his voice cracking. "Stark? We didn't take him! Everyone in the Rings is freaking out about it. No orders came from the top. Someone's using our name!"
Kakashi's Sharingan bore into him, detecting no deception. 'He's telling the truth.' He pressed further. "Why would someone frame you?"
Viktor gulped. "Dunno! Maybe to keep eyes off 'em while they squeeze Stark for weapons… or cash. He's worth billions! Besides, We are a scary organisation so not many would try to go after us."
Kakashi hummed, his mind analyzing the intel. A false flag. Someone kidnaps Stark, pins it on the Ten Rings to divert attention.
It was a classic misdirection.
'Clever. But who's pulling the strings?' He'd hit a dead end on Stark's location, but the mission's core—hunting the Ten Rings and getting information on them—was complete with this intel.
"Sorry, Viktor," Kakashi said, his tone almost apologetic. With a swift twist, he snapped the man's neck, his body slumping lifelessly.
He snapped a photo of the Ten Rings tattoo.
'There are only two possibilities I see. Either this guy is saying the truth or he is too low in the organisation ladder that he doesn't know about the plans of the leadership. With the conviction he spoke, I believe what he said is true. Besides, Ten Rings have not openly attacked like this in ages.' Kakashi deduced
Back in Hell's Kitchen, Kakashi sat at his table, Naruto curled on his lap, its nine tails twitching. "Nay nay, didja find the bad guys?" it squeaked, nibbling a stolen cracker.
Kakashi's eye crinkled, ruffling its fur. "Got a lead, fuzzball. Ten Rings didn't take Stark. Someone's playing dress-up with their name."
Naruto gasped, its eyes sparkling. "Ooh, like a ninja disguise? Sneaky! Let's go to Tibet and kick their butts, believe it!"
Kakashi chuckled, his tone dry. "Tibet's a big place, and my dogs are mostly in this continent. The mission is complete for now."
He drafted encrypted messages to his handlers, attaching the tatoo photo, the Tibet lead, and the assumption that the Ten Rings hadn't kidnapped Stark.
'Mission done, but I doubt Stark is still alive. But then again why kidnap him? From what I know they have not asked for any ransom. Wait, Is not Tony Stark, the inventor of most of his company's weapons?' Kakashi had a realisation
'Of course, they want the designs of his weapons and even have him make them the weapons. That's why they did not directly kill him. Why would the Afghanistan militants otherwise wait to kill the one that supplied the US army their weapons?' Kakashi finally figured out the puzzle.
'Well, If I can figure this out surely Agent Ipatch would have figured this out or would figure it out with my report.'
