"Hmm?"
Kakuzu's eyes showed a hint of surprise as he looked at Ren, who was smiling broadly, and repeated, "Danzo Shimura?"
"Yes, the one known as The Darkness of Shinobi," Ren affirmed in a low voice.
"The intelligence I received indicates that he has already arrived in the Land of Rain, accompanied by only a few attendants, so this is our best opportunity to act."
"Hmm…" Kakuzu's face became solemn, and his fingers tapped faster and faster.
Danzo Shimura, known as The Darkness of Shinobi, is a ruthless man who stops at nothing to achieve his goals, and he is skilled in Wind ReleaseNinjutsu.
Although his opponent was strong, Kakuzu didn't think he was a match for him, and with the help of the guy beside him, killing the opponent, though troublesome, shouldn't be a problem.
What bothered him was the aftermath; if an elder of a Village was killed by him, Konoha Village would certainly not let it go, and endless pursuit would follow. He didn't want to provoke the strongest Village in the Ninja World.
"Mr. Kakuzu needn't worry."
Ren also understood his concerns, and after swallowing the dumpling in his mouth, he chuckled, "Konoha is currently fighting four opponents, and they are already overwhelmed. How could they have time to cause trouble? I'll add another ten million, making it sixty million in total. What do you think, Mr. Kakuzu?"
That ten million instantly became the last straw that broke the camel's back. He, who had been hesitating, instantly made up his mind, stopped tapping his fingers, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll take this mission!"
"Mr. Kakuzu is a straightforward man!"
Seeing the other party agree, Ren's eyes lit up with joy, and he immediately took out a scroll and handed it to him.
"Just like last time, this is a twenty million deposit, one-third paid first, and the rest will be paid in full after the mission is completed. The Sealing Jutsu on it can be broken with the simplest Sealing Jutsu."
"Hmm." Kakuzu didn't stand on ceremony. After taking the scroll, he put it away and continued, "When do we start?"
Ren finished the last dumpling, drank all the tea in his cup, and then turned his gaze to the other party, smiling, "Now!"
…
The next day.
Amegakure is a Village perpetually shrouded in heavy rain. Its buildings are primarily made of steel, with large and small steel pipes rising both inside and out. Underground, numerous pipes and sewers are buried for drainage.
In the very center of the Village stands a tall tower. Atop the tower, a man with a breathing mask and light yellow hair draped behind his head gazed at the rain-soaked Village, lost in thought.
He is Hanzou, a man revered as a "demigod" throughout the Ninja World, and the leader of Hidden Rain Village.
"Lord Hanzou, the families of the fallen Ninja have been acknowledged, and the consolation funds have been distributed."
A figure flashed behind the man, wearing a mask identical to his, and knelt on the ground, respectfully saying.
"Hmm," Hanzou turned around and nodded slightly.
"Issue an order for Ichizo to take two small teams to monitor the Akatsuki Organization. I need to know all of their movements."
At this point, Hanzou's gaze turned cold, and a hint of killing intent emerged from his eyes.
Several of their Hidden Rain VillageNinja teams went out on a mission, and unexpectedly, they returned at noon after leaving in the morning, only they were sent back as corpses.
"Yes!"
The other party responded and then disappeared instantly, leaving Hanzou alone on the high tower again.
"Danzo, huh…"
The one who sent back those corpses today was Danzo of Konoha, and it was he who informed him about the Akatsuki Organization.
He was also wary of this man, known as The Darkness of Shinobi, but he thought for a long time that there was no need for the other party to lie to him, so he sent people to monitor the Akatsuki Organization.
He had already developed a killing intent towards this organization that wanted to replace him.
Meanwhile, in another part of the Land of Rain, a team of people was hurrying through the rain. The leading man had a short sword slung across his back, and his face was wrapped in bandages covering one of his eyes. It was Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, the signal has been sent. They will arrive in the Land of Rain by tomorrow."
A young man behind him came closer and bowed slightly.
"Good, keep a close eye on Hanzou's movements in Amegakure."
Hearing this, Danzo paused, nodded, and then resumed walking, continuing, "Tell them to continue secretly slaughtering the Ninja of the Land of Rain. Remember to make sure they do it discreetly and absolutely do not let Hanzou of Hanzou's side detect any abnormality."
At this point, Danzo turned to look at the rapidly receding Amegakure behind him, a cold sneer on his face.
Those Hidden Rain VillageNinja were Root members under his command, disguised as Stone Ninja, whom he had killed. When he discovered the threat of the Akatsuki Organization midway, he changed his plan, bringing those corpses back to frame the Akatsuki Organization.
If things continued like this, Amegakure and the Akatsuki Organization would definitely merge due to their common ideals, which would then pose a threat to Konoha.
As The Darkness of Shinobi, Danzo certainly wouldn't let such a situation happen, so he used this opportunity to disrupt the relationship between the two forces, making them fight each other.
It seemed the effect was quite good. Although Hanzou didn't explicitly agree to ally with him against the Akatsuki Organization, his demeanor suggested he already had suspicions. He believed it wouldn't be long before Hanzou would seek cooperation with him again.
Thinking of this, Danzo's mood instantly brightened. He turned to his subordinate beside him and asked, "How far is it to the stronghold?"
The subordinate calculated for a moment before answering, "At our current speed, we can reach the stronghold in fifteen minutes."
Although there was a possibility of cooperation between the two, Danzo still wasn't comfortable staying in Amegakure himself, so after communicating with Hanzou, he took his subordinates to the nearest stronghold.
For a cautious person like Danzo, even though the journey from Amegakure to that stronghold would take two hours, at least his safety could be guaranteed.
If he were truly sleeping in Amegakure, he might draw his sword immediately upon seeing a passing Hidden Rain VillageNinja during a midnight bathroom break, or perhaps he wouldn't be able to sleep at all.
They had already covered half the distance and were far from Amegakure. There was no Village or shop nearby, only a small town ten kilometers behind them. One could say that even if a Tailed Beast Ball were thrown here, no one would probably know.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Danzo frowned slightly and stopped. The three people behind him also stopped, and all four of their gazes turned to the front.
Dozens of meters ahead, on a large rock, sat a man wearing a straw hat. Seeing them approach, he jumped off the rock, lifted his hat, revealing a pair of eerie green eyes, and a low voice emerged from within, "You've arrived…"