"Within Akatsuki, the only three people who can currently affect our plan are Yahiko, Konan, and Yoru. Though strictly speaking, Yoru cannot truly be considered an Akatsuki member."
Some time passed.
One day, outside a battlefield within the Land of Rain, a masked figure wearing earth-toned attire stood watching Akatsuki and Hidden Rain Village soldiers clash in the distance. His eyes flickered with cold calculation.
Black Zetsu spoke quietly beside him.
"White Zetsu has been exposed. But as long as Nagato can eventually take over Akatsuki and lead the organization to develop according to our predictions, it is not a critical problem."
"The prerequisite is that Yahiko presents a certain difficulty. His existence is unfavorable to our plan, so he must be eliminated."
"From this point forward, your identity will be..."
"Given the bond between Nagato and Yahiko, moving against Yahiko directly would be unwise. It is better to rely on outside forces. Of course, we can also approach Yahiko first. As long as Yahiko dies, we can use that moment to reshape Nagato's beliefs."
"Salamander Hanzo and Shimura Danzo are already plotting to trap and destroy Akatsuki," Black Zetsu continued.
"Yoru? Which one is he?"
The masked figure's gaze swept across the battlefield below, his voice cold and measured.
"He is not here. He serves as the primary force in Akatsuki's logistics medical team and does not participate in the actual fighting."
Black Zetsu answered.
"What do we know of his background?"
"Since he entered the organization, we have been occupied with other matters and other aspects of the plan. We have not devoted sufficient attention to him. Furthermore, this person operates with extraordinary caution and keeps himself deliberately mysterious. Up to this point, his background remains largely unclear."
"What we do know is that he has connections to some outside force, and that his original purpose in approaching Akatsuki was to benefit from the ongoing conflict. But because of Yahiko's presence, he has not been able to achieve that objective."
"Now he appears to have emerged from behind the scenes and positioned himself directly within the organization. Although he does not hold a formal leadership role, both Nagato and Konan trust him deeply. His status within the organization is high because of the large number of wounded members he has saved, and everyone regards him with considerable respect."
The masked figure nodded slowly.
"Theoretically, the most pressing complications right now, beyond Yahiko, are the Sand Village."
"Indeed. Konan appears to have acted behind Yahiko's back and reached some form of cooperation with the Fourth Kazekage. The content of that cooperation is not entirely clear to us."
"What I find more curious," Black Zetsu added with a probing note in its voice, "is that given the depth of Konan's bond with Yahiko, she would not easily betray Akatsuki's beliefs or Yahiko himself. If Yahiko were to find out about this, he would certainly be furious. And Akatsuki does not actually need the Sand Village's help to end this war."
"So what was her true purpose in approaching them? She would never betray Akatsuki."
"Nagato and Yoru were both involved in this matter as well. The three of them are the only ones who know the full picture. And the turning point appears to have been the moment Hanzo first proposed merging Akatsuki into the Hidden Rain Village.
The three of them had a brief exchange at that time. White Zetsu could not get close enough under the circumstances and did not catch the substance of what was said."
"Afterward, one White Zetsu was destroyed by the Fourth Kazekage in the Sand Village. Since then, White Zetsu's operations within the organization have become considerably more cautious."
"For now, we do not need to concern ourselves too deeply with the Sand Village," the masked figure said after a moment of thought. "What matters most right now is finding Nagato first and accelerating our influence over Akatsuki."
"As for Yahiko, I will probe the situation first."
With that, the two of them prepared to move toward the battlefield ahead.
With White Zetsu's prior groundwork already laid, combined with the detailed understanding of Akatsuki they had accumulated, and with the Sharingan's ability to exert subtle influence, it would be possible for the masked figure and Black Zetsu to enter Akatsuki through legitimate channels, blending in perfectly and becoming part of the organization from within.
On the other side, in the Land of Rain.
Danzo had come with only two bodyguards. Under the guidance of a Hidden Rain ninja, he stepped into a large chamber.
Before him sat Salamander Hanzo, occupying a position of high authority, his gaze domineering and his posture radiating the absolute confidence of someone who had never needed to question his own power.
"Hmph. I did not expect you would truly dare to come alone."
"Are you not afraid I will simply kill you where you stand?"
Hanzo's eyes revealed a killing intent as he fixed his gaze on Danzo's completely composed face.
"Spare me the theatrics," Danzo said, entirely unbothered. "I did not come here to listen to threats."
Both men were veterans of the ninja world's deepest games. Surface-level posturing between two people of their caliber was beneath consideration.
Danzo's two bodyguards, however, had tensed immediately upon hearing Hanzo's words and shifted into defensive stances, their expressions tightly wound.
Danzo raised one hand slightly. The two bodyguards exchanged a glance and silently withdrew from the room.
Hanzo observed this and made his own gesture. The Hidden Rain ninja inside the chamber filed out one by one.
Then Danzo walked to a nearby position, sat down slowly, and spoke.
"There is not much time. The reason I was willing to come and meet you in person is to ensure that our plan can be concluded successfully. Leaving this entirely in your hands alone does not sit well with me."
"Quite the confident tone," Hanzo said, a sardonic edge in his voice. "I trust that Sarutobi Hiruzen knows nothing about this arrangement between you and me."
"A matter of this scale has not yet reached the level that would require disturbing someone of his standing."
Danzo said it with complete composure.
"I am helping you deal with Akatsuki for two reasons. One is regional political stability. The other is that I am offering you an opportunity."
"Easy words to say," Hanzo replied, his tone carrying a dry edge. "Shimura Danzo, you and Sarutobi Hiruzen are not the same kind of man. You speak of helping me, but in reality this is nothing more than serving Konoha's interests."
Hanzo leaned forward slightly, his eyes studying the figure before him with a measuring look.
"You want to cultivate a relationship with the Hidden Rain Village. And the reason is fear. Fear of the Sand Village."
He paused.
"Fear of that young devil. The Fourth Kazekage."
In this Great Ninja War, the Sand Village had been the only true winner. And now, the remaining great ninja villages, Konoha included, were all in difficult conditions.
If at this particular moment the Sand Village made any significant move, such as tearing up the ceasefire agreement and launching an offensive against Konoha, the Land of Rain's position as a strategic borderland between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire would become critically important.
If the Land of Rain turned against Konoha and sided with the Land of Wind, the consequences for Konoha would be severe.
Danzo was here precisely to pull the Hidden Rain Village into his orbit.
The outside world regarded Hanzo as a warrior of overwhelming personal strength but limited strategic sophistication, a man of force rather than cunning. But that was only a matter of personality and presentation. It did not mean he was genuinely foolish. A man who had built an entire village into the power it had become through his own hand understood that raw strength alone was never sufficient.
"Konoha naturally signed a ceasefire agreement with the Sand Village," Hanzo said, his voice shifting to something probing. "So what is there to worry about? Sarutobi Hiruzen is the Hokage and he does not appear troubled. Why are you afraid?"
"A ceasefire agreement can be reached when it is convenient and discarded just as easily," Danzo replied, meeting Hanzo's gaze without flinching. "It carries no binding force on its own."
He glanced at Hanzo briefly before continuing, entirely unmoved by the other man's attempt to mock him.
"It appears you have not lost your clarity of mind entirely. If the Hidden Rain Village had been purchasing Sand Village pharmaceutical resources during the civil conflict here, I would not have appeared in this room today."
The Hidden Rain Village had not bought Sand Village medicines. That fact alone meant Hanzo carried at least some resistance toward the Sand Village, enough that he had not turned toward them entirely.
Salamander Hanzo, the man the ninja world called a demigod, had not lived as long as he had by bowing his head before anyone. Not even in the act of seeking an alliance.
"Throughout the years of this Great Ninja War, the Sand Village has been developing without pause or restraint," Danzo said, his eyes narrowing. "The results have been extraordinary. The Sand Village can no longer be underestimated. Now that they possess both a strong economy and a formidable military force, what do you believe their next step will be?"
Hanzo said nothing.
"The Fourth Kazekage's rise brought the Sand Village a transformation that was nothing short of complete. But their village's fundamental weakness is equally clear. Resources. It is precisely why their dealings with the other villages during this war relied on resource exchanges rather than pure financial transactions."
Danzo continued without pause.
"It is the same pattern as the Hidden Cloud Village in its time. Once a village's military strength reaches a certain peak, that accumulated force inevitably needs an outlet. And war is the only method that truly resolves it."
"You yourself followed the same logic once, did you not?"
He allowed a cold smile.
"The Fourth Kazekage's next move will very likely be to turn his attention toward the nations surrounding the Land of Wind and begin expanding militarily. Even without provoking open war, he can apply strategic pressure and establish dominance through positioning alone. Given the Hidden Rain Village's current strength, outside of allying with Konoha, there is no other viable path available to you."
He paused, letting that settle.
"Of course, if you genuinely want to counter the Sand Village, Konoha will not provide that assistance openly and publicly. The Third Hokage would never agree to such a thing. So your only option is to work with me, privately."
"Hanzo, between you and me, the initiative lies with me. Not with you."
Danzo delivered the final line with a steady, dominant gaze.
Hanzo's eyes went cold.
But unusually, he did not fire back.
"Resolve the Akatsuki situation quickly," Danzo said, rising to his feet. "After that, we can think carefully together about how to handle the Sand Village."
He turned and walked out without looking back.
...
STONES 💎
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