"Everyone," Yahiko said, his voice low as they walked, "before we arrive, there's something I need you all to understand."
He continued, "War isn't the answer for Amegakure. Our purpose on this trip isn't to fight a war. It's to eliminate the traitors and leave Amegakure behind. When we've built up enough strength, we'll come back to save our homeland."
The group of ninja accompanying them were Akatsuki's strongest fighters and core members. For Akatsuki to grow after leaving Amegakure, they needed these people. Yahiko felt he had to be completely open with them.
Takeshi listened from the shadows behind them, greatly admiring Yahiko's ability to speak. This man's way with words was far smoother than Nagato's. No wonder Yahiko was the leader of the three.
Nagato had already spread his chakra throughout the rainwater.
The rain covered the area, and as long as someone was within it, they couldn't escape his perception. This ability had a much wider range and was more reliable than standard sensing. He even detected Danzo and his Root squad hidden nearby.
After a moment, a slip of paper fell from Nagato's hand.
It was a message for Takeshi.
Danzo's location.
But Danzo wasn't alone. He had two Root members from the Aburame and Yamanaka clan each with him. 'Thankfully only two', Takeshi thought.
Takeshi didn't approach Danzo's location immediately. The Aburame clan's parasite insects were definitely spread everywhere. To avoid exposing his identity, he had to wait for the right moment.
At the meeting place, Hanzo was already waiting. Besides him, dozens of Amegakure ninja and a few Konoha Root ninja were lying in ambush.
Unlike the original story, where Hanzo and Danzo held the initiative and dictated the meeting place and time, this time Yahiko had proposed the location. All Hanzo could do was show up. There wasn't enough time to set up elaborate traps or capture Konan. In their haste, all they managed was a simple ambush.
After sensing the situation, Nagato quickly retracted his chakra. A fierce battle was coming, and keeping the Rain Tiger at Will Jutsu active would just drain him.
Not long after, Yahiko and Nagato stepped forward and arrived. On the surface, only Hanzo, Yahiko, and Nagato appeared to be present, but both sides knew the other had people hidden nearby.
"Hanzo-sama," Yahiko said, bowing deeply. "I am Yahiko, the leader of Akatsuki, and this is my brother, Nagato."
The bow was out of respect for Hanzo's long years protecting Amegakure, providing a relatively stable environment, and for his contributions to the village.
And of course...
It was also a farewell.
Hanzo was no longer the man he had been. The Amegakure ninja lying in ambush were here to kill them. Hanzo's eyes simply couldn't tolerate Akatsuki anymore.
"Akatsuki, yes, I've heard of you. You're active in the border areas between Amegakure, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind, preventing many conflicts that could lead to war. Some time ago, I learned of your deeds and immediately contacted you."
Hanzo, wearing his gas mask, continued speaking what he seemed to feel were "heartfelt" words. "I hope to use Amegakure as a base, unite the strength of all the small hidden villages, and form a strong core force to deter the Five Great Villages, achieving our peace. Therefore..."
If the Amegakure ninja who had already started moving in the shadows weren't there, his words might have sounded more credible.
"I used to think the same," Yahiko sighed, then raised his voice, pointing towards where Danzo and his few Root members were hidden. "But Hanzo-sama, why would you invite Konoha ninja to participate in matters like this? You are the God of Amegakure. Has even the Demigod been corrupted by Konoha?"
His words were so sudden they startled both Hanzo and Danzo for a moment.
Immediately after, Nagato raised his hand. He had once believed the power of these eyes was evil, but Takeshi had been right: power itself is neither evil nor righteous. It's how it's used. Righteousness and evil couldn't be judged by such superficial standards.
'Almighty Pull!'
Chakra surged, activating the Rinnegan's power. Danzo instantly felt a strange gravitational force pulling at him. He couldn't stop himself despite trying to use chakra wires to latch onto anything he could, stumbling out of his hiding place and only stopping when he reached a rock face before a steep slope.
Nagato was only fifteen years old. His control over the Rinnegan wasn't yet perfect, so achieving this level was already quite remarkable.
When Danzo appeared, the surrounding Amegakure ninja in ambush were startled, while Hanzo was surprised only for a moment before raising his hand and firing a signal flare.
It was the signal to attack.
"Hanzo-sama, you..." Yahiko began.
"Attack! Capture that red-haired ninja!" Danzo's eyes were filled with excitement, mixed with some confusion.
'Red hair?' That meant the Uzumaki bloodline.
But Kushina of the Uzumaki clan was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and he was quite familiar with the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsus and abilities. Logically, they shouldn't possess a power that could forcibly pull others.
'This is a new Kekkei Genkai!'
"Yes!" Under Danzo's command, the Root members quickly moved.
Seeing this, Takeshi's eyes lit up.
Watching from the shadows, Takeshi's eyes gleamed.
'The old geezer is actively sending his people out?'
'It's working!'
'He's cutting off his own support, sending everyone away from his side. This gives me a chance to take him away unnoticed.'
The black mouse darted forward.
All the Amegakure ninja attacked. At that moment, Paper Cranes flew from a distance. Alone, they weren't much, but the danger was the explosive tags hidden inside them.
"Watch out!"
"Explosive tags! Everyone be careful!"
Gasps of surprise rang out, followed by explosions all around.
Hanzo's eyes narrowed. He slapped his hand on the ground. Nagato became alert and quickly pulled Yahiko back. The moment they jumped away, fire erupted in their original positions.
However, the Paper Release blocked some of the explosions, giving Nagato and Yahiko a chance to retreat.
Seeing them slip away, Danzo couldn't hold back and wanted to give chase. This was a completely new Kekkei Genkai! How could he let them escape?
But before he could leap down the slope, a strange mouse suddenly entered his sensory range.
Calling it a mouse wasn't quite right, it felt more like some creature disguised as one.
Under normal circumstances, Danzo would have ignored it or had his subordinates handle it. But now he was alone in the middle of a battlefield.
He cautiously drew the sword from his back. Before the black cat could get close, he preemptively swung the blade towards it. His slash was incredibly fast, the blade coming down almost instantly. An ordinary ninja animal couldn't have dodged it.
But Takeshi wasn't an ordinary ninja beast. He didn't just dodge, he zipped onto the back of the sword with a *swoosh*. Danzo reacted quickly, flipping his sword to smash the black cat to the ground while simultaneously pulling out a kunai with his left hand and throwing it.
However, in the next second, the black mouse accelerated with impossible speed, faster than the eye could track. It was as if he blinked and the mouse was right in front of him. Claws swiped at his foot...
Then came a dizzying spin, and when his vision cleared, he was in a mountain hollow forest.
'Flying Thunder God? How is that possible!' Danzo was startled, but his hands weren't slow. He instantly realized it was that mouse, or rather, the black cat from the village...
"Mrow!"
A low cat's mrow sounded, and the mouse transformed into a cat. Its size was similar to a normal cat, but for some reason, its fur seemed to glow, and its entire body exuded a terrifying pressure.
Danzo took a deep breath. His first reaction was to escape.
This wasn't just pressure, it was coming from the soul. Or perhaps, pure intuition.
He didn't hesitate, turning to run, but Takeshi had already moved. His figure appeared before Danzo in an instant. This speed left Danzo no chance to escape.
Danzo immediately brandished his sword to defend himself, but in the blink of an eye, a stinging pain shot up his arm. It seemed like a single blade, but in that instant, the opponent had struck countless times.
"AhhHH!?"
He let out a gut-wrenching scream. By the time he reacted, his right hand had been sliced into bloody pulp by a bizarre blade. Looking closer, he saw the black cat standing on its hind legs not far away, both front paws covered in ice, forming two ice blades.
But Danzo was resilient. Even with his right hand mangled, he quickly performed hand signs and spat out a powerful gust of wind.
'Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!'
In his hands, the jutsu was far more powerful than usual. A fierce gust of wind twisted many large trees and snapped their trunks. Normally, Takeshi couldn't have blocked it and would have had to either avoid it or take the hit directly, giving Danzo a chance to summon or escape.
To his despair, however, the black cat was completely fearless of the fierce wind. He possessed the most terrifying spatial ninjutsu there was, Flying Thunder God.
*Swish*~ Ice blades slashed through Danzo's legs. Blood splattered. His sharp screams echoed for miles, startling the Root ninja and Hanzo, who were preparing to pursue Yahiko and the others in the distance.
'That's Danzo screaming!'
'How is that possible!'
When Hanzo heard it, he doubted his own ears, but the second scream confirmed it was Danzo's voice. This 'Darkness of the Shinobi World' was facing an unprecedented crisis.
"Hanzo-sama..."
"Continue the pursuit," Hanzo ordered, hesitating only for a moment before turning and rushing towards the source of the screams. His strength was the greatest among them, and naturally, his speed was the fastest. Only he could cover that distance quickly.
'Danzo cannot die!' Hanzo thought frantically. 'If he dies, the relationship between Amegakure and Konoha will be completely ruined. No, not just the relationship. It means war!'
Hanzo's mind raced. He couldn't understand who in the world could threaten Danzo to the point where he couldn't even throw a signal flare and could only scream for help.
It was too absurd.
===============
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