Under the farewell of Akatsuki members, the one-eyed jonin emissary from Amegakure left the Akatsuki base.
After walking a few kilometers along the road and confirming that no Akatsuki ninja were following him, the smile on the one-eyed jonin's face gradually disappeared, replaced by worries about Amegakure's future.
As Hanzo's emissary, he had fulfilled his duty well.
Not only had he delivered Hanzo's personal letter to Akatsuki, but he had also completed an investigation of Akatsuki's leadership and base.
The results of the investigation were almost identical to the intelligence Hanzo had received.
Except for a few members, most of the Akatsuki members believed in Yahiko's philosophy of peace, which advocated mutual understanding among people to create a world without war.
The one-eyed jonin was not very interested in this philosophy.
But if Akatsuki, under Yahiko's leadership, could truly implement this philosophy strictly, the time for peace to arrive wouldn't be far off.
However, in this visit and investigation of Akatsuki, the one-eyed jonin's greatest concern was precisely this philosophy.
In his view, neither the hawkish Byakuya nor the dozens or hundreds of Akatsuki ninjas were as terrifying as Yahiko's philosophy.
The reason was simple.
Even if all the Akatsuki members combined were no match for Hanzo, once Yahiko's philosophy and Akatsuki's deeds spread, they would undoubtedly resonate with the people of the Land of Rain.
Even the ninjas within Amegakure would waver and join Akatsuki to realize their desire for peace.
Hanzo had noticed this as well.
However, Hanzo chose to subdue Akatsuki, intending to incorporate them into Amegakure's system.
But this approach was not without its risks.
Given Akatsuki's current ability to inspire, if Akatsuki were truly integrated into Amegakure, within three years, Amegakure instead would become a subordinate organization of Akatsuki.
By then, the Land of Rain might be peaceful, but what about the old guards who had followed Hanzo for over a decade?
Having dedicated their youth to the Land of Rain, they had only achieved the rank of jonin and gained some assets within the country.
There was no way they could stand by and watch Akatsuki rise and seize their interests.
Thinking of this, the one-eyed jonin turned to look in the direction of the Akatsuki base, his eyes full of malice, as if looking at dead men.
Once he returned, he would immediately report Akatsuki's ambitious intentions to Hanzo and, along with other jonin, propose the destruction of Akatsuki.
As long as Hanzo is willing to attack Akatsuki, everything in Amegakure will improve.
The one-eyed jonin secretly kept an eye on the Akatsuki base while Ryoma Aburame, leading a squad from Root, was following the jonin.
He had received orders from Danzo to kill the one-eyed jonin on the eve of his return to Amegakure.
The plan was to kill him with explosive tags and frame Akatsuki's Byakuya for it.
Ryoma was no stranger to framing missions like this, but assassinating the subordinate of the demigod Hanzo within his territory still made him uneasy.
What if Hanzo saw through their plot? Wouldn't Danzo be making another enemy for Konoha?
Despite his silent complaints, Ryoma dutifully carried out his mission.
However, when he saw the one-eyed jonin looking at the Akatsuki base with a malicious gaze, Ryoma became suspicious.
Could it be that this emissary sent by Hanzo also harbored ill intentions toward Akatsuki?
If he took the opportunity to invite the jonin to cooperate, wouldn't the chances of success be high? It would be a credit to him if it worked.
Soon, Ryoma dismissed this absurd idea.
He decided it was best not to act independently of Danzo's plan. In Root, except for Orochimaru, no one dared to defy Danzo's orders, not even his right-hand man, Ryoma.
After tracking for most of the day, the Root squad reached the last town outside Amegakure.
Not long after leaving the town, the one-eyed jonin slowly stopped, drawing the short sword from his waist and staring intensely at the forest behind him.
"You've followed me long enough. It's time to show yourselves," he shouted.
"If you don't act now, once I'm back in the village, you'll have to face Lord Hanzo. He will ensure you die a very painful death."
As he finished speaking, the one-eyed jonin attacked first. With rapid hand signs, various Water Release jutsus poured out, increasing in power due to the rainy environment of the Land of Rain.
However, his goal was not to defeat the Root squad but to buy enough time.
He had sensed the ninja trailing him hours ago and had been delaying until he was close enough to the village to retaliate.
Alone, he might not be able to win, but if he could catch Hanzo's attention...
Facing the jonin's Water Release attacks, Ryoma's expression changed repeatedly. With his strength, defeating the jonin one-on-one wouldn't be difficult.
But this time, he couldn't expose himself as a Konoha ninja and could only use basic jutsu and taijutsu.
In this self-restricted state, even with his subordinates' help, they couldn't subdue the jonin. If nearby patrolling Rain ninja spotted them, they'd have to retreat.
At that moment, a strong wind arose in the distance.
The wind lifted the water from the ground, breaking the jonin's Water Release defense. A young man then emerged from the forest, swiftly approached the jonin, and attached dozens of explosive tags.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
With a series of explosions, the one-eyed jonin lay on the ground, covered in blood.
Ryoma hesitated as he looked at the boy in front of him. "Are you Byakuya?" he asked.
The boy shook his head, then dispelled the Transformation Jutsu, revealing himself. "It's me, you worthless bunch. If I hadn't stepped in, your plan would have failed."
"Lord Danzo, I failed my mission. Please punish me," Ryoma said with a sigh of relief upon seeing Danzo.
He had no desire to face Byakuya again. Their previous encounter had left an indelible nightmare in his mind. If he truly had to face Byakuya again, he might not even have the courage to strike.
Danzo snorted and decided to let it slide for now. "We'll deal with your failure after this mission is over. For now, dispose of the body and then join me in waiting for the chaos to unfold in the Land of Rain."
Hearing this, Ryoma knew he wouldn't be punished and quickly nodded. "Yes, Lord Danzo!"
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