The rain continued to pour, and the wind howled incessantly. This was a place that had yet to develop, small and lifeless, with no sign of any inhabitants.
Ye Zi quietly infiltrated the area, feeling only a coldness that matched the relentless wind and rain. The organization known as "Akatsuki" might have harbored some dream, which led them to establish a city here. Though it was still in its infancy, no one could predict whether this place would grow or be destroyed in the future.
Silently, Ye Zi expanded his sensory range, but he could only detect fewer than ten ninjas. He observed each one, but still found no trace of Kanyoru, leaving him with no choice but to conduct a thorough search, screening one by one.
As he was searching for Kanyoru, a boy with long hair covering half of his face suddenly opened his eyes in the tallest building in the area. His eyes rippled with strange patterns, looking particularly eerie.
It was Uzumaki Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan.
Nagato gazed at the rain falling from the sky outside and said in a deep voice, "There's an intruder."
Standing beside him was a girl with light blue hair—this was Konan.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were orphans of war and also students taught by Jiraiya. Back in the war-torn land, Jiraiya chose to stay behind and take care of the three, parting ways with Orochimaru and Tsunade.
Not long after they separated, Orochimaru and Tsunade discovered Ye Zi.
Unlike Jiraiya, Orochimaru's first suggestion upon seeing the three orphans was to kill them to grant them release from suffering. However, Jiraiya and Tsunade disagreed, and so it was left at that.
When Orochimaru discovered Ye Zi, his first thought was also to kill him. But in the end, he saw potential in him and chose not to, taking him back to Konoha Village instead.
The same situation led to different choices, and as a result, different paths were taken. In the end, they would meet here.
Konan's expression changed slightly as she asked, "Is it Hanzō's men?"
Nagato's face remained slightly cold as he shook his head, replying, "I can't be sure, but it's highly likely. Yahiko took most of our forces to deal with the rebels in the south, and they've infiltrated now, which means we've been under their surveillance."
Konan, concerned, asked, "Should we call Yahiko and the others back?"
"No," Nagato said firmly, "We'll defend this place ourselves."
Konan looked at Nagato, nodded, and asked, "Should we counterattack?"
"It depends on the situation. We're still too weak, and if we alert Amegakure, it won't end well for us. First, notify a few people to monitor them. If they show any hostile intent, kill them without mercy!" Nagato's gaze fixed on a particular spot below, where Yezhi was.
Konan followed Nagato's gaze to the rain-soaked landscape outside and asked, "How many of them are there?"
Nagato coldly responded, "Six in total, divided into two groups. One group of five is in the north street, and a lone individual is in the west street."
"Understood. I'll handle it," Konan said softly, turning to leave.
"Konan," Nagato suddenly called out, "You monitor the lone individual. If you determine they aren't Hanzō's men, eliminate them."
"Okay."
Konan paused, then disappeared into the rain as a flurry of paper.
Neither Kanyoru nor Ye Zi knew they had been detected by Nagato.
Ye Zi continued filtering through the people he sensed, still unable to find Kanyoru. Meanwhile, Kanyoru, along with a team of Amegakure's skilled assassins, was surveying the situation of this newly built town.
Seeing that many areas were still incomplete, Kanyoru roughly understood that this organization called Akatsuki was likely aiming to expand toward Amegakure. However, in the face of Hanzō, who held absolute control over Amegakure, this place probably had no chance to develop.
That man... How could he possibly allow another force to grow freely?
The Amegakure ninja who came with Kanyoru were all adept in assassination, making them excellent at hiding as well. They saw the weaknesses of this town, and with most of the forces having left earlier, they began to entertain thoughts of directly killing everyone in the town.
Kanyoru was unaware of their thoughts. In his eyes, as long as they completed the reconnaissance mission, that was enough. If the Amegakure ninja voiced their intentions, he would immediately reject them.
On the other hand, Konan silently approached Ye Zi from behind, maintaining a considerable distance as she followed him.
Ye Zi quickly sensed her presence. His eyes, though facing away, showed a slight change.
He had been discovered...
He was a bit surprised. His sensory abilities were excellent, ensuring that he could stay hidden. Yet, his pursuer had not only detected him but also followed him quite suddenly.
Not having found Kanyoru yet, he didn't want to leave so soon. Thus, he decided to use his usual method: killing the one tracking him.
With a calm demeanor, Ye Zi moved towards an isolated area, intending to eliminate Konan.
After reaching a secluded spot, he prepared to use a clone technique to mislead his pursuer, then sneak up and kill them with a swift attack.
However, just as he had this thought, he sensed that his pursuer had quickly moved to get ahead of him.
Surprised, he suddenly looked up at a nearby building, where a flurry of paper floated in from afar, gathering into the form of a young girl.
Seeing the girl, Ye Zi silently drew his Thunder fang (his sword). The fact that she revealed herself meant she was ready to fight, so his plan to track Kanyoru had to be abandoned. He would have to leave and come up with a new strategy.
Konan gazed down at him, her brow furrowing slightly as she found his appearance somewhat familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before.
Her brow knitted lightly as she pondered where she had seen him. In a moment, she remembered.
"It's you."
She spoke softly, then her eyes fell on Ye Zi's forehead, where a mark had been slashed across. She fell silent.
Ye Zi's brow also furrowed. He was certain he had never met her before, yet she seemed to recognize him.
He said nothing, only raising his Thunder Fang and assuming an attack stance.
Konan looked at him, her expression slightly complex, and said, "You're still alive... and you joined Konoha."
Join the patreon and get 47 chapters in advance (Currently on Chapter 121)