In the midst of the storm, both sides faced each other in silence. At that moment, two figures emerged from the distant rain, followed by more shapes gradually appearing through the thick downpour. Leading them was Nagato, half of his face obscured by long hair, but the cold gleam in his Rinnegan was unmistakable, even through the wind and rain.
After numerous experiences, Nagato had long understood a harsh truth: to protect something, one must inevitably harm others.
Standing in the storm, he gazed at Kanyoru and his companions, his eyes as cold as the bone-chilling rain. Then his gaze shifted toward Ye Zi and the group standing beside him, finally focusing on the Leaf symbol engraved on their headbands.
Konoha ninjas.
His mentor had come from Konoha, but his parents had died at the hands of Konoha ninjas. That place, that name, would always carry a complex significance for him.
The wind howled, the rain fell in sheets, and raindrops splashed into the puddles on the ground, creating countless ripples.
"My target is him." Ye Zi coldly stared at the group in front of him, raising his sword to point directly at Kanyoru. His voice cut through the rain as if he were informing Nagato.
Nagato's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked calmly, "Kill or capture?"
"That's for me to decide," Ye Zi replied indifferently. He was no weakling, and ever since refining the Spirit Transformation Technique, he had unwavering confidence in his strength.
"He must die," Nagato responded. For the Akatsuki, Amegakure and Hanzō the Salamander, who ruled it, were insurmountable obstacles. However, since Hanzō had bared his fangs at the Akatsuki, Nagato had no intention of letting it slide.
Since there was no avoiding conflict, killing the infiltrating Amegakure ninja was necessary. The Akatsuki had to demonstrate overwhelming strength to instill fear in Hanzō, forcing him to retreat and, eventually, compromise.
The Akatsuki's ultimate goal was peace. If both sides could make concessions, the future could be bright—a peaceful future like sunshine after the storm. This was the dream of all Akatsuki members.
Upon hearing Nagato's words, Ye Zi smiled. Having confirmed Nagato's position, Ye Zi abandoned the idea of capturing Kanyoru alive and resolved to kill him on the spot.
Their conversation made it seem as if they were deciding the fate of a piece of meat, and that meat was Hara Kanyoru himself.
Being treated like an object for slaughter, even in this dire situation, Kanyoru's face twisted with fury. Despite his normally calm demeanor, he was now filled with anger. However, even in his rage, he didn't lose his rationality.
"Retreat!" he shouted.
Being a master of Water Release, he had an advantage in this storm. He was confident he could escape.
Before he even finished speaking, Kanyoru transformed into a pool of water, merging with the rain. The remaining Amegakure ninjas quickly followed suit, blending into the water as well.
Nagato's gaze shifted slightly, and with a mere gesture, two of the Amegakure ninjas were forcibly pulled out of their watery forms by an invisible force.
As for Ye Zi, the moment Kanyoru transformed into water, he instantly reacted. His entire body surged with lightning, extending countless threads of electricity far and wide. However, despite his rapid response, he was a step too late, unable to force him out of hiding.
Kanyoru was highly skilled in Water Release, and in the perpetually rainy Land of Rain, he held a significant advantage.
Although Ye Zi reacted quickly and deployed his lightning threads effectively, he missed by just a fraction. As he watched Kanyoru disappear into the storm, he began scanning for any trace of his chakra but found nothing, his brow furrowing deeply.
While Ye Zi failed to capture Kanyoru, Nagato wasn't about to let him escape so easily. His cold gaze fixed on a distant spot in the rain. Stretching out his hand, Nagato made a subtle gesture, and in the midst of the falling rain, a vaguely human-shaped mass of water was forcibly pulled out. Within moments, that mass reshaped into Genma Yoru, who was being dragged back by some mysterious force. His face showed panic, clearly not comprehending this strange ability.
After pulling him out of hiding, Nagato didn't hesitate. With a wave of his arm, Kanyoru was slammed back to the ground with a heavy thud, the impact sending a deep, dull sound through the air.
Watching this, Ye Zi remained silent.
Not long ago, he had been subjected to the same mysterious power, and though caught off guard, he couldn't deny the terrifying nature of it. It felt like being hooked by an invisible line, dragged helplessly towards a reel, with no room for resistance.
More than that, Ye Zi was curious as to how Nagato had located Kanyoru. With his own sensing abilities, he hadn't detected even a trace, yet Nagato had pinpointed him with uncanny precision.
After extracting the remaining Amegakure ninjas, Nagato and his companions stood still, watching the confrontation between the Konoha ninjas and Kanyoru's group.
Nagato's comrades seemed puzzled but refrained from questioning him, standing by his side and observing the strangers in the rain.
"Is it those eyes?" Ye Zi muttered as he watched Kanyoru fall into the water. His body once again surged with lightning as his blade gleamed, aimed directly at Kanyoru.
His mission was to eliminate Kanyoru, so he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip. Meanwhile, Kotoe and the others, following the plan, launched their attacks on the remaining Amegakure ninjas.
Kanyoru was indeed an elite jonin. Though dazed from being slammed into the ground, his instincts kicked in, allowing him to dodge Ye Zi's fatal strike. However, the distance between them remained minimal.
Ye Zi's expression didn't change after missing his strike. He moved again, swiftly closing in on Kanyoru. At the same time, a brilliant light emerged from his shoulders—a spirit form of Ye Zi himself ascended, arcing beautifully through the air toward Genma Yoru's back.
"That's the Spirit Transformation Technique? No, it can't be...!" Kanyoru's expression changed drastically as he saw the spirit form emanating from Ye Zi's body. As an elite jonin from Konoha, he immediately recognized the Spirit Transformation Technique, a signature move of Kato Dan. However, during its use, the caster was immobile, making it less than invincible. Yet here was Ye Zi, moving swiftly with his sword while simultaneously deploying the Spirit Transformation Technique.
In the face of such a bizarre combination, Kanyoru had no time to think.
Despite his calm and calculating nature, he found no means to counter this inexplicable attack in the blink of an eye.
The sword was too fast, the spirit form was too fast—so fast that he didn't even have time to form hand signs.
Though he barely dodged Ye Zi's second lightning-fast slash, he couldn't evade the spirit form descending from behind.
The spirit, resembling Ye Zi, entered Kanyoru's body. For a brief moment, Kanyoru's body froze, and his eyes became vacant.
With a cold, detached expression, Ye Zi leaned forward and, without hesitation, slashed at the immobile Genma Yoru.
Slash!
A line of warm blood sprayed into the rain.
Kanyoru's head flew into the air, his face still frozen in confusion. Even after it hit the ground, that look remained, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
After slaying Kanyoru, Ye Zi didn't bother looking at the severed head. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Nagato and his companions.
The reason Ye Zi had been able to kill him so easily was largely thanks to Nagato. Despite facing a common enemy, they were by no means allies.
Gripping his sword, Ye Zi kept a close eye on Nagato's group while also paying attention to the ongoing battle involving Yan Ye and the others.
The infiltrating Amegakure ninjas were already injured, and against the well-coordinated attacks of the Uchiha brothers, they were at a clear disadvantage. However, the most lethal weapon wasn't the their combination of physical and illusionary attacks; it was the deadly poison needles Kotoe threw with perfect timing and precision.
Senbons, as thin as needles have very little air resistance. Someone skilled with them could throw them with just the right amount of force - with no need for extreme speed, just precision.
Kotoe was a master of senbon needles. Senbons were thin, almost invisible, and when coated with poison. The sound of them breaking through the air was also so subtle that it was nearly undetectable, a terrifying weapon in her hands.
She could take advantage of small moments where the enemy were careless to hit vital points accurately.
Unlike kunai, senbon are very thin and usually only lethal if they hit critical areas like the heart or eyes. Thus, few people train extensively with senbons making them not very practical. Adding poison to the already high difficulty of avoiding senbons did however change that.
Ye Zi observed Kotoe's combat skills and realized he had severely underestimated the capabilities of this small squad. Together, they formed a terrifying force.
The Uchiha slibings' genjutsu interference, Uchiha Kōri's close-range containment, and Kotoe's deadly poisoned senbon created a formidable combat force.
In terms of concealed weapons, the Uchiha clan's Sharingan grants them impressive precision, but few specialize in senbon. Many Uchiha members excel at using kunai instead.
Kotoe was not of the Uchiha clan and lacked the Sharingan, but her precision was comparable. With her poisoned senbon and stealth techniques, she was a terrifying assassin.
This was a trait Orochimaru had recognized early on. Such abilities were intimidating to many and often short-lived, as no one wanted to deal with such a deadly assassin—who could potentially become their target.
Orochimaru was convinced that as Kotoe's brilliance increased, her end was approaching.
Her poison wasn't as potent as Tsunade's or Hanzo's, but she was a natural assassin, and that was her true danger. Her ability was a deterrent, no one wanted an assassin like that to exist for too long as her next target could be them.
Ye Zi, noting her impressive coordination with her teammates, became aware of this frightening aspect.
Soon, with the combined attacks of the Uchiha brothers and Kotoe, several injured Rain ninjas quickly met their end. Afterward, they silently gathered behind Ye Zi.
Ye Zi looked toward Nagato. The wind and rain continued to pour. The scent of blood in the air quickly dissipated in the rain mist, and the blood on the ground was washed away clean in no time.
The two sides stared at each other in silence amidst the storm.
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