The two days of rest that Hiruzen promised were not realized. As soon as Ye Zi returned home, a woman with a fox mask appeared before him.
The woman had a well-proportioned figure but a flat chest. She half-squatted at the door and quietly said to Ye Zi, who was preparing to change his shoes in the entrance, "The leader requests your presence."
Ye Zi paused for a moment and replied calmly, "Understood."
The female Anbu glanced up at Ye Zi briefly before vanishing in an instant with a Body Flicker Technique.
After she left, Ye Zi narrowed his eyes slightly, retracting the foot that was reaching for his slippers. He put his shoes back on and walked out the door, heading toward the location of Root.
He wondered why Danzo would summon him at this time. He had initially planned to freshen up at home and then check on Nanako's research progress. It seemed Danzo had urgent matters to discuss.
Arriving at the Root headquarters with ease, Ye Zi donned his specialized mask and descended into the darkness.
Danzo always summoned him to the same place—a cross-shaped stone bridge suspended in darkness. When Ye Zi arrived, he was surprised to see that Danzo was not alone at the center of the bridge. At least thirty Anbu stood around him, and Danzo was wearing combat attire with a bandage over his right eye, possibly indicating an injury.
As soon as Ye Zi arrived, Danzo glanced at him before turning his gaze away and said, "Everyone is here. We need to carry out a secret mission in the Rain Country immediately."
Hearing this command, Ye Zi was slightly taken aback and remained silent with his head lowered.
"Yes!" The thirty or so Anbu responded in unison.
"Let's go."
Danzo did not waste any time and disappeared with a Body Flicker Technique, followed by the swift disappearance of the Anbu.
Ye Zi watched as the Anbu left one by one and quickly formed the Body Flicker Seal with his hands, following the main group to the exit of Root.
"A mission to the Rain Country?" Ye Zi thought silently.
The group moved swiftly, not using the main entrance but rather a hidden exit surrounded by a barrier. This was a secret passage for the Anbu, though such a large-scale operation would surely be noticed by Hiruzen.
Upon receiving the urgent notification from his subordinates, Hiruzen sighed lightly. He had promised Ye Zi two days of rest but was now summoned by Danzo immediately upon returning.
Leaf and Root.
Light and Darkness.
Ye Zi had contributed significantly to the village under his dual identities as Konoha's White Fang and Lightning Fang. The more Hiruzen thought about it, the more he felt guilty.
"Am I truly getting old?"
Hiruzen stood up, walked to the window, and gazed silently at the blue sky and white clouds.
At this moment, he thought of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and even Minato Namikaze…
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Few people knew about Root's large-scale operation led by Danzo, involving dozens of elite Anbu heading to the Rain Country.
Danzo seemed unwilling to reveal much about the Rain Country mission, so Ye Zi could only follow along and find out what was planned once they arrived in the Rain Country.
The Rain Country naturally brought thoughts of the eyes.
"Rinnegan." When Ye Zi learned of the power of these eyes, he was eager to acquire them. However, due to a lack of knowledge about transplantation, he suppressed this thought. Unexpectedly, the person he initially distrusted, Nanako, possessed such talent, keeping his interest alive.
Unfortunately, Ye Zi was summoned by Danzo before he had a chance to meet Nanako after returning to Konoha, and he began the next task immediately. Thus, he was unaware of Nanako's imprisonment and the research materials he was working on being sent to Orochimaru.
The mission was composed of elite members, who were not only physically fit but also made minimal stops. After a few days of swift travel, they arrived in the Rain Country, which is perpetually rainy.
Re-entering the Rain Country, feeling the continuous rain falling from the sky, Ye Zi experienced an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Having visited the Rain Country multiple times and even having been to the Rain Village, Ye Zi recognized the direction Danzo was leading them: towards the Rain Village.
"This mission is related to the Rain Village? Assassination? Reconnaissance? Seizure?" As Danzo's direction was towards the Rain Village, Ye Zi had many questions, but cooperation was the last thing he expected.
Although the world was at peace for several years, minor frictions between countries were inevitable. The Rain Country, caught between multiple nations, continued to be a battlefield for ninjas despite the ceasefire. If not for the rise of an organization called Akatsuki and the actions of the Rain Village, the chaos in the Rain Country would have worsened.
Passing through the thick curtain of rain, the group arrived at the entrance of the Rain Village. The two gatekeepers, seeing such a large group, displayed vigilance and instinctively drew their kunai.
Danzo maintained his distance, revealing his stern, serious face as he threw a small scroll towards the gatekeepers.
The accompanying Anbu stood in formation behind Danzo, including Ye Zi.
Ye Zi peered through the holes in his mask at the familiar gate, remaining silent.
The gatekeepers first looked at the scroll that rolled towards them and then exchanged glances, slightly nodding but keeping their vigilance.
At this level, it was clear that the visitors were not enemies, but caution was still maintained.
One of the gatekeepers manipulated a stream of water to lift the scroll and unroll it with precise control. After seeing the mark on the scroll, his expression subtly changed. He nonchalantly put the scroll away and nodded slightly to his companion.
"Proceed." The two gatekeepers stepped aside.
Danzo expressionlessly looked up and led the Anbu into the Rain Village.
Once inside the village, Danzo headed directly for the tallest building, as if he was very familiar with the place.
Navigating through streets, they quickly arrived at the highest building. The gatekeepers at the entrance did not seem surprised by Danzo's arrival and immediately stepped aside.
The group surged in, climbing the stairs, and soon arrived in a spacious room at the top floor where a middle-aged man wearing a gas mask awaited them.
"You've finally arrived, Danzo," said the middle-aged man, who was Hanzō of the Salamander.
"Time is of the essence," Danzo responded with a stiff, insincere smile.
"Understood." Hanzō nodded in agreement and clapped his hands. At that moment, Ye Zi sensed dozens of presences rapidly approaching. In the next second, shadows moved swiftly, and nearly fifty Rain ninjas appeared in the spacious room.
Hanzō, known as a demigod, surveyed the crowd before finally focusing on Danzo and calmly said, "Let's proceed."
As soon as the words were spoken, the room filled with hundreds of people, all disappearing one by one.
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