IMPORTANT: For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
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Anything that can be solved with money isn't really a difficult problem. Under Kakuzu's guidance, several rogue ninjas with decent strength were recruited using financial incentives.
To them, Akatsuki was no different from mercenaries, except that in this organization, they could earn more money than anywhere else.
The group marched toward the Land of Rain with great momentum.
Ye Zi paid special attention to these recruits since they would be valuable assets for collecting the Tailed Beasts in the future.
After bringing Kakuzu and the others back to the Land of Rain, Nagato arranged their duties. Regarding the transport of funds, the money-loving Kakuzu volunteered, which solved one of Ye Zi's problems.
Although Ye Zi didn't know all the details, handing over the transportation of funds to Kakuzu meant he could trust the money would arrive safely in the Land of Rain. Additionally, Ye Zi assigned Kakuzu the task of carrying out occasional assassinations for Moko, which allowed him to lighten his load. As for whether Kakuzu would try to escape with the money, the sight of Nagato's Rinnegan likely crushed any such thoughts.
This country, perpetually shrouded in rain and devoid of sunlight, seemed as though it would remain gloomy forever.
Amegakure's buildings were constructed from steel and stone, mainly in the form of towers. Among the many cold structures, one tall tower stood alone, solitary and imposing.
The top floor of this tower, once Hanzo's residence, now belonged solely to Nagato. Aside from Konan and Ye Zi, no one was allowed to enter.
One of the floors, supported only by stone pillars, had no walls and was open to the wind and rain. There were no furnishings inside, leaving it barren and exposed to the elements.
Leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed, Ye Zi quietly observed Amegakure, shrouded in the relentless rain.
His expression was eerily calm, his dark eyes as still as dead water. No one could tell that he was urgently craving something.
Since he couldn't directly control Nagato's will, the key points of his plan had to be carried out according to Nagato's decisions.
To Ye Zi, this slow transformation of Amegakure under Nagato's control was the root cause of the delay in his plans.
To put it bluntly, until Amegakure demonstrated it could contribute to the collection of the Tailed Beasts, it held less value than the newly recruited Kakuzu.
Click, click...
At that moment, footsteps echoed through the empty floor, loud enough to overpower the sound of the wind and rain.
Ye Zi turned toward the source of the sound and saw Konan, dressed in the same black cloak as him, approaching.
Konan stopped beside Ye Zi, her gaze drifting out into the rain.
"What is your true purpose?" Konan suddenly asked, her eyes fixed on the storm outside.
Their eyes slowly met in the air.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew a thick mist of rain into the floor, whipping across Ye Zi and Konan, but neither of them moved.
After a brief pause, Ye Zi spoke calmly, "Is this Nagato's question, or yours?"
Konan was silent for a moment before answering, "It's my question."
"In that case, why should I answer you? After all, with your abilities, your contribution to Nagato's plan is minimal."
Konan's eyes flashed with anger at his words, though she didn't want to admit it. Ye Zi had hit a nerve.
"You…!" She glared at Ye Zi.
Unfazed by her anger, Ye Zi continued coldly, "In fact, the death of your comrades is partly your fault. Instead of worrying about me, you should think about how to make yourself stronger. If you can't help, that's fine, but at least… don't hold us back."
"I…!" Konan was momentarily speechless, unable to find any words to refute his merciless and cold remarks.
"Sometimes, it's best not to be too curious," Ye Zi's tone suddenly became serious. "I've said before, time will prove everything. Until Nagato has collected the Tailed Beasts, it's not your place to question irrelevant things. If you have time for that, you should focus on speeding up the development of Amegakure."
The two holes in his wooden mask seemed to shoot out sharp, blade-like glints, directed straight at Konan. The intensity of his words conveyed a part of Ye Zi's deep resentment.
Feeling his piercing gaze, a chill rose from Konan's heart. She instinctively took a step back, biting her lower lip, but she held her ground and, with determination, met Ye Zi's cold eyes.
"Our ideals, our original purpose, have never changed. Even if the path we take changes, the final destination remains the same. I don't know what your true intentions are, but if you hinder Nagato, even someone as weak as I am will do everything in my power to drag you down to hell with me!"
Konan's determination to fight to the death gave her the confidence to make such a bold statement. Though she didn't possess Nagato's Rinnegan, she could see that Ye Zi, standing behind Nagato, followed a completely different ideology. Indeed, peace was something that could never be associated with this man.
She didn't know Ye Zi's exact goal, but she always felt uneasy whenever she saw him, like he was a shadow lurking in her heart, impossible to dispel.
Hearing Konan's words, Ye Zi's lips, hidden behind his mask, curled into a sneer. He looked at her coldly and said, "But in the end, weaklings accomplish nothing."
...
Ye Zi left the Land of Rain once again, this time accompanied by White Zetsu as they searched for more talent to recruit into Akatsuki.
As time passed, the tense atmosphere grew colder, like the biting chill of late autumn, as if the harsh winter would arrive at any moment.
Just before the catalyst for war arrived, a golden flash from Konoha suddenly spread across the ninja world.
Just as White Zetsu had commented when he first witnessed Minato's power, no one expected that this day would come so soon.
Having completely mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato led his students and flawlessly completed missions against every major ninja village. As war loomed on the horizon, his actions cast a shadow over the great villages. Konoha now had another terrifying figure to add to the ranks of legends like White Fang and the Sannin. Fortunately, White Fang and Dan Kato were both dead...
Minato's exceptional performance, combined with Dan Kato's death, made Hiruzen increasingly feel that it was time to pass the title of Hokage to Minato. However, with the impending war, it wasn't the right time for a new Hokage to take office.
Once the war was over… it was clear who would become the next Hokage.
In the end, Hiruzen had never truly intended to pass the position to Orochimaru. Although he had considered it before, now and in the future, that was no longer an option.
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Currently on Chapter 224 - The Evil Hidden in the Darkness