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"Is this the Hidden Rain Village?" Danzo muttered as he glanced around.
"What's the matter? Are you unfamiliar with it?" Orochimaru asked.
"Uh... no, I'm not," Danzo paused before shaking his head.
Back then, he had collaborated with Hanzo of the Salamander. Konoha had dispatched its Anbu to eliminate the rebels in the Hidden Rain Village. Of course, the outcome hadn't been ideal.
Though Hanzo had killed a rogue ninja named Yahiko, he hadn't gained the upper hand either—he had ultimately been killed as well.
Strictly speaking, the Hidden Rain Village wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. It was just that no one knew about his involvement.
"I'm not too familiar with it either, but the leader of the 'Akatsuki' has collected quite a few interesting things here," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "I quite like this place."
Danzo's lips twitched.
Did he really not know what Orochimaru was thinking?
From the moment they entered the village gates, they had to go through tedious inspections, and the walls were as impenetrable as iron.
If one hid here, even an opponent like Konoha would find it nearly impossible to lay a finger on them.
"Is there a chance..." Danzo's lips curled as he stole a glance at Orochimaru.
"Don't get any foolish ideas. You probably don't realize just how loyal the Kirigakure ninja are to the 'Akatsuki.' If you dare move against this village, they'll hunt you down relentlessly—until death," Orochimaru said, eyeing Danzo with disdain, finding the old man utterly vulgar.
He, on the other hand, was different. In his pursuit of infinite knowledge, all he needed was "immortality."
"Do you really think I'm that naive?" Danzo hurriedly denied Orochimaru's implication.
If he claimed he hadn't entertained such thoughts just now, he'd be lying.
Ever since being driven out of Konoha, Danzo had been scheming to return—or, at the very least, to attain power and status rivaling that of the Hokage.
Though the chances were slim, a man had to have dreams.
Obtaining the "Byakugan" was merely the first step toward his goal.
"Where is the leader of the 'Akatsuki'?"
"Soon," Orochimaru replied with a smile.
Upon entering the Hidden Rain Village, a group of ninja had initially been assigned to guide them, but Orochimaru had declined, citing a desire to "look around."
There were some conversations best kept private.
At the end of the main road stood a three-story steel building, guarded by a row of ninja.
"That's the meeting point up ahead. Be careful not to give yourself away," Orochimaru whispered.
"Relax, I'm not a child," Danzo said, forcing a cold smile.
"No, what I mean is—don't make your ambitions too obvious."
"..."
Danzo's stiff smile faded.
"Are you two members of the 'Akatsuki'?" A ninja approached them.
"That's correct," Orochimaru nodded.
"Please proceed to the second floor. Lord Pain will arrive shortly."
"Are we the first to arrive?" Danzo asked.
"No, others have already arrived," the ninja replied.
"Who?"
"Lord Kisame and Lord Itachi. Do you know them?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, his long tongue flicking across his lips, but he remained silent.
Until Sasuke matured, Itachi would always be his "optimal choice."
Danzo's expression darkened, especially when he recalled his conflicts with the Uchiha clan, fueling his anger further.
The guide quickly glanced at their expressions and wisely chose to remain silent.
The 'Akatsuki' was an elite group personally selected by Pain. Even if there were grudges among them, it wasn't his place to interfere.
Best to leave it to the higher-ups.
After escorting Orochimaru and Danzo to the second floor, he tactfully excused himself.
Orochimaru pushed open the door. Sure enough, only two people were inside the meeting room—Kisame standing by the window and Itachi already seated at the conference table.
When the door opened, both Itachi and Kisame turned their heads simultaneously.
"You're... Orochimaru?" Kisame stared at Orochimaru.
He had never met Orochimaru before, but he had seen his bounty poster, which featured a rather unflattering sketch.
"Yes."
"Then you must be..." Kisame studied Danzo's eager expression before pausing. After three or four seconds, he slung an arm around Itachi's shoulder, whispered something, then grinned. "You're Danzo, right?"
"..."
Danzo's smile hardened like stone. Was he really that obscure?
"Lord Danzo, what a coincidence. I never expected to see you here," Itachi said coldly, his eyes fixed on Danzo. "Are we colleagues now?"
Before arriving, he had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Danzo.
Excitement? Joy? Rage? Violence?
Various emotions had swirled in his mind, but none compared to what he felt now that Danzo stood before him.
Danzo's eyelid twitched.
Though Itachi had already left Konoha by the time the incident occurred, "controlling the Hokage and stealing the Sharingan" was no trivial matter. Over the past year, Itachi had had countless opportunities to learn the truth.
"For now, I suppose so," Danzo forced out.
Itachi's gaze lingered on Danzo's right arm and right eye for a few seconds before nodding slightly. "I look forward to working with you, Lord Danzo. Orochimaru, what a surprise to see you here too."
Danzo's crimes could wait. After all, the Sharingan had already been taken, and killing Danzo wouldn't bring back the dead.
Orochimaru was different.
Itachi had joined the 'Akatsuki' specifically to find him.
Seeing Orochimaru now, Itachi had to suppress his fury and remain composed—no easy feat.
There was no concrete proof that Orochimaru had taken Sasuke.
Though after analyzing all the clues, Orochimaru was the most likely suspect, speculation was just speculation. Orochimaru could easily deny it outright.
Without evidence, the 'Akatsuki' likely wouldn't permit him to exact revenge here.
Various scenarios flashed through Itachi's mind, but in the end, he decided against confrontation—for now.
He needed a chance to face Orochimaru alone, but this wasn't the time.
"Indeed. It seems you're a man of ambition as well," Orochimaru said with a smirk.
"Oh?"
"Don't you know the 'Akatsuki's' goal? To create a world without war. By joining, you must agree with that vision, no?"
"What a 'noble' goal," Itachi replied indifferently. "But before that, I have other matters to attend to."
"Care to share?"
"Sasuke is missing. I intend to find him first."
"Well then... I wish you success," Orochimaru said, his eyes narrowing. "Once you find him, do let me know. I'd love to help you kill whoever took him."
Itachi clenched his fists, seething with anger but struggling to maintain control.
He wanted to kill Orochimaru—but not here.
Just then, the door opened again. Everyone turned to look as Hiruko entered first, followed by a masked figure in black.
"So many people are already here? Greetings, everyone. My name is Yoshida Shin, a newcomer. Are you all seniors, or fellow newcomers like me?" The masked man greeted the four inside, though inwardly, he was laughing hysterically.
He and Kisame were from Kirigakure, while Itachi, Danzo, and Orochimaru were all wary of one another. This gathering had far too many elements at play.
*****
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