At the Mist Shinobi Command Center of the Allied Forces, Terumi Mei's brow furrowed as she listened to the reports pouring in from her troops.
Thanks to their natural affinity with Water Style, the Mist Shinobi were perfectly suited for operations in the Land of Rain. Unlike the Cloud and Rock coalitions, the Mist shinobi had entered the Rain Village through secret waterways.
These hidden routes should have been dangerous, but aside from a few unstable currents, the Mist Shinobi encountered no resistance.
That alone made Terumi Mei suspicious.
"Something's wrong..." she muttered. Even a village like Konoha—located inland—would have guards watching the rivers. But Rain Village, a place practically submerged in water, had no defenses in place?
And what was even stranger, intelligence from the Cloud and Rock coalition forces reported a similar pattern—little to no resistance. It felt like Rain Village had already abandoned the fight.
No battles had occurred. No sign of Akatsuki's core members. Everything felt too quiet.
"Has Akatsuki really given up the village? Or are they hiding something deeper?" Terumi Mei asked, turning her gaze toward Andrew. As an Uchiha, and someone with inside knowledge, she hoped he would shed light on the situation.
Andrew nodded calmly. "Could be either. But the strange part is, the villagers don't even know their home is being used as a base by Akatsuki. That's what bothers me."
He continued, "From what Rock Shinobi have gathered through interrogation, the village is now under the control of someone known as the Messenger of God—a woman named Angel. But master, who exactly is this 'god' she refers to?"
Andrew had received secret intel from Orochimaru. It revealed that while Akatsuki would soon abandon Rain Village, they planned to leave behind some deadly traps for the Allied Forces.
Andrew kept this to himself. Not even Terumi Mei could know. The alliance between Orochimaru and the Uchiha had to remain hidden for now—especially since Orochimaru was preparing for a major move against the Third Hokage. The timing had to be perfect.
Still, Andrew gave Terumi Mei a subtle warning.
"Be cautious. They've likely set something up. Don't let your troops move too fast tonight."
Terumi Mei's face darkened. "This 'god' must be their leader. With those immortal eyes—the Rinnegan—maybe he believes he has the right."
She paused. "What's terrifying is that Hanzō of the Salamander was killed, and the whole village taken over—and no news of this leaked to the outside world. Akatsuki's control is complete."
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
Andrew shrugged slightly. "Sharingan controlled Mist once, didn't it? So why not Rinnegan? I'm more concerned about a night assault. Tsuchikage and Raikage seem to be underestimating Akatsuki way too much."
He said this directly, not hesitating to mention that Obito once manipulated Mist Shinobi—a fact Terumi Mei knew well.
"Yes," she replied coldly. "They were dragged into war by provocation. They've never fought Akatsuki directly. Their early victories probably gave them a false sense of confidence."
They both fell silent.
Outside, the village was covered in mist and endless rain, like a giant monster waiting to devour the unsuspecting.
Andrew spoke once more, voice low. "Tell your troops to slow their advance tonight. Akatsuki abandoned too much ground. That's not without purpose. Don't let them walk into a trap."
He wasn't wrong. Aside from Akatsuki's other members, the Six Paths of Pain were enough to wipe out entire units. And if Tendō Pain used Shinra Tensei, he could level the battlefield—he had done it to Konoha before.
Unless the Allied Forces used something as strong as a Tailed Beast Bomb, they stood no chance. Andrew's Senjutsu Chakra techniques might match it, or his Susanoo, but ordinary forces? They'd be crushed.
Meanwhile, in the center of Rain Village, Konan moved swiftly, organizing the last of her plans. Though many in Akatsuki didn't care for the villagers, Konan still protected them.
Those who wanted to leave were not stopped. Even if captured by Allied Forces, they wouldn't have any useful information about Akatsuki's operations.
Besides arranging for civilian safety, Konan had also laid traps across the village—especially within its infrastructure.
"Everything is set. All that's left is for them to attack."
She looked toward the rainy sky and whispered, "I hope Kakuzu and Orochimaru succeed."
At that same moment, far away in Iwagakure, two figures in black cloaks with red clouds moved through the shadows—it was Kakuzu and Orochimaru, the ones Konan had spoken of.
"Orochimaru," Kakuzu asked, scanning their surroundings, "Have you found Iwagakure's treasury?"
Facing a massive war effort, the Akatsuki had taken all of Kakuzu's personal savings. Furious, the bounty hunter almost challenged Tendō Pain for his money back.
Konan had used his entire fortune to buy explosive tags!
If Kakuzu were strong enough to beat Pain, he would've crushed Konan on the spot.
But Konan, clever as always, threw him a bone.
She let him and Orochimaru sneak out of Rain Village to plunder the weakened villages behind enemy lines.
Her message was simple: "Yes, we used your money. But now the big nations are empty. Go loot their homes!"
If he got less than expected—too bad. If he got more—it was all his.
Orochimaru grinned. "I found it. But... the results aren't great. Not much money inside."
Kakuzu groaned. "What? That can't be right!"
Apparently, after Cloud Shinobi raided the place earlier, and with ongoing battles, Iwagakure had lost most of its wealth.
Kakuzu tried to stay calm. "Still, a little money is better than none."
His eyes gleamed greedily. "And if Rock Shinobi is broke… Cloud Shinobi is next!"
Even Mist was an option. Though across the sea, it was accessible. With most elite shinobi away at the frontlines, now was the perfect time to strike.
The Rock treasury had been rebuilt with extra defenses—but that meant little against the combined abilities of Kakuzu and Orochimaru.
When they finally cracked it open, Kakuzu was stunned.
"This is a joke, right? Even Takigakure's treasury had more money than this!"
All he saw were a few scrolls, some silver, and not much else. He stood there, doubting his entire life.
"Are you sure this is Rock Shinobi's vault? Or just some dusty shack?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Told you. Disappointing, huh?"
But Kakuzu wasn't done. "Let's hit Cloud Shinobi next. And maybe... we drop by Konoha too. I know the layout."
And just like that, the greedy pair left Rock Village—eager to rob again.
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