Delaying them might not stop Konoha's Lightning Flash from gaining merit.
But if no delay was made, then stopping him would be completely impossible.
The choice was simple.
And yet, could Danzo's method truly be called wrong?
His reasoning was precise. He did not trust Hanzō, and he feared that the Hidden Rain Village might sever Konoha's retreat, leading to total destruction. It sounded cautious, even reasonable, far from the image of a radical shinobi.
Even if something went wrong and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, learned of it, there would be no obvious flaw to criticize.
Danzo always prepared multiple contingencies before making a move.
"In that case, what does Lord Danzo require of me?" Mei asked quietly.
With his current ability, stopping Hayashi and Sakumo directly was impossible. That meant Danzo had already arranged something else.
Kou nodded slightly and lowered his voice.
"At present, Sunagakure is unaware of Konoha's next move. Ebizō and Rasa have already led a unit to the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain."
This situation had been intentionally created by Hayashi and Sakumo. Previously, Sunagakure had not stationed forces there, focusing instead on Orochimaru.
By drawing some of their forces away, the pressure on Orochimaru and Tsunade was reduced, allowing Konoha to gain localized advantages.
But Danzo intended to exploit this.
"A group of Sand shinobi will soon attack civilians within the Land of Rain," Kou continued. "Your task is to guide Akatsuki into discovering this attack and push them into conflict with Sunagakure."
These "Sand shinobi" were impostors.
Framing operations like this were standard practice for Root. Their purpose was simple, to provoke war between two sides.
Once conflict erupted, Sunagakure would not back down.
They had already stretched their resources thin to maintain supply lines into the Land of Rain. On top of that, Hanzō had surrendered and made an agreement with Konoha.
If they were then attacked and blamed, especially by a group like Akatsuki, they would retaliate without hesitation.
Once Sunagakure forces entered the Land of Rain, everything would fall into place.
To stabilize the situation, Hayashi and Sakumo would be forced to delay their advance into the Land of Earth.
And if Konoha did not move forward, Iwagakure certainly would.
Two great villages pressing into the Land of Rain would be enough to pin Hayashi and Sakumo down completely. With their current numbers, they might even lose the war outright.
Danzo's plan was simple, efficient, and nearly impossible to trace back to him in the Land of Hot Water.
Kou straightened slightly, his tone turning stern.
"Lord Danzo was already dissatisfied with your previous failure. Do not disappoint him again."
The threat was unmistakable.
With that, Kou vanished in an instant, using the Body Flicker Technique.
Mei remained where he stood.
Rain poured relentlessly over him, soaking through his clothes, yet he did not move. He raised his hand, catching the falling water before drinking from his palm.
Yahiko often said that this rain was the country's sorrow.
But to Mei, it felt like something else.
It was as if the rain was washing away the filth of the shinobi world, cleansing what little it could.
Konoha did not have this kind of rain.
There, the skies were often clear, yet darkness lingered in unseen places.
Even if it did rain, what would change?
Root existed beneath the surface, hidden from light. Any filth washed away above would only gather there.
Root was the source of everything foul within Konoha.
Mei let out a quiet breath.
He was just a shinobi, one born and raised within Root.
Even after spending so much time with Akatsuki, after beginning to think for himself in ways he never could before, he still could not disobey Danzo.
Orders from Danzo were absolute.
There was no room to question, no space to hesitate. If obstacles existed, they were to be overcome. If none existed, they were to be created.
Still, after living as a spy for so long, he had grown attached to Akatsuki.
And more than that, he respected Yahiko.
If only things had been different.
By the time Mei returned to the Akatsuki base, night had already fallen.
After changing into dry clothes, he stepped into the main hall, once again becoming Ida.
The hall was filled with members discussing ongoing missions, but the topic soon shifted.
Hanzō.
Seated in a chair, Amano Kyusuke sighed.
"Who would have thought Hanzō would lose to Konoha's Lightning Flash?"
As someone born in the Land of Rain, he understood Hanzō's strength better than most.
From a young age, Hanzō had risen with overwhelming force, seizing control of the country and never losing to figures like the Third Kazekage or the Third Hokage.
For years, no one believed he could be defeated.
"If the Hidden Rain Village hadn't fallen into this state, no one would believe it," a young shinobi named Kira muttered, his expression dark.
Amano Kyusuke leaned forward.
"With Hanzō defeated and the Hidden Mist Village stabilized by one man, doesn't that make Konoha's Lightning Flash the new God of Shinobi?"
Kira's expression twisted with disdain.
He could not stand others surpassing him, especially someone of the same generation.
"How old is he?" Kira scoffed. "Even if he won, he probably burned through his life force. Just like the First Hokage after the battle at the Valley of the End. He likely won't live long either. And you call that a God of Shinobi?"
A few nodded in agreement.
Encouraged, Kira continued.
"If you ask me, Hanzō is probably already dead. Konoha must have overwhelmed him with sheer numbers. That Lightning Flash only got the final blow through a sneak attack."
This time, no one responded.
The events in the Hidden Mist Village were well known. Kirigakure had no reason to fabricate such a story to elevate Hayashi's reputation.
A shinobi capable of such feats could not be dismissed so easily.
Nagato and Konan stood nearby, their expressions tightening slightly. They clearly disliked Kira's words.
When they were younger, Hayashi had once helped them, even leaving them with food. That memory had not faded.
If they had insisted back then, things might have turned out differently.
Nagato felt a faint sense of regret.
Beside him, Yahiko simply smiled, his thoughts unreadable.
Since returning from Hanzō's stronghold, Yahiko had changed. He was calmer, more deliberate.
He had begun thinking deeply about Akatsuki's future, about power, and about the Land of Rain.
Though he had not found clear answers, one belief remained firm.
Helping the people of this country was never the wrong choice.
At that moment, the door burst open.
Dafo rushed in, breathing heavily.
"What happened?" Amano Kyusuke called out with a grin. "Did something chase you here?"
"Hanzō..." Dafo struggled to steady his breath. "A shinobi reported seeing Hanzō in the Land of Rain!"
The entire hall fell silent.
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