r18novel Chapter 221 Hiring the Akatsuki Organization
Chapter 221 Hiring the Akatsuki Organization
Chapter 222 Hiring the Akatsuki Organization
The Land of Rain, a country shrouded in rain all year round, has a desolate and oppressive northern border region.
The leaden sky continuously poured down cold rain, which pattered against the muddy ground and sparse trees, making a continuous rustling sound.
In the rain, two figures were walking slowly and steadily.
Xiao Nan was wearing a black trench coat embroidered with red clouds. Her purple hair was wet from the rain and clung to her cheeks, making her delicate face appear even more aloof.
She wore a pure white paper flower on her head, but the rain strangely failed to wet or melt it.
Walking beside her was someone with a completely different aura.
Her short orange hair was like a burning flame, and her cold purple eyes were rippling with waves.
Black metal rods were inserted into his face, ears, and arms, making him look eerie and menacing.
Pain, or more precisely, Pain himself, was created based on Yahiko's corpse and remotely controlled by Nagato using his Rinnegan.
Payne.
Payne walked steadily, as if the rain around him was deliberately avoiding him, his eyes staring blankly ahead, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
The two arrived at a long-abandoned cabin deep in the border forest.
The wooden house looked dilapidated, but after being washed by the rain, it strangely revealed traces of human activity.
Nan and Payne silently pushed open the door and went inside.
The room was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the damp, musty smell and dust.
Four people were already waiting there.
The leader was a tall and muscular man wearing the standard Jonin vest of Iwagakure. He had dark skin, a resolute face, and sharp eyes; he was none other than Iwagakure Jonin, Bunya.
Behind him stood three Chunin, also dressed in Iwagakure vests and exuding a powerful aura, who were warily observing the two who had entered.
"Hmph, you've finally arrived." Wen Ya's voice was low, carrying a hint of scrutiny and stubborn arrogance.
"Meeting in this awful weather and in this kind of place, you 'Akatsuki' really have some unique tastes." His gaze was mainly fixed on Payne, whose aura was eerie, and it carried a strong sense of inquiry.
He had already received the secret order from the Tsuchikage and knew that the transaction partner was no ordinary person, but seeing the legendary leader of the Akatsuki organization in person still made him feel an invisible pressure.
Especially those eyes—
Konan stepped forward, her voice cool and indifferent: "Jonin of Wenya, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Wen Ya grinned, looking at the group in front of him with great interest.
A cool and aloof female ninja using paper magic, and a strange man with an unfathomable aura, covered in black rods.
"Only your Akatsuki organization would dare to take on a bounty that's been hanging in underground gold exchange for so long." His words were a test, a way of gauging their reaction.
Konan's expression remained unchanged; she simply replied calmly, "'Akatsuki' only cares about money, not people. As long as the commission is sufficient, even the target, the Kage of the Five Great Nations, is negotiable."
Her tone was eerily calm, as if she were talking about something trivial.
A flicker of surprise crossed Wen Ya's eyes, quickly transforming into a complex mix of admiration and wariness: "Would you risk your life for money? Ha, what an astonishing philosophy."
He paused, his tone softening slightly: "However, this isn't the first or second time we've collaborated."
Since the Third Shinobi World War, Iwagakure used 10,000 shinobi to wear down the Third Raikage. Although they won, they were severely weakened, and the younger generation was almost wiped out.
They won the battle, but the village was almost completely wiped out.
Therefore, after the war, Onoki issued a strict order to preserve the village's manpower to the greatest extent possible.
Missions that are particularly dangerous or involve the destruction of a country are often assigned to mercenary organizations like Akatsuki.
Wenya's voice carried a hint of heaviness and helplessness.
Xiao Nan listened quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
She and Nagato were already aware of Iwagakure's practices.
It was precisely through this "gray" cooperation with major ninja villages such as Iwagakure that the Akatsuki organization was able to rapidly accumulate funds and develop its power.
Wen Ya changed the subject, his expression turning serious: "You are probably already aware of the objective of this mission: the Star Country, and its military core, the Star Ninja Village."
He carefully observed the reactions of the two people opposite him, but Payne remained expressionless, and Konan merely raised an eyebrow slightly.
Wen Ya continued, "Those rogue ninjas from the Land of Stars have gone too far lately! They overthrew the governments of five countries in one fell swoop, and their military power is not to be underestimated. Other mercenary organizations and wandering ninja teams are too scared to take on any jobs once they hear that the target is the Star Ninja Village."
His tone carried a hint of disdain for those rabble, but it also indirectly acknowledged the power of the Star Kingdom.
Not only Iwagakure, but also other ninja villages speculate that Hoshigakure's strength, while not yet reaching the level of the Five Great Ninja Villages, far surpasses that of other small and medium-sized ninja villages, making it a force to be reckoned with, second only to the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"Therefore, our request is: to penetrate deep into the heart of the Star Country and conduct thorough reconnaissance of the Star Ninja Village's defenses, troop strength, and intelligence on its powerful members! Especially the leader of the Star Ninja Village!"
"At the same time, sabotage their key military facilities, supply depots, and transportation hubs as much as possible! Any means are acceptable, the bigger the commotion, the better! In short, create the biggest trouble for them, delaying or even interrupting their process of assimilating the new territory!"
After speaking, Wenya stared at Payne and Konan, awaiting their response.
This mission is extremely dangerous, tantamount to launching a covert war against a rising superpower.
After a moment of silence between Konan and Pain, Pain slowly raised his head, his cold Rinnegan locking onto Wenya, and uttered a number without any emotion:
"One hundred million taels."
The sound wasn't loud, but it resounded like thunder in the small wooden house!
"One hundred million?!" The three Iwagakure chunin behind Wen Ya couldn't help but gasp and exclaim in shock.
Even Wen Ya himself had his facial muscles twitch violently, his eyes filled with shock!
He knew the task would be difficult and the reward would be high, but the amount still far exceeded his expectations!
This is almost equivalent to the annual fiscal revenue of a small country!
Wen Ya suppressed his shock and his face darkened: "One hundred million taels—isn't that a ridiculously outrageous price?"
Even if the target is the Land of Stars, this price is still...
Payne interrupted him emotionlessly, his voice still flat: "The Star Kingdom possesses military power capable of swiftly annihilating five nations. Its leader's strength is unfathomable, and its powerful demons are numerous. To carry out this mission is tantamount to waging a full-scale war against the Star Kingdom, with an extremely low chance of survival."
"One hundred million taels to buy the risk of my Akatsuki's elite forces being wiped out—that's fair. Or, your Iwagakure can send your own people."
Wen Ya was rendered speechless by Yi and frowned.
He knew Pain was telling the truth; the Tsuchikage had chosen to hire the Akatsuki precisely because he did not want to suffer heavy casualties among the Iwagakure ninja.
Among the many mercenary organizations, only Akatsuki truly possesses the ability to destroy a nation.
After all, the enemies the mission objective might encounter this time are not just one or two elite Jonin.
As for the money, I can get reimbursed by Daming Prefecture later.
After weighing the pros and cons, Wenya finally nodded with difficulty: "Alright! One hundred million taels it is! But Iwagakure can only pay ten million taels as a deposit first! The rest will be paid after the mission is completed."
"The remaining ninety million must be deposited in full into the neutral account of the underground gold exchange." Xiao Nan's cold voice rang out, interrupting Wen Ya without room for argument: "The gold exchange will act as a third-party guarantor. We will withdraw the funds ourselves once the mission is confirmed."
Wen Ya's face instantly turned incredibly ugly. He laughed, his voice laced with humiliation and anger: "What? Does your Akatsuki organization doubt that Iwagakure would renege on its debts? Is the reputation of the Five Great Shinobi Villages really less valuable than that of an underground money exchange?!"
Payne and Nan didn't speak, they just looked at him quietly, their eyes seeming to say: Yes, we just don't believe it.
Silence is the most powerful answer.
Wenya's chest heaved with anger at this silent contempt, but he remembered the Earth Shadow's secret order: "Complete the mission at all costs."
He finally suppressed his anger and coldly snorted, "Fine! We'll do it your way! The commission will be deposited into the exchange!"
"However, you will have to bear the high intermediary fees charged by the exchange!"
"Okay," Xiao Nan agreed readily.
For the Akatsuki organization, ensuring they get the money is the top priority.
"Hmph! That's settled then! The detailed mission scroll is here, and we'll pay the deposit through the underground exchange within three days!" Wen Ya threw a sealed scroll on the ground, seemingly not wanting to stay a moment longer. He turned and left the cabin angrily with his three subordinates, his figure quickly disappearing into the vast rain.
Silence returned to the cabin, with only the patter of rain outside.
Pain stood quietly in place, his Rinnegan flashing slightly. Nagato, who was in the tower of Amegakure, was carefully sensing through Pain's senses and the "Rain Tiger Free Technique" that covered the area that the four members of the group had indeed gone far away and that there was no longer any chakra that could spy on them.
Before arriving, Nagato had controlled Pain to make it rain in the area.
Since it rains all year round in the Land of Rain, the ninjas of Iwagakure did not suspect anything.
"They're gone," Payne stated emotionlessly.
Xiao Nan stepped forward, picked up the scroll, checked it to make sure everything was in order, and then put it away.
She looked up at Pain, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes: "Nagato, the Land of Stars is expanding far too fast. That 'Shura' is incredibly powerful, and he even has an Uchiha under his command who could defeat 'Madara'—"
Although neither she nor Nagato believed that this "Uchiha Madara" was the real Uchiha Madara, there was no doubt that the other party was powerful.
Payne was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice coming through the puppet, tinged with a hint of solemnity and strange interest: "Hmm. I didn't expect that besides us, there are others walking the same path, and—walking so fast, so far."
His tone was devoid of emotion, more like a condescending scrutiny: "Destroying old ninja villages and establishing new nations, breaking the old order with absolute force, does indeed bear some resemblance to my ideal path to peace."
"I just didn't expect him to be so powerful, able to recruit someone strong enough to defeat 'Madara,' and even rise to the forefront, becoming the sixth power that even the Five Great Nations have to take seriously."
After Yahiko's death, Nagato realized how naive Yahiko's dream was, so he cooperated with "Uchiha Madara" to collect the tailed beasts and create tailed beast weapons, wanting to obtain a power that could destroy a country.
At that time, this weapon of destruction will be used as the "Sword of Damocles," so that all countries will fear it, thereby curbing war and achieving the goal of world peace.
The guy called "Shura" seemed even more arrogant, recruiting powerful ninjas to form a new nation and constantly annexing neighboring countries to eliminate the barriers between them. Pain slowly walked to the door and looked towards the Land of Stars: "And we are still trapped in the Land of Rain, not even having completely dealt with that old guy Hanzo. We can only secretly accumulate strength and wait for the right opportunity—"
It must be said that, in this respect, Shura's path has gone much further than theirs.
Xiao Nan walked to his side and asked softly, "So, what about this mission?"
"The mission will proceed as planned." Payne's voice regained its absolute calm: "But this is also an excellent opportunity. An opportunity to personally contact and assess this 'Shura'."
A profound light flashed in Rinnegan's eyes: "If his ideals align with ours, perhaps we could try inviting him to join Akatsuki and work together to create true peace. Such power shouldn't be wasted on pointless nation-building games."
He paused, then his voice suddenly became filled with divine majesty:
"If he is unwilling—or if his very existence is another deviation from 'peace'—"
"Then let him see it for himself."
"What, is this true divine power?!"