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It was said that the village had suffered heavy losses in Amegakure (the Hidden Rain Village), and as the Kazekage, Rasa bore significant responsibility for this.
As a result, his time digging for ore in the desert grew longer and longer, and his mining operations became increasingly busy.
Yagura felt fortunate that he didn't have to endure the same fate as Rasa, toiling desperately in the desert mines.
Though the daimyo of the Land of Water wasn't entirely satisfied with the village's development and didn't provide much funding, at least he still gave something.
Unlike the daimyo of the Land of Wind, who not only refused to provide financial support but also handed over many of the country's missions to Konoha in bulk.
This made the already struggling economy of Sunagakure even worse, forcing the village to tighten its belt further.
"So this is Kirigakure?"
The Akatsuki organization had long been involved in dirty work, assassinating important figures from various nations.
However, missions targeting the Five Great Nations and their hidden villages were relatively rare.
Moreover, Akatsuki had no intention of provoking the Five Great Shinobi Villages, so they primarily operated within smaller nations.
Amegakure's environment was poor, and conditions were harsh—but Kirigakure wasn't much better.
Perpetually shrouded in thick mist and plagued by inconvenient transportation, both the country and the village struggled to develop economically.
Fortunately, over the past two years, they had established several bilateral trade agreements with Konoha concerning shipping routes and aquatic products.
Otherwise, Kirigakure would still be stuck in its old ways, isolated and self-contained.
Amegakure, constantly drenched in rain, featured mostly tall, iron-based structures.
In contrast, Kirigakure's buildings were overgrown with various climbing plants.
Due to the ever-present mist, most structures in Kirigakure were covered in moss and other creeping vegetation, giving the impression that people lived inside plant-covered houses.
If Amegakure made one feel like water was everywhere, Kirigakure gave off a damp, stuffy, and humid atmosphere.
The unique geographical environment also resulted in the people of the Land of Water having somewhat distinctive appearances.
The most iconic trait was their sharp, jagged teeth, with some even resembling certain fish or crabs. An outsider might mistakenly assume these people had animal bloodlines.
Unlike other nations, the Land of Water was far removed from the mainland, situated deep in the ocean, so outsiders were rare.
Over time, this led to the village developing a strong aversion to foreigners.
As soon as Kakuzu and Sasori appeared, they were met with bewildered stares from villagers who kept their distance.
"...I feel like they're looking at monkeys."
The villagers' gazes irritated Kakuzu.
When had he, Kakuzu, ever been treated like a circus attraction by ordinary people?
In other places, his bizarre appearance made him stand out—but in Kirigakure, he realized he wasn't the odd one. They were.
"Maybe you should drop the word 'feel.' You are a monkey."
Sasori, who had been unwillingly dragged into this mission, was already in a bad mood. Hearing Kakuzu's complaint, he fired back without hesitation.
Though he usually prattled on about art and focused solely on his puppet creations, that didn't mean he couldn't throw insults when provoked.
"Bastard, do you even know what you're saying?!"
Sasori's words successfully enraged Kakuzu. 'Did this brat just call him a monkey?'
"I don't think I'm wrong. Just look at how they're staring at you."
Sasori's expression remained indifferent as he glanced around.
Having reverted to his true appearance, his delicate features and fair skin only drew admiration and infatuation.
Meanwhile, most of the strange looks were directed at Kakuzu.
Calling him a monkey wasn't an exaggeration—yet he still refused to admit it.
"Damn it, you've really pissed me off."
Kakuzu never expected Sasori to have such a sharp tongue. A few words were all it took to make his blood boil.
Before Kakuzu could retort, Kirigakure's shinobi took action.
"Halt! Who are you? State your purpose for entering Kirigakure! Present your shinobi identification and entry permits!"
While the village was wary of outsiders, it wasn't completely closed off—after all, the economy still needed to grow.
However, entry required proper documentation. Otherwise, intruders would be treated as enemies.
"Piss off!"
Already seething with anger, Kakuzu ignored the demand.
His fist, wrapped in thick black threads, shot forward like lightning, piercing through the chest of the interrogating shinobi.
He tore out the man's heart and crushed it in his grip.
"Enemies!!"
Kakuzu's sudden brutality left the Kirigakure shinobi stunned.
In an instant, their comrade had been killed without even a chance to react.
The abrupt violence sent nearby villagers screaming and fleeing in panic.
More and more Kirigakure shinobi rushed to the scene, with the ANBU squad being the most conspicuous.
"It's Akatsuki! Inform the Mizukage immediately—Akatsuki members have infiltrated the village and murdered our comrades!"
While ordinary villagers and shinobi might not recognize Kakuzu and Sasori, the ANBU immediately identified them by their black cloaks with red clouds.
"All of you—DIE!"
After years of lying low, forced into inactivity, Kakuzu felt like he was going insane from the pent-up frustration.
Tearing off his cloak, he unleashed his full fury, entering a frenzied slaughter mode.
The hearts he had lost in Amegakure had long since been replenished.
Now, in the eyes of Kirigakure's shinobi, his image transformed from that of a green monkey into a full-fledged monster.
"Aaaah—!!"
Screams echoed as Kakuzu went on a rampage.
Against such a formidable opponent, the average shinobi stood little chance—the battle was entirely one-sided.
While Kakuzu wreaked havoc, Sasori didn't remain idle.
Unfurling several scrolls, he summoned a swarm of puppets, controlling them with precision as they cut down one Kirigakure shinobi after another.
Most of Sasori's puppets had been destroyed in the battle at Amegakure, including his most prized ones, which Rasa's Magnet Release had crushed.
This significantly weakened Sasori's combat ability.
Fortunately, Akatsuki had supplied him with the corpses of elite shinobi from the Five Great Nations, allowing him to rebuild his arsenal and avoid becoming a mere side character.
As the battle erupted within Kirigakure, chaos spread through the surrounding districts.
Villagers fled in terror while waves of shinobi joined the fight.
Yet none of them stood a chance against Kakuzu and Sasori.
Faced with their combined assault, Kirigakure suffered heavy losses.
"Lord Mizukage! Akatsuki members have infiltrated the village and launched an attack!"
ANBU operatives burst into the Mizukage's office without delay.
"I'm already aware. I recognize these chakra signatures—it's Sasori and Kakuzu."
Yagura had sensed the disturbances and deduced the intruders' identities.
Placing his hat on the desk, he hoisted his weapon and leaped out the window, his ANBU and personal guards swiftly following.
Ever since Kazuki drop that bomb, Yagura had been on high alert, constantly bracing for Obito's retaliation.
Yet years had passed with no sign of revenge.
What puzzled Yagura even more was that the attackers weren't Obito's forces—but rather Kakuzu and Sasori, two of Akatsuki's key members.
Something about this didn't add up.