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When Yahiko was still alive, his vision was to eliminate war by fostering greater communication.
For a small nation, this was undoubtedly difficult, but not impossible.
However, Nagato's approach was somewhat more idealistic.
By monopolizing war, he sought to destroy the economic foundations of the major hidden villages…
If these villages existed in isolation, there might have been a chance. But the reality was different—each of the Five Great Shinobi Villages was backed by a major nation.
What was the role of these major nations? Simply put, they were the financial patrons of the great shinobi villages.
If the Akatsuki didn't undermine these major nations, how could they possibly cripple the economies of the villages?
Moreover, by competing with all Five Great Shinobi Villages for "business," did the Akatsuki—including the Hidden Rain Village—even have enough manpower?
Weren't they afraid that the Five Great Villages would eventually realize what was happening and unite to eliminate the Akatsuki first?
For now, they were only taking missions from smaller shinobi organizations, and the major villages hadn't yet noticed. But once they stepped into the open and directly challenged the other villages, the difficulty would skyrocket.
Midorima also knew that "Pain's" ultimate goal was the tailed beasts. But from beginning to end, Nagato was nothing more than a pawn being manipulated by Obito.
"Not long ago, the missions you carried out were ones we acquired through 'connections.' From now on, there will only be more of such missions," Pain said calmly.
When Danzō saw Pain, he was momentarily stunned.
He had met Yahiko before. Back when Hanzō sought to kill Yahiko, Konoha's ANBU had also been mobilized, and Danzō had participated in that operation.
But hadn't Yahiko died? And this didn't look like the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
Honestly, seeing Yahiko made him uneasy.
However, during the ambush on Yahiko, Danzō had remained hidden, so Yahiko shouldn't have recognized him.
"So, we can continue operating the same way as before?" Sasori asked with a smirk.
"Yes. But there is a difference—since we're collaborating with smaller nations, timeliness will be a factor. It's best to eliminate the targets as soon as the mission is received," Danzō replied.
"Understood. So, what's our next mission?" Midorima asked.
"Wait."
"Wait?" Midorima was puzzled.
"Yes. An intruder has infiltrated Amegakure. Konan has gone after him. When the time comes, all of you must ensure he is killed. Otherwise, every one of you here may become a target for foreign shinobi," Pain said softly.
Midorima frowned.
The manga had mentioned intruders before—one was a remnant of Hanzō's faction after his death, and the other was Jiraiya.
Judging by the timeline, the remnants were more likely, since by the time Jiraiya found Amegakure, the Akatsuki had already begun hunting the tailed beasts. But Pain's wording suggested it was only one person—probably Jiraiya.
Was he really about to die here?
Midorima felt a chill run down his spine.
If Jiraiya were to die in Amegakure, Konoha would never let it slide. The village might take action even before the Akatsuki began collecting the tailed beasts.
But then again, even if Jiraiya survived, could Konoha truly stay uninvolved? Especially once he realized that the ones behind everything were his own three former students—could he really remain calm and pretend he hadn't seen anything?
Still, after careful consideration, Midorima felt that Jiraiya's timing was off.
If a battle broke out now, Konoha—without the Nine-Tails or Naruto—might not stand a chance against the Six Paths of Pain. The problem was, Midorima had no way to meet Jiraiya.
He glanced at Itachi, who was also frowning, clearly pondering the identity of the intruder.
"So, you're saying we just wait here?" Midorima asked.
"Yes."
"But what if he escapes?" Midorima pressed.
"Then we can only wish him luck," Pain replied.
*
Jiraiya had gone to great lengths to capture a shinobi visiting a bar. After knocking him out, he transformed into a toad, shrank to normal size, and submerged himself in water.
When the shinobi woke up, he found himself trapped within the intestinal walls of a toad and immediately panicked. Faced with Jiraiya's interrogation, he refused to cooperate.
As a result, Jiraiya had to resort to his ultimate tactic—he stripped the shinobi of his clothes and shoes, then used the wriggling of the intestinal walls to tickle his feet and armpits.
It didn't take long before the shinobi cracked.
"You're not from Amegakure, are you?" the shinobi said.
"You can tell?" Jiraiya was surprised.
"Of course. The village's population is fixed," the shinobi replied coldly. "And someone like you clearly doesn't know the first thing about this place."
"Oh? What's so special about Amegakure?"
"Plenty. The rain in Amegakure always stops on Sundays—unless Lord Pain leaves the village."
Jiraiya thought for a moment—today wasn't Sunday.
"So, if he's not in the village, it'll keep raining even on Sundays?"
"Obviously."
"Why?" Jiraiya didn't understand.
Was the rain really tied to whether Pain was in the village or not?
"How should I know?" the shinobi snorted.
This answer intrigued Jiraiya.
If Pain's absence causes rain, does that mean he uses it to monitor the village?
Jiraiya had never heard of a jutsu like that.
"Do you know about the Akatsuki?" he asked next.
"No," the shinobi answered bluntly.
"Let me be clear—you're not just trapped. I can sense your pulse. If you lie, I'll know."
"What's it to me?"
"Aren't you afraid of being stuck as a toad forever? What if your family mistakes you for wild game and eats you?" Jiraiya teased.
"Ugh. You're disgusting."
"I don't want to do this either. I just need information," Jiraiya said with a grin.
The shinobi's expression shifted several times before he finally sighed. "What do you want to know?"
"Who leads the Akatsuki?"
"Pain. Those people call him the 'God of Amegakure.'"
"From the way you say it, it sounds like you don't respect him," Jiraiya observed.
"What are you talking about? I don't follow," the shinobi said, his smile freezing.
"No matter how much someone is deified, there will always be those who oppose them. Even if Pain is called a 'god,' there must be people who dislike him. You're one of them, aren't you?" Jiraiya pressed.
"You… just who are you?" The shinobi's voice trembled with fear.
Jiraiya was taken aback.
He had noticed the shinobi's pulse quicken at the mention of Pain, and the way he said "those people call him a god" implied he wasn't one of them. So, Jiraiya had decided to bluff—and it worked.
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" Jiraiya countered.
"My name is Koro. I'm from Amegakure. And you?"
"Jiraiya."
"You're one of the Legendary Sannin?" Koro's eyes widened.
"That's right."
"Tch!" Koro spat on Jiraiya. "You Konoha bastards… just kill me already."
"What's your problem?" Jiraiya stared at him, trying to recall if they had any history. "If you hate me, there must be a reason."
"Hanzō."
The name took Jiraiya by surprise.
"I was one of Hanzō's men. I just happened to survive. You guessed right—I hate the Akatsuki and Pain just as much as I hate you and Konoha," Koro said bitterly.
Jiraiya took a deep breath. It seemed he had stumbled upon someone… different.
*****
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