"If you truly want to cooperate, then come with sincerity!"
"Partnerships are built on equality!"
"And in front of me, you'd better drop that sickeningly condescending mask and attitude!"
Sōmi scolded the Masked Man without the slightest courtesy.
"Heh heh heh!"
The Masked Man let out a sinister chuckle. No doubt, his expression beneath the mask must have been far from pleasant at this moment.
After receiving the "legacy" from the elder dancer, he had believed himself capable of manipulating the entire ninja world. Yet, just as he was preparing to strike at Konohagakure, he was dealt a crushing blow by Sōmi.
Not only did he fail to execute his plan, but he had also nearly lost his life to Sōmi.
Originally, the plan had been to keep the Akatsuki hidden, quietly amassing strength and waiting for the Five Great Nations to exhaust themselves in war before emerging to seize the Tailed Beasts. However, with the leak of their plans, everything had fallen apart.
Unable to figure out where things had gone wrong, he had no choice but to come to Sunagakure and confront Sōmi, who had appeared that night.
But Sōmi, with his temperament and sharp wit, was never going to let him extract any useful information.
"Do you really think your so-called strength can protect your village?"
The Masked Man sneered, his tone carrying a veiled threat.
"If you dare make a move against Sunagakure, go ahead and try!"
"And don't think the so-called Rinnegan in the Land of Rain will be enough to save you!"
Feigning anger, Sōmi retorted with a look of feigned ignorance.
"Enough!"
"It seems we won't reach an agreement today. I'll visit again another time..."
The pattern in the Masked Man's right eye had already shifted into the shape of a Mangekyō Sharingan. In his perception, the surrounding space was beginning to solidify. If he didn't leave soon, he feared a repeat of the terrifying scenario from last time.
After all, his supply of Three Tomoe Sharingan was running low...
He would need to find a way to replenish them in Konohagakure.
Under Sōmi's watchful gaze, the Masked Man's figure was enveloped by a vortex of spatial distortion and quickly disappeared from sight.
That guy... using the Mangekyō's powers just for travel—what a waste.
"Sōmi, that man has indeed left."
Moments later, Ichikishimahime flicked her pink tongue and spoke.
"It seems you have an exceptional talent for spatial perception, huh?"
Deactivating Sage Mode, Sōmi looked at the slender snake coiled around his arm, his tone tinged with surprise.
"Really?"
"I wasn't even aware of it myself..."
"Never mind that—hurry up and contact that Orochimaru guy!"
"I want to experience what it's like to have a human body!"
Ichikishimahime blinked her snake eyes in confusion. To her, this ability felt as natural as instinct. However, she quickly remembered the main task at hand and urged Sōmi to act.
Her serpentine body clung tightly to Sōmi's arm, its cool metallic-scaled texture gliding as it moved. Despite the sensation, it evoked no strange thoughts.
Before long—
The massive serpent Manda appeared on the open ground, acting as a messenger.
Lowering its head submissively, it opened its mouth wide. As usual, Sōmi tossed a scroll or letter directly into its maw.
Manda, once the dominant ruler of Ryūchi Cave, likely never imagined it would be reduced to the role of a courier.
It suddenly remembered that Orochimaru still owed it the one hundred living sacrifices he had promised during their last summoning. It would need to collect on that soon...
As for asking Sōmi for payment...
Manda wasn't foolish enough to take such a risk.
Nighttime, the Land of Rain, Amegakure.
The soft patter of rain seemed eternal, drumming against the metal drainage pipes in the pitch-black night, producing a rhythmic drip-drip-drip sound.
"The strength of that guy from Sunagakure is extraordinary. Cooperating with him would be no different from making a deal with a tiger."
"We should find another partner."
The Masked Man stood at the entrance of a tall tower, his figure seemingly swallowed by the darkness, leaving only the faint red glow of his eye flickering uncertainly.
"Understood."
"Eliminate Konohagakure from consideration first. Kirigakure is too far, leaving Kumogakure and Iwagakure... which one?"
A figure with spiraling purple eyes spoke, his voice deep and magnetic, yet calm and still as a dead sea. Behind him, a warm yellow light illuminated his red-clouded black Akatsuki cloak.
Faintly, the sound of solemn, majestic, and resonant string music seemed to echo in the ears of those nearby.
"Let's try Iwagakure first."
"That old man Ōnoki's Dust Release is still somewhat useful. Using Iwagakure as a shield, we can lay low for now and let the current storm blow over."
The Masked Man pondered for a moment before deciding to approach the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure to discuss a potential alliance.
After all, when people grow older, they tend to overthink, preferring to hide in the shadows, believing they can control everything from behind the scenes.
If the ninja world's situation wasn't stirred into chaos again, it would be nearly impossible for the Akatsuki to thrive.
"Zetsu!"
"Investigate Sunagakure and Konohagakure thoroughly. The leak must have come from one of these two villages. There's no way another force exists in the ninja world!"
Finally, the Masked Man issued instructions to the plant-like figure nearby.
The next day.
In Sunagakure, within the Kazekage's office—
"So, the Akatsuki's objective really is as the rumors claim?"
The Third Kazekage, his back to Sōmi, gazed at the map of the Land of Rain.
"Yes, sensei."
"And that man with the Sharingan—besides his space-time ninjutsu, his power is formidable. If he were to attack the village, with our current defenses, we wouldn't be able to harm him, and the losses would be catastrophic."
Sōmi sat on the couch, speaking with a serious expression.
"The Land of Rain, huh..."
"First, there was Hanzō the Salamander, whose reputation shook the ninja world."
"Now, they've created this Akatsuki organization, aiming to collect the Tailed Beasts and dominate the entire ninja world..."
"Truly remarkable individuals!"
The Third Kazekage sighed, a hint of admiration in his tone, as though he appreciated their audacity.
"The current state of the ninja world is volatile. We must tread carefully when dealing with these shadowy figures."
"Otherwise, when the great nations exhaust themselves in war, only for these opportunists to swoop in and claim the victory, it would be utterly disgraceful."
Sōmi cautioned.
"So, what do you propose?"
Turning around, the Third Kazekage looked at Sōmi. He had always valued his disciple's advice. While Sōmi might not provide detailed implementation plans, his strategic insights had never been wrong.
Without Sōmi's series of reform initiatives, Sunagakure wouldn't have achieved its current prosperity and vitality.
"For potential threats and those lurking in the shadows hoping to reap unearned rewards, we must eliminate them first!"
"Only then can we focus on competing with the other great nations without any distractions!"
Sōmi's tone carried a decisive edge.
Compared to Konohagakure, the people of Amegakure were clearly more dangerous.
After all, if they were ever defeated by Konohagakure in the future, they could always feign repentance and pledge allegiance, working together to build a so-called "Ninja World Community of Shared Destiny."
But if Amegakure were allowed to grow stronger... with the Masked Man and Zetsu in the picture, even those who claimed to be gods might unknowingly become pawns of others.
Moreover, behind the Masked Man was the elder dancer himself.
While Sōmi was confident he could outlast anyone in a confrontation with him, protecting Sunagakure was another matter entirely.
The flames of conflict needed to be stoked further...
Kumogakure seemed like the perfect choice. He would find a way to provoke a clash between them and the Akatsuki, using them as the vanguard.
Only in chaos could opportunities be seized from the fire.
Sōmi fell into deep thought.
In this regard, his thoughts aligned surprisingly well with those of the Masked Man.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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