Akaba made a full circle, using his superior sensory abilities to scan the surrounding area.
"The number of rogue ninjas isn't right. They're two to three times more numerous than before. Even if some of them are from Sunagakure, the numbers still exceed what the Third provided."
However, the data must've already been gathered by Konoha's field agents stationed here; they simply hadn't managed to relay it back from the frontline in time.
Akaba returned to the tavern and, upon entering, casually found a spot to sit.
Taverns like this were ideal for picking up rumors, especially in an area swarming with Rogue Ninjas, where certain intelligence might even be unattainable through official channels.
He sipped his drink as people around him chatted aimlessly, but there wasn't anything useful—just petty gossip about a rebel leader named Zhaochuan being killed or another new issue of Make-Out Tactics.
Of course,
there were occasionally topics worth noting. Some mentioned the manga *Naruto*.
Although Naruto was sold only in the Land of Fire, the River Country now had a mix of many different people. Many wandering samurais had visited the Land of Fire before and understood a bit about it.
Then, a ninja whispered, "I heard that this time, Sunagakure is deploying Jinchuriki to completely destroy the Land of River."
"Impossible, right? If such power is deployed, wouldn't staying in the Land of River become extremely dangerous for us?"
Others expressed surprise.
But some started voicing agreement, saying they'd also heard similar rumors.
Frowning slightly, Akaba rose with his cup in hand and walked over to ask, "You mentioned earlier that Sunagakure plans to deploy Jinchuriki. Where did you hear this information from?"
"A lot of people are talking about it, but I don't specifically know where it first came from."
The other party naturally answered, not appearing like a planted informant spreading messages.
Akaba lifted his wine glass, finished it in one go, then went behind the tavern to confirm the news with Nakagawa.
Nakagawa's response matched exactly what those people had said.
But that wasn't all—he also had something else to share with Akaba: "Earlier, someone tried to get in touch through acquaintances wanting to pay us to take on assignments, but at that time we'd already pledged allegiance to you, sir, and had earned quite a bit, so we flatly refused."
"Hire you to inquire—you should check whether they're still hiring additional hands."
"Eh? Yes, I'll go and ask right away."
Slightly surprised, Nakagawa felt somewhat puzzled in his heart. Everyone could currently earn money just by selling alcohol and managing the shop, so why bother doing dangerous jobs risking life and death?
But since the other party was the boss, he could only do his best to complete the task.
After sending out his subordinate to consult, Akaba returned to his room, thinking deeply about what happened earlier.
Konoha knew Sunagakure planned to use Jinchuriki because Anbu ninja hidden within the Land of Wind reported that the imprisoned Jinchuriki had been released.
Most of the people here in the Land of River were wandering samurai or wandering ninja—how did they learn such information?
Strange occurrences usually meant something was off; whose secret would openly announce the deployment of Jinchuriki? This could only indicate Sunagakure's true target was most likely not the Land of River itself.
Certainly, all these were merely speculations. The actual situation still needed Nakagawa's reply for confirmation.
There was simply too little information.
It wasn't until nightfall that Nakagawa finally returned.
"Sir, my friend is now a small leader here, handling recruitment for Chaochuan Town. He said we should wait for the message, and once the time comes, just go through the motions and we'll get a big sum of money."
"A small leader, just going through the motions..."
Akaba's expression turned odd.
"Sir, should we participate?"
Nakagawa was somewhat tempted. Making money by simply going through the motions was a rare opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.
Akaba glanced at him coldly and said, "Fine, go ahead. Might as well work with Kakuzu. Let him help find a new subordinate."
"You think it's a trap?"
Nakagawa immediately backed down.
Nora's courage was worth ten times his own, yet this guy had no sense of self-preservation whatsoever. Akaba even considered replacing him with that young man once the kid matured enough.
He was basically a reckless fool.
Akaba sighed inwardly and muttered, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
A small leader overseeing their own territory and making bank just by going through the motions?
Come on, who are you fooling!
If we walk into that trap, we'll just be sent into battle only to get surrounded, wiped out—or worse, captured—by Konoha ninja.
As for the money, what good is it when you're six feet under? Gonna take it with you to the grave?
Akaba became even more convinced of his suspicion—the true target of Sunagakure wasn't the Land of River but somewhere else. Still, there must be some planned actions within the Land of River itself.
He walked upstairs. After thinking for a while, he created a Shadow Clone and sent it toward the caravan to pass on these intelligence findings.
Sunagakure.
Sankai wore a Kage robe that looked slightly too big on him, respectfully standing beside the sickbed.
"Teacher, I still don't understand. Why not attack the fertile Land of River but provoke the Land of Birds instead? That place is close to both Amegakure and Iwagakure—it might draw the attention of both Hanzo and the Rock ninja."
Sankai was filled with concern and confusion.
Shamon's condition was pitiful—he'd lost one arm and one leg after being attacked by Danzō. If the blade had cut just two inches deeper, he wouldn't have survived at all.
Of course,
he wasn't really alive either. Half his body had been reconstructed into a puppet, and losing an arm meant he could no longer perform hand seals or use advanced techniques. His only remaining capabilities were simple taijutsu and the Puppet Technique.
For Shamon, someone proficient in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, his combat strength had already dropped by half.
Still, his thinking wasn't impaired. On the nearby table sat a pile of manga books—all titled Naruto, sold exclusively in the Land of Fire.
Shamon spoke with difficulty: "Heh heh, you're worried about Hanzo and Iwa, but not about Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konoha?"
"Konoha must already be tied up dealing with the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools, so they don't have the capacity to act here. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when we'll have another chance to seize land from the Land of River."
Sankai replied somewhat reluctantly.
"Sankai, war doesn't revolve around 'should,' 'if,' or 'maybe.' Sunagakure can't afford mistakes. Why do you think every other ninja village wants to destroy the Land of Whirlpools?"
"You should also keep in mind—when it comes to sealing techniques and jinchuriki, Konoha has the upper hand."
"Shamon said bitterly, picking up a manga volume and pointing at the scribbles on Naruto Uzumaki's stomach. 'These techniques might be made-up nonsense from Sakuma Akaba, but they prove he understands sealing arts. Even a mere genjutsu clan has mastered sealing techniques.'
These weren't the key points.
The real issue was those techniques mentioned above—Evil Sealing Method, Five Elements Seal, and so forth. Their Sand ninja didn't know any of them. Techniques like Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Four Symbols Seal, or Eight Trigrams Sealing Style were completely unheard of to them, sounding like complete gibberish about sealing formulas.
Was the Dead Demon Consuming Seal even something a human could use?
The Uzumaki clan were devils who severely disrupted the balance of the Ninja World. They deserved their annihilation!
He felt resentful inside.
Ignorance breeds fearlessness; the more one knows, the more fearful and timid they become.
Shamon was exactly in this situation. After reading the manga especially, he had developed what could only be described as Konoha phobia.
Still, his concerns weren't without merit.
If they really acted against the Land of River, the moment Shukaku was released, there was no telling whether they would be captured and sealed by Konoha immediately afterward. This wouldn't just mean Sunagakure's plans failed, but they might also have to pay money and various resources to Konoha to buy themselves back.
The cost outweighed the benefits.
Sankai stared at the set of manga volumes for a long time before murmuring, "Teacher, it's just a comic book."
"No, it's not just a comic. It shows another side of Konoha—its hidden truth. Inside contain many jutsu names we've never heard before. Can you guarantee Konoha doesn't actually possess these ninja techniques?"
Shamon replied with a bitter smile.
Hearing this, Sankai was slightly taken aback. He wanted to argue back but remembered his teacher's words about not using should, maybe, or if. So he swallowed his retort.
They at least had a firm grasp on the Rock ninja, but Konoha... that was another story entirely.
Eight Gates, Impure World Reincarnation—who knew what other outrageous techniques existed out there? If Konoha truly possessed such forbidden techniques and used them when cornered, then it would be Sunagakure suffering the consequences.
On the other hand, how could they say nothing existed when sealing techniques were globally renowned, and Chidori had already been displayed by Hatake Sakumo previously.
Sunagakure couldn't afford such mistakes.
Regarding Sunagakure's situation, Konoha remained completely unaware.
However, if someone discovered Shamon was still alive and combined that information with these intelligence reports, they could probably deduce Sunagakure's objectives with near certainty. After all, Konoha and Shamon had fought multiple times, thoroughly understanding each other.
Kids like Sankai were different though.
As the saying goes, the young know no fear. A newcomer's greatest strength—and greatest flaw—was their fearlessness.
Akaba was different.
He feared death greatly. Before formulating any strategy, he would always make sure to gather sufficient intelligence.
Therefore, when uncertain yet wanting to learn more, Akaba passed this intelligence report to Kakuzu, who was operating in Chaochuan Town. He clearly explained how to contact and locate that person.
Kakuzu expressed great delight upon receiving this intelligence report. Surprisingly, he even promised to give Akaba a cut of the payment.
To others, this kind of pyramid-scheme structure might seem like a quagmire or trap. To Kakuzu, though, it was pure paradise.
Currently, he desperately needed money and manpower.
A perfect win-win deal!
Naturally, Akaba didn't care about money. What he sought instead were internal organization intelligence reports—information far more valuable than currency.
Regarding this Intelligence Report, he had already reported to Konoha about a few Ninjas hidden within the caravan. The Shadow Clone's feedback showed that there were three members of the Aburame Clan, three from the Inuzuka Clan, and two from the Uchiha Clan stationed there.
If nothing unexpected happened, they should also take action soon.
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