"An alliance?"
Hearing the Ame-nin's words, Ishiza, the one in charge of interrogation, let out a cold laugh.
"You really like flattering yourself, don't you? I don't recall Iwagakure ever forming an alliance with Amegakure. But one thing you said is true—we are indeed here to hunt down those traitors of the Koeda Clan. If you don't want to sample the methods of Iwa's Interrogation Division, then be smart and hand over everything you know."
As he spoke, he gave a slight shake of the bizarre-looking torture tool in his hand.
The members of this squad were all handpicked elites by Akaishi from the various divisions of Iwagakure: specialists from the ANBU, geniuses from the Demolition Unit, and outstanding sensory-nin from the Intelligence Division. And Ishiza… he was a top-class operative of the Interrogation Division.
And as an interrogation specialist, it was only natural for him to carry his "tools of the trade" everywhere he went.
"I have no reason to hide any information about the Koeda Clan."
The Ame-nin instinctively shuddered at the sight of the cruel instrument, but thanks to a decent measure of willpower, he suppressed his fear. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "From the moment the Koeda Clan joined hands with Akatsuki—those damned rats—they became enemies of Amegakure."
"Akatsuki?"
Akaishi raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I've seen that name somewhere before…"
The name stirred a faint memory.
As he searched his recollections, a moment from his tenure as head of the ANBU surfaced—he had once read it in a report submitted by a spy planted inside Amegakure.
If he remembered correctly, it said that unrest had broken out within the Land of Rain, and a group calling itself Akatsuki had emerged to resist the rule of Amegakure. The two sides were locked in fierce conflict. The report had even suggested that this was a good opportunity for Iwa to intervene in Ame's affairs.
As for how things eventually played out, Akaishi no longer knew—he had soon stepped down from his post as ANBU commander.
Before he could think further, the Ame-nin eagerly elaborated:
"Akatsuki is an organization that suddenly rose in recent years. Outwardly, they preach about… 'changing the nation, building a bridge of hope toward world peace through communication between people'. But such nonsense is just a façade. Their true goal is to seize control of this country. For years now, we Ame-nin have been fighting these ambitious upstarts."
He drew in a breath before continuing:
"And the reason I said we could be allies is simple: Akatsuki has joined hands with the Koeda Clan. You Iwa-nin want to deal with the Koeda traitors, and we Ame-nin want to crush Akatsuki. At least on this one point, our goals align."
"…Who sent you?"
Akaishi cut straight to the heart of it after a two-second silence.
Those words just now weren't the kind a mere chūnin should be able to speak. Not that a chūnin couldn't understand such things, but a chūnin certainly had no right to speak on behalf of Amegakure.
"Fuyu-sama."
The Ame-nin answered without hesitation, as though he had anticipated the question.
"Tch! So he's a bait plant."
Bantō clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing at last that this Ame-nin had been deliberately delivered into their hands.
"Fuyu… yes, I know him." Akaishi nodded. This name was far clearer in his memory than the fleeting one of Akatsuki. Fuyu was the right hand of Hanzō of the Salamander, effectively the second-in-command of Amegakure, and widely regarded as the leading candidate to succeed him.
"When did you start shadowing us?" Akaishi pressed further.
"I don't know."
The Ame-nin shook his head honestly.
Ishiza let out a sneer and raised his instrument again, shaking it threateningly.
"I really don't know! Fuyu-sama never told me such things!" The Ame-nin looked as if he were about to cry.
"…Then you don't know. Still, judging by this, we were probably being watched from quite early on. Tell me this instead—what do you know about Akatsuki's strongest members?" Akaishi shifted the question, realizing the man was likely just a mouthpiece, repeating only what his superiors allowed.
"That I know a little of. The leader of Akatsuki is a man named Yahiko—he's said to be skilled at stirring people's hearts. Some of our weaker-willed comrades in the village were swayed into betraying us because of him. But Akatsuki's most formidable member is said to be another man, Nagato…" The Ame-nin began speaking freely, as if a dam had burst.
Akaishi interrupted with a blunt question: "Does Akatsuki have any powerful women?"
"Uh… yes. There is a woman called Konan. She wields a secret art involving 'paper.' I once followed Fuyu-sama into battle and saw her flying in the sky, like some paper-winged bird."
"Konan… I thought she might be some hidden trump card raised by Konoha or Suna, but it seems she's a native of the Land of Rain…"
Akaishi narrowed his eyes, already making calculations.
If Konoha or Sunagakure had been colluding with the Koeda Clan, he would have needed to reconsider his next moves very carefully—neither he nor the others had any desire to reignite another all-consuming shinobi war.
But if the Koeda Clan's allies were nothing more than a local faction from the Land of Rain, there was less danger of sparking a wider conflict.
And now, with Ame extending an olive branch, and the Tsuchikage having given him full authority to act as he saw fit, Akaishi resolved not to let the opportunity slip away.
"Get up and lead the way."
Akaishi nudged the Ame-nin on the ground with his foot. "Take us to see Hanzō of the Salamander."
"Akaishi?"
The jōnin Iwami shot him a questioning look. He didn't voice it, but his eyes clearly betrayed doubt and concern.
"Don't worry. I trust Hanzō won't make a foolish move."
Akaishi waved his hand and continued:
"And frankly, this is a rare opportunity for us. If we miss it, we'll probably have to wait until reinforcements arrive from the homeland. With just the few of us here, we don't have much certainty of wiping out the Koeda Clan traitors."
No one objected.
Because the truth of those words was undeniable.
Before Bantō had brought back this Ame-nin, the discussion had indeed been veering toward requesting reinforcements from the village.