177.Mistake
A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of The "ANBU" Member:
-ar4ngel
-Cain
-Ryan biggins
-Kreios
-Hotsuma68
-Sabo
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
This is a pair of two-tomoe Sharingan, a reward he acquired during his collaboration with Danzo.
Orochimaru once thought he would never touch this thing again.
Who would have guessed that after a trip to Konoha, Orochimaru's interest in studying the Sharingan surged to unprecedented levels?
He wanted to uncover all the secrets of the Sharingan and see them for himself.
The reports from Sasori and Black Zetsu reached the Akatsuki, and the organization issued a kill order for Orochimaru.
Atop a towering structure, Pain and Konan stood side by side, overlooking Amegakure, shrouded in relentless rain.
Konan spoke with a hint of worry.
"If Orochimaru leaks the organization's information, Konoha might conduct targeted infiltration and investigations against us."
This was troubling news for the Akatsuki.
The Akatsuki had not yet fully developed; it wasn't the time to reveal themselves. Yet Orochimaru's betrayal risked exposing them prematurely.
If Konoha's attention focused on the Land of Rain, it might even draw the interest of other villages.
Konan's greatest fear was that if Konoha failed to gather intel and decided to reveal what they knew about the Akatsuki, the organization would become the enemy of the entire ninja world.
Even though their operation to capture the Tailed Beasts hadn't started yet, merely plotting against them was enough to provoke the fragile nerves of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
To these villages, anyone targeting their Tailed Beasts was an enemy.
"I will handle it," Pain said coldly.
"The organization's intel being leaked is only a matter of time. But no one can stop the will of God!"
Konan hesitated, glancing at Pain before swallowing her words.
This wasn't the first time the Akatsuki faced such a crisis.
The last time something like this happened, it came at a great cost—Yahiko's death.
Since then, Konan and Nagato had resolved never to trust anyone else again.
The organization's recruits were all rogue ninjas who lived without laws or restrictions.
Expecting loyalty from them was impossible. Orochimaru's betrayal was inevitable, sooner or later.
"We seem to have a visitor," Pain said, raising his hand to catch the falling rain as he gazed toward a particular area in the village.
---
Successfully infiltrating Amegakure, the next step was to investigate and gather intelligence.
Amegakure's defenses weren't particularly tight, allowing Shinnosuke to slip in effortlessly.
Emerging from a sewer system where one could run upright, Shinnosuke took in the distinct architecture of Amegakure, so different from Konoha.
Looking up at the towering structures that reached into the clouds, he silently prayed for Asuma's safety, hoping he could rescue him in time.
Taking a deep breath, Shinnosuke prepared to hide in the village and start gathering intel.
But as he turned, his face fell.
Not far from him stood Pain, coldly observing him.
Shinnosuke couldn't believe it—he had been exposed the moment he entered Amegakure.
Nagato had infused his chakra into the rain, using the Rain Tiger at Will technique. Any enemy entering Amegakure was under his surveillance.
When it came to infiltration and concealment, even someone as skilled as Jiraiya couldn't avoid detection. For someone like Shinnosuke, it was hopeless.
At a time when Nagato and Konan were already troubled by Orochimaru's betrayal, Shinnosuke's uninvited arrival was like throwing himself into the fire.
"Water Release. Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Realizing he'd been discovered, Shinnosuke immediately launched an attack. If stealth was no longer an option, he aimed to create a distraction and buy time to escape.
In the constant rain of the Land of Rain, where water was everywhere, the power of Water Release techniques was undoubtedly enhanced.
As a member of the Sarutobi clan and the son of the Third Hokage, Shinnosuke combined family secret techniques with mastery of various elemental jutsu.
"Earth Release. Earth Dragon Jutsu!"
His hands blurred through seals at lightning speed.
The seamless transition between jutsu was a testament to the Sarutobi clan's expertise.
As the water dragon surged forward, the earth dragon followed close behind.
If Kakashi and Zabuza had been watching, they might have felt like burying themselves in shame. Where others could cast jutsu with ease, they struggled through laborious hand seals.
Water and earth dragons attacked in tandem. Using the fastest pace he could manage, Shinnosuke turned and ran. His mission had already failed—he had underestimated the Akatsuki.
Shinnosuke intended to escape amidst the chaos, return to Konoha, and warn them about the Akatsuki, urging greater vigilance.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Against Shinnosuke's dazzling array of attacks, Pain merely raised a hand.
What happened next left Shinnosuke utterly dumbfounded.
A powerful repulsive force emanated from Pain, instantly dispersing both the water dragon and the earth dragon. Shinnosuke's sudden assault accomplished nothing.
"..."
How is this possible!?
Faced with this unprecedented scenario, Shinnosuke's mind nearly shut down.
Shinra Tensei?
What kind of jutsu is this?
"Not good!!!"
Now is not the time to be distracted. He must run, must leave the Hidden Rain Village, leave the Land of Rain, and deliver the information back.
"Almighty Push!!"
Shinnosuke's escape plan was ultimately wishful thinking. A powerful force pulled him toward Pain.
Faced with Pain's bizarre and confusing attack methods, as well as the mysterious and terrifying power of the Rinnegan, Shinnosuke appeared like a novice struggling to move forward.
Without any intelligence, most ninjas who encounter Pain's Deva Path would meet a similar fate to Shinnosuke's.
No one would have expected that Shinnosuke, who had just infiltrated the Land of Rain, would find himself in such a hellish battle right at the start.
Against Pain's overwhelming strength, Shinnosuke seemed as fragile as a child. His years of combat experience seemed powerless at this moment.
He had no means of resistance against Pain.
If Shinnosuke had known more about Pain's abilities, perhaps he could have lasted longer, but now everything was a blur, and all he could do was obediently take the beating.
The battle erupted suddenly and ended just as quickly.
When it was over, Konan, with white wings on her back, descended from the sky. Looking at Shinnosuke, who was lying unconscious on the ground, she frowned and said.
"Orochimaru must have leaked a lot of the organization's information. Konoha is already keeping an eye on us."
She lifted Shinnosuke, still unconscious, and handed him over to Nagato. Nagato felt that he needed to interrogate Shinnosuke himself, as he had already come to him.
...
After becoming a Hokage advisor, Kazuki had more free time, but after being used to the busy schedule of the police department, he found himself feeling somewhat out of place.
Fortunately, Kurenai had finished her mission and returned to the village.
"....."
When she returned home and opened the door, she saw Kazuki, lying on the couch, seemingly doing nothing, just like a lazy old man.
Kurenai was speechless, thinking to herself. Why does this look like he's waiting at home for me to come back?
"Are you not working today?"
She put down the things she bought and went to change her clothes, heading to the bathroom.
She needed to take a shower first and then tidy up the house.