Chapter 25: Hanzō's Letter and the Messenger Kakuzu

Faced with the overwhelming tactical deterrence of Ōnoki, Rinjin ultimately decided to release less than half of the remaining Iwagakure shinobi.

In his mind, a soft, coquettish voice echoed.

"Rinjin, you've changed!

When you were chasing me, you used to call me your little sweetheart~

Now that I've been bullied by Big Nose, you won't even help me beat him up!"

Hearing this, Rinjin couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. He rubbed his temples and tried to console her:

"Don't worry, I already have a cunning plan—no, wait—a brilliant plan."

At this, the voice perked up, her earlier discontent fading away as she giggled mischievously, her loli-like tone dripping with curiosity.

"Is it a really bad, really evil plan?"

"It's not evil—it's a plan!" Rinjin emphasized.

"Okay, okay, a plan," she replied dismissively before adding, "But is it really bad and really evil?"

"Very bad!" Rinjin nodded firmly.

Hearing this, the voice burst into laughter, rolling around in excitement.

She knew Rinjin all too well. If he said his plan was "very bad," then Big Nose was bound to suffer miserably.

With this thought, she decided to behave herself for the next month or two and wait for the show to unfold.

Returning to Konoha with his companion, Rinjin resumed his leisurely life.

But in the shadows, a message spread rapidly across the shinobi world via the bounty exchange network:

"The Land of Rain, under a new Daimyō, is rich and foolish. Come quick!"

At the same time, countless rumors began to circulate:

The new Daimyō of the Land of Rain was at odds with Hanzō of the Salamander.

Whoever could eliminate Hanzō would be rewarded with the establishment of a new village, backed by the Daimyō's full financial support.

In short: kill Hanzō, and you'll gain wealth, power, and influence!

This news sent shockwaves through the already turbulent shinobi world.

Rogue shinobi with inflated egos, mercenaries driven by greed, and armed groups from smaller nations all began to move.

Even the Five Great Shinobi Nations took notice, with some individuals secretly monitoring the situation.

After all, while the Daimyō lacked military power, the land itself was undeniably under his jurisdiction.

And though the Land of Rain was a battleground bordering the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Wind, it remained a notable force.

Suddenly, the Land of Rain became the target of countless greedy eyes, all fixated on its rain-soaked lands.

In the Land of Earth, within Iwagakure, Ōnoki, who had recently failed to capture the Two-Tails, convened another meeting. This time, the agenda was once again centered on diverting attention from the nation's growing internal strife.

Their focus shifted to the Land of Rain.

Though Amegakure had Hanzō of the Salamander, it was, after all, just a small village.

Against one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations like Iwagakure, it stood no chance.

As the situation grew increasingly tense, Rinjin, who had been lying low in Konoha, received a letter from Hanzō of the Salamander.

Delivering the letter was a hooded and cloaked figure, wrapped so tightly he resembled a walking parcel.

Without paying much attention to the messenger, Rinjin took the letter and began reading it openly.

The letter was filled with praise from the "great" Hanzō, commending Rinjin for his recent efforts.

Hanzō even applauded Rinjin for getting close to the Third Hokage's disciples, emphasizing the importance of fostering deep bonds with Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

He also encouraged Rinjin to win the favor of Princess Tsunade.

To this, Rinjin thought, You're absolutely right, but please, spare me the lecture next time.

Hanzō then went on to describe the supposed well-being of Mizuguma, painting a vivid picture of the man's comfortable and thriving life.

If Rinjin hadn't seen Mizuguma's corpse with his own eyes, he might have actually believed the lies.

Finally, Hanzō issued a mission: Rinjin was to use his connections to secretly investigate someone named Shimura Tantantan.

If possible, he was to establish a good relationship with this person. If not, he was to kidnap or kill the new Daimyō of the Land of Rain.

Reading this, Rinjin couldn't help but smirk coldly.

Shimura Tantantan was one of Rinjin Sokuhō's many aliases.

Rinjin Sokuhō was an alias of Kōhei Iwai.

And Kōhei Iwai was an alias of Rinjin, the Jashinist.

As the ancient saying goes:

"In the world of shinobi, one cannot avoid being stabbed. If you wish to be stabbed less, you'll need a few good disguises."

A man with a story was like a dandelion—fragile, and with a gust of wind, parts of him would scatter.

But his essence was like an onion—peel away layer after layer, and if you didn't cry, you weren't doing it right.

Thus, the ultimate art of disguises was to become a bald onion.

As Rinjin pondered this, the cloaked man's deep, gravelly voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Kōhei Iwai?"

Startled, Rinjin raised an eyebrow before nodding.

The man continued, "Tell me everything you know about Shimura Tantantan."

"Oh? And who might you be?" Rinjin asked, his curiosity piqued.

After a moment's hesitation, the man replied in a low voice:

"Kakuzu. Mercenary shinobi. Your village leader hired me to kill Shimura Tantantan."

Hearing this, Rinjin's brows furrowed slightly as he quickly recalled Hanzō's instructions in the letter. His mind raced.

Hanzō wants me to interact with, kidnap, or kill Shimura Tantantan, yet he also hired this Kakuzu guy...

Kakuzu!

Suddenly, Rinjin froze as an image of a monstrous, stitched-together figure flashed through his mind.

Kakuzu! The Akatsuki's immortal duo! The guy who teamed up with Hidan! Damn, it's him—the Earth Grudge Fear user!

At this realization, Rinjin's eyes welled up with tears of excitement.

Earth Grudge Fear—so cool, so desirable!

Wiping away his tears, Rinjin ignored Kakuzu's puzzled expression and approached him with a sly grin.

"Brother Kakuzu, I know all about Shimura Tantantan. I know everything!

He's a high-ranking member of Konoha's leadership, the younger brother of Shimura Danzō. Rumor has it he's recently struck it rich and is now being targeted! What's your business with him?"

Kakuzu's brow furrowed beneath his hood as he instinctively stepped back, keeping his distance from the overly enthusiastic Rinjin.

"Kid, just tell me where he is!"

Instead of answering immediately, Rinjin stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Kakuzu's target is Shimura Tantantan. Hanzō's target is also Shimura Tantantan.

Looks like my value in Hanzō's eyes has risen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent money to hire Kakuzu to test the waters for me. After all, this is Konoha territory.

With this in mind, Rinjin stood up and walked to the door. Pointing toward the Hokage Rock, he said in a low voice:

"Kakuzu-san, behind the Hokage Rock, there's a tall platform with a crooked tree. Beneath that tree is a hidden switch.

I've heard that Shimura Danzō's secret base is there. As for specific information about Shimura Tantantan, I don't have it yet."

Hearing this, Kakuzu's eyes lit up beneath his hood. He recalled the intel he'd gathered about Shimura Tantantan.

Shimura Tantantan, the younger brother of Danzō, has an 80% chance of hiding in his older brother's secret base.

Without another word, Kakuzu turned and left Rinjin's house, disappearing into the distance.

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