Chapter 55: Yahiko's Intelligence
Due to the caravan's slow pace, it wasn't long before Yahiko and his friends caught up with Ishiro. Seeing them approach, Ishiro showed no surprise and quickly stepped forward to meet them.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan respectfully bowed, saying, "Ishiro, on behalf of the civilians of the Land of Rain, our Akatsuki organization thanks you deeply."
Ishiro laughed awkwardly, scratching his head, "Oh, no need, really! Haha..."
Nagato and Konan glanced from Ishiro's awkward expression to Yahiko's earnest one, wondering inwardly if everyone who dreamed of peace acted so strangely.
As the caravan continued ahead, Ishiro walked slowly alongside the three members of Akatsuki, engaging in casual conversation.
"Yahiko," Ishiro asked, "you said your work here was finished. What's next for you?"
Yahiko replied confidently, "We'll continue helping refugees rebuild their homes, just like we did here. Once the Land of Rain stabilizes, we'll try reaching out to other organizations to collectively decide our nation's future."
Ishiro looked delighted, "You mean there are many groups like Akatsuki in Rain?"
Konan gently interrupted, "Actually, no. While Rain has many organizations, Akatsuki is the only one actively helping others."
Ishiro's face fell slightly. "Really? Maybe there are others doing similar things you don't know about, just like I didn't know about you before."
Seeing Ishiro's hopeful expression, Konan hesitated briefly but eventually replied, "Rain has over forty groups of various sizes. We're familiar with all of them. There's definitely no other organization like ours."
Ishiro hid his excitement—over forty groups? This was valuable intelligence.
Seeing Ishiro's disappointment, Yahiko comforted him, "Don't lose hope, Ishiro. Akatsuki will keep doing this. I'm certain that someday others will understand us."
Inspired, Ishiro nodded enthusiastically.
After a moment, Ishiro sighed softly, "I really envy you three. You're doing something meaningful. Back in my village, most of my time is spent training. I rarely get to do anything real."
Yahiko eagerly suggested, "Then why don't you join Akatsuki?"
Though tempted, Ishiro ultimately shook his head, "I'd love to, but I'm an Iwa ninja. When I return, my village will undoubtedly question me about Akatsuki. If I joined you, they'd probably force me to act as a spy."
Yahiko stiffened, clearly having overlooked this possibility. But at least Ishiro was openly admitting it, suggesting he genuinely supported Akatsuki's ideals.
An awkward silence fell, as the four realized the complexity of their different allegiances.
Konan broke the silence, stepping forward and handing Ishiro a small blue paper flower. Softly she said, "Ishiro, this is for you."
Ishiro blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed—this was the first gift he'd received across two lifetimes. Taking the flower gently, he stammered, "Thank you. Um, actually, I still don't know your name."
"My name's Konan," she introduced herself gently, then pointed at her red-haired companion. "And he's Nagato."
"Konan, Nagato," Ishiro smiled warmly, "it's great to meet both of you."
Turning back to Yahiko, Ishiro grew serious, "Yahiko, although I admire your ideals, please be careful. The world is full of hidden dangers—especially from larger nations. They speak of peace and justice internally but harbor dark intentions abroad."
Yahiko was startled, "That can't be. We even recently received aid from Konoha."
Perfect, thought Ishiro. Exactly the intel I needed.
Feigning surprise, Ishiro asked rapidly, "Konoha? How's that possible? Konoha suffered terribly in the Second Ninja War, and their reconstruction is still ongoing. How could they spare resources for Rain? Besides, why hasn't Konoha publicized such major assistance? And what about Hanzo? Did he agree to accept Konoha's aid?"
Yahiko was overwhelmed by the rapid-fire questions. It was Nagato who calmly clarified, "Konoha isn't officially aiding Rain country itself. Instead, their Anbu division is secretly helping small organizations like ours."
This was Nagato's first contribution to the conversation, clearly sharper than Yahiko in understanding the nuances involved.
Ishiro showed greater shock, "Konoha's Anbu? Secretly supporting small groups instead of the Rain Ninja Village directly? What could their motive possibly be?"
Nagato shook his head silently, indicating he didn't know. Yahiko appeared utterly confused as well.
Satisfied he'd obtained valuable information, Ishiro decided not to linger. He turned solemn, advising sincerely, "Before I leave, let me offer advice as a friend. If Konoha's Anbu is secretly supporting you, they definitely have ulterior motives—not simply goodwill towards Rain. Please be cautious."
Having delivered his warning, Ishiro's expression hardened into the aloof mask he had worn when they first met. He nodded firmly once, then sprinted back to rejoin his team.
Yahiko stared after Ishiro, bewildered by the sudden change in attitude, unsure how to react until Ishiro had disappeared from view.
Eventually, as the trio walked back, Yahiko asked, puzzled, "Why did Ishiro's expression change so suddenly at the end? Was he upset about our dealings with Konoha?"
Nagato thoughtfully replied, "I don't think so. I believe that was just Ishiro's true expression—a cautious face he usually presents to outsiders."
Relieved that Ishiro wasn't truly upset, Yahiko returned to planning his next move. He had plenty of work left to do in Rain.
When Ishiro returned to his squad, Shiden, Shironeko, and Little Stone didn't question him immediately. Only that evening, once they were safely away from the caravan, did the four gather secretly. Ishiro carefully activated his sensory jutsu to ensure privacy before speaking.
"The three people I met today belong to an organization called Akatsuki. Despite wearing Rain headbands, they're not affiliated with Rain Village. Moreover, there are at least forty similar organizations active. I suspect Hanzo has lost control over Rain."
Hearing this startling news, the three ninjas were visibly shocked. Shironeko nearly cried out before quickly covering her mouth.
After allowing them time to absorb this astonishing revelation, Ishiro continued calmly.
"According to Akatsuki, Konoha's Anbu division is secretly supporting these small groups. My guess is that this 'Anbu' might actually be Konoha's Root, which aligns closely with Danzo's methods."
This information didn't shock them as much, given their original mission involved investigating foreign involvement in Rain.
However, they found it odd that Konoha would use its Anbu (or Root) to secretly intervene. Captain Shiden concluded, "Whether Anbu or Root, Konoha's involvement is confirmed. We've completed half our mission. Now we only need to retrieve the intel from our informant. We'll leave the detailed analysis to village higher-ups."
Ishiro, Shironeko, and Little Stone nodded silently.
A few days later, the caravan reached its destination. Ishiro's team obtained proof of mission completion, immediately leaving to return to their village. Yet, once away from the town, Squad 18 veered off towards another objective: the intelligence cache location.
When they were approximately a kilometer away, the four paused. Ishiro cautiously activated his sensory jutsu.
He sucked in a breath sharply, whispering urgently, "Ambush ahead! At least sixteen ninjas, likely four squads. Most are wind-attribute—three Jonin, one special Jonin, the rest Chunin."
Immediately understanding the danger, the squad silently withdrew, retreating over ten kilometers before finally stopping. After confirming no pursuers with Shironeko's tracking and Ishiro's sensory ability, they relaxed slightly.
Little Stone spoke first, breaking the tension, "Close call! Four Anbu squads—damn. Any idea who they're from?"
Ishiro shook his head. "Given the wind attributes, they're most likely Sand Ninja, but we shouldn't rule out Konoha Anbu disguised as Sand Ninja."
Captain Shiden nodded seriously. "The mission's compromised. The informant must have been exposed. I suggest we return immediately to report this."
Shironeko and Little Stone quickly agreed, but Ishiro offered another perspective.
"Captain, I have an idea. While we don't know their identity, they're clearly waiting for us. Because our caravan traveled quickly, we arrived two days ahead. They're likely to wait longer."
He paused, continuing carefully, "Most are wind users, likely Sand Ninja. Perhaps we could lure nearby Konoha Anbu into encountering them. That way, we could confirm if Sand Ninja truly are involved."
Little Stone's eyes brightened excitedly, "That's brilliant! They fight, we profit!"
Shironeko immediately scolded, "Profit? It's four squads of Anbu! Are you crazy? They might even have elite Jonin."
Little Stone immediately wilted. All three then looked expectantly toward Captain Shiden.
After considering carefully, Shiden agreed, "Ishiro's idea is sound. But we'll need a careful plan to ensure our safety."
Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding clearly their next steps.
"First of all, we need to investigate the situation of Konoha's Anbu. Fortunately, we already have some intelligence and know their target, so it won't be too difficult to find them.
Secondly, there are too many people lying in ambush. One or two Konoha Anbu members won't be of much use. We need to find a way to attract enough ninjas over there.
Lastly, how do we distance ourselves from this matter? Right now, we are the weakest among the various forces, and we absolutely cannot be exposed."
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