Chapter 775: Akatsuki's Revenge!
Chapter 775: Akatsuki's Revenge!
The Hokage's Office!
Even in the evening, Jiraiya, who had a mountain of paperwork to get through, suddenly paused, his pen in mid-air, as he looked towards the corner of the room.
Because in that corner, there was something that hadn't been there before.
"Hokage-sama!"
Uchiha Itachi stepped forward.
"Is it you?"
Jiraiya halted his prepared attack.
Regarding this S-rank missing-nin, the village had not lifted the bounty, and they still insisted that everything in the book 'My Struggle' was false, and that the village had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan's extermination.
Whether they believed it or not was another matter, as long as they believed it, that was all that mattered.
However, many in the village were well aware that the book's contents were true.
But, they chose to keep this knowledge to themselves!
If they revealed the truth, it would damage the reputation of the Hokage and the village, so everyone tacitly maintained this secret.
As the new Hokage, Jiraiya naturally couldn't be unaware of Itachi's situation.
So, he felt both guilt and compassion in his heart.
It was under the pressure of Danzo and his own teacher that Itachi had no choice but to turn his blade against his own clan.
"It's me!"
Itachi nodded slightly.
If it were him, sneaking into the Leaf Village Office without a sound would be a natural feat.
Not to mention his familiarity with the Hokage Tower and the Shadow Division, his strength alone was enough to accomplish this.
"About Sasuke, I'm truly sorry..."
Jiraiya apologized first.
The village had taken in Sasuke, Itachi's only younger brother, and now he was lost under Jiraiya's watch.
"That was his choice, and it had nothing to do with the village. I'm here to warn you, Hokage-sama!"
Itachi didn't blame the village for Sasuke's situation.
After all, Sasuke had chosen to 'flee' the village, and Itachi had made his own arrangements, ensuring that Orochimaru would be devoured by his own brother.
So, Itachi's visit wasn't about Sasuke, but to warn the village.
"Warn?"
Jiraiya was perplexed.
He didn't think the Leaf Village had anything to be warned about at the moment.
After all, as long as the Radiant Sun Country didn't attack, it wasn't a concern.
Through great sacrifices, they had discovered that the enemy wouldn't take the initiative to attack but would instead fortify their defenses.
With this common enemy, the five great ninja villages had essentially united, leaving no other foes to worry about.
"Yes, Akatsuki, or rather, Biruhu, is planning to strike against Konoha for revenge..."
Itachi revealed the intelligence.
It turned out that Biruhu was using the Gyokataryo Technique as bait to hire Akatsuki to help him attack Konoha for vengeance.
That's why Itachi and Kujaku had come to scout.
"What?!"
Jiraiya stood up instinctively.
Concerned about the village's safety, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
"The operation is tonight. Please be cautious, Hokage-sama!"
Itachi spoke, then performed hand seals and disappeared from the office.
"Release!"
He had been a Shadow Clone.
But this was fine!
If it had been his real body, there was no way he could have hidden it from the other Akatsuki members in his group.
Seeing Itachi release the Shadow Clone, Jiraiya immediately ordered the Shadow Division to notify the two elders and Asuma to come for a meeting.
On the other side!
Near Akizusyo, on the street next to the village, Itachi's body trembled slightly as he watched the village illuminated by the lamplight.
This was the impact of the memory and fatigue after releasing the Shadow Clone.
Such a subtle movement would go unnoticed by ordinary people, but Kujaku, standing beside him, instantly sensed it and turned to ask: "What's wrong?"
Despite his rough appearance, Kujaku was actually quite perceptive.
He was aware of Itachi's position, but he didn't reveal it.
After all, he himself had multiple allegiances.
"Nothing!"
Itachi shook his head slightly, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
And he naturally sensed that Kujaku might also be hiding something.
But he didn't pry.
Because they, as rogue ninjas, had no loyalty to Akatsuki; they were simply using each other for their own needs and wouldn't bother uncovering each other's secrets.
Not far away, two figures rushed over from the Hokage Tower.
Yes, it was Tang Ping and the others.
They had just gone to the Hokage Tower in advance, waiting for Daxiaozi to voluntarily spill the beans.
As expected!
From their conversation, Tang Ping learned that Biruhu was planning something for tonight.
Revenge!
After being wanted by Konoha for so many years, Biruhu was nearly driven insane, so it was understandable that he would want revenge.
Despite his unease, Tang Ping couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.
But it didn't matter! As long as he wasn't the one in trouble, he could enjoy the show.
As long as he didn't get involved, he believed Rikudo would maintain his martial honor.
This was also a great opportunity! A chance for the Inuzuka Clan to escape Konoha.
Tang Ping could take control of several airships in advance near Koto.
Even if they weren't Skyguard Tower-made and had limited carrying capacity, a few more would suffice.
With the airships, they could relocate people.
Note that this was a relocation, not a ninja march. There would likely be many ordinary people, hence the need for airships.
If they were all ninjas, there would be no need for such complications; they could just break through the gates and leave, which wouldn't be too challenging.
Oh, right!
It wasn't just the Inuzuka Clan that wanted to leave Konoha.
Many others also wished to depart, but the village's defenses were tight.
Tang Ping had plenty of information about these individuals, thanks to his connections in the Shadow Division.
He could gather more people to leave Konoha simultaneously.
There's strength in numbers. It would be a waste of this opportunity to limit it to just the Inuzuka Clan.
Unfortunately, they only had a few hours until the other party's plan was set in motion. If they had a few more days, they could have taken even more people.
However, Tang Ping felt a bit guilty about repeatedly draining Konoha's resources over the years.
He was a kind-hearted man and couldn't bear to see Konoha drained again. He decided to extract more this time, reducing the number of future extractions.
It must be said that his love for Konoha was genuine, and he considered its well-being.
Konoha should have awarded him a medal or something for his dedication.
Tang Ping had already sent messages and instructions to the Inuzuka Clan before his arrival, and they surely knew what to do. Now, it was up to Akatsuki to make their move.
Oh, right!
At this moment, Tang Ping and Hyuga Tsukimi, both wearing black robes and bone masks, were in the vicinity.
Akatsuki!
To watch the show (without directly harming Konoha, which wouldn't cross Rikudo's line) and maintain anonymity, they needed to use aliases. It was out of the question to use their main accounts.
Although using their main accounts wouldn't be an issue, as they had already turned against the entire Ninja World.
But since they had recently sent a message through Yaoye Naya, stating that the Radiant Sun Country would be on defense and engaging in a 'cold war' with the Ninja World, they couldn't afford to contradict themselves.
While their main accounts were off-limits, using aliases was fine.
Nearby Spectating Account!
Tang Ping and Hyuga Tsukimi kept their eyes on Kujaku and Daxiaozi, both wary and yet somehow trusting each other.
Time passed, and soon, it was deep into the night.
During this time, Hyuga Tsukimi used the Tenshin Eye to observe the transformations within Konoha.
The Shadow Division, the Guard Department's upper echelons, and private armies were all in motion.
Ordinary Guard Department members remained still.
After all, the current Guard Department was vastly different from when it was under Uchiha control.
Its reputation had improved, but its elite status had declined. Including them in the operation would be like revealing to Akatsuki that they knew their plans in advance.
In reality, if Jiraiya wished, he could have prepared defenses in advance, causing Akatsuki to abandon this operation.
But he understood a principle: there's no such thing as being vigilant all the time.
They relied on Sasuke's intelligence this time, but what if he didn't provide it in the future? How would the village cope?
It's not feasible to maintain constant vigilance; it's simply unrealistic.
The only choice was to 'counter the plot with a plot.'
By counterattacking and annihilating Akatsuki or inflicting significant damage, they could teach Akatsuki a lesson.
Konoha must not be disrespected!
Even if it meant paying a price.
Tang Ping was never afraid of the village choosing to surprise Akatsuki, causing them to abandon their plan and directly mobilizing the Inuzuka Clan.
Several kilometers away at Koto, several airships were already under their control.
As soon as there was any movement, the airships would arrive to pick up the evacuees.
In previous operations, to conceal the involvement of Skyguard Tower, they had to wait until they were outside the village before using the airships.
Now that both sides were openly enemies, they could simply pick up the evacuees outside the village.
No need to save face.
With anticipation from all sides, the main characters of this chapter finally made their entrance.
(End of Chapter)
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