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Chapter 931: Konoha's Outsourced Mission!
Chapter 931: Konoha's Outsourced Mission!
"Just a mere army, how can we deal with the powerful individuals from the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"
Kakuzu raised an objection.
He was a mercenary, motivated solely by money, so naturally, he wouldn't pledge allegiance to Obito.
In short, he would only act if there was a financial incentive.
Without additional payment, not even the leader could expect his obedience.
In the past, with Konan managing the finances of the Rain Country, satisfying Kakuzu's demands was never an issue.
But now?
After Obito took over, without the financial support from the Rain Country, Kakuzu might have already defected if not for the recent assassination mission that brought in a substantial sum. So, it wasn't surprising that he seized the opportunity to voice his concerns.
Akatsuki was inherently a loose mercenary organization, and dissatisfaction would inevitably lead to outbursts.
The crucial point was that Obito lacked the authority and strength of Pain, making it difficult to keep everyone in line.
"Rest assured, this time, I've prepared a unique 'gathering' for the upper echelons of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. I'm sure they'll be pleasantly surprised when the time comes!"
Obito offered an explanation to Kakuzu.
Even though he had already found external support, Akatsuki was still his foundation, and he needed to maintain stability within the organization.
As for the Moon Eye Plan and other matters, these Akatsuki members didn't care about them.
They were only concerned about the benefits they could obtain.
After hearing the explanation, everyone's eyes flickered with anticipation, but no one dared to voice any doubts.
These things were impossible to fake.
Thus, no one questioned the 'leader's' ability to summon these forces during the decisive battle. Instead, they moved on to the next topic.
"Recently, someone has been using our Akatsuki name to assassinate nobles and daimyos, stealing many of our targets!"
Kakuzu spoke with a hint of anger in his voice as he delivered this news.
This was the primary reason for his irritable mood.
Someone was stealing money! He had been enjoying a profitable period, but to his surprise, he had missed out on several opportunities because the targets were already eliminated by others.
The critical point was that these assassins were acting under the Akatsuki name.
In other words, not only would Akatsuki take the blame, but they wouldn't receive any payment, which was what infuriated him the most.
The thought of someone encroaching on his earnings had Kakuzu seething with anger, and he was barely holding back from killing someone.
"This is good news. It indicates that there are more people like us out there."
Obito didn't seem bothered by this at all; instead, he considered it a positive development.
In the past, only Akatsuki dared to accept assassination missions targeting daimyos and nobles.
Now that more people were taking on such missions, it meant that a significant portion of the Allied Forces' strength would be tied up.
"..."
Kakuzu didn't say more.
"Alright, the final assault will be next month. Spread this message to the Allied Forces!"
Obito left them with this final instruction.
Yes, he was going to inform the Allied Forces of the attack timing.
As for why he was doing this, no one knew, but they all understood that there was a purpose behind it.
After the meeting, Obito headed straight to Konoha.
Konoha!
Although it had only been a little over a month since Nagato's death, numerous wooden houses and buildings had already been constructed, showing signs of revival.
The efficiency of the ninjas was indeed astonishing.
If ordinary people were in their place, this amount of time might barely be enough to calm the public.
But for ninjas, they had achieved this much in such a short period, which was truly impressive.
The arrival of numerous caravans also brought a substantial amount of supplies and aid.
The Allied Forces couldn't afford to let Konoha fall, especially since the daimyos and nobles were constantly on edge. If Konoha were to disappear, they wouldn't be able to accept it.
Therefore, upon receiving Kusagakure Konoe's plea for help, the Fire Country's daimyo immediately gathered a large amount of supplies to be delivered.
Whether it was food or other resources, as long as Konoha dared to ask, they would provide.
It was these supplies that allowed Konoha to recover so quickly.
In the past, even if the daimyo was willing to provide support, it was uncertain how long it would take for the supplies and food to arrive.
But now, of course, it wasn't that slow anymore. The existence of a certain mode of transportation had revolutionized the efficiency of transportation.
Airships!
Even though the Allied Forces' technology was far inferior to that of the Scorch Sun Nation, they had more in numbers and were less concerned about potential accidents.
Hence, one could always see airships delivering food and supplies.
Upon closer inspection, an astonishing fact would be revealed.
The supplies all bore the mark of the Water Country.
In other words, the food and supplies provided by the Fire Country Daimyo were actually sourced from the Mist Village of the Water Country.
It was indeed a bizarre occurrence.
Everyone knew that the Fire Country was renowned for its thriving commerce and advanced production capabilities.
There was no need to rely on the Water Country for the allocation of supplies and food.
But that was the reality! The supplies did indeed come from the Water Country.
The reason wasn't hard to guess.
Price and efficiency! The Fire Country Daimyo, upon learning of Konoha's difficulties, provided full support without any hesitation.
Even though he had previously been displeased with Konoha's disobedience.
But he understood one thing very well.
The fall of Konoha would be a disaster for him.
Without Konoha, he would appear defenseless and vulnerable in the eyes of others.
This was a fact he was all too aware of.
So, upon receiving Kusagakure Konoe's request for aid, he arranged for assistance immediately.
The problem was that the Daimyo wouldn't personally handle this matter; instead, he entrusted it to his ministers.
The ministers, after skimming off some benefits, passed the task to subordinates.
The subordinate who received the task realized that following the standard procedure would yield little gain, so he devised a clever solution.
Outsourcing!
He outsourced the task of supporting Konoha to the Mist Ninjas.
It was inevitable; the Mist Ninjas offered better prices and faster delivery than preparing the supplies themselves.
The food prices in the Fire Country were more than double those in the Water Country, and the price difference was even greater for other supplies.
This situation arose because the food dumping had severely impacted the food production chain, leading to a decrease in food production.
The lower the quantity, the higher the price, creating a vicious cycle.
So, it wasn't surprising that the task was outsourced to the Mist Ninjas.
Obito, disguised as a masked Root Division ninja, moved through the bustling Konoha, unnoticed and undisturbed.
The secrecy of ninjas was ingrained in their bones, so it was understood that a masked Root Division member was on a mission.
As for how they knew it was a Root Division member?
The unique animal masks and the standardized equipment were telltale signs of their identity.
It could be said that the equipment Obito obtained from Root Division served its purpose, making it much easier for him to move freely in Konoha.
After the previous Akatsuki attack and the ongoing declaration of war against Akatsuki, Konoha's security measures had been significantly heightened.
Additionally, there was another reason that couldn't be openly discussed.
Precautions against the Scorch Sun Nation! Their tactics were ruthless, seemingly without regard for consequences, as they persistently employed various means to poach their people.
To counter this, Konoha had to employ every possible measure.
This was where Obito's skills came into play, making it possible for him to infiltrate.
It was no longer feasible to simply use a little trick to sneak in like Tang Ping did in the past.
Obito had two objectives for this mission.
One was to search for information about the Rinnegan, as he had a vague sense that it was likely transplanted by Asuma.
After all, Asuma was a prominent figure known as the 'Dragon of Konoha,' yet he had been out of sight for some time, which was unusual.
It was crucial to note that Konoha was currently short-staffed, and Asuma's disappearance during this period was undoubtedly related to the Rinnegan.
Obito and Zetsu had thoroughly investigated the Sarutobi clan and Konoha, but they still couldn't find Asuma.
As for Asuma being on a mission?
The White Absolute and Akatsuki's intelligence network had no information about him.
Therefore, Obito's primary purpose for coming to Konoha this time was his second objective.
To find Kakashi, or Kakashi.
Obito had been keeping an eye on his friend.
For some reason, he was always drawn to Kakashi.
Especially after confirming that Rin had taken on the form of Tang Ping in the Heavenly Fortress Tower, his feelings had shifted.
Soon, Obito spotted his target in the Konoha's rear mountain, a place where Kakashi often trained.
(End of Chapter)
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