Chapter 222: Hiring The Akatsuki Organization
The Land of Rain, this nation perpetually shrouded in rain, appeared even more desolate and oppressive in its northern Border region.
The lead-gray sky continuously sprinkled Coldness rain threads, pounding the muddy land and sparse Forest, producing an incessant rustling sound.
Amid this curtain of rain, two figures were advancing unhurriedly.
Konan wore that black Windbreaker embroidered with red clouds, her purple hair wetted by the rain and sticking to both sides of her cheeks, accentuating her delicate features with an even greater coldness.
A pure white Paper Flower adorned her head, yet the rain strangely could not wet or melt it.
Walking beside her was an existence with a completely different Aura.
Orange short hair like burning flames, cold purple Eyes containing circles of ripple-like ripples.
Black metal rods pierced his face, ears, and arms, giving him a eerie and murderous appearance.
Pain, or more accurately, the “Deva Path Pain” created based on Yahiko’s corpse and remotely controlled by Nagato using the Rinnegan.
Pain’s steps were steady, as if the surrounding rain was actively avoiding him, his empty gaze fixed straight ahead without any Emotion fluctuation.
The two arrived before a long-abandoned small wooden house deep in the Border Forest.
The wooden house looked on the verge of collapse, yet under the rain’s scouring, it strangely revealed traces of human activity.
Konan and Pain silently pushed open the door and entered.
Inside the House, the light was dim, the air filled with the damp mold smell and dust Aura.
Four people were already waiting here.
The leader was tall and burly, wearing the standard Stone Village Jonin Vest, with dark skin, a stern face, and sharp eyes—he was the Stone Village Jonin Bun’ya.
Behind him stood three Chunin also wearing Stone Village Vests, with elite auras, vigilantly scrutinizing the two newcomers.
“Hmph, you’ve finally arrived.” Bun’ya’s voice was low, carrying a barely perceptible Scrutinize and arrogance.
“Meeting in this hellish weather at a place like this, your ‘Akatsuki’ has some truly unique tastes.” His gaze mainly fell on the eerie-aura Pain, filled with intense curiosity.
He had already received the Tsuchikage Lord’s secret order, knowing this Trade partner was no ordinary one, but seeing the legendary Akatsuki leader in person still brought an intangible pressure.
Especially those eyes…
Konan stepped forward, her voice clear and cold yet flat: “Bun’ya Jonin, sorry to keep you waiting.”
Bun’ya grinned, eyeing the pair before him with keen interest.
A cold Paper Clone kunoichi, and a man with unfathomable aura, pierced full of Black Rods, strange.
“After hanging that Bounty at the Underground Bounty Exchange for so long, only your ‘Akatsuki’ organization has the guts to take this job.” His words carried a probe, also wanting to see their reaction.
Konan’s expression showed no change, merely responding faintly: “‘Akatsuki’ only recognizes money, not people. As long as the Commission is enough, even if the target is a Kage of the Five Great Nations, it’s not impossible to discuss.”
Her tone was terrifyingly calm, as if stating something trivial.
A flash of surprise crossed Bun’ya’s eyes, soon turning into a complex emotion mixed with admiration and vigilance: “Willing to throw away your lives for money? Heh, truly… an astonishing Ideal.”
He paused, his tone softening slightly: “But we’ve cooperated more than once or twice.”
Since the Third Great Ninja War, Iwagakure had used ten thousand ninja to wear down the Third Raiden to death, winning but at great Cost, nearly wiping out the younger generation.
The battle was won, but the Village was almost emptied.
So afterward, Onoki issued strict orders to preserve the village’s living forces to the maximum extent.
Tasks that were particularly dangerous, or involved wiping out a certain Country, were often handed to ‘Mercenary Organizations’ like Akatsuki.
Bun’ya’s voice carried a hint of Heavy and helplessness.
Konan listened quietly, neither affirming nor denying.
She and Nagato had long been aware of Stone Village’s approach.
It was precisely through this “gray” Cooperation with Stone Village and other Great Ninja Villages that the Akatsuki organization rapidly accumulated Funds and developed its power.
Bun’ya changed the subject, his expression turning serious: “This mission’s target, I’m sure you know— the Land of Stars, and its military core, Hoshigakure.”
He carefully observed the two’s reactions, but Pain was expressionless, and Konan merely raised an eyebrow slightly.
Bun’ya continued: “Those Rogue Ninja of the Land of Stars have gone too far lately! Overthrowing five countries’ regimes in one go—their military power is not to be underestimated. Other Mercenary Organizations and Wandering Ninja teams all balked at the target being Hoshigakure and refused the job.”
His tone carried disdain for those rabble, but also indirectly acknowledged the Land of Stars’ Strength.
It wasn’t just Stone Village; other ninja villages also speculated that while Hoshigakure’s Strength hadn’t reached the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it far surpassed other small and medium Ninja Villages, becoming a force second only to the five great ones that couldn’t be ignored.
“So, our demands are: penetrate deep into the Land of Stars’ Heartland, conduct detailed Reconnaissance on Hoshigakure’s defenses, troop strength, and Strong Practitioner Intelligence! Especially Hoshigakure’s Leader!”
“At the same time, Destruction their important military facilities, Supplies Warehouse, and transportation hubs as much as possible! No limits on Means—the bigger the commotion, the better! In short, create maximum trouble for them, delay or even disrupt their process of Digest new Territory!”
After finishing, Bun’ya stared at Pain and Konan, awaiting their response.
This mission was extremely dangerous, equivalent to launching a covert war against an emerging power.
After a moment of silence, Pain slowly raised his head, those cold Rinnegan locking onto Bun’ya, flatly spitting out a number:
“One hundred million ryo.”
The voice wasn’t loud, yet it exploded like thunder in the small wooden house!
“One hundred million?!” The three Stone Village Chunin behind Bun’ya couldn’t help gasping, exclaiming in shock.
Even Bun’ya himself had his facial muscles twitch violently, his eyes filled with shock!
He knew the mission was tough and the reward would be high, but this figure far exceeded his expectations!
This was almost equivalent to a small country’s annual fiscal revenue!
Bun’ya suppressed his inner shock, his face darkening: “One hundred million ryo… your price is way too much of a lion’s mouth! Even if the target is the Land of Stars, this price is…”
Pain emotionlessly interrupted him, voice still flat: “The Land of Stars possesses military power capable of swiftly destroying five countries, its leader’s Strength unfathomable, with Strong Practitioners like clouds under his command. Executing this mission is equivalent to waging Full-scale War against the Land of Stars, with extremely low survival odds.”
“One hundred million ryo buys the risk of my ‘Akatsuki’ organization’s Elite possibly perishing entirely—very fair. Or, your Stone Village can send your own people.”
Bun’ya was choked speechless, frowning deeply.
He knew Pain spoke Fact; the Tsuchikage Lord had chosen to hire Akatsuki precisely to avoid massive Stone Village ninja casualties.
And among numerous Mercenary Organizations, indeed only Akatsuki had nation-destroying capability.
After all, the enemies this mission might face weren’t just one or two Elite Jonin.
As for the money, he could reimburse from the Daimyo’s Mansion later.
After weighing pros and cons, Bun’ya finally nodded with difficulty: “…Fine! One hundred million ryo it is! But Stone Village can only pay ten million ryo upfront as deposit! The rest, after mission completion…”
“The remaining ninety million must be fully deposited into a neutral account at the Underground Bounty Exchange.” Konan’s clear cold voice rang out, indisputably interrupting Bun’ya: “The Bounty Exchange will act as third-party guarantee. After mission confirmation, we will collect it ourselves.”
Bun’ya’s face instantly turned extremely ugly; he sneered with humiliated Rage: “What? Does your ‘Akatsuki organization’ doubt Stone Village will welch? Is the credibility of a Five Great Shinobi Village inferior to some Underground Bounty Exchange?!”
Pain and Konan said nothing, merely watching him quietly, their gaze as if saying: Yes, we don’t trust you.
Silence itself was the most powerful answer.
Bun’ya was infuriated by this silent contempt, chest heaving, but recalling the Tsuchikage Lord’s order of “complete the mission at any Cost,” he forcibly suppressed his Rage, cold-huffing: “…Fine! We’ll do it your way! The Commission will be deposited at the Bounty Exchange!”
“But the high intermediary fees charged by the Bounty Exchange—you bear them yourselves!”
“Fine.” Konan agreed crisply.
For Akatsuki, ensuring they got the money was paramount.
“Hmph! Then it’s settled! The mission details Scroll is here; the deposit will be paid via Underground Bounty Exchange within three days!” Bun’ya threw a sealed Scroll onto the ground, seemingly unwilling to stay a moment longer, and stormed out of the wooden house with his three subordinates, their figures quickly vanishing into the vast rain curtain.
The wooden house returned to silence, only the pattering rain outside remaining.
Pain stood quietly in place, Rinnegan flickering slightly.
Far away in Rain Village’s high tower, Nagato was carefully sensing through Pain’s senses and the “Rain Tiger Jutsu” enveloping this area that Bun’ya and the other three had indeed left far away, with no probing Chakra remaining around.
Before coming, Nagato had controlled Pain to make it rain in this area.
With the Land of Rain’s perennial rain, the Stone Village ninja hadn’t suspected anything.
“They’ve left.” Pain stated emotionlessly.
Konan stepped forward, picked up the Scroll, checked it, and stowed it away.
She raised her head, looking at Pain, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: “Nagato, the Land of Stars’ expansion speed… is too fast. That ‘Shura’s’ Strength is mysteriously unfathomable; under him there’s even a Uchiha who can defeat ‘Madara’…”
Though she and Nagato didn’t believe this ‘Uchiha Madara’ was the real one, the opponent’s Strength was undeniably powerful.
Pain was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice transmitted through the Puppet, carrying a hint of gravity and peculiar interest: “Mm. Unexpectedly, besides us, someone else walks the same path, and… so quickly, so far.”
His tone showed no joy or anger, more like a superior Scrutinize: “Destroying old Ninja Villages, establishing a new nation, shattering the old Order with absolute Power… this way resembles my ideal path to Peace.”
“Just didn’t expect his Strength to be so formidable, recruiting a Strong Practitioner capable of defeating ‘Madara,’ even stepping onto the stage forefront, becoming the sixth pole that even the Five Great Nations must face squarely.”
After Yahiko’s death, Nagato realized how naive Yahiko’s Dream was, so he cooperated with ‘Uchiha Madara,’ collected Tails, created tail beast Weapon, seeking power sufficient to destroy a Country.
Then, using this nation-destroying Weapon as a ‘Sword of Damocles,’ make all nations fear him, thereby suppressing War and achieving world Peace.
While that guy called ‘Shura’ seemed even more Arrogance, recruiting powerful Ninja to form a new Country, continuously annexing surrounding countries to eliminate Estrangement between nations…
Pain slowly walked to the door, gazing toward the Land of Stars: “And we… still confined to this Land of Rain, haven’t even fully dealt with that old guy Hanzo, still only able to accumulate power in the shadows, awaiting the right moment…”
Undeniably, on this point, Shura’s path had advanced farther than theirs.
Konan walked to his side, asking softly: “Then this mission…”
“The mission proceeds as usual.” Pain’s voice returned to absolute calm: “But this is also a prime opportunity. An opportunity… to personally contact and gauge this ‘Shura.'”
A deep light flashed in the Rinnegan: “If his ideals align with ours, perhaps we can try inviting him to join ‘Akatsuki,’ together forging true Peace. Such power shouldn’t be wasted on pointless nation-building games.”
He paused, his voice suddenly filled with divine majesty:
“If he refuses… or his very Existence is another deviation from ‘peace’…”
“Then let him witness firsthand…”
“What true divine power is!”
