Sasori acknowledged the command. His puppets gave him a unique advantage in assassination and harassment, and the Land of Water's perennial mist offered him the perfect cover. This mission was practically tailor-made for him.
Deidara had no objections either; in fact, he seemed rather excited. "Ha! Finally, a chance to display my art, hm!"
He once loved to fly around on his bird, throwing bombs and plunging Iwagakure into chaos. The thought of doing it again filled him with glee.
"Zetsu, you're on reconnaissance. Find the locations of the four Jinchuriki from Kumogakure and Kirigakure."
Zetsu replied in his raspy voice, "No problem." He had come here to find the Mist's Jinchuriki anyway, as that was his assigned target.
At this stage, not all Akatsuki members knew the organization's ultimate goal was to collect the tailed beasts. Kakuzu, however, was one of the few who did.
"Kakuzu, once Zetsu provides the intel, your team will handle the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii."
This was a tricky assignment that required careful handling, a thought that briefly flashed through Kakuzu's mind. Thinking of his new partner, he nodded. "Understood."
"Juzo Biwa, once your squad arrives, we will engage the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, together."
The members were puzzled by Feipu's arrangement, only to realize he had volunteered to challenge the Eight-Tails himself. This meant he was shouldering the most dangerous task, a clear sign that this new member was highly capable.
"Any objections?" Pain asked, seeing that Kawasaki had finalized the deployment.
Silence. The most difficult target had already been claimed by Feipu, leaving no room for complaints.
"Then it's settled. Proceed as planned."
***
Land of Water, Shikame Island.
Covered in blood, Yugito Nii returned to their base to change her clothes. The number of Mist rebels on this small island had dwindled to almost nothing. She had no intention of wasting any more time playing hide-and-seek here and was already planning her advance to the next island.
These small islands were all part of the archipelago surrounding the Twin Islands. They varied in size, the largest spanning over a dozen kilometers and the smallest only a few. Each one served as a natural watchtower for Kirigakure. The Mist shinobi used their familiarity with the terrain to systematically disperse an enemy's forces, slow their advance, and relay valuable intelligence to their comrades in the rear.
The Uchiha's lack of action since their arrival had begun to irritate the proud Yugito. Sensing her displeasure, Itachi and Shisui had decided to go out and gather intelligence on the Mist's activities. Since Kawasaki had not yet arrived in Kirigakure, they were still largely unfamiliar with the situation.
This left only Uchiha Yagetsu at the base. Yagetsu was Keimei's older brother and had been a Jonin with a three-tomoe Sharingan for many years. Aside from his somewhat stubborn and boisterous personality, he was exceptionally powerful. He excelled in swordsmanship, Lightning Release, and Fire Release, though his genjutsu was comparatively weaker. He was the next key individual Kawasaki intended to focus on cultivating.
Yugito's tone had become rather haughty due to the Uchiha's recent idleness. Yagetsu, being a bit headstrong himself, didn't appreciate her attitude and immediately started bickering with her. They maintained a degree of restraint, being allies, but it was clear they couldn't stand each other.
So, when Yagetsu saw Yugito return covered in blood, he let out a derisive chuckle. "Well, well, Lady Yugito. You look a bit of a mess, covered in blood like that."
Yagetsu was a blunt man, not one for snide remarks.
Yugito shot him a sidelong glance. "It's better than hiding in the base all day like you."
"Just don't come crying to us when you step into a trap one day. We won't be coming to save you." Yagetsu rested his hands behind his head. In truth, he didn't want to be cooped up either. But his impulsive nature made Itachi and Shisui wary of letting him out to gather intelligence. His hands were itching for a fight. However, the clan head had given a direct order: on this mission, they were to follow Itachi and Shisui's command. Yagetsu could only swallow his frustration and remain at the base day after day.
At the moment, Yugito's mind was preoccupied with planning the assault on the next island. She paid his comment little mind. "Don't worry, that day will never come."
***
Near the border of the Land of Water.
*Hoo!*
Kawasaki ended the Magic Lantern Body Technique and stretched his limbs.
"Lord Feipu, are you rested? We're about fifteen minutes from our destination," Ao said, expertly steering the boat. He had noticed Feipu getting up and greeted him. In the distance, the faint black line of the horizon was now clearly visible. At their current speed, they would arrive shortly.
Feipu grunted in affirmation. "It was more than enough."
Just as he spoke, the boat neared the shore. Chojuro stowed the flying boat.
Feipu eyed the vessel with interest. "Do you have any more of these?"
Ao paused for a moment before smiling. "They're not complicated to make." He took a scroll from Chojuro and handed it to Feipu. "If you like it, Lord Feipu, please accept this as a gift."
Feipu accepted it without ceremony, his movements natural and fluid. "Very nice. I'll take this little trinket of yours."
Seeing Feipu's ready acceptance, a smile spread across Ao's own face. He led Feipu deeper into the Land of Water's mainland.
Kawasaki had been here several years ago, so he was somewhat familiar with the country. He could at least find his way in the general direction. Noticing Feipu's expression—a mixture of unfamiliarity and vague recognition—Ao became even more certain that Feipu had been away from the Land of Water for some time.
Along the way, Ao constantly used messenger birds to maintain contact with Kirigakure's command. Unbeknownst to Kawasaki, several of the outer islands had already fallen into Kumogakure's hands. However, those islands were little more than outposts, of limited strategic value to the Cloud. Kawasaki had already anticipated that they would disperse their forces.
The fact that the Cloud's advance had been so slow despite fighting for so long likely meant the Raikage had not yet arrived. Their vanguard consisted of elite units tasked with establishing a beachhead, but the main army couldn't follow up quickly. Although Kumogakure had a grasp of Kirigakure's strength, Mei Terumi had yet to make an appearance, which made them hesitant to act rashly.
It was about two days later that Kawasaki finally saw Mei again. She still wore her blue, strapless dress with a white sash, her emerald eyes peeking through her brown, curly hair. She looked somewhat fatigued, likely from her recent duties.
"Ding..."
A sound in his ear took Kawasaki by surprise, but he decided to check on it later.
"You must be Mr. Feipu. I am Mei Terumi." When she was serious, Mei exuded an air of dignity and maturity.
"I am Feipu of the Akatsuki, responsible for this anti-invasion operation," Kawasaki said, in his assumed identity. His choice of words immediately earned Mei's favor.
*Anti-invasion.* She liked the sound of that.
Mei nodded. "We in Kirigakure know little of the Akatsuki. We were only able to establish contact through a third-party recommendation. May I ask how your organization intends to complete this mission?"
Feipu's tone was calm and measured. "As this is our first collaboration, it's understandable that you are unfamiliar with our capabilities, Lady Mizukage. However, our organization has a policy of completing the job before accepting payment. You need not worry about our commitment."
Mei had already received a report from Ao about Feipu's "work first, pay later" promise. It was one of the reasons she was willing to hire this organization. Of course, any group bold enough to operate this way was clearly confident in its own strength. In a world where backstabbing was common, the Akatsuki obviously did not fear clients who might default on payment.
Feipu continued, "During my previous discussion with your subordinate, we did not finalize the method of our cooperation. Our operational strategy will differ depending on your choice."
Mei gestured, and Ao immediately presented a map.
"Mr. Feipu, the third option you mentioned was a guarantee that Kumogakure would not dare to invade Kirigakure again for five years. I would like to know how the Akatsuki can ensure this. Will you station your operatives here, or do you have other methods?"
Mei posed the question, still unsure why the Uchiha were so strongly endorsing the Akatsuki, even claiming their involvement would end this war in a short time. As the current Mizukage, her greatest desire was to end the conflict as quickly as possible. If it dragged on, other ninja villages might intervene.
Feipu's finger slid across the map, drawing a line along Kirigakure's frontline. "Kumogakure's total military force does not exceed twenty thousand, meaning they will dispatch no more than eight thousand troops. This is the extent of their offensive. As long as they suffer devastating casualties, they will not dare to attack again! The heavier their losses, the less they'll even consider provoking another war!"
His words were laced with unshakable confidence.
Feipu paused. "As long as Kumogakure does not withdraw its army, the Akatsuki can continue killing them until they retreat... until they dare not return for five years."
The chilling killing intent in his voice sent a shiver down Mei's spine. She was stunned by the Akatsuki's immense self-assurance. For the Cloud to be deterred for five years, their losses would have to be astronomical—so great they wouldn't recover for half a decade. Just what kind of power did the Akatsuki possess to make such a bold claim?
After a moment of thought, Mei made her decision. "We'll choose the third option."
This was the most expensive choice. In terms of money, Kirigakure could not afford the four billion ryo. If they paid with land, they would have to cede four small islands. Yet Mei chose it without hesitation, showing she had already considered her options.
A satisfied expression appeared on Feipu's aged face. "A truly decisive Mizukage. The members of our organization will arrive in about ten days. For now, they will begin by collecting some 'interest'."
Mei nodded. "Then I'll leave it in your hands."
"Ao, share all of our intelligence with Mr. Feipu. It will help them complete their mission more efficiently."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ao replied.
Only after Ao had arranged for his quarters did Feipu have a moment to check why the system had suddenly prompted him. What he saw left him utterly speechless.
[Special Series Mission: This Counts as a Challenge?]
[As a top-tier power, you must defeat even stronger opponents to be worthy of the title of the strongest. Strengthen your enemies, allowing them to surpass their original storyline potential. You will be rewarded progressively based on your completion.]
*What is this?*
Kawasaki's mind reeled. This was basically helping his enemies. Was the system trying to create training opportunities for him? Fortunately, there was no penalty for failing the mission. Whether he did it or not was entirely up to him. If only this mission had arrived sooner, he could have gotten a reward when Obito reclaimed his eye. A pity.
Kawasaki read on. The mission section for Kirigakure had been updated.
[Kirigakure Mission: The Beginning of the Cipher Network]
[Objective: Change the development trajectory of Kirigakure's intelligence network.]
[Completion Reward: Choose freely, +1 use for any existing jutsu reward.]
*Hmm, I can work with this. Isn't this exactly what I was planning to do anyway? Is this a free reward?*
He had to think it over. Kawasaki noticed that "The Beginning of the Cipher Network" was clickable.
The mission hint read: "Regardless of the outcome of the war between Kumo and Kiri, the Mist's weakness will be exposed—a lack of successors and the unresolved issue of the Jinchuriki."
Kawasaki raised an eyebrow. He understood now. Even if they won this war, other powers would still see Kirigakure as a vulnerable target. He scrolled through his skill list and reviewed his original plan. Looks like the plan needs some adjustments. It's a good thing I chose this persona.
***
Over the next two days, Ao shared the details of Kirigakure's frontline deployments with Feipu. But the most crucial intelligence was the distribution of Kumogakure's forces. After some initial small-scale harassment to confirm Kirigakure's weakness, the Cloud had sent in their two Jinchuriki and three elite squads to strike at the heart of the nation.
Yugito's vanguard had already captured Shikame Island and was now pushing toward the inner islands. In the past few days, they had taken nearly all the islets surrounding the Twin Islands and established a foothold there. Samui and Cee's troops, advancing slightly slower, had captured Nagafu Island to the northwest and had also rendezvoused with Yugito. To Yugito's northeast, Killer Bee's unit had taken Nagasawa Island and reached the Twin Islands as well.
The Kumo forces converged where the two islands met before splitting up again. Yugito, along with Samui and Cee's squads, launched an attack on Ritsuren Island, one of the Twin Islands. Meanwhile, Killer Bee led a separate team to assault the other, Ritsuzawa Island. The defensive forces on both islands were comparable, so the Cloud opted for a pincer movement. Their string of early successes had clearly made them a little complacent.
Kumogakure's main army was still at sea and would take another half a month to reach the outermost coastline of the Land of Water. If the vanguard could secure these two islands, the main force would have ample space to establish a large-scale camp. The smaller outer islands simply couldn't accommodate that many troops.
***
Land of Water, Ritsuren Island.
The moment the Kumogakure shinobi set foot on the island, they were met with an eerie silence instead of the fierce resistance they expected. This put them on high alert, and they advanced with caution.
Three days passed in a flash.
The slow and steady advance of the Cloud forces meant they hadn't even explored a third of Ritsuren Island. Yugito grew impatient and planned to use her high mobility to lead a swift clearing operation, while Samui and Cee's teams continued their methodical push.
***
*Poof!*
A cloud of smoke dissipated.
Itachi, having just dispatched a messenger crow, stood atop a tree, surveying the entire base. Should they evade this first wave? With a flicker, he vanished from his spot.
***
High above Ritsuren Island, a large white bird soared through the sky. Standing on its back, Sasori of the Red Sand lowered his hand.
"There's more to this Feipu than meets the eye."
Deidara, controlling the clay bird, looked down at the island with excitement. "So what are Feipu's orders, hm?"
Sasori's tone was laced with amusement. "Feipu wants you to bomb their base. My mission is to eliminate their intelligence teams. It seems Feipu has a spy inside Kumogakure; he has a perfect grasp of their defensive layout."
"Is that so? Following his lead doesn't sound so bad. This mission just got a lot easier, yeah!"
Having intelligence of this quality was a game-changer. Sasori and Deidara knew the enemy's defensive positions in detail, drastically reducing the difficulty of their task. They divided the labor, agreed on a rendezvous point, and Deidara flew off toward the Cloud's base. Sasori, meanwhile, moved to ambush a Kumo squad along their patrol route according to the intel.
***
While on patrol, Samui suddenly felt a sense of unease. It was too quiet up ahead.
Alarm bells rang in her mind. "Watch out!"
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Shower!
From the dense forest ahead, countless fine needles shot out, blanketing the sky. Although Samui had given a warning, the sheer volume of the iron sand needles was overwhelming. Three Cloud shinobi were struck in vital spots and died instantly, while seven others were injured. Only the three members of Samui's squad, thanks to their practiced coordination, found cover in time and escaped the initial volley.
A moment later, the iron sand stopped.
"Hmph. Quick reflexes."
Sasori, controlling his Hiruko puppet, emerged from the undergrowth, the Third Kazekage puppet trailing behind him. The fact that Sasori was deploying the Third Kazekage meant he intended to leave no survivors.
Samui didn't waste time asking who he was. Instead, she immediately fired a new type of signal flare into the sky. Their attacker was clearly confident in his ability to defeat them. Their best chance was to hold out for reinforcements. Yugito was incredibly fast and could return to support them in no time.
"Useless," Sasori sneered. "You won't be getting any reinforcements..."