"Grand Elder, since the Clan Head is worried that the clan on the moon has ulterior motives, why not let me make first contact?"
"I don't think they have any ill intentions. We should try to understand them."
"If they do turn out to be hostile, I'll be the only one in danger."
As Kaito spoke, his emotions ran high, and he placed both hands on the Grand Elder's shoulders.
The Grand Elder was moved by his words, sighing with admiration. "If everyone in the clan was as devoted as you, the Hyuga would surely rise to new heights."
"However, Kaito, your idea is not very sound."
"You are far too important to us. Don't do something so dangerous."
The Grand Elder patted the back of Kaito's hand. "We understand your intentions. Last time, with the formula, the Uchiha didn't pursue the matter only because we were useful to them."
"This situation is different. If we sent you and something went wrong, what would we do? You are a pillar of the Hyuga clan."
Kaito's speech had expressed his loyalty, but he hadn't expected to overdo it. Having already come this far, he could only press on. "Grand Elder, fortune favors the bold. This might be the Hyuga clan's only chance to turn things around."
Unfortunately, the more Kaito insisted, the more reluctant the Grand Elder was to let him take the risk.
"Say no more. Unless Hiashi agrees, I will not let you do this!"
Seeing that the Grand Elder's mind was made up, Kaito sighed in disappointment, though a spark of defiance burned within him.
Fine, I'll just find a chance to steal the books. I have plenty of White Zetsu to help me anyway.
Kaito gazed reluctantly at the ancient texts. "In that case, Grand Elder, we must still find a way to persuade the Clan Head to change his mind soon."
The Grand Elder nodded, noticing Kaito's eyes were still fixed on the books. After a moment's thought, he guessed what Kaito might be planning. He picked up the middle book of the five and tucked it into his robes.
"I know what you're scheming."
"Are you thinking of finding an opportunity to take these books and run off on your own?"
"I knew what you were up to from the start."
An awkward expression flashed across Kaito's face, as if his plan had been exposed. But there was little he could do; he had a history of such behavior.
Seeing Kaito's reaction, the Grand Elder knew his guess was correct. "Sigh... The method to reach the moon is only recorded in this book," he said, lightly patting his chest. "So give it up. I won't let you risk your life."
Defeated, Kaito Hyuga had no choice but to make some small talk before taking his leave. The moment he stepped out of the Grand Elder's residence, his expression turned incredibly dark.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan was busy preparing to withdraw. Kawasaki sent for the bald man from the treasury to meet him.
Uchiha Conference Room.
"Any new developments from Kakuzu's side?" Kawasaki asked casually.
The bald man answered respectfully, "Apologies, Lord Kawasaki, we haven't received any news from Kakuzu recently."
Kawasaki was unconcerned. As long as Kakuzu loved money, there would be plenty of opportunities for future collaboration. He had summoned the bald man for a different matter today.
"I have a piece of intelligence I want to sell you. Give me an estimate."
Hearing this, the bald man's eyes lit up. The Uchiha were truly generous patrons; good things always seemed to happen around them. He was certain this information would be priceless.
"Please, Lord Kawasaki, name your terms. I guarantee the price will be to your satisfaction," the bald man said with confidence.
Kawasaki thought for a moment before speaking. "Information regarding the leader of the Akatsuki. I imagine many people would be interested in that, wouldn't they?"
The bald man nodded in agreement. "That leader's abilities were shocking."
"Has Lord Kawasaki obtained some intel on him?"
Kawasaki nodded. "Yes. The information I'm selling concerns the whereabouts and abilities of the legendary Sage's eyes—the Rinnegan."
The bald man was stunned. "The Rinnegan!?" Though he was well-informed, he had never even heard of such a legendary thing.
Kawasaki continued, "That's right. What I'm selling is the current location of the Rinnegan and the full extent of its power."
The bald man keenly noted that Kawasaki had said its location, not the Akatsuki leader's. "Location? What do you mean?"
Kawasaki realized the bald man was sharp. "Precisely. And that's another piece of intel: the leader of the Akatsuki is dead, and the Rinnegan has been stolen."
"How could that be..." the bald man gasped, completely astonished. The feared leader of the Akatsuki was actually dead?
Kawasaki cut to the chase. "You know of the traitor from our clan, Obito."
"We once had a three hundred million ryo bounty on his head. He attacked the Akatsuki leader and successfully stole the Rinnegan. Furthermore, he has already mastered all of its abilities."
Upon hearing such a monumental piece of information, the bald man was ecstatic. This was a top-tier secret; he would have no trouble finding buyers. But his professional instincts as an information broker took over, and he calmed himself. "Lord Kawasaki, would you be able to provide the source of this information? We must ensure its authenticity."
Kawasaki understood the procedure. "No problem." He pressed a button on the desk. "Send Konan in."
A short while later, Konan, dressed in casual clothes, entered the room.
At first, the bald man didn't recognize her. After all, she was no longer wearing her signature black cloak with red clouds.
Kawasaki gestured to Konan. "Show him your wings."
Instantly, countless sheets of paper flew out, assembling behind her into a pair of enormous wings that filled the entire room.
Only then did the bald man realize. "You're the 'Angel'!"
'Angel' was Konan's codename in the outside world. Due to her revered status in the Village Hidden in the Rain, its people called her their 'Angel.' After she and Nagato disappeared, the Land of Rain fell into chaos, and some of its inhabitants fled. As a result, information about her began to spread, and the intelligence agencies that didn't know her name gave her the codename 'Angel.'
Konan used to wear her iconic Akatsuki cloak frequently. During the great war in the Land of Water, a lot of data was leaked, which ultimately confirmed that the black cloaks with red clouds were indeed the uniform of her organization. Since Konan was often seen wearing it, intelligence networks had long identified her as a member of the Akatsuki.
Kawasaki nodded to Konan, dismissing her.
"There's my source," Kawasaki said with a smile. "With the Uchiha clan's guarantee on top of that, do you think this information is reliable?"
The bald man nodded vigorously. "Reliable. Extremely reliable."
"Konan is now cooperating with me to deal with Obito, and she sold this information to us. I'm packaging it all together to sell to you. How much do you think it's worth?"
While the bald man was still calculating, Kawasaki added, "You should know, the Rinnegan has a vast array of powers. Several of them can annihilate an entire ninja village in an instant."
The bald man swallowed hard. He knew Kawasaki wasn't bluffing; everyone had witnessed it once on the battlefield in the Land of Water. There would be no shortage of buyers for intel like this.
Steeling himself, the bald man said, "Lord Kawasaki, we are willing to pay one hundred million ryo for this information."