To prevent the base from being exposed, Yahiko's group of three stayed behind to cover the rear, letting the other Akatsuki members leave first. When operating within the Land of Rain's borders, concealment was always the first priority.
If discovered by Hidden Rain Village forces, the consequences would be difficult to predict. Every action, plan, and repositioning the organization undertook relied on a large network of dispersed hidden bases throughout the Land of Rain to function.
"Clear."
Half a day later, Yahiko's group of three stopped at a point some distance away and looked back behind them. Confirming that the mysterious figure had not followed them up to this point, they allowed themselves a small measure of relief.
"Let's go."
Yahiko raised his head and glanced at the sky. The three of them had been circling for a considerable time. The other members should have already arrived back at the base by now.
With that, the three of them moved quickly in the direction of the base.
But when they arrived at the stronghold, they discovered that inside the abandoned village, a large number of their comrades had gathered in one location. The situation was somewhat chaotic. It appeared that an enemy had entered their territory.
"It is him!"
Yahiko's expression changed.
The person who had appeared inside the stronghold was none other than the masked figure, standing on a rooftop of a dilapidated building, moving casually while effortlessly dodging the attacks and thrown projectiles of the Akatsuki members around him, without retaliating at all. Facing every attack that came toward him, he simply stepped aside quickly.
This was a carefully organized stronghold. The organization's members naturally did not dare cause extensive structural damage in the process of pursuing him.
"Stop!"
Yahiko saw this and immediately jumped into the crowd, shouting the order.
"Leader!"
Upon seeing Yahiko and the other two return, the dozens of Akatsuki members who had been attacking the figure all halted simultaneously.
Yahiko looked up toward the figure standing on the rooftop. The masked man took a few leisurely steps, his body swaying slightly.
Nagato and Konan flanked Yahiko with apprehensive expressions as they stared at him.
"How is this possible?" Nagato exclaimed quietly.
The three of them had taken every precaution on their way back, specifically to avoid being followed. The scattered squads had also returned via separate routes. Even so, this person had found his way here ahead of them.
This clearly demonstrated that the masked man could sense their location from a considerable distance and had moved ahead of the three of them directly to the stronghold.
In terms of sensing ability, Nagato had always been extremely confident in his own capabilities. This was the first time he had encountered anyone whose sensing abilities clearly surpassed his own.
He also understood something else. The stronghold in this battlefield region of the Land of Rain was an abandoned, overgrown village. The organization had created a concealed space beneath it, providing excellent camouflage while also supporting a large network of defensive traps and mechanisms.
They had long since shed any naivety and had developed into a genuine organized force that even the Hidden Rain Village did not underestimate lightly. Their experience and proficiency had reached a high level. An ordinary ninja passing through this area would not be able to discern any signs of habitation, let alone evade the scouts and traps positioned throughout the surrounding area.
If their stronghold could be discovered so easily, the Hidden Rain Village would have targeted and eliminated them long ago.
At this moment, the masked figure with extraordinary physical presence was moving around the dilapidated building, effortlessly avoiding every attack without retaliating against a single Akatsuki member.
"Yahiko! You have finally returned. If you had been a little longer, these people would have skinned me alive."
He used an exaggerated gesture to steady himself, patted his chest, and feigned relief.
Immediately, Konan and Nagato appeared on either side of him, cornering him on the rooftop simultaneously. Both formed hand seals and entered battle stances.
"Do not be so tense. I hold no ill intentions. If I wanted to harm you, I would not have shown myself at all. I could have quietly sold your information to the Hidden Rain Village instead."
He continued.
"My deliberately letting you discover me demonstrates my good faith. Besides, you three should understand that if I had wanted things to go differently, what you are seeing right now would not look like this."
"Get to the point," Yahiko said, his voice low and completely steady. "Who are you. What is your purpose in seeking us out."
"Business, naturally. It is also a matter of business."
He chuckled, extending one finger for emphasis.
"You are so insistent on doing business with us, and the critical point is that you are not actually seeking any real profit from us. Frankly, it is difficult to believe your stated intentions." As Yahiko responded, he exchanged a subtle glance with Konan and Nagato. "Even if you hold no ill intentions and want us to lower our guard and cooperate with you, should you not first show some genuine sincerity and reveal your identity?"
"Haha. It is not the right time for that yet."
The mysterious man laughed softly in front of everyone.
"However, there is one thing I can say."
He paused.
"I hope you understand that you have the ability to replace the Hidden Rain Village and take over the Land of Rain. Therefore, I do not want to see your organization destroyed before reaching that point. To help you change your destiny, I have no choice but to assist in this way. And if you need me to speak as a businessman, I can also show you clearly why your eventual replacement of the Hidden Rain Village would be directly beneficial to my interests."
Yahiko nodded slowly.
"Understood."
"The fate of the Land of Rain is ours to improve. There is no need for you to concern yourself with it."
"You have said a great deal and still have not answered my question about your identity. Although the medicinal resources you provided are genuinely helpful to us, you have already discovered our base. Please understand what that means."
"We will not harm you. But for the time being, please remain here quietly."
Yahiko finished speaking.
A second later, several paper shurikens shot toward the masked figure with tremendous force.
Konan had attacked.
He leaned back slightly and dodged. Just as he was about to jump clear, a large volume of paper exploded outward like a sudden snowfall, enveloping him completely and obscuring his vision. Each sheet of white paper spun and flew in low arcs, adhering to his body and wrapping tightly around him.
He remained calm. He had already read Yahiko's and his companions' intentions well before this moment.
"This is Paper Ninjutsu?"
He felt the restraint clinging to his body, seemingly fragile yet extraordinarily strong.
A tremor ran through the paper. A loud crack followed.
He suddenly extended his arm with a surge of force. The paper that had been meant to fully engulf him shattered outward with overwhelming explosive power.
"Nagato!"
Konan called out.
Even as he broke free, Nagato coordinated seamlessly with Konan's technique and unleashed a Wind Release technique simultaneously. Wind Cutter Palm. Nagato's red hair surged with chakra, his eyes cold but carrying a sharp urgency. Spiral patterns appeared in his eyes as he moved.
They both understood the masked man's level of power. When they attacked, they attacked with full commitment, determined to suppress their target completely.
"Rinnegan."
Seeing the change in Nagato's eyes, Yuji paused internally for a moment.
Blessed with the Uzumaki clan's bloodline and the Rinnegan, Nagato possessed six types of chakra natures. This made his overall strength undeniably the greatest among the three. Of course, at this stage of awakening the Rinnegan had still not been fully developed to anything close to its true potential.
But even at this level, what Nagato was displaying was not something that could be dismissed.
The full depth of his power remained undiscovered.
The powerful gale struck him just as he was breaking free from the paper binding and sent him crashing from the ceiling to the ground below. Even worse, he landed sprawled out in a large spread-eagled shape.
He glanced at the position of his limbs. Four sharp blades had pierced through his clothing and pinned his limbs to the ground, rendering him temporarily immobile.
"The chakra consumption required for this Wind Release technique is astonishing. Furthermore, the variations and precision of control within the technique are genuinely impressive."
He continued to assess as he lay there.
Nagato's Wind Release was not simply a straightforward technique. It incorporated ninja tool attacks within the execution itself, and the rich variations built into the Wind Release made its overall effect far more comprehensive and difficult to counter.
If an opponent tried to block with a defensive jutsu, the follow-up variations would immediately shift to target whatever defensive gap remained. In short, in terms of fundamental teleportation and body movement proficiency, Nagato's level of mastery was considerably higher than his own current level.
Swoosh.
While he was still thinking through this, several Akatsuki members led by Yahiko suddenly moved in. They were not trying to kill him. Their clear intention was to restrain and capture him completely.
"It cannot be this easy to simply surrender. Without some resistance first, how can you feel comfortable letting me into the organization?"
Beneath the mask, a slight curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
He suddenly surged upward, shattering the loosely pinning blades through the force of his movement. In midair, before Yahiko and the others could close the distance, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Projectile!"
In an instant, a dense formation of sharp earthen spears erupted from the ground in every direction.
Yahiko's expression changed sharply.
...
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