"I don't want to leave yet."
"I want to stay by his side for a few more days."
Pain, with his six bodies and twelve eyes, stared intently at Konan, then suddenly turned his head to glare at Linto.
"You haven't undone the illusion yet?!"
From his appearance, the fighting, the killing, even witnessing the Chibaku Tensei being broken, Pain, who hadn't shown any emotional fluctuations when escaping with Earth Release, showed a strong surge of emotion for the first time.
Killing intent.
Burning, intense, like a landslide of killing intent.
Yahiko was already dead.
Over the years, companions from the original Akatsuki organization had also died or left.
Konan was the last, and most important, family Pain had.
"It's not his fault, it's me."
Sensing Pain's emotional change, Konan quickly explained, "His technique has already been undone, but I've followed Linto this far, witnessed many things, and seen many people."
Konan looked around the ruined Kirigakure.
"I want to see the final end before I leave."
Pain couldn't understand, but after a few seconds of silence, he chose to respect his companion's decision.
Konan said, "I'll go back in ten days."
Pain nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll come pick you up in ten days."
He glanced at Linto, and Pain and his six bodies turned and left.
Just then, an inappropriate and angry voice appeared:
"Hey! What are you doing? You've been fighting for so long, and you haven't killed a single rebel. Do you think I give you money every year to raise a bunch of useless people?!
You, the one in black with the sick eyes, stop right there! Did I say you could leave? If you don't finish the job, I'll deduct your commission!"
The one in black…the one with the sick eyes…
Pain looked down at his Akatsuki organization uniform, thought for a full three seconds, before realizing they were talking about him.
Everyone's eyes turned to the Land of Water Daimyo, who was hiding in the back, protected by hundreds of samurai.
He was still sitting in his sedan chair, with two maids beside him. One was responsible for serving tea and water, the other for peeling grapes and feeding them to his mouth.
In front, the ninja fought to the death, while the Daimyo in the back enjoyed the battle like a show.
This scene was like a snapshot of the relationship between ninjas and Daimyos for hundreds of years.
The Land of Water Daimyo didn't know anything about Akatsuki, and even if his servants had reminded him, he would have forgotten long ago.
Just a third-rate organization without a village, not worthy of him remembering.
As for the Three-Tails, the Chibaku Tensei stone ball… ninja could always create this kind of trick or illusion, just some showy things.
The Land of Water Daimyo was very happy.
Until he saw Yagura's death, Obito running away, and Pain preparing to leave, the Daimyo gradually became unhappy.
His way of thinking was simple:
Tricks are nice to watch.
But ninjas, you took the money, you have to do real work for me!
You made a bunch of "fireworks" and left, and the rebels are all still alive and well?
What are you doing?
The Land of Water Daimyo raised his hand, pointed at Pain, exuded the air of a superior, and said:
"You can't leave until you solve the problem."
As soon as these words came out, the maids and samurai felt a chill in their hearts, understanding that the Daimyo was truly angry, and they all lowered their heads, silent as cicadas in winter.
"Yes, you can forget about leaving."
It was Linto who spoke, but the focus of the conversation was not Pain.
But the Daimyo sitting high in the sedan chair.
"I almost forgot about you," Linto said.
The Land of Water Daimyo raised his chin: "Forgot what about me?"
"Forgot to kill you."
"What!"
The samurai were shocked.
They never expected that a ninja would dare to have murderous thoughts towards the Daimyo, and they all drew their samurai swords.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind howled with thunder, and all the samurai in its path were sent flying by Star Platinum, one punch each.
Linto stood in front of the sedan chair.
The Land of Water Daimyo and Linto looked at each other. Just as he was about to say something, Linto kicked the sedan chair over.
The Daimyo's robe was caught on the edge of the chair, spinning him around twice, and he fell flat on his face.
The Land of Water Daimyo was stunned.
He had lived a life of luxury and comfort, and had never experienced such a thing. He lay on the ground for a full three seconds before a surge of anger rushed up.
He pushed himself up.
"How dare you—"
A sword was held against his neck.
It was a katana that Linto had casually snatched from a samurai. The blade was thin, the body was smooth, and the weight distribution was just right. It was clearly a good sword made by a master.
Just too light.
The Land of Water Daimyo looked down at the sword. Instead of fear, he felt even more anger.
"You dare kill me? What right do you have to kill me! I am the Daimyo!"
Linto wanted to kill him with one strike, but he looked back at the samurai who were united against him, and then at Terumi Mei and Zabuza, who were shaking their heads slightly in the distance.
"You ask what right, then I'll tell you."
Linto took out Gato's memory disc and gave it to White Snake.
White Snake waved his hand, and large patches of candle-like liquid splashed into the sky.
Linto flicked his finger, and a ripple hit the candle liquid. Under the ripple's high temperature, they suddenly evaporated, filling the sky.
Like a huge movie screen covering the entire Kirigakure.
Everyone looked up at the sky, vaguely seeing images. The more they relaxed their minds, the clearer they saw, until they saw:
The contents of the Land of Water Daimyo and Gato's conversation about D-grade drug trade.
"Mix D-drugs into the salt... people will become addicted in half a year..."
"Then raise the price of salt, and we'll be able to make big money soon..."
"We've done human experiments. People who eat the salt will die by the time they're forty, past the prime of their lives... heh heh..."
"What if there aren't enough people?"
"People who take D-drugs will have strong desires. The whole country will be full of newborns, which will mean there will be more labor force. Daimyo-sama, you don't have to worry about that at all."
"Good, good, good."
The scenes were too real.
The two of them explained in detail the transportation routes, the way to divide the money after making profits, and various risk assessment measures.
Illusions can deceive the eyes, but they cannot fabricate information out of thin air.
As long as people have some ability to tell right from wrong, they know that everything they are seeing is real!
"You mother—"
Zabuza, who had the most violent temper, turned his head and was about to curse at the Land of Water Daimyo. Before he could say the last word, he saw someone else fly out and land heavily on the ground.
It was a samurai.
Unlike the samurai who had been sent flying by Linto before, who were only injured.
This one's chest was collapsed, and he was bleeding from the mouth. He was clearly dead.
Linto's voice was calm as he pointed to the images in the sky: "Anyone who sees this and still wants to protect the Daimyo, I won't hold back anymore."
Samurai are not civil officials, nor are they ninja who are good at gathering intelligence. Many of them are single-minded and only know how to wield their swords.
There are many things they don't know.
So, Linto gave the samurai a chance.
But if they saw evil and still acted as accomplices, Linto would no longer hold back.
The samurai's eyes wavered slightly, but then immediately became firm again.
That's right.
They had followed the Daimyo for many years and had seen too many things that went against their conscience -- of course, using the Daimyo's power to poison the entire country's civilians was the first time.
But so what?
They were samurai.
They were the Daimyo's swords, their bodies were the Daimyo's shields. Swords and shields don't need emotions, they don't need to judge for themselves.
Samurai only need to offer their loyalty to their master.
"Protect the Daimyo!"
Hundreds of samurai, their eyes firm, gripped their swords tightly and rushed towards Linto, showing their loyalty to the Daimyo.
"Blind loyalty...it really has a sense of antiquity," Linto sighed softly.
Star Platinum appeared.
One samurai after another was sent flying like cannonballs.
Linto didn't look at the charging samurai anymore, but turned to the Land of Water Daimyo and asked:
"If you die, do you have an heir?"
Witnessing the death of one samurai after another.
The Daimyo's anger gradually faded away, and fear, an emotion he had long forgotten, quietly grew in his heart.
"I...I have three sons. If you kill me, they won't let you off!"
Linto showed a kind smile: "The people who want you dead the most are your sons, but it's good that you have an heir."
"Ah?"
The Daimyo opened his mouth, not understanding what Linto meant, but then he saw a cold light flash.
The Land of Water Daimyo's head fell to the ground.
The entire scene was silent.
The Daimyo...was dead!
For so many years, the Daimyo was always high above, always lazy and extravagant, like immortal beings living in another world, not even on the same level as ordinary people.
Everyone in Kirigakure.
The loyalists, the reformers, the spies from various villages, and even the ordinary villagers watching from afar.
At this moment, they all heard the "thud" of the head falling to the ground.
Blood and dust stuck to the Daimyo's face.
Dirty, disgusting, showing no trace of nobility.
But this filthy scene, when seen, and when people thought of the many tragedies in the Land of Water in recent years, gave people an unspeakable sense of joy.
Linto turned to look at Pain, who was standing in place:
"This is what I call 'The Happiness That Pain Brings'."
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