"Wait ten more months for the new children to be born, get a new round of system rewards, boost my strength, and then decide whether to cause trouble."
Raizen reminded himself to keep a low profile and focus on development. After saying goodbye to Kurenai and the others at home, he left the village.
Unbeknownst to him, a nimble figure followed at a discreet distance. Raizen didn't notice this shadow. He exited the Hidden Leaf and headed toward a small town nearby, eventually entering a familiar black market.
A sweet-looking receptionist approached him. "Customer, what kind of mission would you like to post?"
"I need to hire two bodyguards to accompany me to the Grass Village (Kusagakure) to retrieve my wife," Raizen said. "Ideally, experts with Jōnin-level strength."
The receptionist replied, "Sir, Jōnin-level experts don't come cheap. How much are you offering?"
"One million Ryo."
"We'll take that mission."
Before the girl could speak, a voice rang out from the entrance. Two men wearing black cloaks adorned with red clouds walked in. Raizen turned and frowned as he recognized the newcomers.
It was Kakuzu and Hidan—the "Immortal Duo."
Seeing Raizen's hesitation, the receptionist quickly added, "These two have a 100% success rate. You can rest assured, customer."
"Fine, you two then," Raizen agreed after a moment's thought. He looked at them. "Do you need to prepare? If not, we leave now."
"We're ready. We can leave anytime," Kakuzu said.
"Then let's go."
As they left the town and headed toward the Land of Grass, Hidan whispered to Kakuzu, "Hey, Kakuzu, doesn't this kid look familiar?"
Kakuzu nodded slightly. "I thought so too. It feels like I've seen him somewhere, but I can't place it."
A few days later, the trio arrived in the Land of Grass. Disguised, Raizen visited the address given by Hiruzen—a small tavern.
Raizen handed a slip of paper with a secret code to the man at the counter. The man scanned the surroundings and led Raizen into a secret room.
"What are the village's orders?" the man asked.
"Reiko. I'm here to take Reiko back," Raizen stated.
The man went silent for a moment. "Sir, Lady Reiko isn't here."
"Where is she?"
"She infiltrated the Kusagakure dungeon cells in disguise to find one of our missing team members."
Raizen's eyes narrowed. "Where is the dungeon? Take me there immediately."
The man looked worried. "Sir, are you a Jōnin? If you aren't at that level, breaking into the Grass Village dungeon is a suicide mission if you're discovered."
"Don't worry about that. Just lead the way, I'll handle the rest."
An hour later, the group stood near a massive cavern. The contact pointed. "Sir, the dungeon is just ahead."
"You head back now," Raizen told the man. The man was a Leaf spy; he couldn't afford to be exposed. Despite Raizen's grudge against the Leaf elders, he wouldn't unnecessarily burn the ninjas working for the village abroad.
"Be careful, sir," the man said, casting a final look at Raizen before flickering away.
"Let's go," Hidan said, shouldering his Triple-Bladed Scythe and walking forward with swagger.
Kakuzu followed, telling Raizen, "We'll draw the attention of the Grass ninjas. You take the opportunity to slip inside and find your person."
"Thank you, both."
As Hidan and Kakuzu approached the entrance, a squad of Grass ninjas intercepted them. "Who are you? How dare you trespass into Kusagakure territory!"
"Heh! Daring to disrespect Lord Jashin... you all deserve to die!" Hidan laughed, swinging his scythe.
Against S-rank powerhouses, the three gatekeepers didn't stand a chance. Hidan's blade carved through them before they could even blink. Screams erupted.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
A large group of ninjas swarmed out of the cavern, surrounding the Akatsuki duo. "Sacrifice these infidels to Lord Jashin!" Hidan roared, plunging into the fray.
While the chaos unfolded, Raizen slipped into the cavern. Most of the guards had been drawn outside. Raizen moved quickly through the rows of cells, searching for Reiko. He grew increasingly anxious as he failed to spot her.
"Raizen-sama?"
A woman disguised among the prisoners looked up in disbelief. Reiko stared at the handsome man as if she were dreaming.
"Reiko! Are you alright?" Raizen rushed over, his voice full of concern.
Tears welled in Reiko's eyes. "I'm okay, Raizen-sama. But how... how did you find me here?"
"It's a long story. Let's get out of here first."
The cell door was locked. Raizen didn't bother with keys; he simply formed a Rasengan and blew the door off its hinges.
"Let's go, Reiko."
"Lord! Please... take my child with you! I beg of you!"
A woman in the neighboring cell suddenly dropped to her knees, weeping. "My child, Karin, she has a fever! Please, just take her away from here!"
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