Land of Rain.
After two days and two nights of travel, Gento and Kurenai eventually arrived at this land soaked in rain all year round.
The sky was overcast, fine rain falling like threads, drifting down endlessly.
The distant mountains were shrouded in a curtain of rain, hazy and indistinct.
The air was filled with dampness, and the soil beneath their feet had absorbed so much water that it felt soft and spongy when stepped on.
Gento stopped and turned to Kurenai:
"We're about to officially enter the Land of Rain. We could encounter enemies at any time."
"You should hide in the Yomotsu space. It'll be easier for me to act alone."
Kurenai knew that going along would only drag him down, so she obediently nodded.
With a wave of his hand, Gento stored her inside the Yomotsu space.
Standing alone in the rain, he began to think through his next course of action.
Currently, the ruler of the Land of Rain was Hanzo of the Salamander.
That Akatsuki organization was still lurking in the shadows, accumulating strength, waiting for the right moment.
Finding them would not be easy.
He didn't even know where their base was, let alone rescuing Shinku Yuhi and the others.
But he was certain of one thing: since Akatsuki intended to launch a coup, they would need to keep track of Hanzo's movements.
They would definitely have people stationed near the Hidden Rain Village, monitoring his every move.
As long as he found that observer, he could follow the trail and locate Akatsuki's base.
Without hesitation, Gento's figure merged into the shadows as he infiltrated toward the Hidden Rain Village.
…
Hidden Rain Village, near the central building.
Gento had been crouched in the shadows of a secluded alley for most of the day.
Rainwater dripped from the eaves, forming a curtain of water in front of him.
His gaze remained locked on the people passing along the street, not missing a single suspicious target.
Finally, as evening approached, his attention fixed on someone.
It was a middle-aged man wearing an ordinary gray raincoat, with a conical hat covering his face.
He had set up a small stall at the street corner, selling cheap rain gear and miscellaneous items, appearing to be nothing more than an ordinary vendor.
However, Gento noticed several details:
First, the vendor's position was too perfect. His stall allowed him to observe both entrances to the central building, while he himself remained hidden in the corner's shadows, difficult to detect.
Second, over the entire afternoon, he had barely made any sales. Even when customers asked for prices, he responded half-heartedly, nothing like a real vendor… more like his mind wasn't on business at all.
After locking onto the target, Gento did not act right away.
It was still daytime; any rash move could alert the entire village.
He waited patiently.
Night fell.
The rain continued, and the darkness along with the rain curtain provided Gento with excellent cover.
His figure moved through the shadows, silently approaching the vendor's position.
The vendor, having packed up his stall, was walking with his head lowered toward the depths of an alley, preparing to find a place to spend the night.
He walked steadily, unaware of the danger behind him.
The moment he turned into a secluded alley–
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
Gento's mental energy precisely entered the target's body.
The vendor's figure stiffened abruptly.
Gento sensed the resistance of the man's spirit and felt a hint of delight.
This level of resistance was not something an ordinary person could have–the man was definitely a ninja!
Under his control, the vendor stiffly turned around and walked step by step deeper into the alley.
When he reached Gento, Gento immediately released the Mind Body Switch Technique.
The vendor's eyes cleared as he opened his mouth to shout.
"Yin Release: Mind Rift Gate!"
Gento's Sharingan spun rapidly, and a genjutsu instantly invaded the man's consciousness.
The vendor's eyes became vacant once more.
Once the man's will had completely collapsed, Gento followed up with a third technique:
"Mind Reading Technique."
He placed his hand on the man's head, and a flood of memories surged into his mind.
This man was named Sosuke, a native of the Land of Rain. His parents had died when he was young, and he had later been taken in by Akatsuki.
He was an outer member of the organization, responsible for monitoring Hanzo's movements and reporting intelligence to the group at fixed intervals.
Gento quickly sifted through the memories, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
As expected.
After finishing reading all of Sosuke's memories, Gento did not hesitate to snap his neck.
The body was thrown into the Yomotsu space, leaving no trace behind.
Next, Gento formed hand seals and used the Transformation Jutsu to assume Sosuke's appearance.
On the rain-soaked streets at night, Gento moved swiftly forward.
According to Sosuke's memories, the Akatsuki base was hidden within the Hidden Rain Village.
Right under Hanzo's nose!
Indeed, the most dangerous place was the safest place.
Arriving before a tall building, Gento stopped.
From the outside, the building looked like nothing more than an ordinary warehouse, its rusted iron doors tightly shut.
Gento walked to a wall at the side and formed hand seals in the sequence from memory.
The wall slowly opened, revealing a passage leading underground.
Gento slipped inside, and the wall closed behind him.
The passage was dark, with only dim yellow lamps embedded in the walls at intervals.
Gento descended along the steps, his footsteps echoing in the narrow space.
At the end of the passage, two ninja in black robes blocked his path.
"Password!"
One of them said coldly.
Gento remained calm:
"Steamed salamander."
The two exchanged a glance and nodded.
But one of them still looked at Gento suspiciously:
"Sosuke, why did you come back instead of monitoring Hanzo?"
Gento kept a stern face, his tone serious:
"I discovered important intelligence regarding Hanzo and must report it to Angel-sama immediately."
"This information is crucial. It might help us overthrow Hanzo's rule in one move!"
He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he stared at the two:
"Stop wasting my time. Where is Angel-sama right now? I need to report to her immediately!"
"If we delay the organization's plans, can the two of you bear the responsibility?"
The two changed expressions and quickly stepped aside.
"Angel-sama is interrogating captured Konoha spies in the prison at the end of the third underground level."
"Hurry, Sosuke."
Hearing this, Gento's heart stirred, though his expression remained unchanged as he nodded and walked past them.
…
Underground, third level.
The further down he went, the more damp and cold the air became.
From the prison cells on both sides of the corridor came low groans and screams from time to time.
Gento did not stop and continued forward.
Finally, he stopped in front of a cell at the end of the corridor.
The cell was small, with stone walls on all sides and only a dim yellow lamp hanging overhead.
Four thick wooden stakes stood in the center, each with a Konoha ninja tied to it.
Two of them had their heads hanging down; whether unconscious or already dead was unclear.
The other two were still conscious, but their expressions were listless and their bodies covered in wounds.
One of them was Shinku Yuhi.
Seeing that he was still alive, Gento quietly let out a sigh of relief.
In front of Shinku stood a figure.
A woman.
She wore a black robe adorned with red clouds.
Though the robe was loose, it could not conceal the graceful curves beneath.
A purple rope belt was tied around her waist, outlining her slender figure.
Her long light bluish-purple hair draped over her shoulders, with a pale purple paper flower pinned at the end.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her skin as fair as snow, her features delicate.
Her light orange eyes were fixed coldly on the Konoha ninja bound to the stakes, her gaze indifferent, without a trace of warmth.
It was Konan!
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]