To track down Karin's mother, the first step was to head to the Land of Grass.
Fortunately, the excuse to go was already in place—
After the death of the merchant Ando, his secret warehouse had naturally fallen into the hands of the Akatsuki.
As always, the kind-hearted Yahiko's first thought was to use the supplies for charity work and to recruit new members.
But there was simply too much inventory. Even with his overflowing compassion, Yahiko couldn't distribute it all at once.
So Kiyokawa took the opportunity to suggest selling a portion of the goods to neighboring countries to recover some funds.
The Land of Grass, right next door, seemed like a perfect candidate.
Most members of Akatsuki agreed with the proposal.
Some even chuckled and teased, "Kiyokawa, for once you've come up with a suggestion that isn't morally questionable."
Kiyokawa only smiled and said nothing.
But in his heart, he thought:
You might be saying that a little too soon…
In this wartime era, traveling abroad with a large shipment of valuable supplies was anything but safe. So Kiyokawa went a step further and requested that Nagato accompany him as added protection.
Yahiko hesitated. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off… but ultimately couldn't find a valid reason to refuse.
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, Kiyokawa," he said at last.
But then came a surprising twist no one had anticipated.
Konan stepped forward and said, "I'll go too. I recently finished making a batch of explosive tags—we can bring them to the Land of Grass and exchange them for money."
Yahiko turned to her in surprise. "But Konan, if you leave, who will manage logistics at the base?"
Konan replied with firm resolve, "I'll make all the necessary arrangements before I go."
Yahiko had no words.
A vague unease began to grow in his heart.
It felt like something important—something beyond his control—was quietly unfolding right under his nose.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp the shape of that change.
It had only been three days since he last spoke with Konan.
What exactly had happened in that time?
Unfortunately, there was no one who could answer Yahiko's questions.
After a few days of preparation, Kiyokawa sealed about one-fifth of the high-value inventory from Ando's warehouse into scrolls.
Then, with those scrolls packed on his back, he set off toward the Land of Grass.
Like the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass was a small and pitiable country caught between the great nations.
Its strategic value wasn't quite as high as the Land of Rain's, but its situation wasn't any better.
The difference was—unlike Hanzo the Salamander in the past—the Land of Grass had never produced a powerhouse capable of commanding the respect of the Five Great Villages.
As a result, the Kusagakure didn't even dare to build its settlement near any main roads. Instead, they hid themselves deep in remote regions to avoid becoming collateral damage in the war.
Ironically, the Land of Grass's most prosperous town was built right along a major route—close to the Kusagakure—but they didn't dare settle their village nearby, nor did they dare to develop it into anything grand.
Why?
Because if Konoha or Iwagakure ever came through to resupply, they might just raze it on a whim.
The village embodied the word humility—the quintessential example of a small nation navigating a world ruled by giants.
Kiyokawa, Konan, and Nagato traveled for half a day and, thanks to their ninja speed, arrived at the bustling town before nightfall.
While selling their supplies in town, Kiyokawa quietly summoned the Akatsuki members who had accompanied them on the mission.
Most of them were his former squadmates—including Kenjiro, who had been "used" by him not long ago.
By now, Kenjiro had developed an attitude of resigned acceptance, even volunteering bluntly, "Captain, what kind of trouble are you planning this time? Where are we headed? Who are we killing?"
Over the past few days, he'd figured it out: Yahiko might be the leader, but he clearly couldn't control Kiyokawa.
No matter how much Kenjiro tried to "resist," he always ended up dragged into the mess anyway.
So why fight it?
Might as well enjoy the ride.
Kiyokawa waved a hand. "Why are you always thinking about fighting and killing? Our organization's goal is mutual understanding between people."
Kenjiro narrowed his eyes skeptically—his expression clearly said, Yeah, right.
Sure enough, Kiyokawa immediately shifted his tone:
"But some people just refuse to understand. So, we'll have to give them… a little bit of dignity."
He spread out a map on the table.
"This is a simplified layout of the Kusagakure. I need you to scout it first. Priority is to confirm whether they've recently taken in a stranger."
"Our target is a woman, about twenty years old. She might not be a shinobi. Distinctive trait: bright red hair. Possibly thin and frail-looking."
"Once you find her, assess how she's being treated by the villagers. Don't engage just yet. Report back and wait for further instructions."
Kenjiro was surprised—this time, the captain wasn't ordering them to kill anyone?
"The one we're supposed to show 'dignity' to… is this woman?" he asked, following Kiyokawa's logic.
But Kiyokawa only gave a meaningful smile.
"No, of course not. She's done nothing wrong. In fact, she's exactly the kind of person who desperately needs to be understood."
"Sadly, the ideals our leader preaches are far too fragile… too naive. You'll soon see for yourselves—what fate awaits those who truly need understanding."
Kenjiro frowned. "So who exactly is this woman?"
Kiyokawa didn't answer directly. Instead, he guided him step by step.
"She has bright red hair. Think about it—who else do you know with vibrant red hair?"
Kenjiro's face suddenly changed as the realization hit him.
Just then, Kiyokawa added deliberately, "Don't tell him yet. That woman might be someone… very important to him."
"Let's wait until we confirm it."
He deliberately used someone important instead of a clanswoman—a subtle twist in phrasing that pushed Kenjiro's anxiety even higher.
But what Kenjiro didn't know was—this was a trap set for him all along.
Kiyokawa understood perfectly: Kenjiro wasn't entirely loyal to him.
The man still placed more faith in Yahiko.
Last time, Kiyokawa had used the bait of Kenjiro's sister to get him to silence those stray ninja.
Though he completed the task, Kenjiro had never fully bought into Kiyokawa's ideals.
Now, with such crucial intelligence in hand, Kiyokawa intentionally held him back from speaking out—knowing that would only make Kenjiro more likely to leak the information to Nagato.
After all, among the senior members of Akatsuki, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan still held more weight than Kiyokawa ever could.
And that was exactly what Kiyokawa wanted.
He wasn't the least bit angry.
On the contrary, he was glad that someone like Kenjiro was here.
Because now, the message would be delivered to Nagato under the perfect guise of loyalty.
It would all appear so natural… so inevitable.
And in the end, no one would ever suspect that it was Kiyokawa who orchestrated it from the shadows.
Now, the only thing left was to see whether the Kusagakure would play along.
But Kiyokawa wasn't worried in the slightest.
Because, as the original story made clear—
What they did to Karin and her mother was absolutely unforgivable.
Once Nagato saw the truth, there was no way he'd stay calm.