Chapter 200: The Actions of the Three Great Hidden Villages
Konoha.
While Li Yao was busy developing his soul-possession technique, Danzo departed with a large squad of Root shinobi.
To bring down someone like "Konoha's Sakumo ," a lot of groundwork had to be laid. If anything seemed suspicious, the entire plan could fall apart.
According to the scheme devised by Hiruzen and Danzo:
Danzo would first infiltrate the Land of Rain to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki.
The suspicion that Akatsuki was secretly backed by Iwagakure wasn't just a cover for Hiruzen's plot against Sakumo—it was a genuine concern.
After all, Akatsuki's role in the Land of Rain was far too unusual.
So before moving against Sakumo, they had to fully understand Akatsuki's nature.
Once that was done, Danzo would identify several towns near the Fire–Rain border to serve as targets for staged attacks.
Once the towns were chosen and distances calculated, the plan could begin.
A month later.
Hiruzen received Danzo's intelligence from the Land of Rain.
Akatsuki showed no signs of support from Iwagakure or any major village. It was merely a small organization built by a naïve kid named Yahiko—nothing to worry about.
The list of border towns to be attacked was finalized. All they needed now was Sakumo's arrival.
That same evening, Hiruzen summoned Sakumo in secret and instructed him to lead an ANBU team into the Land of Rain to investigate potential ties between Akatsuki and Iwagakure.
"Sakumo, all the hidden villages are preparing for war. This mission could be the spark that ignites conflict between Iwa and Konoha. You must keep it absolutely secret. Whatever you find, tell no one. Only we must know."
"If the truth spreads and war breaks out, who knows how many of our comrades would die."
Hiruzen put on his usual caring façade, planting the justification for secrecy. When the plan succeeded and Sakumo returned, public pressure would stop him from revealing anything.
Then his silence would be seen as guilt, disappointing the villagers who once admired him.
And once that disappointment reached a tipping point, it would turn into resentment.
At that point, talk of him as the next Hokage would fade away naturally.
Later, Hiruzen could quietly reinstate Sakumo in ANBU. From then on, he would be hidden in the shadows, Konoha's sharpest fang—serving only the Hokage.
At this stage, Hiruzen and Danzo had no intention of killing Sakumo.
They never imagined… he would commit suicide.
But for now, none of that had happened yet.
The future was still unwritten.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. I swear on my life to keep this mission secret."
Hiruzen's reputation was too persuasive. Sakumo had no idea he was walking into a trap. He accepted the mission with full resolve and departed that night with a team of ANBU toward the Land of Rain.
Meanwhile…
Sunagakure.
A three-man team trudged through the desert winds on their way to the Land of Rain.
"Lord Kazekage, why has Hanzo tolerated Akatsuki's existence?"
Among the three, two were older—around twenty. The third was young, just fifteen. Yet one of the older shinobi addressed the youth as "Lord Kazekage" while asking.
The boy—referred to as Lord Kazekage—was a striking young ninja with rare white hair for a Suna shinobi. A katana hung at his waist, giving him more the appearance of a wandering swordsman than a ninja.
Despite his age, his expression was calm, his presence steady.
"I don't know," he replied softly. "That's exactly why we're headed to the Land of Rain—to understand what Akatsuki really is. Why has Hanzo, the so-called Demi-God of the Shinobi World, allowed a rogue ninja group to exist in his country?"
"We need to uncover the truth."
After the Warring States era ended and the ninja village system rose, the one-nation-one-village model became the norm.
Akatsuki's presence in the Land of Rain would be like an unregistered ninja group suddenly appearing in the Land of Wind.
Would Sunagakure tolerate rogue shinobi on its soil?
Absolutely not.
Such a group would be seen as declaring war on Sunagakure.
So by logic, Amegakure should've crushed Akatsuki already.
And yet, Akatsuki thrived—so much so that even the Five Great Villages had taken notice. Meanwhile, Hanzo remained silent.
This forced Sunagakure's leadership to ask:
Why wasn't Akatsuki afraid of Hanzo?
Why wasn't Hanzo eliminating them?
These two questions led them to suspect: was Akatsuki being secretly supported by Konoha or Iwagakure?
Otherwise, Hanzo's inaction made no sense.
With Hanzo and Amegakure's might, Akatsuki should have been wiped out long ago.
So Suna's leadership dispatched their young prodigy—Fūko the Windwalker, a 15-year-old genius—with two elite chūnin to investigate Akatsuki.
With both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind sending shinobi to investigate, surely the Land of Earth would as well?
The answer, of course, was yes.
And among those Iwagakure sent—was someone Li Yao knew very well.
"Lady Haitsuchi, you should go back. If sensei finds out, he'll worry."
"No way. I finally got out—I'm not going back to be locked up. And with you here, the old man doesn't need to worry."
"But…"
"No buts. If you don't tell, and I don't tell, who's going to know? Or are you planning to betray me?"
Along a mountain path in the Land of Earth, a girl with no visible scars from her Black Lightning burns stood with hands behind her back. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes like black pearls locking onto her younger disciple.
"I… Of course not!"
The boy, called "Little Stone," stammered and shook his head.
He was only fifteen. Seeing those full curves approach—barely concealed under a black bodysuit—his cheeks flushed red. He lowered his head, unable to meet the eyes of the beautiful and seductive Lady Haitsuchi.
Haitsuchi straightened up and smiled. "Good. Let's go—no time to waste on this mission."
With that, she grabbed her junior's hand and dashed toward the Land of Rain.
The young disciple, now completely enthralled, forgot everything—including the secret order from the Third Tsuchikage.
Every Iwa shinobi had been told—if you encounter Haitsuchi outside the village, abandon your mission and escort her home immediately.
Though Ōnoki never gave the order explicitly, everyone in Iwagakure knew it.
That's how deeply he loved—and feared—his youngest daughter.
Feared what?
After Haitsuchi had nearly died when captured by Li Yao, Ōnoki had been traumatized. Since then, he had forbidden her from leaving the village.
He feared she'd face danger again—especially since it was in the Land of Earth that she was abducted last time.
This time, Haitsuchi had snuck out while Ōnoki was away at the Daimyō's residence.
(END CHAPTER)
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