A Ruthless Man

"What's wrong?" Tendo asked, noticing her strange expression.

"One team of Konoha Ninja accepted a job from Kusagakure, a total of two people," Konan said in a deep voice. "The female ninja among them is Yūhi Kurenai, as mentioned in the intelligence."

"Oh? So, the other person is...?"

Konan's expression turned slightly serious. "Although the appearance is completely different, it is very likely that it is a disguise of the Purple Aurora."

According to the intelligence they gathered, Yūhi Kurenai was one of Takeda Shuichi's main partners.

In the team formation style of those major ninja villages, the primary factor in forming a ninja team is tacit understanding, and the frequency of changing teammates is far less frequent than in smaller ninja villages.

As the most prominent and powerful figure in recent years, Takeda Shuichi's intelligence was naturally a key focus of the Akatsuki Organization. The existence of Ishikawa Tatsuki and Kurenai could not be kept secret from those who were interested.

Tendo's expression remained unchanged, but his tone seemed much more serious. "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be him."

"Do you want to make a move, Nagato?" Konan couldn't help but ask, "We've only just begun to gather our strength, the Tailed Beast Project will probably take a long time, and the enemy's strength..."

She feared that Nagato was eager for revenge because his parents were killed by Konoha and Yahiko was Danzo and others.

However, the organization currently has very few members, and the first step of its fundraising plan has only just begun. Directly confronting Konoha's top experts could easily lead to unexpected problems.

"You don't need to say anything more, I'm not that impulsive," Tendo replied calmly. "However, given this unexpected turn of events, it wouldn't be right to do nothing."

"If you want to collect all the Tailed Beast, Nine-Tails) and Konoha) are unavoidable obstacles."

"Takeda Shuichi the biggest enemy in our future plans. Although we have intelligence on him, it's hard to judge since we haven't fought him."

Konan's expression was solemn. Even though they had great confidence in the Rinnegan, the Purple Aurora was no ordinary person. Behind him stood the strongest Konoha in the Shinobi World, Konoha. Such a background was indeed quite troublesome.

"According to the latest intelligence from Madara and Zetsu, this person's current strength is arguably the strongest in the Shinobi World." Konan recalled the message from the other side in her mind.

"The last time he went all out was during the war between Konoha and Cloud."

Because the battle ended so quickly, even Zetsu didn't get a detailed account of the fighting. Furthermore, infiltrating these two villages wasn't easy; all we know is that Kumogakure suffered a great loss.

"Based on the available intelligence, Takeda Shuichi's strength is about one level higher than the Sannin, and his Ninjutsu techniques are virtually flawless..."

"I think so. He's much stronger than Jiraiya- sensei." Nagato agreed with Konan and the others' assessment.

Although he believed that with the Rinnegan, he could easily defeat Jiraiya, it was hard to say what would happen if he faced Purple Aurora.

The opponent's Flying Thunder God Technique is too mobile; as long as one is careful, Six Paths of Pain won't be able to hold them back.

If I were to go all out and attract the opponent's attention, Shuichi would simply gather many of Konoha's top fighters to take turns attacking me. No matter how I look at it, it seems like a very difficult situation.

This person's resume is truly outrageous; he made a name for himself on multiple battlefields at the age of eleven.

At the age of twelve, he accomplished the feat of killing the Tailed Beast and ending the war.

The thirteen-year-old managed to suppress the rampaging Nine-Tails in a short time.

Two years ago, he led Konoha to easily defeat Cloud, which is unlike the descendants of an ordinary Jonin.

When facing such an enemy, it's never too much to overestimate one's own strength.

"Since we're going to take action, what are your plans?" Konan thought for a moment and then added, "Sasori and Kakuzu recently joined the organization, both seemed to be quickly defeated when facing him. It's impossible to order those two to participate in the battle now."

Recruiting these missing-nin ninjas is no easy feat; their trust in the organization remains to be tested.

The leader's mystery and power are the foundation, and cannot be exposed like this. Therefore, rashly engaging in conflict with the Purple Aurora would actually be a losing proposition.

"Let's use the war, and notify Zetsu to cooperate..." Nagato quickly decided, "Let the Preta Path, Animal Path, Asura Path, and Human Path hide within the Takigakure team."

"Pass on a message to that outer member... never mind, let's sneak over and subdue him, then find a way to separate the two from Konoha."

After a brief discussion, Nagato and Konan concluded that if Yūhi Kurenai and Shuichi were to unexpectedly separate, the four of them could easily defeat the female ninja if they acted together, and there would be no need for Tendo to intervene.

After capturing Yūhi Kurenai, you can Human Path to extract her Soul extraction and kill her, framing Takigakure while simultaneously gathering more information about Purple Aurora, making them taste the pain of losing their beloved.

Their plan to use hostages to risk everything to resolve the situation with Shuichi was abandoned; Madara's intelligence indicated that the Flying Thunder God Sharingan's perception.

Although she didn't know if it was true or not, Nagato didn't want to come forward and confirm it herself.

If they can't capture Yūhi Kurenai, they can only let these four spar with Takeda Shuichi. If things go wrong, they can summon them back to their side and retreat.

Regarding the question of whether the Rinnegan would be exposed, Konan and Nagato believed that Danzo, as a high-ranking official in the village, would definitely let Konoha know. At the same time, the Land of Fire's extensive investigations into the Land of Rain in recent years also proved this point, so there was little point in hiding it.

It would be better to disrupt Shuichi's judgment through combat, keeping Konoha confused about the true situation.

Thump thump thump--

Two days later, a rapid knocking sounded in Shuichi's ear.

He and Hong got up and opened the door, only to find Tomoyoshi in full combat gear standing at the door, his expression full of tension.

"My lords, an urgent battle report has arrived from the front lines. Takigakure has launched a new offensive, and our forces are struggling to hold them off in many areas. Should we depart immediately to provide support?"

"Of course, we've been itching to get started..." Shuichi bloodthirsty look, resembling a freak like Orochimaru.

"However, you need to understand that the paid wages are only enough for us to perform three operations. I hope you will choose carefully."

"... certainly!"

Tomoyoshi led the two downstairs quickly to meet up with the other three members of his team, and they immediately left the village to head to the front lines.

In the past two days, the thick dark clouds have dispersed considerably, as the Grass-Rain Border region had just experienced torrential rain.

Da da da--

At this time, the sun occasionally peeks through the gaps in the clouds.

Several ninjas stepped onto the damp grass, splashing water everywhere. Colorful sunlight seemed to flash before their eyes, and the air was slightly hazy under the thin mist.

Be careful, there might be enemies not far ahead.

After looking at the simple map in his hand, Tomoyoshi gestured for everyone to tread lightly and led the way into the slightly darker rainforest, with the team members following one by one.

The Land of Grass is home to a variety of giant plants and animals, while the Land of Waterfalls is famous for its many waterfalls.

The border area between the two countries is rich in resources. The rainforest is teeming with lively small animals and insects, and many trees are laden with plump fruits. It's no wonder that both sides are eager to seize this territory.

Faced with a complex environment, Tomoyoshi became even more cautious, lowering his body and moving with small, light steps.

They signaled using only hand gestures and navigated around various obstacles and curves.

"I don't think you need to go to all this trouble." A clear male voice suddenly rang out, almost startling the four Kusanagi Ninja.

Startled, he turned around instantly and discovered that the speaker was none other than a helper from Konoha.

Before they could express their serious dissatisfaction, Shuichi a mocking smile, "Because we're surrounded."

"What?"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh--

The whistling of numerous metal weapons came from all directions, piercing through the thin mist and charging towards their squad. A dozen or so figures followed closely behind.

Based on a normal team configuration, the attackers consist of a total of 4 to 5 teams.

They were ambushed before they could rejoin their main force; it was a meticulously planned ambush.

The four members of the Kusagakure hurriedly drew their weapons to defend themselves, and for a moment, the sound of clanging weapons filled the air.

But there were simply too many ninja tools in front of them. Even though they were unwilling, they could only do their best to protect their vital parts and preserve their fighting strength, preparing to fight to the death with their injuries.

When the storm of death subsided, they... found themselves perfectly shielded!

"..."

Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!

Shuichi smiled and lowered his hand, reminding him, "Don't just stand there daydreaming, the enemy is already here!"

Numerous Waterfall Ninja roared and surrounded them. The Tomoyoshi Squad immediately realized what was happening, and they lined up back to back in their most proficient formation, covering each other as they fought the enemy.

Magical Tree Binding Death!

With Shuichi by her side, Kurenai was fearless, Hand Seals her spell in one smooth motion.

Several Waterfall Ninja only felt a blur before their eyes and found themselves tied to a large tree, immediately realizing they had been subjected to Genjutsu.

Knowing that their teammates would help them, they remained calm, as their numerical advantage meant that Genjutsu were not very effective.

However, the group didn't just wait there. They tried to break free themselves and unexpectedly escaped the Genjutsu with ease. "This..."

Pfft pfft--

The powerful Kunai shot out with a whooshing sound, accurately piercing the throats of numerous Waterfall Ninja.

Such a rapid series of attacks left them no time to react, but the main reason was that Shuichi's timing was too good; he was exceptionally sensitive to Kurenai's chakra and Mental Energy.

Yin-mao-xu-wei-chen, Wind Release · Wind Cutter!

With a single hand moving like a phantom, Shuichi turned his head and spat out multiple tiny Wind Blade at an unbelievable speed.

The blow left a horrific bloody gash on Waterfall Ninja's body, almost splitting his upper body in two.

Compared to the Vacuum Wind Release series, this technique is more unpredictable in his hands, making it extremely suitable for small-scale battles.

Brush!

He grabbed a knife at random Shuichi charged into the remaining crowd, slashing horizontally and sideways. The blade was invisible amidst the rolling silver light as he cut through the numerous Waterfall Ninja like grass.

As soon as Tomoyoshi and his companions turned their heads, they were shocked to see the enemies falling one after another, bleeding profusely. They couldn't help but gasp in horror.

This expert from Konoha is truly ruthless!