Conspiracy

"Just like the last time I was here, the rain never stops," Uchiha Yusuke thought to himself, feeling the light drizzle landing on his body.

It was not the first time Uchiha Yusuke had set foot in the Land of Rain; he had carried out missions here during the previous war.

Channeling chakra within his body, a faint, imperceptible layer of fire-attribute chakra covered his skin. As the fine raindrops touched this layer, they were instantly incinerated.

The reason it was "incinerated" was that he wasn't using high heat to evaporate the rain; otherwise, he would look like a steam engine emitting white vapor to everyone else.

The Konoha delegation did not have to wait long after arriving in the Land of Rain before Hanzo the Salamander came to greet them in person.

It was clear that Danzo and Hanzo had met before, as they immediately began conversing with a sense of familiarity.

Among the group of drenched ninjas, Uchiha Yusuke, whose hairstyle remained perfectly intact, immediately caught Hanzo's attention, while Uchiha Yusuke carefully observed the ninja known throughout the world as the "demigod."

In terms of appearance, Hanzo looked quite like a low-tier boss, wearing the standard uniform of Amegakure with a short black cape draped over his shoulders. He wore a metallic gas mask that covered his mouth and cheeks, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed.

His long, withered yellow hair hung down his back, and his eyes were fierce and menacing—he was clearly not a man to be trifled with. The weapon in his hand also looked rather unimpressive: a sickle attached to a chain, with a heavy weight at the other end.

The reason Hanzo wore the gas mask was not to protect himself from others' poisons; on the contrary, it was to prevent the poisonous gas he exhaled from affecting those around him!

In the village where Hanzo was born, there was a highly venomous Black Salamander. After the creature died, its poison sac was implanted into the young Hanzo's body, granting him immunity to toxins.

Whenever he breathed, those around him would inhale the poison, so people feared him from a young age. To avoid harming others, Hanzo was forced to wear a mask and breathe through his mouth.

Hanzo could not easily remove the mask, even though it would give him an advantage in battle. If the poison sac in his abdomen were to rupture during a fight, even Hanzo would be unable to withstand the toxicity of the Black Salamander.

After the Konoha group followed Hanzo to the lodging provided for them, they settled in to rest, while Danzo and Hanzo went off to some unknown location for a private talk.

Uchiha Yusuke had no interest in the secret discussions between these two "hidden" men. For him, he was only there to attend the official negotiations, witness the proceedings between Danzo and Hanzo as an envoy of the Third Hokage, and report back.

Of course, if Uchiha Yusuke were a loyalist to the Third Hokage, he might try his best to find out if there was some unspeakable deal between Danzo and Hanzo.

But Uchiha Yusuke had no intention of dying for the Third Hokage, so he simply coasted, resting and recharging in the lodging while waiting for the formal negotiations to begin.

In Hanzo's private chamber, Danzo sat in a chair with his eyes closed, resting, with two loyal Root ninjas standing behind him. Opposite him sat a visibly displeased Hanzo.

"Are these the compensation terms drafted by Konoha? They are ruthless! According to your demands, my Amegakure won't be able to recover even in five years!" Hanzo said coldly, looking over the document in his hand.

This document was the compensation proposal from Konoha. It was clear that Danzo had not cared for the village's interests, as he had leaked the contents to Hanzo before the official negotiations.

Danzo kept his eyes closed and said slowly, "I can make significant concessions on these terms, but you will have to pay a price elsewhere."

Hanzo didn't care about the concessions Danzo mentioned; instead, he changed the subject. "No need for concessions. As long as you do me a favor, I will agree to all the terms on this paper!"

Danzo was startled, his closed eyes snapping open.

He knew the terms in the document were extremely harsh. Originally, Danzo had planned to sell out some of the village's interests, make concessions, and then have Hanzo compensate his Root organization in other ways. But now that Hanzo had agreed to the terms, Danzo was very curious about what this "favor" actually entailed.

"What kind of favor? Tell me," Danzo said, keeping his composure.

Hanzo said slowly, "Have you heard of an organization called the Akatsuki? They have been active near Amegakure recently, preaching a ridiculous theory of peace."

"With your strength as a 'demigod,' can't you handle such a minor, insignificant organization?" Danzo asked.

"The leader of this organization is not simple. According to intelligence, one of the Akatsuki's cadres possesses the legendary Rinnegan!" Hanzo dropped a bombshell.

Upon hearing Hanzo's words, even with Danzo's level of cunning, he couldn't control his emotions. He widened his eyes in shock. "What! You're talking about the legendary 'Sage's Eye'?"

Seeing the greed in Danzo's eyes, the corners of Hanzo's mouth beneath the gas mask curled up slightly. "Correct, it is the Rinnegan, known as the 'Sage's Eye.' The opponent's strength is still a mystery, which is why I haven't dared to strike yet."

"However, I have recently learned about their internal situation. As long as I have your assistance, I am confident I can wipe them out! We will each take one of the Rinnegan, and I will agree to all the terms of this negotiation, allowing you to perform a great service for Konoha, which will help you in your future bid for the position of Hokage!" Hanzo continued.

He believed that with the conditions he offered, Danzo had no reason to refuse.

"I agree to this cooperation, but are you really confident that we can handle a ninja with the Rinnegan?" Danzo frowned.

Although he coveted the legendary Rinnegan, Danzo knew very well that a ninja possessing those eyes would certainly not be easy to deal with.

Hanzo gave a sinister smile. "Honestly, if it were a head-on battle, I wouldn't have absolute certainty. But I have found their weakness. As long as your men cooperate, it will be a sure thing."

Danzo said in a deep voice, "Then I will stay here for a few more days to assist with your plan. However, I must be informed of every detail of the plan."

Danzo didn't fully trust Hanzo; he didn't want to be used as a pawn by him.

"You can rest assured on that point. The key to this plan depends on your subordinates. I know your Root organization has many talented spies. I need your men to infiltrate their organization and wait for an opportunity to capture a key person for me. With this person in hand, the ninja with the Rinnegan will surely be forced to surrender," Hanzo said.

"Fine. Notify me when you are ready to execute the plan," Danzo nodded.

"By the way, there was an interesting ninja in your team today. It seemed like the rain couldn't even touch him. He looks quite capable," Hanzo said, recalling Uchiha Yusuke, whom he had seen when greeting Danzo.

For Hanzo, the more experts who could participate in his plan, the better.

Danzo snorted coldly, "That guy is someone the Third Hokage sent to keep an eye on me. Don't count on him for this plan. You should have heard of him; he is Uchiha Yusuke, known as the 'Flame Tachi'."

Knowing Uchiha Yusuke's identity, Hanzo nodded and said no more. He had originally thought Uchiha Yusuke was an expert from Danzo's Root organization that he could utilize, but since he wasn't Danzo's man, there was no need to ask further.

Uchiha Yusuke knew nothing about the conspiracy Danzo and Hanzo were plotting against the Akatsuki.

The next day, Uchiha Yusuke attended the formal negotiations between Konoha and the Amegakure. Although the entire negotiation process was extremely dull and boring, the anomalies within it alerted Uchiha Yusuke.

Although the negotiators from both sides went through the motions of haggling, the Amegakure ended up making concessions on every single term!

This was a very abnormal phenomenon. After all, Hanzo the Salamander was not a weak leader; even if Amegakure was the defeated party, they shouldn't have conceded to such an extent!

"Danzo and Hanzo must have reached some unspeakable agreement," Uchiha Yusuke frowned.

But suspicion was just suspicion; Uchiha Yusuke did not know what kind of deal the two had made in secret.

After all the compensation terms were negotiated, Hanzo and Danzo signed the agreement, and the Konoha delegation's mission to Amegakure for compensation negotiations was effectively completed.

Returning to the lodging, Uchiha Yusuke asked Danzo, "Lord Danzo, the mission is complete. When will the delegation return to Konoha?"

"I still have to remain here for a few days," Danzo said, casting a glance at Uchiha Yusuke.

"May I ask the reason for this?" Uchiha Yusuke asked.

Danzo flicked his large sleeve and snorted coldly, "I am the leader of the delegation; there is no need for me to explain myself to you." Having said that, he ignored Uchiha Yusuke and strode away.

The two confidants who followed closely behind Danzo also glared fiercely at Uchiha Yusuke. One of them was Yamanaka Rei, who had previously attempted to ambush Uchiha Yusuke only to be taught a lesson instead.

Watching the backs of Danzo and his men as they departed, Uchiha Yusuke frowned and began to ponder in secret.

At this moment, the village was at a critical juncture in the election for the Fourth Hokage. As Orochimaru's sponsor, Danzo had been busy maneuvering among various factions in the village on his behalf.

By sending Danzo to Amegakure for negotiations at such a time, the Third Hokage likely intended to use the opportunity to disrupt Danzo and Orochimaru's campaign plans.

Under normal circumstances, Danzo should have returned as quickly as possible after the negotiations concluded, rather than wasting time by remaining in Amegakure.

This could only mean that Danzo's purpose for staying in Amegakure was even more important than supporting Orochimaru's bid for the Fourth Hokage!

Over the next few days, Uchiha Yusuke kept a secret watch on Danzo. However, Danzo was truly the leader of the ninja world's premier espionage organization; the reconnaissance work around him was impeccable. Uchiha Yusuke was never able to get close, and on a few occasions, he nearly got caught by Root's scout ninjas.

"Lord Danzo, it seems someone has been following us for the past few days. I have already instructed the scouts to be vigilant, but we have yet to flush them out," Yamanaka Rei said respectfully to Danzo.

"It shouldn't be Hanzo's men; it is most likely Uchiha Yusuke monitoring me in the shadows. Sarutobi really knows how to cause me trouble," Danzo snorted coldly, then continued, "Ignore him for now. How are our plans coming along?"

"Everything is mostly prepared. We have already gained control over several members of the Akatsuki. Once the plan commences, we will certainly be able to coordinate with Hanzo to capture the target," Yamanaka Rei said.

"Very good. Hanzo has also agreed on a meeting time with the leader of the Akatsuki. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I must obtain the Rinnegan; only I am worthy of possessing this legendary Sage's Eye!" Danzo said, appearing calm. However, the slight tremor in his voice betrayed the excitement in his heart.

"But if the person tracking us in the shadows really is Uchiha Yusuke, will he oppose us and secretly sabotage our plans when the time comes?" Yamanaka Rei asked, his face showing concern.

In his heart, Yamanaka Rei did not believe Uchiha Yusuke posed any real threat to their plans, but he deeply loathed Uchiha Yusuke for making him look pathetic and causing him to lose face in front of his subordinates.

If he could use Danzo's hand to eliminate him, that would be for the best.

Danzo waved his hand dismissively, "He is alone within the territory of Amegakure and cannot stir up any trouble. Once I obtain the Rinnegan, he will be the first one I deal with."

Three days later, Uchiha Yusuke, who had been secretly monitoring Danzo, noticed that the members of Root were suddenly mobilizing in large numbers. Realizing that Danzo must be making a major move, he immediately followed Danzo's party from a distance.

This time, Danzo was not wearing his usual half-black, half-white kimono, but had changed into a standard Konoha ninja uniform. It was clear that Danzo himself might take action during this operation.

At this moment, in a valley within the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander and the Akatsuki leader Yahiko were holding their formal meeting. Standing beside Yahiko were Nagato and Konan, with a crowd of Akatsuki members behind the three of them.