Precisely because she knew the masked man's true identity, she found it unbelievable that he would kill her. At the same time, a possibility arose in her heart.
That possibility was also the only reason the masked man would kill her.
"Shut up!"
The masked man barked coldly, and the force in his hand immediately increased.
"Cough, cough..."
The masked man's large hand was like a pair of pliers, choking Akatsuki until she could only cough, unable to say a word.
In contrast, when they heard Rock Lee mention that Mirai and Rock Lee seemed to know the masked man, Kakashi and his group immediately felt that the situation had become clearer.
Based on the information they had obtained so far, there were two possibilities.
One possibility was that this masked man was an enemy Mirai and Rock Lee had made during their last visit to Rain Village.
The second possibility stemmed from the conflict between Mirai and the leader of Root.
Root's dispute with Mirai had been concealed, but every villager in Konoha knew about it. After all, Danzo had provoked Mirai through the notice board. Kakashi still remembered that incident clearly.
Moreover, Kakashi knew a secret that no one else knew: before Mirai defected, he had once killed Danzo in Huo Ying's office.
Although Kakashi did not know why Danzo had ultimately remained unharmed after being beheaded by Mirai, Sarutobi Hiruzen had personally told him about it.
The reason he knew was also because, when Sarutobi Hiruzen sent him to investigate Danzo, Hiruzen had told him himself. The investigation concerned why Mirai had slashed Danzo with a blade, yet Danzo had suffered nothing.
Since Mirai had once beheaded a member of Root, it was reasonable for Root to seek revenge on those close to him.
However, for Root