The sea on the way to the Land of Water was rough and choppy.
A merchant ship with a tattered sail rose and fell with the waves. Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than the storm outside.
The newly formed Akatsuki group made for a bizarre sight.
Kakuzu sat in a corner, holding an abacus and clicking away so loudly it seemed to shake the cabin. He muttered, "This voyage should bring in quite a haul. If we complete the mission in Kirigakure, we ought to make tens of millions in bounty money. Joining Akatsuki really has put me in a good mood."
Across from him, Sasori of the Red Sands carefully wiped the mechanism parts he had removed from Hiruko. At Kakuzu's words, a trace of annoyance crossed his handsome, youthful face.
"You're so obsessed with money. You're giving me a headache."
"What did you say, brat?" Kakuzu's temple twitched, and the black tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear peeked from his sleeve. "If the leader hadn't recruited you, your heart would already be in my collection."
"Go ahead and try." Sasori's fingers twitched. Several almost invisible Chakra Threads connected to the scroll beside him. "I wouldn't mind trading your head for a hefty bounty."
The two glared at each other, and murderous intent instantly filled the cabin.
Yahiko and Konan sat on the other side, their expressions complicated. Watching these "teammates" who were ready to fight at the slightest provocation, they couldn't help but doubt the future of the organization.
Was this the team that was supposed to "save the world"? It was practically a den of lunatics and murderers!
How were they supposed to achieve their lofty ideal of everlasting peace with a bunch like this?
Only Nagato sat in silence, his red Rinnegan fixed on the flickering candle flame. No one knew what he was thinking.
"That's enough."
Lin Feng's voice came from the deepest shadows. He didn't open his eyes, maintaining his inscrutable meditative pose.
Those two simple words carried an invisible pressure that weighed on their minds.
Kakuzu's tendrils instantly withdrew, and Sasori's Chakra Threads quietly went slack. They both remembered the terror of being ruled by absolute power.
"The place we're headed is Kirigakure, known as a museum of Kekkei Genkai."
Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes and glanced around at everyone.
"The Third Mizukage rules the village right now, but..." A playful smile curled Lin Feng's lips. "It's a very closed-off place, which also makes it an ideal whetstone for you."
"Kirigakure has a policy of isolation, so it's difficult for outsiders to infiltrate," Konan calmly analyzed. "And their Anbu hunter-nin are extremely troublesome."
"Infiltrate?"
Lin Feng sounded as if he'd heard a joke. He rose from the shadows and walked to the cabin entrance.
The wind and rain outside rushed in, stirring his unruly black hair.
"In this world, only the weak need to sneak in."
He turned to look at Nagato.
"When we reach Kirigakure, I don't want to see you acting so indecisive anymore, Nagato. You're a god. When a god descends to the mortal world, he doesn't need to knock."
Nagato's body shuddered. He slowly nodded. "Understood."
Two days later, near the Land of Water.
A dense fog shrouded the sea, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. It was Kirigakure's natural defensive barrier, reinforced by special Barrier Ninjutsu. Any unauthorized Chakra fluctuations would be detected immediately.
"The barrier's just ahead," the old boatman steering the ship said with a tremble. "Sirs, I can't take you any farther. Going on would be suicide!"
Kakuzu put away his abacus and glared at the boatman in displeasure. "Who's committing suicide?"
The boatman looked as if he might cry, but didn't dare argue.
Lin Feng stood at the bow, looking at the seemingly calm fog ahead, where danger lurked beneath the surface.
With a Body Flicker Technique, he disappeared from sight and appeared in another forest.
"Black Zetsu."
"Here, Lord Madara." Black Zetsu emerged through a gap between the trees.
"That brat should be near the Land of Fire by now, shouldn't he?" Lin Feng meant Obito.
"Yes. According to our intelligence, the Uchiha boy named Obito completely turned to darkness after Rin's death. He's now lurking around the Land of Fire, apparently plotting to seize the Nine-Tails and sow chaos," Black Zetsu said with a sinister laugh.
Lin Feng nodded.
In the forty-eighth year of Konoha, Rin Nohara died beneath Kakashi's Chidori. After witnessing it, Obito awakened his Mangekyo and, under the guidance of Madara—the elderly Madara—resolved to create a world where Rin was alive.
According to the original story, Obito would control Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, and turn Kirigakure into a living hell.
But now, Lin Feng was here.
He had no intention of letting that "idiot number two," Obito, have the whole prize to himself.
"Let's go."
Lin Feng used the Body Flicker Technique to return to the ship, then glided lightly down onto the surface of the sea.
The members of Akatsuki also disembarked one after another, walking across the water behind him.
When they touched the invisible barrier, no alarm sounded.
Because Lin Feng had raised one hand.
"Preta Path: Absorption Seal."
The Rinnegan's power activated. Beneath Lin Feng's palm, the sensory barrier, strong enough to stop an army, melted like snow, leaving a huge gap in an instant.
The entire process was soundless, without stirring even the faintest ripple of Chakra.
Sasori's pupils contracted slightly. No matter how many times he saw this absolute control over Chakra, it still made his heart race.
"So this is...the power of the Rinnegan?" he murmured.
Beyond the barrier, the fog gradually thinned, revealing a gloomy village built in a deep mountain valley.
Kirigakure.
At this time, a faint mist hung in the air throughout the village. The streets were crowded with people, and the occasional ninja who passed by had bright eyes and a warm, cheerful air.
"Head straight for the Mizukage Building."
Lin Feng made no effort to hide themselves. With the five members in black cloaks patterned with red clouds, he strode openly down Kirigakure's main street.
Such brazen behavior soon drew attention.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A dozen masked Kirigakure Anbu appeared in an instant, blocking their path.
"Who are you?! How dare you trespass in Kirigakure!"
The Anbu Captain shouted sharply, his Ninja Blade already drawn and his Water Style Chakra at the ready.
Lin Feng didn't even look at them. He kept walking.
"Clean them up."
He spoke four words, his tone flat.
"Hmph. These nobodies will make a fine test for my blade."
Kakuzu charged forward first. Black threads surged from his back, piercing the hearts of two Anbu in an instant.
"Don't take my materials."
Sasori's fingers twitched. Hiruko's tail swept through the air, trailing a cloud of poisonous purple mist.
The battle erupted in an instant and ended just as quickly.
Aside from the somewhat weaker Yahiko, every member of Akatsuki was a Kage Level or near-Kage Level monster. Against a dozen ordinary Anbu, it was like swatting ants.
In less than a minute, bodies littered the ground.
The Kirigakure villagers and ninjas who had been watching from the sidelines hurriedly retreated, their eyes filled with terror.
"W-what are those people?"
"That redhead...is he wanted by Konoha?"
Lin Feng stepped through the blood on the ground, walking toward the Mizukage Building at the highest point of the village.
Just as they were about to reach the plaza in front of the building, a vast, ferocious burst of Chakra suddenly erupted ahead.
Boom!
A massive column of water shot into the sky, blocking their path.
As the water column fell away, a man of average build and resolute face emerged slowly, wielding a huge spiked club.
Behind him followed seven ninjas, each with a different appearance and a murderous air.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
And the resolute-looking man was none other than Kirigakure's ruler, the Third Mizukage.
"You slaughtered people in my village..."
The Third Mizukage's violet eyes held no emotion. His voice was as cold as ice at the bottom of the sea.
"Have you prepared yourselves to die?"
Lin Feng stopped and looked at the Third Mizukage before him and the seven legendary Ninja Blades behind him.
An ordinary person would have been scared witless by such a lineup.
But Lin Feng smiled.
He looked delighted, as if he were watching a group of toys lined up for inspection.
"Die?"
Lin Feng tilted his head slightly. His hair fell over his shoulder, revealing the Rinnegan that seemed to seize the soul.
He raised a hand and pointed toward Nagato behind him.
"Nagato, you have ten minutes."
"Make sure this Mizukage understands what's going on."
Nagato took a deep breath and stepped forward.
His black cloak patterned with red clouds snapped in the wind. He raised both hands, and the ripples in his Rinnegan churned violently.
If "Teacher" Madara said the world had to feel pain...
Then let it begin with Kirigakure.
"Shinra Tensei!"
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