The Akatsuki Really Has Changed Hands

In Uchiha Shingen's view, this kind of mess doesn't even count as a mess.

The two sides are completely unequal.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen was dealing with Shimura Danzō's extermination of the Hannya Group sect, his only reaction was that the price was too high; the reasoning is the same.

Ninjas eat the food of killing; in this vast Ninja World, when has there not been a year without the ghosts of those who "died unjustly"?

Uchiha Shingen pressed the button to access the Special Operations Team's rest room.

A moment later, his office door was pushed open, and an ANBU dressed in a very traditional style walked in.

"Here, take this." Uchiha Shingen picked up the "Difficult Cases" booklet on his left and handed it to the other person. "These people are unlikely to give up easily. Let's get rid of them."

The Anbu Ninja took the documents, glanced at them, and understood what was going on.

"There are no outsiders here, you don't need to wear a mask anymore," Uchiha Shingen reminded him, seeing how serious the other person was about to do.

While maintaining a serious demeanor might appear professional, the duties and responsibilities of Special Operations Team dictate that they only need to adhere to discipline during combat.

After all, all they need to do is identify the target and then kill it.

Back then, everyone in this room was a comedian, spouting all sorts of cheesy jokes, but that didn't stop them from efficiently killing people.

Upon hearing Uchiha Shingen's words, the ANBU removed their masks.

It's Uchiha Itachi.

"How have you been feeling in the ANBU lately?" Uchiha Shingen asked.

Uchiha Shisui's personality was well-suited for the Jonin Council.

But Uchiha Itachi, in terms of both intellect and personality, was a natural candidate for the ANBU.

Uchiha Shingen felt that it would be best for Uchiha Itachi to take over the responsibilities of the ANBU in the future.

This wasn't nepotism on his part; rather, in this generation, there was truly no one more suitable to lead the ANBU than Uchiha Itachi.

His tactical style is very much like that of the ANBU service, something that wasn't developed in the ANBU service.

"It's great," Uchiha Itachi said. "Everyone is enthusiastic, especially the two vice-captains."

Of course they're enthusiastic towards you.

These people have incredibly sharp eyes; otherwise, do you think just anyone could be parachuted in as the captain of Special Operations Team?

"This proves that everyone likes you." Uchiha Shingen looked at him earnestly, "Your potential is visible to everyone."

Uchiha Shingen recalled Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū Uchiha Itachi.

Although it doesn't sound like nice words, from the perspective of the Root culture, they are actually all good words.

"Yes, Shingen- nii, don't worry, I'll do my best!" Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the responsibility.

With such care and concern from his seniors, what reason did he have to hesitate or waver?

Uchiha Itachi looked at the documents in his hand once more.

No, this must be done today! These people must be killed today.

"Brother Shingen, I'm going to work now!"

"Okay, go ahead." Uchiha Shingen waved his hand at him.

He bet the person on the document wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow.

After Uchiha Itachi left in high spirits, Uchiha Shingen picked up the intelligence report from the Land of Rain and began to think.

Any changes within the Akatsuki must be either due to Nagato's will or related to him.

The name "Akatsuki" holds special significance for Nagato.

After thinking for a moment, he pressed the doorbell for the secretarial department.

After a while, a ninja on duty arrived.

"Minister, please give your instructions."

"Give me the complete intelligence report on the Land of Rain. I want to read it from beginning to end."

"Yes," the ninja on duty replied, then hurried back even faster than he had come.

Everyone knows how important the Land of Rain is.

There are Five Kage- level beings there, and more than one.

The strongest one would be a top-tier ninja even in Leaf Village.

Uchiha Shingen began to ponder the reasons for the sudden and significant changes within the Akatsuki from another perspective.

Naturally, he placed his suspicions on Uchiha Madara.

Only Uchiha Madara could disregard Nagato's objections and attack the Akatsuki.

However, in his eyes, the Akatsuki were probably just chickens and dogs. Don't be fooled by Uchiha Madara's hot temper; he had very discerning tastes, and not just anyone was worthy of his manipulation.

[It seems that, once the intelligence is confirmed, someone will need to go and check it out in person again.]

Thinking this, Uchiha Shingen took a file folder from the drawer and put the document inside.

Neither Nagato nor Uchiha Madara are figures that Leaf Village cannot afford to underestimate.

This is such an important matter that it must be reported to the Hokage.

There are actually very few people who are capable of taking on this job.

Chapter Twelve: Xiaozhen's Owner Has Changed Hands

In his office, Uchiha Shingen carefully examined the supporting materials for the intelligence report on the Land of Rain that had been sent by the secretarial department.

This compilation of materials describes in great detail the recent changes in the Land of Rain.

There's also Amegakure).

As an important part of the Leaf Village Alliance system, intelligence and special operations against the Land of Rain and Amegakure have always been a major part of the Leaf Village ANBU.

Leaf Village's surveillance of this country is comprehensive.

During the Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain gained another title—the birthplace of the Third Type of Shinobi Organization.

The Land of Rain was originally a powerful ninja nation, but due to organizational corruption, many ninjas lost a stable source of income, and thus spontaneously formed various third-party organizations.

The so-called third type of organization refers to all forms of ninja organization other than ninja villages and ninja clans.

These types of organizations typically do not have a complex organizational structure, nor are they within the framework of the national system. They vary in number and rely on orders from ninja villages to maintain their income.

At the same time, these organizations have no fixed base and are highly mobile. Although their major clients are ninja villages, they also target ninja villages for their mischief, so their cooperative relationship with ninja villages is not stable.

For a ninja village, such an unstable partner, who would frequently betray them, would be a disservice to their professional ethics.

For the third type of organizations that adopt a mobile operation model, switching to the other side or even a third party at any time is a basic operation.

In this environment, the Akatsuki became a breath of fresh air.

Firstly, it accepts one order at a time, and once it accepts one, it doesn't change its mind.

Secondly, its relationship with Amegakure is already quite established.

In the early years, it was consistently bad; later, it was consistently good.

Because its leader, Nagato, became the village chief of Amegakure in a very hardcore way.

He brazenly stormed into Amegakure and slaughtered Hanzo's entire family.

Everyone, including Leaf Village at the time, thought that Amegakure would fall into chaos as a result, but the Rain Ninja actually accepted it.

There was no suppression or anything; most of the Rain Ninja simply accepted it.

Saying it's all about banging drums and gongs is an exaggeration, but the description of "decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations" is quite apt.

Only then did the nations realize the extent to which that former hero, Rain Village Hanzo, was no longer respected in their own villages.

Of all the parties involved, the Leaf Village ANBU paid the most attention to Rain Village of Nagato, because the Leaf Village ANBU had cooperated with Hanzo to wipe out the Akatsuki.

Although the killing didn't happen, a real grudge was formed between the two sides.

The ANBU, they come and go secretly.

Everyone has done things like killing allies' ANBU; as long as the cleanup is done well, no one can find fault with it.

Back when the Uchiha Clan Sand Village ANBU vent their frustrations.

The Hokage Building had nothing to say either.

Once they become allies, all available means are in the ANBU.

When two major ninja villages become allies, their ANBU) can beat the crap out of you.

Small ninja villages may not have ANBU), but they do have similar organizations.

The "ANBU" of Amegakure is actually the Akatsuki.

It is only because Uchiha Shingen is now the head of the ANBU that the Leaf Village ANBU ninjas have the confidence to continue their work in the Land of Rain.

Being unafraid of death is one thing, but it's different from knowingly going there and dying anyway.

Therefore, although it was difficult to infiltrate Amegakure, the Leaf Village ANBU's intelligence gathering work in the Land of Rain went smoothly.

This resulted in the thick stack of supporting documents in front of the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Shingen observed very carefully.

He would take all these materials to the Hokage's office, but taking them there was one thing, reporting them was another. He needed to have a clear understanding of the whole story, report the situation concisely and with substance, and also come up with specific solutions.

Otherwise, that wouldn't be reporting to the Hokage, it would be giving the Hokage a problem to solve.

They're already working overtime like dogs, and you're still giving them questions? That's just inhumane.

After reviewing all the documents, Uchiha Shingen rang the office doorbell.

There are so many doorbells on this table, a whole row of them.

But there's no other way; this is the Hokage Building, with too many ninjas and Ninjutsu mechanisms everywhere, which severely impacts electronic equipment, so this is the only solution we could come up with.

Fortunately, everyone is on the same floor, making it easy to visit each other.

A moment later, a member of the ANBU entered the minister's office.

"Notify the team leaders in charge of intelligence from Rain Village and Akatsuki, and have them come over for a meeting," said Uchiha Shingen.

"Yes, Minister."

After the man left, Uchiha Shingen carefully packed his things.

The document folder was too full, so he had to find a bag to put it in.

This is to ensure that Minato, who suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, can have his fill of watching.

Doing your work well before reporting is the responsibility of a subordinate.

But giving you more documents is my personal revenge as someone who was conscripted into the army.

You're going to get yelled at tonight!

After tidying up his things, Uchiha Shingen first made himself a cup of tea.

There are definitely no goji berries. Everyone in the ANBU knows that the new commander hates goji berries the most, which is fundamentally different from his predecessor.

He's in excellent health.

Uchiha Shingen carried a cup of hot tea and sat down on the large sofa next to him.

The fine tradition of holding meetings in the minister's office has been well inherited by the ANBU; now the coffee table here is bigger and the sofa is wider than before.

By placing the teacup on the coffee table, Uchiha Shingen could already hear the breathing outside the door.

In the ANBU offices, one rarely hears any noticeable footsteps.

After all, the ANBU are used to walking silently.

The door opened, and the first person to enter was an old acquaintance Terai.

This former Root ninja, who once infiltrated the Land of Stone to gather intelligence, is now a key figure in the intelligence department.

But now he doesn't travel anymore; he married a girl from the Land of Stone and they had a son.

Shimura Danzō also agreed with this.