Outside Windrest City, Hidden Mist Village and Hidden Cloud were still locked in a standoff.
From Jūzō Biwa's taunt to the Akatsuki's sudden split,
fewer than ten sentences had passed in total.
Everything had happened so quickly that the shinobi of both villages could barely keep up.
The Hidden Mist shinobi had never expected such a dramatic turn of events.
The Akatsuki had actually turned on itself!?
Before, Kaito had been the only one on their side who could put up a fight.
Now Twin Eyes and Twin Blades could both be counted as allies!
Karatachi Yagura had never imagined that Jūzō Biwa and Kisame Hoshigaki, who hated Hidden Mist Village most, would defect from the Akatsuki just like that.
What was this if not a stroke of luck falling into their laps?
Incredible. A single sentence was all it took to make the Akatsuki turn on itself.
Seeing Karatachi Yagura's peculiar look, Kaito gave a light cough. He had no qualms about revealing that the Mizukage had been controlled.
Naturally, exposing the secret in the simplest way possible was best.
He gave Karatachi Yagura another meaningful look.
Then he jerked his chin toward Twin Blades!
With things having reached this point, Karatachi Yagura naturally took the opening offered to him.
He coughed up two mouthfuls of bloody foam and said with difficulty, "Jūzō Biwa, Kisame Hoshigaki, I know you were both persecuted and forced out of the village."
"Hidden Mist Village has now set things right, and we desperately need capable people."
"If you return now, Hidden Mist Village will forgive your past defection."
"You can continue wielding your Ninja Blades."
Jūzō Biwa turned around, pointing his enormous blade at Pain.
"Let's finish this fight first. Pain isn't someone to take lightly."
Karatachi Yagura took two ragged breaths, pulled