"I've already chosen the location," Hanzō said coldly.
"Wailing Ghost Valley, near the border in the eastern Land of Rain. The terrain is treacherous, with steep cliffs on both sides and a narrow entrance. It's a natural death trap. I'll deploy a hundred elite shinobi under my direct command to lie in ambush atop the cliffs."
"When the time comes, I'll invite that boy Yahiko to a private meeting under the pretext of discussing the details of our cooperation and jointly addressing Iwagakure's demands for accountability. He'll bring only a few trusted followers. Once they enter the valley..."
He did not finish, but his meaning was clear-trap them, surround them, and wipe them out to the last man.
Danzo nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. That will eliminate the threat posed by Akatsuki, give Iwagakure an answer, conceal our cooperation, and demonstrate Amegakure's resolve and commitment to its alliance. Several birds with one stone. Your methods are admirable, Lord Hanzō."
The two seasoned schemers concluded their dirty deal across a vast distance.
Each wanted to use the other to achieve his own ends.
Wailing Ghost Valley was a treacherous, rarely visited place in the eastern Land of Rain.
Nearly vertical walls of gray-black rock towered into the clouds on either side, leaving only a narrow, winding passage between them.
The towering cliffs reduced the sky to a thin strip. Sunlight rarely reached this place throughout the year, and the air was thick with damp mildew and a faint smell of sulfur.
It was indeed an ideal place for an ambush.
In a dense forest not far from the valley entrance, a squad wearing earth-yellow shinobi uniforms and Iwagakure forehead protectors lay hidden.
Their leader was Kitsuchi, a burly man with a stern, resolute face.
He held up a pair of binoculars and