While Ning Feng was thinking, Konan finally recovered her senses beside him. After giving him a grateful look, she hurriedly began handing out peace leaflets everywhere.
The Amegakure civilians whose faces had previously been full of rejection now looked at Konan and the others with admiration and reverence, readily accepting their peace leaflets.
The sight made Konan even more grateful to Ning Feng.
Once they had successfully handed out all the peace leaflets, Konan hurried over to Ning Feng, her face full of gratitude. "Little guy, if you hadn't helped us out of that predicament, we really wouldn't have known how to wrap things up."
"There's no need to thank me so much. I just saw an injustice and stepped in to help!"
Ning Feng feigned great modesty. "Besides, to be honest, this is my first time seeing an organization like your Akatsuki, trying to resolve everything through peaceful means."
Although Ning Feng's words were partly an attempt to raise their favorability, it had to be said that the original Akatsuki really had been like that, striving to resolve everything through peaceful means.
"There aren't many people who agree with our ideals these days!"
Konan looked astonished. She had never expected such wise words to come from a little fellow who looked only five or six.
Just as Konan and Ning Feng were talking, a panicked voice suddenly rang out in the distance. "Konan, something's wrong! A group of Amegakure ninja are heading straight for our Akatsuki headquarters at full speed!"
"And there are ninja from Amegakure's special assassination unit among them!"
The voice belonged to a tall ninja who was also wearing black clothing patterned with auspicious clouds. He was not particularly handsome, and his skin was somewhat pale, but his strange eyes were especially striking!
"Hmm, the Rinnegan?!"
Ning Feng froze at the sight, only then noticing that the ninja who had spoken was none other than Nagato, one of Akatsuki's three founding members!
Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan!
But Nagato was not as thin as a rake as he had been later in the original story. Instead, he looked full of vigor, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit, like the rising sun!
Ning Feng soon recalled that in the original story, as Akatsuki's influence grew, Hanzo of the Salamander had joined forces with Danzo to slaughter its members.
In the end, Yahiko, Akatsuki's leader at the time, had been left with no choice but to sacrifice his own life to save the others, until Nagato finally could not bear it any longer and erupted!
At the same time, this had planted the seeds of the later, brutal Akatsuki, which sought to bring pain to the world!
Judging by the situation before him, Hanzo of the Salamander had clearly made his move.
Ning Feng had originally had no desire to get involved in a political power struggle like this, but once he thought of the many benefits he could gain and the opportunity to manipulate Amegakure, a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"I never thought Hanzo of the Salamander and the others would act so quickly. Nagato, let's go!"
While Ning Feng was thinking, Konan's face filled with anxiety. Before leaving, she did not forget to glance at Ning Feng. "Little guy, thank you so much for this! I've got something else to take care of, so we'll have to part ways for now!"
"If you need anything, come find us at Akatsuki!"
With that, Konan casually sent something like an origami crane flying straight into Ning Feng's hand.
Ning Feng looked down and saw Akatsuki's address written on the paper crane. It seemed that he only had to follow this address to seek Akatsuki's help!
A rush of warmth immediately passed through Ning Feng's heart.
Among Akatsuki's many members, even later on, Konan had remained the girl who cared most for her companions.
Nagato gave Konan a long look and was about to ask a question when she hurriedly said, "I'll explain on the way!"
As the two led their subordinates toward Akatsuki's headquarters, Ning Feng hurried after them.
However, to keep the two from noticing him, Ning Feng deliberately kept a considerable distance.
Akatsuki's headquarters was not very far away. When Konan, Nagato, and the others arrived in a frantic rush, several Amegakure ninja had already surrounded it, with members of Amegakure's Anbu among them.
Inside the encirclement, Akatsuki's founder Yahiko and several companions were confronting them with sharp kunai in hand. A battle seemed ready to erupt at any moment!
Whoosh!
A piercing whistle rang out as Ning Feng landed somewhere no one noticed, while an intensely sinister gleam flashed through his scarlet Sharingan.
With his Sharingan's powerful perception, Ning Feng noticed that there were a great many Amegakure ninja, each seemingly an elite. There were even members of Konoha's Root among them.
Akatsuki, however, was far weaker. Not only did they have very few people, but their combat strength was also poor.
Even a fool could see that an unprecedented massacre and political purge awaited Akatsuki!
"Akatsuki's in serious trouble!"
The corners of Ning Feng's mouth lifted slightly. In the original story, it was precisely what happened here that had completely changed the fates of Konan and the others.
But since he had stumbled upon it, he certainly would not come for nothing or let those regrets come to pass. He would also take this opportunity to become the boss behind the scenes controlling Akatsuki!
While he was thinking, Hanzo of the Salamander, the man known as the Demigod of the Ninja World who had surrounded Akatsuki's members, walked toward Konan, Nagato, Yahiko, and the others with a broad smile.
"I've long heard that your Akatsuki loves peace, takes peace as its mission, and has repeatedly tried to persuade other countries to coexist peacefully!"
"I must say, I greatly admire young people like you. Of course, I also value talent highly. As long as your Akatsuki joins me, Hanzo of the Salamander, I will allow you to do what you wish."
"But... if you refuse, don't blame me for turning against you!"
At that, Hanzo of the Salamander's gaze immediately turned icy, filled with an unprecedented chill.
Facing the ninja surrounding them, even if Yahiko, Nagato, and the others had been fools, they would have understood perfectly well that while Hanzo of the Salamander spoke of having them join him, he actually wanted to absorb Akatsuki completely.
From then on, the peace-loving Akatsuki would cease to exist, and they would all become priority suspects under Hanzo of the Salamander's secret surveillance...
"Lord Hanzō, we've stressed more than once that we don't want to serve under anyone!"
Yahiko frowned and spoke coldly.
He knew full well that much of Amegakure's internal strife was due to Hanzo of the Salamander's rule. Joining them would mean completely betraying their original intentions!
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