While on duty, Aoki Tsuki trained as usual, and the index finger of his left hand twitched slightly.
"Phew... it's finally recovered a little. If I'd really turned to stone for good, I'd have been finished."
No matter how strong a ninja was, once their body was crippled, their career as a ninja was essentially over.
That morning, he had sensed the Natural Energy that existed everywhere in the world.
So he had tried absorbing a little into his body. Who would have thought Natural Energy was so violently overwhelming? If his mental power hadn't been strong, he would have turned to stone on the spot.
Fortunately, he hadn't absorbed much. After sensing the danger, he had quickly expelled it and concentrated the small amount left over in the meridians of his left arm.
This had caused part of his left arm to show signs of petrification.
Not everyone was suited to cultivating Senjutsu. In fact, it could be said that very few people were.
Aoki Tsuki didn't consider himself particularly special. Without his cheat, he probably couldn't have detected Natural Energy in just a few years.
He needed to let his body gradually adapt to the violence of Natural Energy, mixing mental energy, physical energy, and Natural Energy little by little until they reached a 1:1:1 ratio, thereby gaining complete control over this power.
It was painstaking work that couldn't be rushed.
"Sigh, I'm afraid I'll have to be like Danzo from now on."
Ever since Danzo had received his special arm transplant, he had spent all day disguising himself as a one-armed old man at death's door, even walking with a cane.
His act was pretty convincing.
Chakra continuously nourished the damaged meridians and flesh, stimulating the cells back to life.
Before his shift ended, he finally digested the remaining Natural Energy completely. It felt as though something about his body had changed, yet also as though nothing had changed.
It was a very mysterious feeling.
As his Senjutsu progressed, the final form of Rain Breathing, which had long been stalled, was also approaching completion.
His swordsmanship rose to a new level along with it.
After getting off work at midnight, Aoki Tsuki deliberately found a deserted place to practice his swordsmanship. Its power had increased, while the strain on his body had decreased.
Rain Cutter, Dragon Pursuit, Countercurrent Fang, Cloud Piercer, Lightning Burial, Moon Shadow, Heavenly Weeping.
These seven sword techniques matched the seven stages of Rain Breathing. The forms flowed into one another as naturally as eating and drinking.
Of these, Moon Shadow involved the use of mental energy and sword momentum, while Heavenly Weeping harnessed the power of nature.
As his mastery of Natural Energy grew, the power of these techniques would continue to increase, and his swordsmanship would no longer be ordinary.
"It's getting late. Time to go back."
Aoki Tsuki turned toward home. With a single step, his figure appeared dozens of meters away.
He had quietly ground his Body Flicker Technique to an extremely high level. Otherwise, he couldn't have escaped last time.
His mother, Eiko, was already asleep, and the house was pitch-dark. The moment Aoki Tsuki opened his bedroom door, he knew someone was inside.
He wasn't overly nervous. He simply flipped on the light.
Who was he? Hanzō's lackey and one of Root's tentacles. They could forget about scaring him!
Click...
The dark room lit up, revealing a woman in a black cloak patterned with red clouds, standing expressionlessly by the window.
"Holy shit, how did this woman sneak into my house?"
Aoki Tsuki looked away and walked into the room, pretending to be calm. He closed the door before saying leisurely, "A rare visitor."
He crossed to the desk in a few strides, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"If you want revenge, you should go after Hanzō. I'm just a small fry. I can't be much help to you."
The implication was that he could help with small things. He was a friend, not an enemy.
"Aoki Tsuki, an Amegakure Jonin and captain of Hanzō's guard. Am I right?" Konan said coldly.
It was precisely this aloofness that brought out her air of an orchid blooming in a secluded valley.
She was several times more dangerous than when she had looked weak and delicate.
Her personal charm instantly maxed out.
"One correction: I'm on the periphery. As for the rest, everyone in the village should know that by now, shouldn't they?"
Aoki Tsuki's family ran a gift shop, and he was also a Jonin in the guard. Now he had become someone everyone wanted to curry favor with.
It was very easy to find information about him.
He lit a cigarette and began smoking on his own. Working night shifts for so long had gotten him addicted to cigarettes, a terrible habit.
"What brings you here so late at night?"
"Back then, Hanzō joined forces with Konoha's Danzo to deal with us. What else do you know?"
Konan was simply testing how much information Aoki Tsuki had, while also checking where he stood.
"As you saw, I was just a lackey at the time. I happened to be assigned to watch you and was transferred there at the last minute. How could I have been important enough to know much?
"If I hadn't run fast, your companion would have killed me long ago. But thanks to him, I was able to become a Jonin so quickly. My thanks!"
Aoki Tsuki pressed his palms together and bowed.
"But... I did hear a rumor that Hanzō and Danzo secretly formed a military alliance. It's hard to say whether it's true."
The role he intended to play was someone with a little strength.
Someone who occasionally heard things, but didn't know much.
If he revealed everything about himself the moment they met, not only would they refuse to believe him, they would also think he was an idiot.
"A military alliance?"
Konan noticed that Aoki Tsuki hadn't addressed Hanzō as "Lord." That didn't match the persona she had heard he presented.
The villagers' impression of Aoki Tsuki was that he was a young man who admired Hanzō very, very much. Loyalty was his defining trait.
Now it seemed that had merely been his disguise.
"People say you're well informed, and that if anything happens in the village, they can come to you to get it resolved."
"Come on... please don't say that!" Aoki Tsuki hastily shook his head in alarm. "I'm not nearly that capable. If someone heard you, it would be serious."
"Don't worry. I'm very careful. I won't get you involved."
Konan offered him reassurance. When dealing with someone like Aoki Tsuki, as long as she didn't cause him trouble, he was easy enough to get along with.
Sure enough, Aoki Tsuki responded immediately.
"Oh? What information would you like to ask about?"
Konan was silent for a moment before asking about the information she most wanted to know. "What's Hanzō's situation now?"
The question was a little broad and hard to answer. There was so much information about Hanzō: his strength, his state of mind, and his daily security arrangements.
"Oh, you're putting me in a difficult position. Everyone in the village knows how loyal I am to Hanzō."
Aoki Tsuki first made a solemn declaration of the attitude expected of him as Hanzō's guard. This meant he would have to betray the reputation he had built up, and the cost of breaking that trust was high.
You'll have to pay more!
They were neither family nor friends, so why should he help her for free?
Next, as a show of sincerity, he demonstrated his value as Hanzō's guard:
"It's just that the old man hasn't been doing too well. Ever since he came back last time, he's been absent-minded and drinking heavily all day. We subordinates are very worried."
Konan immediately picked up on an important piece of information. "Drinking heavily?"
"Yes! He drinks a whole jug every night after dinner. Ahem... it's getting late, and I have a shift tomorrow. How about you... head back first?"
This information was very valuable.
Before receiving a generous reward, he wouldn't reveal any more useful information.
He would get back the loyalty he had given Hanzō over the years, with interest.
He couldn't afford to make a losing deal.
Konan knew how things worked too. She reached into her clothes, took out a scroll, and placed it beside him. "I hear you like collecting Ninjutsu. Consider this your payment. I won't make you work for nothing."
Aoki Tsuki held out both hands in a token refusal. "Th-this is too generous, isn't it? I couldn't possibly accept."
Ignoring his insincere courtesy, Konan flashed out of the window and left.
"She even knows I collect Ninjutsu. Looks like she's been watching me for a while."
Over the past few years, he had gradually obtained several standard Ninjutsu from Root and exchanged them privately with his Amegakure colleagues.
Gradually, quite a few people in the village had learned that he collected Ninjutsu.
Aoki Tsuki was now proficient in Ninjutsu of both the Water Release and Lightning Release natures. He had collected some Ninjutsu of other natures, but hadn't yet developed the corresponding nature transformations.
He opened the scroll and found that it contained one Ninjutsu for each of the five natures-wind, lightning, water, fire, and earth. All of them were fairly practical.
"As expected of Lady Angel. She really is generous."
Aoki Tsuki marveled inwardly. His new employer really did have vision, unlike that old geezer Hanzō, who hoarded what little Ninjutsu he had and wouldn't teach it to anyone.
He was terrified that others would learn it and threaten his position.
Meanwhile, Konan returned to the tower in the western district. Akatsuki was no longer as lively as before. Now only Nagato and Konan remained, with only Yahiko's corpse left to keep them company.
"How did it go?" Nagato asked.
Nagato was no longer the indecisive person he used to be, who had to ask Yahiko about everything.
Contacting Aoki Tsuki to obtain information on Hanzō and Amegakure was a decision he had made after weighing everything.
Aoki Tsuki had dealt with their Akatsuki before, making him something of an acquaintance. They didn't know whether he was a good person, but at least he hadn't shown any hostility.
Tonight's transaction was a test.
Konan replied, "Yes, it's done. He accepted the deal. Hanzō has a habit of drinking heavily now. Perhaps we can use that to make our move."
Kill Hanzō, seize control of Amegakure, and take command of the Land of Rain.
That was what they had to do next.
Use the Land of Rain as Akatsuki's foundation, then gather funds and talented people, collect the Tailed Beasts, and create a new peace.
That was Akatsuki's ultimate goal.
To move against Hanzō, they first had to learn his daily routine. Ideally, they would carry out the coup without a sound.
Otherwise, once word leaked out, the other ninja villages would inevitably intervene and affect their subsequent plans.
The old Akatsuki hadn't understood the need to stay hidden and had exposed itself to others too early, bringing deadly disaster upon itself.
"There's no rush. Keep gathering information on Hanzō. I've thought of a technique. We'll make our move after I've developed it, to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Hanzō was one of the chief culprits behind Yahiko's death, and Nagato wanted nothing more than to kill him immediately. For now, he had to endure and wait for the right moment.
"What do you think of Aoki Tsuki... can he be trusted?"
"He's a very cautious man, and his position is unclear. But he grew up with his mother, and as long as his home is there, he can't run away."
That was the main reason the two of them had ultimately chosen to contact Aoki Tsuki.
A ninja with family usually had things to consider when acting.
Using Aoki Tsuki, the captain of Hanzō's guard, as their opening would allow them to obtain information with precision and secrecy, giving the plan a good chance of success.
"Since he accepted the deal, we can continue contacting him. If anything seems wrong, I'll step in and deal with him.
"We already have a target for Human Path. We leave tomorrow morning, so get some rest."
"Mm."
Konan turned and left the dark room. She glanced at Deva Path Pain, who was sitting on the stone statue's tongue outside, and a trace of sorrow passed through her eyes.
When Yahiko died, her heart had died with him. She would spend the rest of her life fulfilling his last wish.
Otherwise, she really didn't know what conviction she could rely on to keep living.