In the darkness of Amegakure, the only sound is the crisp sound of raindrops falling on the steel buildings.
The village is surrounded by a huge lake, forming a natural barrier.
Glug... Glug...
A cluster of bubbles rose from the lake, followed by a person wearing a breathing apparatus. He observed carefully for a moment, then cautiously made his way towards the village along the waterway.
I swam all the way to a bridge before going ashore and following the route I remembered.
They soon arrived in front of a restaurant, thinking to themselves, 'According to intelligence, Shadow Cat's hideout is here. Could it be that this guy has really been exposed?'
The thought that Shadow Cat had been in regular contact with the organization sent a chill down Black Crow's spine.
So who exactly is in contact with them? This infiltration must yield reliable intelligence.
Just as he was about to enter the house to check, the door suddenly swung open, and a whooshing sound rushed towards him.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
"We've been discovered... when...?"
Black Crow was greatly alarmed; the enemy had clearly already discovered his intentions and was lying in wait here.
"As expected, Shadow Cat has completely betrayed us. We must pass this information on to the lord."
These thoughts flashed through Black Crow's mind. He quickly flipped to the side, dodging the Shuriken attack, but what awaited him was an even larger area covered by Senbon Rain.
It swept in like a dark cloud, moving too fast to avoid.
"Ah...!!"
In fear, Black Crow detonated the Explosive Tag he was carrying.
Boom boom boom...
The violent explosion completely shattered the silence of Amegakure, and could be heard even from a great distance.
"That damn guy, he's dead and he's still making such a fuss. Is he really that cruel to himself?"
Ryōta looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, his face filled with helplessness.
"I'm afraid they don't want to reveal their personal information," Shinichi deep voice. He was the one who sent out the Senbon Rain earlier.
Shioame, however, expressed doubt. "It's also possible that it's sending a signal to its companions."
"Haha..., the Lady Angel should have arranged for people to handle the other areas, so we don't need to worry about it."
Ryōta scratched his head. As an adult, he had become a burly man, all muscle.
After receiving news of the invasion, the three of them lay in ambush here in advance. Although they didn't capture the enemy alive, they had still completed their mission.
Soon, sounds came from other directions, indicating that there was more than one enemy infiltrated this time.
Inside an abandoned building, Aburame Ryoma, dressed in a hooded black robe, listened to the commotion coming from all directions with a solemn expression.
"The entire army was wiped out! When did Amegakure's defenses become so strong? What happened here?"
After Aoki Tsuki into trouble, the situation became quite serious, forcing him to abandon his mission against Kirigakure and lead a team to verify the situation.
Not only because Aoki Tsuki was a talent he brought in, but more importantly because Amegakure, as an ally of Root, could serve as a crucial barrier against threats from Iwagakure.
Time passed slowly, but Aburame Ryoma could not remain calm.
As Root's most outstanding undercover agent, he's seen it all, but this time his biggest asset has run into trouble.
" The Kikaichū I released... can't sense them anymore??"
The only possible explanation for this is that the Kikaichū were exterminated. Keep in mind that this wasn't just one, but a swarm of insects smaller than ants.
How did the enemy manage to discover, precisely capture, and eliminate such a large number of them? How could he not panic?
"It seems this situation is quite troublesome. The intelligence on Amegakure is probably worse than expected."
The Kikaichū sent to investigate Hanzō were wiped out by the enemy, so he was no longer able to gather intelligence. Now, the most important thing is how to retreat safely.
The few subordinates who had infiltrated have been captured and eliminated by the enemy, which means there are surveillance cameras everywhere outside.
Continuing to lie in wait would only make things more dangerous. After thinking for a few minutes, Aburame Ryoma decided to take immediate action and find a safe escape route.
A short while later, at a drain, Aburame Ryoma poked his head out and walked out. He had already released his insects to scout the area and found no one watching; it was safe.
He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped, because a swarm of butterflies appeared before his eyes.
"Where did this butterfly come from in the rainy night? It's been discovered..."
Splash...
The butterflies quickly coalesced in mid-air into a woman with enormous wings—it was Konan.
"Intruder, you have no way out. Surrender."
"Hmph, it seems you do indeed have a special method to detect outsiders."
Aburame Ryoma stretched out his finger, sensing the information transmitted by the Kikaichū on his fingernail, and exclaimed in surprise, "The insects are showing some excitement towards the rainwater, which means that this rainwater contains Chakra."
"This sensory Ninjutsu has such a wide range, it's truly amazing."
No wonder they were discovered so quickly; it seems they were spotted as soon as they entered Amegakure.
Konan's expression tightened upon hearing this; the enemy had detected Pain's magic so quickly.
" Aburame Clan of Konoha, what is your purpose in infiltrating the village?"
Aburame Ryoma looked up at Konan and said, "Do you think I'll answer your question? You're from the Akatsuki, right? I didn't expect you to control the village. And Hanzō..."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Konan responded directly with Paper Shuriken, and based solely on the details she observed and her deductions, she guessed the situation in Amegakure with remarkable accuracy.
This person was definitely a top-notch intelligence investigator; she wouldn't dare to speak carelessly.
'This guy is terrifying; we absolutely cannot let him leave alive.'
"Hmph, you're getting angry now that I hit the nail on the head?"
Faced with the overwhelming barrage of Paper Shuriken, Aburame Ryoma remained completely calm, his body instantly splitting into a dense mass of insects.
Some of the insects were killed by the Paper Shuriken, but many more attached themselves to the paper and began to devour the Chakra attached to it.
'Hmm? So this is Kikaichū that feeds on Chakra!'
Konan felt she had lost control of some of the paper, so she immediately detonated the Explosive Tag mixed in with it.
Boom boom boom...!!
The countless sheets of paper, along with the Kikaichū and devoured by the fierce Kakkō.
"Is he dead?..."
After searching around but finding no severed limbs, Konan suddenly realized with alarm. "Oh no, this is Insect Clone!"
They had fallen into the enemy's trap.
At this moment, Aburame Ryoma's true form had received the information relayed by the escaped insect and thought to himself, "So that's how it is. The situation is not good."
Using the Insect Clone as bait, he successfully reached the edge of the village through the underground pipes. However, there was no cover there, and to leave the village, he had to cross this vast, sea-like lake.
The incessant drizzle meant that he would be discovered as soon as he went out, and the other party was most likely waiting for him on the lake.
There was no other way but to force our way through.
Aburame Ryoma stepped out of the pipe, preparing to break through on the water. Sure enough, after only a few steps, he saw a man dressed in Akatsuki cloak standing there.
Even in the darkness of night, those cold eyes still radiated a Shinigami gaze, penetrating to the very core of one's being.
Aburame Ryoma's heart sank. "Those eyes..."
Compared to the lack of understanding of ocular techniques among others in the Shinobi World, Konoha possessed two of the three great ocular techniques, even though Aburame Ryoma had never seen the Rinnegan.
But he still made a judgment immediately.
"I've been waiting for a long time!" Deva Path Pain said calmly.
The enemy that has infiltrated this time is no ordinary foe; he must personally take action to ensure everything goes smoothly.
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere "
Aburame Ryoma chose to take the initiative and launch an all-out attack. Facing the legendary Eye, holding back would be irresponsible towards his own life.
A dense, Kikaichū enveloped Deva Path Pain like a dark cloud, devouring him relentlessly.
Shinra Tensei
Thud...
The repulsive force that appeared out of nowhere instantly shattered all the Kikaichū into fragments, and even a circular depression appeared on the surface of the water as a result.
The giant waves crashed out in all directions.
"What kind of technique is this...? Just one strike and it's already..."
Even though he had anticipated it, Aburame Ryoma was still utterly shocked by Deva Path Pain's attack.
It was activated without any Hand Seals or even any physical movements.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Aburame Ryoma hurled several kunai armed with Explosive Tag Deva Path Pain Kunai, then turned and ran to the side.
Faced with such an unreasonable being, he had absolutely no desire to fight.
However, after running only a few steps, his body uncontrollably left the water and flew towards Deva Path Pain.
" Banshō Ten'in "
"This power..."
Despair gripped Aburame Ryoma, knowing he was doomed, and he immediately gave his final command to the Kikaichū within his meridians.
"Secret Technique: Insect Erosion"
In the blink of an eye, Aburame Ryoma's body rapidly withered and decayed.
He was born into the Aburame Clan and served in the Root for many years. As Danzo's right-hand man, he knew too many secrets.
If these fall into enemy hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Huh? Is it dead! This guy..."
Pain was also shocked by the ruthlessness of his enemy. He grabbed Aburame Ryoma by the neck, but Ryoma was as light as a dried-up corpse.
"Even its brain has been completely eaten away by insects. They're really cautious."
Even so, Pain still used Shinra Tensei to shatter the corpse and the insects inside into dust, which he then scattered into the water.
Splash...
Konan appeared before Pain and said, "It's over..."
"Yes, he committed suicide. He didn't leave any useful information. Have you found anything on your end?"
"The infiltrators this time must be Root's core intelligence agents. I found Tongue Eradication Cursed Seal on the tongues of those corpses. Danzo must have sensed the abnormality in the village."
"There's no need to panic. Without concrete evidence, Konoha won't start a war lightly," Pain replied.
Although they obtained the Root's spy network's contact information with the village, received regular responses, and had Aoki Tsuki helping to cover it up.
However, Root, as the largest intelligence and assassination organization in the Shinobi World, is not stupid, and it will eventually notice the anomaly.
Konan, however, said, "The information about Yue must have been leaked..."
He led the outer members of Akatsuki in causing trouble in the Land of Lightning, and also made appearances in the Jashin Cult. He's bound to get his feet wet eventually.
It was inevitable that they would not be able to hide it from Root, whose tentacles reached throughout the Shinobi World.