First stop: the northern border of the Land of Grass.
According to the information provided by Konan, a team secretly transported a batch of military supplies to the Land of Earth five days ago.
Xiao's men, acting on intelligence, had laid an ambush on the border to rob the supplies, but the convoy never came, so they had to give up.
This is basic intelligence; such a mistake shouldn't have happened to someone like Jue.
Aoki Tsuki conducted a thorough search along the border and finally found clues, deducing the circumstances from the tire tracks and surrounding weeds.
The timing is correct, but the route is wrong.
After investigation, traces of moss being disturbed were found on a nearby tree.
In other words, this guy knew the convoy's real route but deliberately gave the wrong information.
Second stop: The Land of Waterfalls, Akatsuki's stronghold.
"Why are you here?" Kakuzu was sitting in the room counting money, with a small ledger next to him.
Don't let his intimidating appearance fool you; he's actually a studious person who knows that a bad pen is worse than a good memory.
"I heard you failed to hunt down the Iwagakure? The leader sent me to see if I could help..."
Kakuzu stopped counting the money, looked up and stared at Aoki Tsuki with his bright green eyes, and said, "Don't try to intimidate me with the leader's name, just get to the point."
"Haha... you really can see right through anything."
Aoki Tsuki decided not to hide anything and found a chair to sit down.
"The organization's intelligence system is malfunctioning, so they sent me here to investigate. As you know, intelligence is the lifeline in the Shinobi World."
"Hmph, I see. No wonder I made you come here in person."
Kakuzu agreed with this reason, saying, "The recent operations haven't gone very smoothly, which is why I've been wondering."
For example?
"The timing wasn't right, there was a delay, I was always a step behind, and my abilities didn't match the target's requirements. If it weren't for my five hearts..."
Ninjas possess strange and unusual abilities, and the cost of trial and error in battle is high.
Kakuzu's abilities were naturally designed for hunting down bounty hunters, because he is immortal.
"Do you have any goals for the near future? I'll work with you on them, don't worry, it's free," Aoki Tsuki suggested.
He had always wanted to cooperate with Kakuzu, but the latter was too cunning and never gave him any chance. Perhaps this time he could cooperate and show his sincerity.
Upon hearing Aoki Tsuki's first reaction was to refuse.
Although it's true that every profession has its own secrets, many seemingly professional things are just a matter of understanding the basics; once you break through the barriers, you'll find they're not that difficult.
The difficulty lay in having someone guide him for the first time. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he said, "Since you insist on joining, then we'll all go together. Don't blame me if we die."
"That's how it should be."
The two immediately set off towards the Land of Grass, arriving at the edge of a cliff around midnight.
"This is Hozuki Castle, a place specifically for imprisoning ninjas who commit crimes from various countries. Our target today, Aota Kirigakure, defected from Aota Kirimaru half a month ago and was captured and imprisoned here by the Hunter-nin Unit."
" Hozuki Castle? I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before."
"Follow me..."
Kakuzu seemed to be familiar with the route, and led Aoki Tsuki in a small boat to an island, where they entered through a secret drainage channel.
The two stood near a gate, with Kakuzu placing his hand on the barrier, seemingly trying to detect a special frequency.
At one point, he quickly formed Hand Seals, gently tapped the barrier, and a gap opened, allowing the two to pass through smoothly.
Upon entering the Hozuki Castle, they found it heavily guarded with patrols conducted every half hour, leaving no blind spots.
"Wait for me here."
Kakuzu gave an order, a box appeared in his hand, and he walked towards a house with lights on.
He returned about ten minutes later, leading Aoki Tsuki straight to the prison along a route, with no guards along the way.
Aoki Tsuki's mouth dropped open. "Holy crap, Kakuzu- senpai, is this some kind of money power?"
"The prison's deputy is a greedy fellow; he can buy a fifteen-minute 'blind spot' with money," Kakuzu replied.
"Did you 'live' here before, senior?"
"The village once sent me to assassinate the First Hokage. After the mission failed, the village, fearing Konoha's retaliation, sent me here to be imprisoned for twenty years."
"Hmph, but I've also found a way to make money here."
Indeed, behind every obsession lies a specific experience.
Perhaps Kakuzu, who is surrounded by criminals Tenten, had a sudden inspiration and decided to go back and slaughter all the high-ranking officials.
From then on, he could make money by killing bounty hunters and rogue ninjas without having to worry about others causing trouble.
With Kakuzu, who had lived there for twenty years, leading the way, the process was exceptionally smooth, and they arrived directly at the cell where the 'target' was being held.
Aota Kirimaru, a man with green hair, has a bounty of Exchange.
Kakuzu professionally pulled out a small notebook from his person, turned to the page about Aota Kirimaru, which contained photos and related information.
Jonin the Kirigakure, proficient in Water Release.
"That's him, the intelligence this time was extremely accurate."
Kakuzu nodded, then reached out to grab the prison bars and violently break them.
"Wait... something's not right, someone's coming."
Aoki Tsuki grabbed Kakuzu's arm. He sensed a faint Chakra fluctuation above the cell door; it might be a trap.
"Hmm?" Kakuzu also noticed the commotion; this operation had gone too smoothly.
The sound of scattered footsteps reached my ears, and I saw the warden leading a group of guards walking towards me. An old man, who was not young, was clearly stunned when he saw Kakuzu.
" Kakuzu, you dare to come back? Is it because you miss this place too much?"
"Hmph, I never expected that a mere guard from back then would become the chief warden. It seems you've also mastered the ' Heavenly Prison Technique '."
That's why I asked you if you wanted to come back and stay for a while longer. I can grant your wish!
As the warden spoke, he formed a hand Hand Seals and gently slapped the ground. The surrounding cells instantly deformed, trapping Kakuzu and Aoki Tsuki inside the cage.
Swish...
Four masked guards instantly appeared at the four corners of the cage behind the warden.
Water Release: Water Whip
Water jets shot out, forming soft ropes that bound the two people inside the iron cage. Immediately afterward, lightning flashed from one of them.
The lightning, carried by the Water Whip through the enemy and struck them directly.
"Ah... ah..."
Aoki Tsuki and Kakuzu let out frantic howls and trembled uncontrollably.
"They're not prison guards at all, they're the Kirigakure Anbu. This is a trap," Aoki Tsuki hurriedly warned.
"You're going to use this trick on me? I was hoping to keep a low profile."
Kakuzu the electric shock and immediately launched a counterattack. His mask ripped open, revealing three dark figures.
puff...
A Fire Release mask, a Lightning Release mask, and a Wind Release mask simultaneously activated a three-element combination Ninjutsu: Fire Lightning Hurricane.
The wind fanned the flames, and the thunder amplified their power.
Within this confined space, the power of this technique can be maximized.
The Kirigakure Anbu, of course, wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. They cried out in alarm, "No! Stop him!!"
Inside the cell, Aota Kirimaru quickly Hand Seals, unleashing " Water Release: Mist Rain Technique."
A light drizzle began to fall inside the prison.
Rumble...
The Fire Lightning Hurricane shattered the surrounding iron cages, instantly killing all the members of the Kirigakure Anbu who were blocking the way, along with several guards brought by the warden.
"The power has been weakened..." Kakuzu asked in confusion; this attack could have blown the house upside down.
Fire Release: Great Fire Prison
The warden, who had been hiding somewhere, suddenly rushed out while Kakuzu was in a cooldown period, his palm glowing with red lines, attempting to seal Kakuzu's Chakra.
Just then, a water jet shot out from the side and rear, crashing headfirst into the guard captain.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique
Thud...
"Ah..." The warden cried out in alarm, and was immediately thrown over by the impact. His old bones were broken in countless places, and he fainted on the spot.
The prison was filled with water, yet shrouded in mist.
"This is... the Hidden Mist Technique?" Aoki Tsuki was very familiar with this move.
Kakuzu at this point, Kakuzu was still preoccupied with his mission. Turning his head, he saw that his target, Aota Kirimaru, had disappeared into the white mist.
"Don't even think about running, Fire Release: Garuda."
The fire-attribute mask spewed out three flames, which intertwined to form the shape of a dragon's head, pouncing towards the corner of the cell.
" Body Flicker Technique "
As Kirigakure of Aota Kirimaru Jonin self-preservation skills and used Mist Body Flicker to dodge the attack.
And he boasted, "Haha... the area covered by the white mist is my domain, no one can defeat me here..."
Bang...
Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying back into his cell.
The white mist quickly dissipated, reforming into a ball of clear water, which Aoki Tsuki casually tossed onto the ground.
"You're all talk and no action, all you've got is a big mouth."
He wouldn't dare say that, because the Water Release technique alone has all sorts of strange and unique methods.
For example, the Water Whip used by the Kirigakure Anbu just now, and the Mist Rain Technique which can weaken the enemy's Ninjutsu, are both secret techniques of the Kirigakure Anbu, which he couldn't learn even if he wanted to.
Upon seeing this, Kakuzu rushed over, grabbed Aota Kirimaru by the neck, and twisted it off, thus securing the bag.
Aoki Tsuki then ran over to the warden and searched him thoroughly, finding a communication scroll—an official document from Kirigakure.
The warden was asked to assist the Anbu in apprehending the wanted criminal.
Hozuki Castle is a place jointly commissioned by various countries to be set up by Kusagakure to specifically guard criminals. In addition, a monster sealed during the Six Paths era is suppressed deep within the prison.
This old man in front of us can't die, otherwise who will maintain the seal? If something goes wrong, we'll have to pin the blame on Xiao.
"They're gone."
Kakuzu carried Aota Kirimaru's corpse on his back and went straight out of the cell.
If he hadn't been with Aoki Tsuki this time, he probably would have lost several more hearts; the warden's Heavenly Prison Technique is specifically designed to counter ninjas.
"The intelligence confirms there's a problem. You should take a break for now. I'll report to the leader and we'll resume our operations after we resolve this," Aoki Tsuki suggested.
"I have my own way."
Kakuzu shook his head. At worst, he wouldn't need Akatsuki's intelligence; he used to find it all himself.
Making money is the top priority; it can't be delayed for even a moment.
"Suit yourself, I need to continue my investigation, I'm leaving now."