Chapter 147: Konan of the Akatsuki
"It's been a long time, Lady Tsunade."
After finishing her discussion with Kido Ei, Konan walked up to Tsunade and greeted her first. "I am Konan."
Hoshikawa was immediately surprised. They've met before?
"It really is you. You've changed completely after all these years," Tsunade said with a touch of emotion. "If your hair color wasn't so unique, I wouldn't have recognized you."
"How is Jiraiya-sensei doing?" Konan asked, a rare smile gracing her cool, composed face.
"He's the same as ever, nothing worth mentioning," Tsunade huffed. "He's probably drinking in some izakaya right now."
"That's good to hear." Konan glanced at Hoshikawa and the others. "Lady Tsunade, you must be tired from your long journey. Please come in and rest, and have a meal with us."
"Mm." Tsunade didn't refuse. They had been traveling all morning, and it was just the right time for lunch.
"Lady Tsunade, why would you accept a mission to escort a caravan?" Konan asked curiously as they walked.
"Bringing students along." Tsunade pulled Hoshikawa forward. "This is my student, Hoshikawa ."
"Hello, I'm Konan," Konan said politely, now enlightened. "My sensei is Jiraiya, so that makes us peers."
"Konan-senpai," Hoshikawa said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Konan blinked. This junior disciple is rather familiar. She nodded slightly and shook his hand.
Tsunade couldn't help but glare at Hoshikawa . What is going on? He's already trying to build a connection right after meeting her? No wonder this brat is so popular—he's flirting everywhere he goes!
"I'm Kurenai Yūhi!" Just then, Kurenai poked her head out from behind Hoshikawa .
"Konan-senpai, my name is Rin Nohara," Rin quickly added, seeing that both Hoshikawa and Kurenai had introduced themselves.
Konan was momentarily taken aback. She hadn't expected to gain three junior disciples on this short outing. It was a rather peculiar feeling.
Asuma Sarutobi, Shisui Uchiha, and Shizune exchanged glances. This is Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, for you! She commands this much respect even this far away.
What surprised them even more was that Konan was apparently Jiraiya's student. They had never heard of it.
Sakumo Hatake, however, had a vague idea of the truth. The title of the Legendary Sannin was born in the Land of Rain, and surely many stories had unfolded then. Jiraiya hadn't mentioned it or brought them back to Konoha; perhaps they were only temporary students he took on a whim.
"Lady Tsunade, please excuse the state of this place. It's a bit run-down," Konan said as she led them into a house.
"It's fine," Tsunade replied dismissively.
The living room had minimal furniture, only two dining tables already set with nine bowls and chopsticks—exactly enough for their group.
"We'll take this table," Sakumo shot a look at his Team 2 members, and the four of them settled at the table against the wall.
"I'm sitting with Hoshikawa -kun!" Kurenai quickly pulled Hoshikawa and sat next to him.
The remaining three seats were for Tsunade, Konan, and Rin Nohara.
"Did the three of you establish the Akatsuki organization?" Tsunade asked Konan.
"Yes," Konan nodded. "We all hope to free the Land of Rain from war and restore peace, so we founded the Akatsuki."
"I see," Tsunade praised. "The three of you have done well. I've even heard of your organization all the way in Konoha."
"It's all thanks to Jiraiya-sensei's teachings," Konan said modestly.
"Enough, I know what Jiraiya is like," Tsunade waved her hand. Compared to Jiraiya, who was wandering the world searching for the Child of Prophecy, the Akatsuki was undoubtedly more pragmatic and had already taken action.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Please wait a moment. I'll check on the situation." Konan's expression shifted slightly, and she hurried to the door.
"Lady Konan!" a middle-aged man said anxiously. "Shinobi from the Hidden Rain Village are heading this way!"
"They're like a persistent shadow!" Konan frowned.
The Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain Village were initially content to leave each other alone, but for some unknown reason, the situation had rapidly deteriorated this year. Under the suppression of the Hidden Rain Village, the Akatsuki had been having a tough time. The reason they were buying ninja tools from Kido Ei of the Land of Fire was because the surrounding smaller nations, pressured by Hanzo, refused to sell to them.
They had initially agreed to meet in the Land of Rain's capital, but they were discovered by the Hidden Rain shinobi. After a brief skirmish, they had retreated to this post. However, they hadn't expected the Hidden Rain Village to follow them here.
"What's going on?" Tsunade's voice suddenly rang out. "Is it the Hidden Rain Village shinobi?"
"Yes," Konan turned around. "Lady Tsunade, this doesn't concern you. Please leave now."
"What do you mean, doesn't concern us?" Tsunade asked with a smile. "Our escort mission isn't finished yet."
She held no fondness for the Hidden Rain Village. She still hadn't forgotten the battle that earned her and her teammates the Legendary Sannin title. Hanzo's title of Demigod was largely thanks to his salamander summon. Back then, besides herself, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, all the other Konoha shinobi had died from the salamander's poisonous gas.
"Sensei is right," Hoshikawa echoed.
"How many of them are there?" Tsunade asked directly.
"Sixteen Rain ninja," the middle-aged man thought for a moment. "Four are jōnin. Hanzo isn't with them."
"That's not so bad," Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "After we deal with them, you all move, and our mission ends here."
"Lady Tsunade, thank you!" Konan said with deep gratitude.
"Don't worry about it," Tsunade said dismissively. "If I don't help you, Jiraiya will definitely blame me."
"In that case, let's prepare for a fight," Sakumo stood up.
"We can set up an ambush for them!" Asuma said, his face alight with anticipation.
"I have some explosive tags," Hoshikawa said, pulling out a stack of tags. After speaking, he realized his mistake. There was a true expert on explosive tags right here: Konan. In the original story, she famously manufactured six hundred billion explosive tags, nearly killing Obito Uchiha.
"I'll take the explosive tags," Konan glanced at Hoshikawa . "I'll set the trap."
"Go," Tsunade said concisely.
The group left the house and hid in various parts of the village. Konan placed the explosive tag trap along the enemy's path and then returned to the village.
Time slowly passed.
A few minutes later, a sudden explosion was heard, followed by a continuous series of blasts. The thin drizzle was completely unable to extinguish the flames that shot into the sky.
"Four ninja are dead," Hoshikawa said, his eyes closed, using the Yamanaka Clan's sensing secret technique. "They're here! Straight ahead!"
Countless paper sheets flew out, and a pair of pure white wings extended from Konan's back. She leaped into the air, soaring into the sky, and fiercely swung her hands. The paper sheets transformed into kunai, raining down like a storm, shooting out in unison.
"What beautiful ninjutsu!" Kurenai's eyes shone with excitement.
Hoshikawa looked at the angelic Konan and remembered the name of the jutsu: Paper Dance. In short, it allowed her to turn her body into paper, ignoring pure physical attacks. Its weakness was oil.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" The leading Hidden Rain Jōnin, who had dealt with Konan before, immediately wove the seals with both hands. In the rainy weather, the huge sphere of water he spat out surged forward like a waterfall.
Although Konan's paper kunai were waterproof, the powerful force scattered them entirely.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" The other three Hidden Rain Jōnin quickly followed, spitting out massive water spheres. In an instant, they created a veritable ocean.
"Use Fire Release," Tsunade advised.
Hoshikawa and Shisui Uchiha simultaneously weaved seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Two immense fireballs shot out, one right after the other.
Shisui instinctively glanced at Hoshikawa . They used the same jutsu, and yet Hoshikawa , who wasn't even Uchiha, wove the seals a third of a second faster. It was incredible. Although it was less than half a second, the gap was undeniable.
The fireballs crashed into the incoming wave, inevitably being extinguished, causing a massive amount of mist to rise.
"I'll go first!" Sakumo's body instantly vanished.
"Blow the mist away!" the leading Hidden Rain Jōnin shouted.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A nearby young Chūnin immediately spewed a whirlwind, blowing at the mist.
"Watch out!" The leading Jōnin's vision blurred, and then he heard a scream. When his vision cleared, he saw the Hidden Rain Chūnin nearby. A snow-white short blade was plunged into his heart, and hot blood was constantly spurting from the wound.
"H-How is that possible?" The leading Jōnin was stunned. The death was so swift he hadn't even reacted.
"It's a Konoha ninja!" another Hidden Rain Jōnin shouted a warning.
"Are you Konoha trying to start a war with the Hidden Rain Village?" the leading Jōnin demanded angrily.
"We dare. Do you?" Tsunade stepped forward, asking with a cold sneer.
"You... are you Tsunade?!" The leading Jōnin's heart trembled, and the name escaped his lips.
The remaining Hidden Rain ninja also showed expressions of shock. While Hanzo considered granting the Sannin their title a peak achievement, ordinary Hidden Rain ninja viewed the Sannin with utter dread.
"Lady Tsunade, this is an internal matter for the Hidden Rain Village. Please leave!" the leading Jōnin said, quickly regaining his composure.
"More talk is useless." Tsunade ignored him and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of him.
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath her, with large chunks of rock tumbling away from the epicenter.
The battle resumed.
The four Hidden Rain Jōnin engaged Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake.
The remaining seven Hidden Rain Chūnin turned their attention to Hoshikawa and his team.
Rin Nohara and Shizune stayed back, while Shisui Uchiha charged forward first. He drew his ninja sword and slashed at the Rain ninja in mid-air. A wave of heat rolled off him.
An arc of fire flew out. Wherever it passed, the rainwater instantly turned to vapor, creating white smoke.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" The leftmost Hidden Rain Chūnin weaved seals with both hands and spat out a water dragon. The flame arc cut through the water dragon but was also greatly diminished.
Shisui immediately activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
"He's Uchiha! Watch out for Genjutsu!" a Hidden Rain Chūnin quickly warned.
Shisui ignored him and plunged directly into the group, resulting in an immediate clash of weapons.
"Dance of the Crescent Moon!" Hoshikawa quickly followed, drawing his Raijin Blade. In a puff of smoke, two Shadow Clones appeared.
All three Hoshikawa charged toward the nearest Hidden Rain Chūnin.
"Damn it!" The Rain Chūnin felt a blur of motion and couldn't tell which was the original. Without time to think, he quickly threw three kunai.
Clang, clang, clang.
The kunai were knocked aside. It wasn't Hoshikawa who deflected them, but Kurenai. Before the Hidden Rain Chūnin could react, it was too late.
The three Raijin Blades pierced him simultaneously.
"Bastard!" A middle-aged man nearby noticed him and quickly wove seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A whirlwind wrapped in rainwater surged toward him.
Body Flicker Jutsu!
Hoshikawa dismissed his Shadow Clones and accelerated, appearing directly in front of the man.
"W-What?" The middle-aged man instinctively pulled out a kunai.
"Fox Mind Trap!" Hoshikawa clapped his hands together. Taking advantage of the man's momentary daze, he slashed with the Raijin Blade. A hideous wound opened on the man's neck, and blood sprayed.
"Die!" Behind Hoshikawa , a young man with a ninja sword slashed at him.
The next second, a water dragon roared and shot out, slamming into the young man and sweeping him away.
Hoshikawa turned and saw Kurenai waving at him, a cheerful smile on her face. Since she wasn't good at close combat, she was supporting him from afar with Water Release.
Hoshikawa casually threw two kunai, hitting the young man and sending him into an eternal slumber.
BOOM!
A gigantic fireball erupted from Shisui's mouth, precisely striking the last Hidden Rain Chūnin. The flames enveloped the rainwater, turning everything to ash. The unfortunate ninja was instantly incinerated, leaving no remains.
Hoshikawa watched the scene and suddenly recalled a meme from his past life: The Great Fireball Technique actually killed someone!
"As expected of Sakumo-sensei and Lady Tsunade," Shisui said, sheathing his sword and sighing. He, Hoshikawa , Kurenai, and Asuma were dealing with Chūnin, yet they couldn't keep up with Sakumo and Tsunade.
Even Konan, who tried to help, was not needed. The four Hidden Rain Jōnin were quickly annihilated.
"That's normal," Hoshikawa thought. Sakumo Hatake was somewhat similar to Minato Namikaze, the type who was devastatingly effective against the weak. Against anyone below their skill level, they could achieve a "Musou" victory. The main reason was their incredible speed; if you couldn't react, you were dead.
Konan floated down from the sky. As she dispelled her jutsu, her white wings vanished.
"Burn all the bodies with Fire Release," Tsunade instructed, walking over. "Konan, take your people and relocate. Try not to leave any trace."
Although she wasn't afraid of the Hidden Rain Village, she didn't want Konoha to be targeted at this critical moment, lest she make things easier for the Cloud Village.
"Understood," Konan quickly returned to the village.
Hoshikawa and Shisui proceeded to incinerate all the corpses. After Tsunade's final inspection, the group quickly departed, following the members of the Akatsuki.
(End of Chapter)
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