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Chapter 67: Loyalty! The Next Target
By evening, the setting sun was sinking in the west. High in the sky, the Ankoru Vantian was shrouded in thick white mist. From the ground, it looked like nothing more than a palm-sized cloud.
Inside, on the deck, dozens of former Sky Ninja stood in neat rows, all dressed in uniform black robes, staring straight ahead. They were silent, projecting a powerful aura. Kameda stood at the very front, looking with satisfaction at his men after their change of clothes. He had specially gone to the largest tailor shop in the capital of the Land of Grass to have these rushed. After putting them on, they looked completely refreshed, their spirits countless times higher than before. Lady Konan's taste and orders were, as expected, absolutely correct.
"Ahem..." Kameda clasped his hands behind his back and coughed lightly, drawing the eyes of all his subordinates. His expression was solemn and serious. "What is Lady Konan to us?"
"The Sun!!"
"And what must we eternally show Lady Konan?"
"Loyalty!!!"
"What must we show??"
"Loyalty!!"
The Sky Ninja shouted in unison, their voices resounding.
Kameda's blood boiled, his chubby, round face flushed red as he roared: "Louder! Show me your devotion to Lady Konan!!"
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!!!"
All the Sky Ninja screamed at the top of their lungs, veins bulging on their necks as they shouted the word "Loyalty." The passionate cries penetrated the thick white mist and shot straight into the clouds.
Kameda was extremely satisfied with his subordinates' performance. This was the result of his hard work over the past few days. Recently, he hadn't just been diligently carrying out all of Lady Konan's orders and arranging logistics. Every single night, he had taken a pen and paper and gone to talk with his men one by one, to win their hearts and minds. He made them understand that they must submit to Lady Konan's every will, from the outside in, body and soul. Not the slightest complaint or dissatisfaction would be permitted. Lady Konan was the absolute center. She was the sky, the earth, the sun at the center, and they must always guarantee their loyalty and respect. Kameda didn't know if every Sky Ninja was truly and sincerely convinced, but as long as he couldn't see any dissent, it wasn't a problem. Otherwise... Hmph! Kameda snorted coldly to himself. After being Shinnō's deputy for so many years, able to make so many Sky Ninja obey him, did they really think that just because he was always smiling in front of Lady Konan, he was incapable of killing... Anyone who dared to disrespect Lady Konan should not blame him for being impolite and experiencing his cold methods firsthand.
Kameda had figured it out long ago. His own combat strength was lacking; he couldn't help Lady Konan in battle. Just being meticulous in logistics and daily life was far from enough. He had to make his subordinates know Lady Konan's greatness, to make them respect her. Only then could he demonstrate his greater value and secure a brighter future. One day, he would even make the entire ninja world know of Lady Konan's greatness and sing her praises. This was his personal mission, and he would fight for it for the rest of his life!
Kameda raised his hand, and the Sky Ninjas' shouts stopped abruptly. He pointed to a trench that had been dug on the deck earlier and said solemnly, "There must be water in this trench! Now, all of you, get to work immediately! You must renovate the Ankoru Vantian to Lady Konan's liking! Begin renovations!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Sky Ninja scattered. Following their pre-assigned tasks, they began to work deftly with the renovation materials purchased in the Land of Grass. There was no idle chatter, no slacking off. All of them were huffing and puffing, working their hardest.
Poof!
Just then, several figures penetrated the clouds and landed on an empty part of the deck. It was Konan and Honoka, as well as Ryūzetsu. Ryūzetsu had nowhere else to go. Her previous actions, regardless of her original intentions, were in essence a betrayal of the Village Hidden in the Grass. If she returned, she would not only face interrogation from her village but also from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, who would be furious about the destruction of Hōzuki Castle. With no other path, Ryūzetsu nervously expressed her desire to follow Konan. Konan considered it for a moment and agreed. She would need a lot of people in the future, and Ryūzetsu was a qualified subordinate.
"Lady Konan!" Upon seeing Konan, Kameda immediately beamed and hurried over. He quickly explained the situation: "I am currently arranging for them to renovate the deck first. With this many people and the help of ninjutsu, the deck should be finished in about two days, but..."
Kameda paused, a little nervous. "During this time, the Ankoru Vantian cannot fly. It can only remain stationary and hover, otherwise it will affect the deck installation." He was worried that this two-day delay would affect the leader's future plans.
Konan glanced at the Sky Ninja who were busy at work and shook her head. "Two days is not long. We can wait. Just proceed according to the renovation plan you've laid out."
"Yes!" Kameda's spirits lifted. "I guarantee I will complete the mission! As long as the exterior deck is finished, we can resume flying. The interior renovations won't be affected by the fortress's flight and can be completed as normal."
Ryūzetsu stood respectfully behind Konan. Her eyes were wide, staring in shock at the scene before her. The deck she could see was at least a kilometer long. Just how massive was the Ankoru Vantian beneath her feet? And how was it possible to make something so large float high in the sky? Just thinking about it was staggering. And this magical aerial creation belonged to Lady Konan. Ryūzetsu looked at Konan's back with admiration. Perhaps her impulsive request to follow her was the most correct decision she had ever made in her life.
Konan pointed to Ryūzetsu. "This is Ryūzetsu, who has just joined the Akatsuki. Take her and get her familiarized with the place." She planned to rebuild the Akatsuki. This was the true, orthodox Akatsuki. Obito Uchiha was just a conspirator who had usurped it. Sooner or later, she would strip that Akatsuki robe from his body.
"Yes!" Kameda accepted the order and turned to Ryūzetsu. "Welcome, Ryūzetsu. Please come with me."
After the two of them had disappeared, Konan said to Honoka beside her, "Go and rest. The matter of Karin Uzumaki is not urgent." Ever since learning about Kana and Karin, Honoka had been listless and worried. The Uzumaki clan had already vanished from the ninja world. She treasured this last remaining relative of her bloodline and wanted to meet her as soon as possible.
Honoka opened her mouth, but in the end, she just said, "Okay," and left the deck.
Konan placed the giant bone spikes and the Box of Ultimate Bliss in an empty space on the deck, instructing the Sky Ninja to watch over them. She then left the deck and returned to her room.
"Alex, is our next target Sasuke Uchiha?"
Alex floated out from her chest, hovering in front of her: [It is indeed Sasuke.]
Since they had learned Karin's whereabouts from Ryūzetsu, it was highly likely that Sasuke Uchiha was also in the Land of Birds. Compared to the powerful forces of Konoha and the Village Hidden in the Clouds, the lone Taka team was a much easier target.