In the Land of Rain, a perpetually rain-soaked nation, Tendō Pain stood atop Amegakure's tallest tower, silently watching the downpour intensify.
His thoughts remained unreadable.
Konan approached, carrying a file, her voice cold as she spoke: "Nagato, our mission to receive the Konoha defector has failed."
"Failed?" A flicker of surprise crossed Tendō Pain's eyes. "What did Hayato report?" he asked flatly.
Hayato's full name was Idaten Hayato, a Jonin of Amegakure.
His elder brother, Idaten Kyūsuke, had been an early member of the Akatsuki, a true comrade who had fought alongside Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan for their shared dream.
However, Idaten Hayato knew nothing of his brother's past.
He had joined Amegakure only after Nagato and Konan killed Hanzō and seized control of the Land of Rain in the name of God.
If not for their diverging paths, Nagato would have remained deeply attached to old comrades.
Although Idaten Hayato was unaware of the Akatsuki's connection to the village and unqualified to join the organization, under Nagato and Konan's deliberate scheme, he had lived up to expectations, becoming a capable Jonin of Amegakure with formidable strength.
For this mission to secure Aoi Rokushō, Tendō Pain publicly dispatched an elite squad led by Idaten Hayato, while secretly sending a team of Anbu elites as backup. He believed this dual approach would ensure absolute success.
Konan replied, "Hayato's team encountered Hatake Kakashi, and our Anbu were intercepted by Konoha's Anbu ninjas. Both sides exercised restraint, engaging only in brief probing attacks without escalating into a full-scale battle."
Accepting rogue ninjas from other villages was inherently a risky move, especially when the target was from Konoha. Naturally, Hayato's team would exercise restraint when encountering Konoha's ninjas, fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.
Hearing this, Tendō Pain nodded indifferently and asked, "So? Did that Aoi Rokushō escape? Or is he dead?"
"Dead!" Konan's brow furrowed slightly, her voice cold. "According to Hayato, Aoi Rokushō was killed in a one-on-one duel by Uchiha Sasuke, the Uchiha clan's last survivor!"
"With Aoi Rokushō dead, our forces withdrew."
"Uchiha Sasuke?" Tendō Pain's tone shifted slightly. "He actually managed to kill Aoi Rokushō? I suppose he truly is worthy of being Uchiha Itachi's younger brother."
"Is it hatred that made him so strong?" Konan asked.
"Perhaps," Konan replied after a moment's silence. "Kakashi is likely Uchiha Sasuke's assigned Jonin. It's also worth noting that Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki, is on Kakashi's Team."
"Oh?" Tendō Pain finally showed interest, accepting the file from Konan and scrutinizing it closely.
After reviewing the document for a while, Tendō Pain closed it and said in a completely emotionless tone, "If the mission failed, so be it. Aoi Rokushō was never important to us in the first place."
Nagato had never been interested in Aoi Rokushō's strength or his so-called Sword of the Thunder God.
He had only accepted him as a Konoha defector to see if he could extract any useful intelligence, risking the scorn of the ninja world.
Now that Aoi Rokushō was dead, he had no further value to Nagato. Naturally, Nagato wouldn't waste time seeking revenge for such a fool.
"Understood," Konan nodded. After a pause, she brought up another matter.
"Regarding Suien, the Jonin from Former Takigakure, who wants us to join his coup against Takigakure, Nagato, what should we do?"
Tendō Pain remained silent, deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke calmly, "Let him stew for now. He thinks he can bribe us into helping him with this so-called 'Hero's Water'? That's hardly sufficient."
Takigakure, the Village Hidden Behind the Waterfall, was concealed behind a massive cascade.
At its heart stood a towering, ancient tree that reached the clouds, its trunk and branches encircling the entire village.
Legend had it that every century, this colossal tree released sacred water—the Hero's Water—said to amplify a ninja's chakra reserves tenfold!
Nagato held no interest in Suien's Hero's Water. The only thing in Takigakure that caught his attention was the Seven-Tailed Jinchūriki.
"We're not in any rush. He's the one desperate here. If he's willing to pay a sufficient price—beyond just sending our own ninja—I wouldn't mind letting Kakuzu revisit his hometown."
"Understood!" Konan nodded, saying no more.
Now wasn't the ideal time to collect the Tailed Beasts, but if he could puppet Takigakure and control it completely, obtaining the Seven-Tailed Beast would be a natural consequence.
____
Konoha, Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage sat in his chair, puffing on his old pipe, silently listening to Kakashi's report.
"That concludes my report on the mission, Lord Hokage!" Kakashi finished.
The Third Hokage nodded, his voice grave. "Well done, Kakashi. Let's classify this mission as B-rank."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" Kakashi said softly.
The Third Hokage took another puff from his pipe, exhaling with a sigh. "It seems these young ones are growing up quickly, especially Sasuke. Just as you said, he already possesses Jonin-level strength."
Although Aoi Rokushō had originally been only a Chunin, the Third Hokage knew better.
When he defected, Aoi had single-handedly wiped out an elite team of Konoha's Anbu and defeated Morino Ibiki, the Special Jonin in charge of the Interrogation Department, in a direct confrontation.
Now, armed with the Sword of the Thunder God, Aoi's strength was clearly on par with that of a Jonin-level ninja.
Sasuke's ability to defeat Aoi Rokushō in a one-on-one battle proved that Kakashi's previous assessment of Sasuke's abilities had been entirely accurate.
"Third Hokage," Kakashi paused, then asked hesitantly, "What should we do with the Second Hokage's Sword of the Thunder God?"
"Let Sasuke keep it," the Third Hokage said with a smile, his tone light. "Consider it a reward for defeating Aoi Rokushō. Besides, that little rascal has been studying Lightning Release ninjutsu under your guidance, hasn't he? He's the perfect candidate to wield the Sword of the Thunder God."
While the Sword of the Thunder God was undoubtedly a powerful and valuable ninja tool, it wasn't considered a strategically vital asset for Konoha.
To the Third Hokage, it was merely a powerful artifact, not an irreplaceable treasure.
Kakashi nodded. "On behalf of my student, I thank you, Third Hokage."
The Third Hokage chuckled and shook his head. "Spare me the formalities, Kakashi. Go get some rest."
"Yes, sir!"
Kakashi bowed respectfully and withdrew.
___
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