Chapter 144. Akatsuki’s Konan

Chapter 144 - 144. Akatsuki's Konan"Long time no see, Lady Tsunade." After finishing her conversation with Mokuto Ei, Konan approached Tsunade and greeted her. "I am Konan." Hanekawa was taken aback. Had they met before? "As I thought, it's you. It's been years, and you've completely changed," Tsunade remarked with a hint of nostalgia. "If it weren't for your distinctive hair color, I wouldn't have recognized you." "How is Teacher Jiraiya doing now?" Konan asked with a rare smile on her usually cold face. "He's the same as always, nothing much to say," Tsunade replied with a light snort. "He's probably drinking at some bar somewhere." "That's good." Konan glanced at Hanekawa and the others before turning to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, you must be tired after the long journey. Please come in, rest, and have a meal." "Alright," Tsunade agreed. They had been traveling all morning, and it was the perfect time for lunch. "Lady Tsunade, why would you take on a mission to escort a merchant caravan?" Konan asked curiously as they walked. "I'm training a student." Tsunade pulled Hanekawa forward. "This is my student, Hanekawa." "Hello, I am Konan," Konan said politely, her thoughts clicking into place. "My teacher is Jiraiya. That makes us peers." "Senior Konan," Hanekawa said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Konan blinked in mild surprise. This junior of hers seemed awfully friendly. She nodded slightly and shook his hand. Tsunade couldn't help but glare at Hanekawa. What was he doing? Striking up a connection already? No wonder this brat was so popular—he flirted with everyone everywhere! "I'm Kurenai Yuhi!" At that moment, Kurenai Yuhi poked her head out from behind Hanekawa. "Senior Konan, my name is Rin Nohara," Rin quickly added, following suit. Konan was slightly startled. She hadn't expected to gain three juniors during this meeting. The feeling was... peculiar. Asuma Sarutobi, Shisui Uchiha, and Shizune exchanged glances. As expected of one of Konoha's Sannin, Tsunade! Even in a remote location like this, she received such respect. What surprised them even more was that Konan was Jiraiya's student. After all, they had never heard of her before. However, Sakumo Hatake seemed to have pieced together part of the truth. The title "Konoha's Sannin" was born in the Land of Rain, so there must have been many untold stories from that time. Jiraiya must have taken Konan as his student on a whim and never brought her back to Konoha. "Lady Tsunade, I apologize. This place is a bit shabby," Konan said, leading them into a house. "It's fine," Tsunade replied indifferently. The living room had little furniture, just two dining tables with bowls and chopsticks already set—exactly nine pairs. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We'll sit at this table," Sakumo gestured to his Team Two, and the four of them took seats near the wall. "I'll sit with Hanekawa!" Kurenai said, grabbing Hanekawa and sitting beside him. The remaining three seats were just right for Tsunade, Konan, and Rin. "Was Akatsuki founded by the three of you?" Tsunade asked Konan. "Yes," Konan nodded. "We all hoped to end the wars and bring peace to the Land of Rain, so we established Akatsuki." "I see," Tsunade said approvingly. "You've done well. I've heard about your organization even in Konoha." "It's all thanks to Teacher Jiraiya's teachings," Konan said humbly. "Enough. I know Jiraiya all too well," Tsunade waved dismissively. Compared to Jiraiya wandering the world searching for the Child of Prophecy, Akatsuki seemed far more pragmatic, already taking action. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Wait here. I'll check," Konan said, her face tensing as she got up to answer. "Lady Konan!" A middle-aged man appeared, his face filled with urgency. "Rain Village's ninja are heading this way!" "Persistent as ever!" Konan frowned deeply. Originally, Akatsuki and Rain Village stayed out of each other's way. But for some unknown reason, everything took a turn for the worse this year. Under the suppression of Hanzo, Akatsuki had been struggling. This time, they had sought weapons from Mokuto Ei in the Land of Fire because the surrounding smaller nations, pressured by Hanzo, refused to sell to them. The initial deal was to exchange goods in Rain Country's capital, but Rain Village's ninja discovered them. After a skirmish, they had retreated to this base. But Rain Village still hadn't let up. "What happened?" Tsunade's voice suddenly broke the tension. "Is it Rain Village's ninja?" "Yes." Konan turned around and replied, "Lady Tsunade, this matter has nothing to do with you. Please leave." "How could it have nothing to do with us?" Tsunade smiled calmly. "Our escort mission isn't over yet." She had no goodwill toward Rain Village, especially considering the war where the title "Konoha's Sannin" was bestowed upon her, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. That battle still lingered in her memory. Hanzo's reputation as a "Demi-God" was largely due to his summon, the giant salamander. Back then, apart from her, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, every other Konoha ninja had died from the salamander's poison gas. "Sensei is right," Hanekawa echoed. "How many of them are there?" Tsunade asked directly. "Sixteen Rain ninja," the middle-aged man answered after some thought. "Four jonin, no sign of Hanzo." "That's manageable," Tsunade said with raised eyebrows. "We'll take them out, and once you're ready to relocate, our mission will be complete." "Lady Tsunade, thank you so much!" Konan said gratefully. "It's nothing," Tsunade replied nonchalantly. "If I didn't help, Jiraiya would definitely complain to me." "In that case, let's prepare for battle," Sakumo Hatake said as he stood up. "We can set up an ambush," Asuma Sarutobi suggested eagerly. "I have explosive tags," Hanekawa said, pulling out a stack of them. As he spoke, he realized the irony of the situation. Konan, the true expert in explosive tags, was right there. She had famously created billions of them in the original storyline, nearly taking out Uchiha Obito. "Leave the explosive tags to me," Konan said, giving Hanekawa a glance. "I'll handle the setup." "Let's go," Tsunade commanded curtly. The group left the house and spread out to hide throughout the village. Konan set up traps with the explosive tags at the Rain ninja's likely path, then returned to the village. Time passed slowly. A few minutes later, a sudden explosion rang out, followed by a series of deafening blasts. The light drizzle was powerless against the flames that shot into the sky. "Four of their ninja are down," Hanekawa said, his eyes closed as he used the Yamanaka clan's sensory techniques. "The rest are coming—straight ahead!" Countless paper fragments flew into the air as white wings extended from Konan's back. She leaped into the sky and spread her arms wide. The paper transformed into kunai, raining down like a storm at terrifying speed. "What a beautiful jutsu!" Kurenai Yuhi exclaimed in awe. Hanekawa watched the angelic figure of Konan and recognized the technique: Dance of the Shikigami. It essentially turned her into a being of paper, immune to physical attacks, though it had one weakness—oil. Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu! The leading Rain Village jonin, familiar with Konan, immediately formed hand signs. In the rain, the massive water sphere he spat out surged forward like a waterfall. Although Konan's paper kunai were waterproof, the sheer force scattered them. Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu! The other three Rain Village jonin followed suit, spitting out huge water spheres that turned the area into a vast ocean. "Use Fire Style," Tsunade reminded. Hanekawa and Shisui Uchiha formed hand signs simultaneously. Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu! Two massive fireballs shot forward one after the other. Shisui glanced at Hanekawa instinctively. The same jutsu, yet as an Uchiha, his hand sign speed was a third slower than Hanekawa's—a shocking realization. Although the difference was less than half a second, it was still significant. The fireballs collided with the waves, inevitably extinguished, but not before releasing dense steam into the air. "I'll go first!" Sakumo Hatake vanished instantly. "Clear the mist!" The Rain Village leader shouted. Wind Style: Great Breakthrough! A young chunin nearby immediately released a powerful gust of wind to disperse the mist. "Be careful!" The leader suddenly noticed a flash before hearing a pained scream. When his vision cleared, he saw one of their chunin impaled by a short white blade, blood gushing from the wound. "H-how is this possible?" The leader froze in shock. The death had been so swift he hadn't even realized it. "It's Konoha's ninja!" Another Rain Village jonin shouted in alarm. "Is your Konoha Village trying to start a war with our Amegakure Village?" The leading Jōnin questioned angrily. "We dare. Do you?" Tsunade stepped forward, sneering coldly. "You... you're Tsunade?!" The lead Jōnin was visibly shaken and blurted out in shock. The remaining Amegakure shinobi instinctively showed astonished expressions as well. To Hanzō, granting the title of Konoha's Sannin was the peak of his life. But for ordinary Amegakure shinobi, facing the Sannin was akin to facing a tiger — pure fear. "Princess Tsunade, this is an internal matter of Amegakure. Please leave!" The leading Jōnin regained his composure and quickly tried to de-escalate. "There's no need for words." Tsunade had no intention of wasting time. She instantly used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared right in front of him. Boom! The ground cracked at her feet, and large chunks of rock rolled away in all directions. The battle resumed immediately. Four Amegakure Jōnin faced off against Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake. The remaining seven Amegakure Chūnin turned their attention toward Hanekawa and the others. Rin Nohara and Shizune stayed back, while Shisui Uchiha was the first to charge forward. Drawing his ninja blade, he slashed through the air toward the Amegakure shinobi. Scorching heat waves surged forward as a fiery arc of flames flew out. Wherever it passed, raindrops evaporated, leaving trails of steam. Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu! The leftmost Amegakure Chūnin quickly formed hand seals and spat out a water dragon. The fiery blade cut through the water dragon but dimmed as a result. Shisui immediately activated his two-tomoe Sharingan. "He's an Uchiha! Watch out for genjutsu!" An Amegakure Chūnin quickly warned the others. Shisui ignored them and dashed into the group, creating a series of intense, ear-piercing clashes. Dance of the Crescent Moon! Hanekawa followed closely behind, wielding his Thunderfire Blade. Amidst the smoke, two shadow clones appeared, making three identical Hanekawas charging at the nearest Amegakure Chūnin. "Damn it!" The Amegakure Chūnin felt dizzy, unable to tell which one was real. He had no time to think and hastily threw three kunai. Clang! Clang! Clang! The kunai were deflected—not by Hanekawa, but by Kurenai Yuhi. The Chūnin barely had time to react before it was too late. Three Thunderfire Blades pierced through him. "Bastard!" A middle-aged man nearby noticed the scene and quickly formed hand seals. Wind Style: Great Breakthrough! A gust of wind mixed with rainwater surged toward Hanekawa. Body Flicker Technique! Hanekawa dismissed his clones and accelerated, appearing directly in front of him. "Wha—what?" The man instinctively drew a kunai. Fox Mind Technique! Hanekawa clapped his hands together, leaving him dazed for a moment before his Thunderfire Blade slashed through his neck. A hideous wound appeared, spraying blood everywhere. "Die!" Behind Hanekawa, a young shinobi swung a ninja blade at her. The next second, a roaring water dragon shot forward, slamming into the young shinobi and sending him flying. Hanekawa turned to see Kurenai Yuhi waving at him with a big smile. Not skilled in close combat, Kurenai provided long-range support with her Water Style. Hanekawa casually threw two kunai, striking the young shinobi and sending him into eternal sleep. Boom! A massive fireball erupted from Shisui's mouth, precisely hitting the last Amegakure Chūnin. The flames consumed the rain, reducing everything to ashes. The final Amegakure Chūnin perished in the sea of flames, leaving no remains. Hanekawa watched the scene and suddenly recalled a joke from her previous life: "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu can actually kill someone, huh!" "Teacher Sakumo and Lady Tsunade truly live up to their names," Shisui said, sheathing his ninja blade with admiration. He, Hanekawa, Kurenai, and Asuma Sarutobi had dealt with the Chūnin, but their speed was nothing compared to Sakumo and Tsunade. Even Konan, who had wanted to assist, found no opportunity as the four Amegakure Jōnin fell swiftly. "This is normal," Hanekawa thought. To him, Sakumo Hatake and Minato Namikaze were similar—unstoppable forces against weaker opponents. Their overwhelming speed made it impossible to react, leading to instant defeat. Konan descended from the sky, her white wings vanishing as she deactivated her jutsu. "Burn all the bodies with Fire Style," Tsunade ordered as she approached. "Konan, take your people and relocate. Make sure to leave no traces." Although she was unafraid of Amegakure, Tsunade wanted to avoid drawing attention to Konoha during such a critical time, especially from Kumogakure. "Understood," Konan replied before returning to the village. Hanekawa and Shisui burned all the bodies. After Tsunade completed her inspection, the group departed with the Akatsuki members. __ New entry: This Danzo Is Weird Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: New. 390 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird 1. 300 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)