vncnus Chapter 410 "A Chance Encounter"
Chapter 410 "A Chance Encounter"
Chapter 410 "A Chance Encounter"
The dampness from the rain still clung to my body, and the slightest breeze of early autumn could bring an urge to shiver.
Kisame is a marine creature that lives on land, so he wouldn't have any problem with it, but Itachi really disliked the sticky feeling all over his body. Unfortunately, it was always raining in Amegakure, and the rain was full of traces of chakra.
He guessed it was a reconnaissance ninjutsu, like Konoha's barrier, which would detect any unfamiliar chakra that intruded. Because even if these rogue ninjas were to raid Akatsuki's nominal stronghold, they wouldn't use the main entrance. No matter which direction they entered from, once they stepped through the rain curtain, the guiding butterflies would arrive quickly.
They will be recalled for only one reason: two consecutive mission failures.
However, the main responsibility for the failure did not lie with them, but with Zetsu, who was in charge of intelligence. Both Jinchūriki disappeared before they even arrived, and no matter how Zetsu used his special abilities, he was unable to find them.
Such inexplicable disappearances easily lead people to suspect the use of space-time ninjutsu. Moreover, the disappearances are happening one after another; it's said that the capture of the Two-Tails also went poorly, and the other side is even more absurd, vanishing directly in the middle of a battle, as mysteriously as the disappearance of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. The failure a year ago could be attributed to a momentary lapse, but the complete defeat a year later means that someone is targeting Akatsuki.
To be honest, Itachi admired that person... or perhaps not an individual, but an organization? Whatever their goal was, the fact remained that Akatsuki suffered a major setback, something that Itachi, with his double-dealing seal, could never achieve.
Since the Third Hokage's death, he had no one to pass on his intelligence to. Only the Third Hokage and Danzo knew his identity. He didn't want to risk meeting Danzo, so he launched an attack to convey Akatsuki's intentions. However, the response came not from Konoha, but from a group of mysterious people.
"Itachi, I have some information here that you'll definitely find interesting." White Zetsu's tone was melodious, as if defeat had no effect on him. He spoke slowly, word by word: "Orochimaru is dead."
This information was indeed unexpected, but it only made Itachi pause slightly in his departure.
"Sasuke has been looking for you everywhere. I told you long ago, we should have acted sooner rather than later," Black Zetsu chimed in. As for whether that statement truly reflected what the creature was thinking, who knows?
So that's how it is. Has Sasuke grown to this level? However, with the cursed seal still intact, death probably isn't real, right? The anticipated "revenge" is about to arrive, and even though it will be a fierce battle, Itachi still feels a little relieved of the pressure in his heart.
He can finally reach the ending that was predetermined long ago.
But... it seems he still didn't have a chance to say goodbye.
"There's a shop over there where we can rest, Mr. Itachi, shall we go?" Kisame's voice interrupted his thoughts. They had just crossed the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. The desolate Land of Rain was completely different from the vibrant Land of Fire. Wherever there was a passageway, there would be a shop.
Itachi stopped in his tracks. They wore straw hats and cloaks like ordinary people, only temporarily setting aside their conspicuous black robes with red clouds. As a group long accustomed to disguise, they didn't have an obsession with wearing organizational uniforms; they would take them off when necessary.
"Boss, a pot of hot tea and a serving of tea snacks, please." Taking orders was Itachi's job. Kisame's appearance was a bit intimidating, so to avoid drawing attention, he was better off sitting down as soon as he entered the shop. That guy wasn't interested in soft, sticky food, so the tea snacks were usually eaten by Itachi alone.
Hot tea could slightly dispel the chill, and if it weren't for his image, Itachi would probably have held the cup with both hands. However, his comfort was short-lived, as an unexpected person entered his field of vision.
The itinerant doctor, who always travels alone, was accompanied by quite a few companions this time. They were dressed differently, but all carried the same backpack and seemed to be chatting and laughing.
Itachi instinctively lowered his head, trying to hide himself with the wide brim of his straw hat. However, he was a little too slow. The other person had probably already noticed him, or perhaps the shop was too small to accommodate so many people. The person simply sat down at their table without any resistance.
"I never expected to run into you guys here, Mr. Crow, Mr. Samehada." As always, Ryusa was overly familiar with everyone, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just sat down in the S-rank rogue ninja's guarded area.
Itachi felt a strange pain in his eyes, not a physical pain, but because the person in front of him was too dazzling and blinding. Moreover, the timing of this guy's appearance was too coincidental; he had just been thinking of someone, regretting that he couldn't say goodbye, and this person had delivered himself right to his doorstep!
"Why are you in a place like this?" Kisame's expression immediately turned sour, though it wasn't very noticeable with his taut sharkskin.
"Shouldn't this be the question I'm asking you? It's best for wandering ninjas to stay away from the Land of Rain. The ruler there is said to be a very 'poisonous' person, and he's not easy to talk to. Even I, a traveling doctor, would avoid that area." Liu Sha showed no fear of the rogue ninjas' aura and even dared to make a small joke.
"..." The two Akatsuki members who knew Hanzo was dead and had just come from the Land of Rain were speechless, because they seemed unable to refute it. Their superiors had kept the Land of Rain in a closed-off state for the sake of Akatsuki's secrecy, so it was indeed... difficult to talk to them.
Itachi put down his cup and took over the conversation, "Are those your companions?"
"They're colleagues and friends too. We're here for technical exchanges, which means we go to different regions to find local clinics and doctors to exchange medical techniques." Liu Sha said with a face full of pride.
Technology is exclusive; not everyone who possesses it is willing to share. However, this issue is not pronounced within 'Hui,' where the vast majority are willing to contribute, and 'Hui' ensures they don't truly leave empty-handed.
The idea of technical exchange was first proposed by Zhishui and gained widespread acceptance, soon to be applied to fields beyond medicine. Isolation hinders technological innovation, and their current methods of communication are limited; information conveyed through books and words is insufficient, while firsthand experience is far more memorable. That's why he assembled a team to travel, just as he has traveled almost the entire world. However, this time it's not one-way learning, but two-way exchange. They are not only absorbing technology, but also disseminating it.
This statement was beyond the ninjas' comprehension. Itachi and Kisame both looked bewildered; this was something they had never seen before.
Does "mutual exchange... mean mutual teaching?"
Quicksand nodded vigorously, giving Itachi a thumbs up. "Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean! This way, we can come up with better rescue plans, and these plans can benefit more people."
Even Kisame, who had always disliked Quicksand, slightly changed his mindset, feeling both shocked and subtly impressed.
For ninjas, this practice is akin to publicly revealing their secret techniques in exchange for other ninjutsu. However, the acquired ninjutsu may not be very powerful, or even useless, far less valuable than the secret techniques.
But Liu Sha did it anyway, just so that the secret technique could benefit more people.