Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

At the Allied Forces' Mist Shinobi Command, Terumī Mei frowned as she listened to reports coming in from various aspects of the troops. 

Because the shinobi of Kirigakure excelled in Water Style, Mist Shinobi operated seamlessly in the Land of Rain. Unlike the Kumogakure and Iwagakure coalitions, the Mist Shinobi forces directly entered Amegakure via the waterways. 

Although the waterways were highly concealed, with only a few instances of unstable currents, the Mist Shinobi coalition had encountered virtually no resistance. 

This was highly abnormal. Even an inland village like Konoha would station guards along its waterways, let alone a village like Amegakure, practically surrounded by water. 

Moreover, reports from the other two coalition teams indicated that they, too, had encountered minimal obstacles. It seemed as though Amegakure only offered token resistance before retreating. 

No significant battles had occurred, and no members of the Akatsuki organization had appeared. This starkly contrasted with the intelligence held by the coalition forces. 

"Has the Akatsuki organization abandoned this village? Or are they consolidating all their power within it?" 

Terumī Mei turned to Yagami, who stood nearby. As a Uchiha, he undoubtedly had more insight into the Akatsuki organization. 

"Maybe so," Yagami replied with a faint smile. "But what's interesting is that the villagers of Amegakure don't seem to know their village has become a stronghold of the Akatsuki organization. 

According to the information extracted by Iwagakure shinobi, the current Amegakure is surrounded by 'God's Messenger,' Angel. 

Now, Mizukage-sama, who do you think this god is?" 

Yagami's tone remained light, but his words carried weight. While he didn't fully understand what the Akatsuki organization was planning, Orochimaru informed him that they would soon leave Amegakure, but not without leaving a "gift" for the coalition forces. 

This kind of information, however, was not something Yagami intended to share. His alliance with Orochimaru and their plans concerning the Third Hokage had to remain secret for the time being. 

Even so, he decided to subtly warn Terumī Mei, hoping she would lead her forces with more caution. 

"A god? The leader of the Akatsuki organization?" Terumī Mei echoed, her brows furrowing further. "With those eyes, the Rinnegan, it wouldn't be surprising if he called himself that... 

What's terrifying is that there was a civil war in Amegakure, Hanzō of the Salamander was killed, and the entire village was brought under control. 

And yet, no information about such a major event leaked to the outside world. The Akatsuki organization is truly frightening!" 

The grim reality of Amegakure's situation stirred unpleasant memories in Terumī Mei, visibly darkening her mood. 

"It's no surprise," Yagami remarked, his Sharingan glinting faintly. "If the Sharingan can control a Mist Shinobi, the Rinnegan can certainly do worse. What I'm more concerned about is the possibility of an attack at night. Judging by the attitudes of Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage, they're underestimating the Akatsuki organization far too much." 

"Indeed," Terumī Mei sighed. "After all, their nations were only drawn into this war because of the Akatsuki's provocations. They've never truly faced the Akatsuki directly. Perhaps the ease of their advance so far has led them to believe the Akatsuki is nothing special." 

Her voice carried a mix of frustration and concern. Turning her gaze toward the rain-soaked village outside, Terumī Mei felt a deep unease. The mist and rain obscuring Amegakure gave the unsettling impression of a yawning abyss ready to swallow them whole. 

"Order our forces to slow their advance at night," she instructed after a moment. "The Akatsuki organization has surrendered too much ground in the Land of Rain. They've undoubtedly set a trap within Amegakure. 

Don't let anyone fall into it blindly." 

Yagami reminded everyone that beyond the other members of the Akatsuki organization, Pain's Six Paths posed a tremendous threat to the coalition forces. Not to mention, Tendo's Super Shinra Tensei was capable of devastating Konoha entirely—a move of overwhelming magnitude. 

Other than the Tailed Beast Ball, it was difficult to find a comparable destructive force at this stage. Of course, if Yagami used Yang Release to enhance his ninjutsu, he might achieve a similar level of damage. Failing that, he could only rely on his Susanoo. 

Meanwhile, after receiving information about Nagato, Konan was efficiently organizing Amegakure's affairs. While most wouldn't care about the fate of Amegakure's villagers, Konan did. 

She didn't stop those who wished to leave the village; after all, even if these people were captured, they wouldn't be able to provide the coalition forces with any actionable intelligence about the Akatsuki organization. 

Beyond arranging for the villagers' safety, Konan also finalized other preparations within Amegakure. 

"All that's left now is to wait for their attack. I hope Kakuzu and Orochimaru succeed," Konan murmured, putting away the last stack of explosive tags. She glanced at the distant, rain-filled sky. Everything that needed to be done was complete. All that remained was to wait. 

Elsewhere, deep in the Land of Earth, two men in black robes adorned with red clouds quietly infiltrated Iwagakure. These were none other than Kakuzu and Orochimaru, whom Konan had mentioned earlier. 

"Orochimaru, have you located Iwagakure's vault yet?" Kakuzu asked, glancing at his companion as they stood in a secluded area. 

Faced with the coalition's attack, the Akatsuki organization had requisitioned all of Kakuzu's savings. The enraged bounty hunter had nearly confronted Tendo for a fight. 

All the hard-earned money he had accumulated through countless dangerous missions had been exchanged by Konan for explosive tags. If he weren't certain he'd lose to Tendo, Kakuzu would have retaliated against Konan long ago. 

Fortunately, Konan understood Kakuzu's frustration. She had tasked him and Orochimaru with leaving Amegakure to raid the vulnerable Iwagakure treasury, ensuring him a chance to recover his losses. 

Konan's instructions were straightforward: the organization might have used Kakuzu's money, but compensation awaited. With the major villages' high-ranking forces occupied, Kakuzu could loot freely. Anything he took was his to keep. 

"Haha… I've found it," Orochimaru replied with a sly smile. "But I must say, the situation inside isn't promising. There's not much money left." 

Kakuzu's expression soured. "Better some money than none!" he grumbled. He wasn't about to reject what little Rock Shinobi had. If Iwagakure's vault turned out to be disappointing, there was always Kumogakure—or even Kirigakure if he felt adventurous. 

The defence of Iwagakure's treasury had indeed been bolstered since Kumogakure's previous raid, but it was no match for the combined skills of Kakuzu and Orochimaru. 

When Kakuzu finally accessed the vault and saw the sparse contents—just a few bills and a small pile of silver—he hissed in frustration. 

"Seriously? This is supposed to be one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Even Takigakure's treasury was richer than this!" 

He stared at the meagre collection, beginning to doubt his life choices. Was this really Iwagakure or some backwater "Stone Hidden Village"? Were all the great villages this destitute? 

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "I warned you… but don't worry. Let's head to Kumogakure next. In fact," he added with a glint in his eyes, "once we've dealt with Kumogakure, I wouldn't mind visiting Konoha. I'm rather… familiar with that place." 

Disappointed but determined, Kakuzu left Iwagakure with Orochimaru trailing close behind, already plotting their next heist. 

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