"Where were you just now, Itachi?"
A voice called Itachi from behind.
Itachi turned his head and saw an older man with a strong body and a large sword on his back. He had a shark-like face and a strange appearance. He was the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the former Kirigakure Village, now the Kirigakure Village. An S-class defector ninja, Kisame Inikaki.
The crime is to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Water, and he is an internationally famous criminal.
"I just went out to find some water."
Itachi stared at Kisame and answered calmly.
"Really? You left without saying a word. I thought you were going to leave the organization."
Kisame said half-jokingly.
"How could it be? If I leave the organization, I will only die."
Itachi answered calmly, making it impossible to see the fluctuations in his heart.
"This is best. We are all people who have betrayed the village and our companions. Only by staying together can we survive in this dark world. I don't want any barriers between us."
Kisame said this, but there was some sincerity in his words that Itachi didn't know.
Although Kisame seemed to be a kind-hearted person who cared about his companions, Itachi understood that the ninjas who joined this organization were not a group of good people.
If you regard caring as kindness, you will definitely die without any bones left.
Hypocrisy, cunning, everyone is hiding their true colors and living in the organization. This is the same as him.
Because of this, no one in this organization is worthy of trust.
I went to this organization as a 'hostage', and trusting others would only make me die faster.
"Okay, let's go to a nearby town to take a rest. I seem to have a cold. I really shouldn't go out to work in this damn weather."
Kisame started to complain.
Usually, the Akatsuki organization does not have any specific tasks. It just allows the team members to move freely, and the superiors will not interfere too much in the team members' affairs. However, in order to prevent betrayal and intelligence leakage, team members are not allowed to act alone. The relationship between Kisame and Itachi is that they are both partners who fight side by side, and they are also people who monitor each other.
Members like Itachi who join the Akatsuki organization with special missions receive even more attention from their superiors.
The leader, Nagato, also gave some hints to Kisame in a subtle way. Usually everyone should pay attention to Itachi's actions and try not to let the other party out of their sight.
"Okay. I have some cold medicine here, please take it."
Itachi took out a box of cold medicine from his ninja bag and threw it to Kisame.
Kisame quickly caught it and smiled at Itachi.
"Thanks, Itachi, for saving me money on medicine."
The organization's salary is still very good, and if you want to study ninjutsu, it will provide a special location and even ninjutsu information.
Even if he was chased by ANBU in Kirigakure Village, Bai Zetsu would send a message in advance to let him avoid them.
If it weren't for the important tasks he was shouldering, Kisame felt that this organization would be a good place to retire.
"Let's go, it's getting dark now, and I don't want to spend the night in a place like this."
Itachi coughed.
"Eh? Do you have a cold too?"
Kisame said in surprise.
Itachi shook his head, his face turned slightly pale, and he didn't say anything. He just took out another box of pills from his ninja bag. Zhang took one pill orally and left alone.
"Really, if you are not in good health, don't run around. Anyway, there are no further instructions now. You can also relax properly without forcing yourself to work like this."
Kisame showed concern for Itachi's physical condition.
Relax? Itachi felt that such words were too far away from him, and even felt very strange.
From the age of four, he was taken to the battlefield by his father Uchiha Fugaku, where he saw hell on earth.
After that, in order to change this chaotic ninja world, he devoted all his energy to training.
When his teammate died, his Sharingan was turned on, and no one cared about his inner pain. His father was only happy that he turned on his Sharingan.
Pain and confusion occupied his childhood for a while.
After that, the grievances and grievances between the Roots, Anbu, Uchiha, Konoha, etc. made him mentally and physically exhausted.
Shisui's death was clearly done by Danzo, but for the sake of peace in Konoha, he was unable to avenge his best friend. He had to obey Danzo's orders and try his best to maintain the peace of the village.
Finally joining the Akatsuki organization, I thought it would be a little easier, but in the end, I was still in intrigues and walking on thin ice. The organization is full of dangerous renegade ninja fugitives, and they cannot afford to be careless for a moment.
Especially ninjas like Orochimaru and Madara are always eyeing Konoha.
There is nothing I can do to change this.
Therefore, Itachi didn't take it to heart when Kisame said 'relax'.
There was only fighting left in his life, and now was not the time to breathe a sigh of relief.
Once he relaxes, Konoha's situation will become very dangerous.
Seeing that Itachi didn't obey his words, Kisame sighed helplessly.
It's really not a good sign to have sick Yangzi as a teammate.
For a kid who is not yet an adult and keeps doing things with such a heavy heart, sooner or later his body will be completely crushed.
Kisame had learned some medical knowledge, so he could expect such a result.
However, who in the organization was he meeting when he went out just now? Kisame followed Itachi, guessing to himself.
So, on the snow, the two of them walked with their own agenda.
◎
"Invite us to the Country of Rain for talks... These are the exact words brought by the envoy from the Country of Ghosts."
After receiving the envoy from the Kingdom of Ghosts, Hiruzen returned to the conference room, gathered with the Fire Country daimyo and others, and explained the intentions of the envoy from the Kingdom of Ghosts to the Country of Fire this time. .
"Conversation with the Kingdom of Rain?"
Shikaku frowned, seeming to consider the intention.
"Yes, the Kingdom of Ghosts made it clear that this matter started with the Kingdom of Rain and ended with the Kingdom of Rain. It also showed that the Kingdom of Ghosts had no intention of starting a war with the Kingdom of Fire, but just wanted to take advantage of this incident. Come and reestablish the order of the ninja world."
Hiruzen sighed.
The Country of Fire is the leader of the five major countries. Even if the shinobi world wants to re-establish order, it should be proposed by the Country of Fire, not other countries.
Although the people present were angry, there was nothing they could do.
It is an indisputable fact that the strength of the Fire Nation and Konoha has been greatly weakened since the Third Shinobi War.
This ninja world speaks with strength. The reason why the Kingdom of Ghosts dares to force the Kingdom of Fire is not only because of its own strong power, but also because it binds itself to the Kingdom of Thunder.
As a veteran military power, the ambition of the Kingdom of Thunder is no weaker than that of the Kingdom of Ghosts, and it even has stronger intentions towards the Kingdom of Fire.
It is said that they are talking about the Kingdom of Rain, but the things they are talking about may have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Rain.
In this turmoil, the Kingdom of Rain is just a pawn, not the person who plays the chess.
What matters is not the attitude of the Kingdom of Rain, but the attitudes of the Kingdom of Ghosts and the Kingdom of Thunder.
It's coming fiercely! It can only be described in these four words.
"So, do you want to agree to go to the Country of Rain to negotiate?"
Xiaochun asked in a low voice after turning to bed.
From the bottom of her heart, she expected to negotiate.
Although Konoha is prepared for a full-scale war, war is best avoided if it can be avoided.
Mito Menyan remained silent because he really couldn't bear to face it.
The last time I participated in the Five Kage Talks, because the sponsors were the Kazekage and the Wind Country daimyo, the ones who were most embarrassed were the Kazekage and the Wind Country daimyo. Although the Fire Country and Konoha lost face, it was acceptable.
But this time it was obviously different.
The Rain Country talks, led by the Kingdom of Oni and the Kingdom of Thunder, are obviously aimed at the Country of Fire and Konoha.
Agreeing to the invitation for talks, the Land of Rain is like a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. It's easy to get in but hard to get out.
No one will know what the Kingdom of Ghosts and the Kingdom of Thunder will do next if they do not agree to the invitation for talks.
"Promise them that we will go to the Country of Rain to participate in talks."
The Fire Country Daimyo raised his head and said something.
"Your Excellency Daimyo?"
Hiruzen and others looked at the Fire Nation Daimyo in surprise.
The Fire Country Daimyo did not explain, but looked at Shikaku and asked: "Mr. Shikaku, you think so too, right?"
Shikaku smiled bitterly and nodded.
"What's the meaning?"
Hiruzen and the other three were a little confused.
Shikaku coughed and explained: "In fact, the reason is very simple, because this time the Fire Country and Konoha do not lose face, and even weaken their international influence to improve the status of the Ghost Country and the Thunder Country, then, The alliance between the Kingdom of Oni and the Kingdom of Thunder will continue and will continue to target the Kingdom of Fire and Konoha in the future. On the contrary, if the two countries at this time, no, as long as the Kingdom of Thunder achieves its political demands, there will be no peace It is necessary for the Kingdom of Ghosts to continue to unite. The alliance between the two countries will naturally be dissolved after the talks."
Hiruzen and the other three frowned in thought.
The Fire Country Daimyo nodded, agreeing with Shikaku's words.
"With the weakening of the Fire Country and Konoha, the Thunder Country will naturally not deliberately target us in the future. On the contrary, we are equivalent to selling a favor to them. You may wish to think about it, after the Thunder Country achieves its political demands , who will we be wary of next?”
Shikaku wakes up the dreamer with one word.
Hiruzen and the other three suddenly came over.
Even Koharu and Mito Monobu couldn't help but glance at Shikaku.
Shikaku's words were in the hope that the Fire Country and Konoha would temporarily give up some of their interests, which would break the alliance between the Ghost Country and the Thunder Country.
By then, the Fire Nation, which has no threat to the Thunder Nation for the time being, will not be targeted by the Thunder Nation.
The Kingdom of Water and the Kingdom of Earth are relatively conservative and lack the desire for external expansion. Although the Kingdom of Wind has been invading other countries' resources, due to the war last year, it was severely punished by the Kingdom of Ghosts, and its vitality was severely damaged. In a short period of time, Within the country, they will not be targeted by the Kingdom of Thunder.
Then, there is only one country left that the Kingdom of Thunder needs to be wary of - the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Whether it is the Kingdom of Ghost's extreme military desire, or the arms sold to Yuyin Village, which shone in the previous battlefields, it shows that the Kingdom of Ghost has the same ambition as the Kingdom of Thunder for hegemony.
The potential danger exceeds that of Fire Nation and Konoha.
Today, the Kingdom of Thunder can assist the Kingdom of Ghost in suppressing the Kingdom of Fire. Then, tomorrow, the Kingdom of Thunder will also become stronger because of the Kingdom of Ghost's military power, and will turn to point the finger at the Kingdom of Ghost.
To be honest, it is meaningless to talk about grievances that have been entangled for decades between countries.
Interests, international status, international influence and other demands are the root cause of conflicts between countries.
The Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Thunder have been fighting openly and secretly for decades, and the proportion of hatred in them is really insignificant.
"Now the Fire Country and Konoha need a stable development environment. If we give up the position of the top five countries, we can get a few more years of peace to develop our national strength. I think this is the best policy."
Being the leader of the five great nations is indeed an honor, but this burden can sometimes be too heavy.
When this glory completely became a burden to the country, Shikaku's proposal was to give it up in order to gain more time for development.
Shikaku also thinks this is the best way to deal with the Fire Country and Konoha.
The current Fire Nation and Konoha are not qualified to hold such an honor, so they should give up as soon as possible and concentrate on improving their national strength. The heritage of Konoha and the Land of Fire is still there, so who will have the last laugh in the future is something that has yet to be determined.
Use retreat to advance and tolerate development.
This is the core theme of Shikaku's suggestion.
The Fire Country Daimyo had already agreed, so Shikaku looked at Hiruzen.
The Fire Country Daimyofu and Konoha are two different political systems. The Daimyo of the Fire Country can only represent the aristocracy of the Fire Country. Konoha's suggestion still depends on the Hokage's words.
Hiruzen smoked the cigarette rod, then took a deep breath and glanced at the Daimyo of the Fire Country opposite.
He knew that giving up these honors would be a huge blow to this famous person.
Although he looks very free and easy on the surface, he must also be bitter on the inside.
After sitting as the chief of the five major countries for so many years, no one would be willing to suddenly give up his position.
There's nothing we can do about it.
The fourth Hokage passed away, leaving Konoha without a leader.
Kumogakure launched a war, causing Konoha to fall into the quagmire of war again.
After finally escaping, the Uchiha clan staged a coup and Konoha cut off an arm.
After going back and forth, the people who can really take charge in Konoha are either still young and inexperienced, or they are old and have less energy than before, or they have left the village and are out of sight and out of mind.
Facing the menacing coalition forces of the Kingdom of Ghosts and the Kingdom of Thunder, even if they unite with the Kingdom of Wind, the winning rate is still pitiful.
"I agree."
When Hiruzen said this, several other people present breathed a sigh of relief.
"From now on, the Daming Mansion's resource allocation to Konoha Village will be doubled. Hiruzen, don't disappoint me."
The fire country daimyo looked serious.
Hiruzen nodded solemnly.
He knew the meaning of the daimyo and vigorously developed the military. Like the Kingdom of Thunder, he did his best to expand armaments for future needs.
"At the same time, I will also issue a tax reduction order in the country, and I will not let the country of ghosts have any opportunity to take advantage of the people of the country of fire!"
A fierce look flashed in the eyes of the Fire Country daimyo.
Hiruzen and the others were stunned. This was the first time they had seen a Daimyo from the Fire Country who was so serious.
◎
February 13th.
It was the day to officially set off to the Country of Rain for talks.
On the endless silver-white land, three figures rushed forward quickly.
We have not yet entered the Kingdom of Rain, we have just left the boundary of the Kingdom of Bears and arrived at the boundary of the Kingdom of Birds.
On the way here, Shiraishi sneezed more than once, rubbed his red nose, and then took out the cold medicine from his pocket and took it orally.
"It's really unlucky that I caught a cold at this time."
Looking at the world covered in silver, there was light snow in the sky, and the biting cold air kept pressing in. Even though I was wearing warm clothes and a scarf around my neck, I still felt a little uncomfortable.
Regarding this, Shiraishi could only complain softly.
Although the cold can only be said to be a minor problem and will not have any impact on the battle, my body still feels uncomfortable.
"It's really ridiculous. Being a medical ninja actually allowed me to catch a cold. I think I had it before when I was in Konoha, but I still have such a short memory."
Hearing Shiraishi twitching his nose from time to time, Liuli, who was following him, couldn't help but mock.
"Ah, that was a long time ago. I never thought that I would catch a cold after waking up in the morning. Besides, it's not uncommon for medical ninjas to catch colds. Even Tsunade-sensei has had a cold before."
Shiraishi defended his cold behavior.
"I can't help it, maybe it's because Mr. Shiraishi was busy late last night. I don't have a cold, but my waist seems to be a little bit sore, and I'm still a little sore."
Ayane explained with a smile while gently hitting her waist with her fist.
It's just that her excuse caused Liuli to feel a biting chill that was colder than ice and snow.
Shiraishi speeded up slightly, pretending that he didn't hear anything, and didn't want to get involved in the horrific fight between the two women.
And when it comes to the topic of waist, it seems that his waist is also a bit flashed. Men are born to work hard.
Soon, the three of them entered the border town of Bird Country, where Shiraishi took Ruri and Ayane to rest for a while.
It was obviously still noon, but the sun could not be seen at all, and there was only snow on the ground.
After entering the town, the situation improved slightly.
Went into a restaurant and ordered a quite rich hot meal. After eating and drinking, we were ready to hit the road.
This meeting with the Land of Rain will determine the direction of the international situation in the next few years. Shiraishi also attaches great importance to this meeting.
Not only to fulfill the agreement between the Kingdom of Thunder and the Kingdom of Rain, but also to prepare for splitting the relationship between the five major countries.
The Five Shadows Conference last year could only be described as a small test of skills, which initially disintegrated the alliance between the five major countries and caused them to split.
This time, Shiraishi plans to further expose the contradictions between the five major nations and compete with each other to gain time for the development of the Kingdom of Demons and prepare for the Fourth Ninja War.
Of course, this is the best result, and Shiraishi is not sure whether it will work or not.
But at least the two countries, the Country of Fire and the Country of Thunder, cannot be allowed to cooperate.
Although the Fire Nation has been weakened, its foundation remains.
The Kingdom of Thunder has recovered from the trauma of the Third Ninja World War, and secretly dispatches Jonin every year to collect forbidden techniques and secret techniques in the Ninja World. At the same time, it obtains a large amount of development funds from the Daimyo of the Kingdom of Thunder. , armed armaments.
Shiraishi estimates that the current military strength of the Kingdom of Thunder has surpassed that of the Kingdom of Fire.
The alliance of other countries is not within the scope of Shiraishi's fear. Only the Country of Fire and the Country of Thunder are a very important issue.
One has the most powerful heritage of a traditional power, and the other has the most powerful military expansion ambition of a traditional power.
If these two countries reach a cooperation agreement, it will not be a good thing for the Kingdom of Ghosts.
After the talks, there will be a need to continue to divide the relationship between the two countries.
At least now we can't let the Fire Country and the Thunder Country unite.
"Speaking of which, I didn't expect that the Fire Country and Konoha would actually agree to come over for talks. Logically speaking, they wouldn't agree so easily."
Ayane sighed while eating hot food.
"This is not surprising. This is not the time eight or nine years ago when the Fourth Hokage of Konoha first came to power. Under the dual pressure of external fighting and internal consumption, Konoha's power has declined very seriously. The management of many departments has become rigid. The state is no longer what it used to be, so the external tone will naturally not be too tough."
Ruri felt that Ayane was making too much fuss.
The current international situation is obviously different from the past.
The Fire Nation and Konoha will definitely not implement development policies according to the same set of strategies as in the past.
That's why I agreed to this meeting.
Even the Uchiha clan, which has a longer heritage, has experienced many ups and downs.
Time is the most terrifying force in the world.
In the earliest history of the Uchiha clan, the prestige of the clan was even higher than that of the country as a whole, using the power of the clan to dominate the will of the entire country.
As a result, during the Warring States Period, the Uchiha clan could only be reduced to mercenary thugs from various countries.
The Fire Country and Konoha, which are not as good as the Uchiha clan in terms of historical inheritance, declined during their peak period. Although it is surprising, it is not a puzzling thing.
"It is very difficult to give up one's own pride. However, it is precisely this kind of Konoha that is meaningful to target. If we wait for them to recover, we will be the unlucky ones."
Ayane smiled.
To her, the best enemy in the world is a dead enemy.
"Okay, the meal is almost done, let's start on the road."
As he spoke, Shiraishi sneezed again.
It seems that this cold will not be cured in a short time.
Liuli and Ayane didn't object. Ayane, who always had a big appetite, only ate half full. Under Shiraishi's urging, she quickly set off on her way.
After leaving the small town in the Kingdom of Birds, the three of Shiraishi headed all the way to the Kingdom of Rain.
I don't know how much time has passed, but the sky looks darker than before, the black clouds have become extremely thick, the temperature has also continued to drop, and there is a cold humidity in the air.
The three of Shiraishi knew that the three of them were very close to the Kingdom of Rain, and only there had the same abnormal weather as the Kingdom of Snow.
One has snow all year round, and the other has rain all year round. But compared to the Country of Rain, which is at the center of war between great powers, the Country of Snow is located in a corner of the ninja world, and has enjoyed a long period of peace.
"We are about to reach the border of the Kingdom of Rain. According to the agreement, I..."
In the dull atmosphere, Ayane suddenly spoke. When she was about to do something, she suddenly saw Shiraishi, who was taking the lead, stop and glance at the rock on one side.
Liuli and Ayane's expressions darkened slightly, and they realized something. They were being followed.
"Roll your eyes!"
Ayane opened her Byakugan, penetrated the barrier of the rock, and looked directly behind the rock.
Baishi held his brows helplessly and said in the direction of the rock: "Come out. I thought it was just a chance encounter on the road, so I kept silent before. Looking at it now, it's not like that."
After Shiraishi spoke, a frog jumped out from behind the rock and stood in front of Shiraishi and the others.
I saw the frog's mouth wide open, first an arm stretched out from it, and then the whole person appeared from the frog's small body, standing not far in front of the three people of Shiraishi, just blocking the way of the three people.
"So, what do you plan to do when you appear in front of us now, Jiraiya-sama?"
Shiraishi called out the identity of the person in an expected tone.
The person who came was none other than Jiraiya, one of the Sannin of Konoha.
