Chapter 115: Pawns, Two Bait

Deep underground.

Madara Uchiha looked up, the three tomoe in his eye sockets slowly rotating, though they still didn't belong to him.

"I'm back." The voice echoed in the darkness as a white humanoid figure, seemingly molded from latex, reappeared underground.

"I saw Moon God... He was with Nagato."

"There was a battle in the Land of Rain. Hanzo of the Salamander is dead, and the leader of the Akatsuki committed suicide."

"Moon God appeared last. He seems to be eyeing the power of the Rinnegan."

"Nagato is getting close to him." White Zetsu paused, clutching his head as he asked:

"Do we need to retrieve the Rinnegan?"

Madara was silent for a long time before he spoke calmly, "The eyes are with him; they won't run away."

"Wow, such confidence. As expected of Madara-sama." White Zetsu's personality was always lively, even when facing this man who had become a legend in the shinobi world, sometimes he couldn't keep a straight face:

"And Moon God?"

"Just kill him. He's a masked clown. Leave it to the pawn."

"The pawn? But we haven't gotten anyone yet."

"We will, soon." Madara closed his eyes again, absorbing the chakra of the Demonic Statue to sustain his life, "No one can escape fate, and pawns even less so."

…

"Nagato, it hurts a bit." Konan frowned but didn't turn around.

"Sorry." Nagato Uzumaki was drenched in sweat:

"Yahiko used to dress your wounds; I have no experience. I reopened your injury. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The purple-haired woman smiled, comforting her partner instead:

"It doesn't hurt."

"Sorry."

Silence spread in the room.

Suddenly, Konan spoke softly, "Nagato, you've already said sorry to me thirty-four times today."

"Sorry, Konan, I..."

The purple-haired woman didn't turn around; she just raised her arm and reached back, accurately pinching Nagato's mouth.

"No more apologies. Yahiko's death wasn't your fault. I've never blamed you. If I had been in his place, I would have rushed towards that kunai too."

A wet feeling spread from her hand, tears falling, trickling down Konan's hand and onto her back.

"Don't cry, don't cry, Nagato." The purple-haired woman's voice was gentle, like comforting a grieving child, "You are a man with the eyes of a Sage. You can't be this fragile."

However, Konan's face, turned away from Nagato, was also covered in tears.

The three had grown up together, and Yahiko and Konan had even been lovers. They saw each other as parts of their own bodies.

Losing Yahiko, the pain was worse than losing a limb.

But after grief, life had to go on.

Nagato wiped his eyes, seeing that Konan's back was already stained with his tears, small water stains on the elegant curve of her back, reflecting a touching shimmer in the light.

He didn't dare to look anymore.

Konan was like family, having grown up with him, and she was Yahiko's lover who had died for him...

He was ashamed, feeling like gouging out his own eyes.

Nagato silently found a blanket and covered Konan.

"Damned Yuto..." he suddenly cursed.

The purple-haired woman sighed:

"I didn't expect Yuto to suddenly attack. Strange, he didn't seem like such a ruthless person. Even if he were to kill me, he'd give a quick death."

"Konoha shinobi, it's not surprising for them to do such things. Except for Jiraiya-sensei, they're all demons in human skin." Nagato stated coldly.

His parents were mistakenly killed by Konoha shinobi, and Yahiko died in the schemes of Konoha and Amegakure. Nagato only felt that the shinobi village, which prided itself on being a towering tree, was the ugliest and darkest place in the world, without a shred of goodwill.

…

Konoha Village, Hokage Office.

"So the result is that Hanzo of the Salamander is confirmed dead, we lost twenty-three elite shinobi, and the Akatsuki still has the strongest member of the Uzumaki clan... and he even has the Rinnegan, right?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed three reports heavily on the table, massaging his brow:

"Danzo, You can't give me some good news, can you?"

Danzo was silent, not speaking for a long time.

A crushing defeat. Other than obtaining the information that the Akatsuki possessed the Sage's eyes, they gained nothing.

"You can leave." Hiruzen didn't say more, just waved for Danzo to leave the room.

Soon, only Hiruzen was left in the room.

"Hanzo..." he muttered to himself, feeling a headache.

The strategy to help Amegakure quell the rebellion had been implemented so smoothly, even mobilizing Konoha's front-line forces. Besides the grand strategy of forming an alliance with Amegakure, Hiruzen had his own purposes.

—He wanted to bring Hanzo of the Salamander into the team to encircle Moon God too!

The encirclement plan had been set in the Land of Rain. With Konoha helping Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander had no reason to disagree.

Unfortunately, fate played a big joke on Hiruzen.

Without Hanzo, the encirclement might have a gap... more forces must be added. Kirigakure was almost negotiated, next...

Hiruzen got up, thinking as he left his office through a secret door, arriving in a hidden room.

Opening the door, a sickly girl sat inside.

"Meiko." Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe:

"Are you comfortable living here? I heard you like colorful glass beads. Tonight, the ANBU will bring some when delivering your meal."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Meiko Hyuga smiled. Although still thin, her complexion and demeanor were much better than before.

She had started to eat regularly, train in shinobi techniques, and even chat and laugh with the ANBU taking care of her.

All the changes stemmed from something Hiashi Hyuga had said to her.

"Meiko, Shinosuke might still be alive."

Yes, Meiko had been sent by Hiashi himself!

Although it was unclear why the Hyuga clan made such a sacrifice, Hiruzen gladly accepted.

If Moon God was indeed Shinosuke, Meiko was indeed the perfect bait.

Of course, she was just one of the... many baits.

The Third Hokage was absolutely confident that Moon God couldn't resist any of the baits.

Irresistible bait, unbeatable experts, and an inescapable encirclement.

These were the things Hiruzen prepared for Moon God.

Amidst the smoke, the Third Hokage sat beside Meiko.

"Meiko."

"Hokage-sama?"

"Are you afraid? Though I haven't told you the specific plan, you should be able to guess. What the village needs you to do is dangerous, and frankly, if you don't want to, the village can't force the Hyuga clan."

Meiko was taken aback, "I didn't think that far... As long as I see Shinosuke and confirm he's alive, I'll be very satisfied. Besides, isn't Hokage-sama and the clan head also here?"

Hiruzen was stunned, tapping the ash from his pipe into the yard, smiling lightly at the Hyuga girl, then getting up and walking away.

Before leaving, he spoke suddenly, his voice so low that only he could hear.

"Everything is for Konoha."

(End of Chapter)