Bab 124: Chapter 124: The New Member of the Akatsuki
Late at night, a figure silently infiltrated the research facility, moving along the ceiling.
The facility was heavily guarded. It had taken him over a month to find a small defensive loophole, which finally allowed him to sneak in.
As a spy, watching the new Hokage frequently enter and exit this research facility made him realize there were major secrets hidden inside.
So, when he found the opportunity, he couldn't wait to infiltrate.
However, just as he entered, he froze in place. Opposite him, another masked figure, equally cautious, was staring at him with a peculiar look.
It seemed that the other person was also a spy. However, he couldn't tell which village they were from.
Under these circumstances, direct confrontation was impossible. After a few seconds of silent standoff, the two tacitly turned away from each other and began their respective searches for valuable information.
Both were professionals and moved with barely any sound.
They noticed the area was a biological laboratory. Inside various nutrient tanks, bizarre, fleshy creations were floating.
It looked like the results of some sort of biological experimentation. Instinctively, they thought of human experimentation.
They assumed this was another case of Konoha being hypocritical—preaching righteousness on the surface but secretly conducting human experiments behind closed doors.
These things looked peculiar, but neither of them understood them. For now, the priority was to find the experimental records and take them back to their respective villages, where experts could study them further.
As they carefully searched, the door to an inner room in the lab suddenly opened. A third spy walked out.
The three of them froze again for a moment before continuing their silent searches, maintaining an unspoken agreement.
However, the addition of a third person made the atmosphere noticeably more tense. Each of them feared that the other two might be working together, making it possible to silently take them down.
As they searched, they also kept a wary eye on one another.
They found many documents and realized this was a research facility focused on Hashirama's cells. This discovery filled the three spies with joy.
The name of Senju Hashirama had once struck fear across the entire shinobi world. Every major ninja village had tried to uncover his secrets.
But Konoha had guarded this knowledge zealously, and they had obtained very little useful information.
Now, however, they had stumbled upon key information. The three spies were thrilled, but their wariness of one another also deepened.
Each of them wanted to monopolize the information, preferably by eliminating the other two.
However, as spies, their combat strength wasn't exceptional. Engaging in a fight would almost certainly alert Konoha.
After a prolonged standoff, the three of them decided to retreat individually.
But just as they turned to leave, the laboratory was suddenly flooded with light.
"Waited all night and only caught three. Should've waited a bit longer," a voice said.
The three spies' expressions changed drastically. They simultaneously formed hand seals, preparing for a last-ditch resistance.
However, in the next moment, several flashes of sword light swept through the room, and their hands were severed at the wrists in an instant.
"Argh…" They cried out in agony. More figures appeared, quickly sealing off their chakra with fūinjutsu.
Two of the spies bit down on poison capsules hidden in their mouths, attempting to commit suicide. However, the guards were prepared and injected them with a special drug without even blinking.
The two spies immediately felt an unnatural vitality coursing through them, making it impossible to die even if they wanted to.
The third spy tried to activate a self-destruct jutsu inscribed on his body, but with his chakra sealed, it failed. He fainted from the pain.
Kakashi and Aoba emerged from the shadows.
Currently, Kakashi was not only the Hokage's advisor but also the head of the Anbu. However, it wasn't Aoba who had dealt with the spies earlier.
These three spies weren't particularly strong, at most Chūnin level. After all, combat prowess wasn't a requirement for espionage.
For a spy, needing to fight usually meant failure.
Moreover, true elite shinobi were precious assets to their villages and wouldn't be sent on long-term infiltration missions.
The person who had taken action was a Jōnin named Sōkan Hakuyun.
He had been promoted from Special Jōnin to Jōnin after the Konoha Crush Plan and was currently the captain of the lab's guard team. He was also considered a half-disciple of Aoba.
The "half-disciple" designation came from his background as a graduate of Konoha's Advanced Ninja Academy. Since he specialized in swordsmanship, Aoba had given him some special guidance, making him a half-disciple.
Sōkan had gained some fame in the past with his "Vacuum Blade," a Wind Release-based swordsmanship style similar to Aoba's "Wind-Chasing Blade."
Aoba had been observing Asa for some time. Impressed by his skill with the sword, Aoba had decided to pass on his own swordsmanship techniques to him.
Aoba, now widely regarded as Konoha's strongest ninja and a master of swordsmanship, was a coveted mentor. Asa was ecstatic about this tutelage and agreed to take on the role of lab guard captain.
Over the years, Aoba had perfected his Wind Release swordsmanship. After studying under Aoba, Asa combined these techniques with his own style and began to find his own path.
Now, he was a solid Jōnin. If he could fully integrate the two sword styles, he might reach the level of an elite Jōnin—or even become a figure akin to the White Fang.
Aoba was also interested in Sōkan because he was one of the rare civilian-born shinobi who had achieved such success through self-study.
Aoba planned to groom Sōkan into Konoha's next role model.
The fate of the three spies was, of course, interrogation by Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. Ibiki Morino was already prepared, and the spies would face all kinds of inhumane torture.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain—
Deidara was in a standoff with a young man who possessed three-tomoe Sharingan.
"If you dare insult my art one more time, I'll blow you to pieces!" Deidara roared.
He wasn't joking. Since this man, named Shin, had joined the Akatsuki, his sharp tongue had repeatedly provoked Deidara.
Deidara hadn't lashed out earlier because Shin possessed the legendary Wood Release. When Deidara couldn't take the provocations anymore and fought him, he had nearly been defeated by the Wood Release in an instant due to underestimating his opponent.
Though his loss was partly due to carelessness, Deidara still had to acknowledge the power of Wood Release.
However, Shin's arrogance had been escalating, and Deidara could no longer tolerate it. Even if it was Wood Release, he was determined to blow Shin to bits today.
Just as the two were about to fight, Konan appeared.
"Shin, the leader needs to see you," she said.
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