Konoha: Naruto of Sekiro

The Land of Birds.

A small nation bordering the Land of Rain, its first impression upon outsiders was one of poverty and desolation.

Though also a neighbor to the Land of Wind, the Land of Birds' natural climate was worlds apart from that of the Land of Rain. While not as sand-covered as the Land of Wind, it was characterized by exposed rock, with arable land being almost non-existent.

The more Naruto traveled, the clearer his understanding became of why the Five Great Shinobi Countries were so named.

Compared to small nations like the Land of Birds and the Land of Rain, the natural environments of the Five Great Countries offered an inherent advantage.

The Land of Fire, needless to say, was almost entirely cultivable. While the other four great nations had their own environmental challenges, they still maintained a relatively stable production of resources compared to the smaller countries.

Even the Land of Wind, with its harsh conditions, possessed the largest landmass of the five and a not insignificant output of resources, especially mineral wealth, which was the most abundant among the Five Great Countries.

The Land of Wind wasn't poor; only Sunagakure was.

An Akatsuki hidden hideout.

The Land of Birds, situated near the Land of Rain and possessing weak national strength, had virtually no capacity for self-defense.

Thus, it had naturally become a gathering place for many bounty hunters and underground organizations. It was a chaotic mix where any inconspicuous passerby on the street could potentially be a wanted criminal from some hidden village.

Although Akatsuki's main sphere of activity was currently the Land of Rain, they also undertook external missions; after all, the organization needed funds to survive.

The underground bounty system was a good option.

It was a sustainable source of income, and transactions were settled in cash. For powerful organizations or individuals, this financial channel was very appealing.

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—any one of them, if acting alone, was capable of holding their own.

Perhaps in Naruto and Nagato's eyes, Yahiko and Konan's skills were somewhat lacking, but that was only relative to them. Within Akatsuki, and even within Amegakure, there were honestly very few who could confidently defeat Yahiko or Konan.

The two had also been taught by Jiraiya for three years, making them, in a sense, second-generation disciples with a proper lineage.

In the Land of Rain, they already had a significant advantage over many.

Therefore, the tasks for Akatsuki members stationed at the Land of Birds hideout were simple: investigate and confirm bounty missions, then relay the information back to the headquarters in the Land of Rain, awaiting personnel to be dispatched.

As for whether such killing conflicted with Akatsuki's ideals?

It could only be said that Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had emerged from darkness and yearned for light, but their yearning was not blind. They had their own ways of navigating the world.

After verifying his identity with the Akatsuki ninja at the hideout, Naruto asked, "Is it possible to contact the people from the 'Outer Ring' right now?"

Outer Ring—a strange name for an organization, yet this very group supplied a considerable portion of the chakra metal in the underworld.

Yahiko's reward to him had been the contact method for this 'Outer Ring' and a single opportunity to trade with them.

"The Outer Ring personnel stationed at the Land of Birds hideout inexplicably disappeared a few days ago," the stationed ninja replied, shaking his head. "We can't contact them anymore."

"If you really need to, I can help you contact our people in the Land of Wind and have them try to reach the Outer Ring members stationed there."

"…When exactly did the Outer Ring members disappear?" Naruto asked, slightly surprised, then pressed on.

This made no sense. Was his luck really that bad?

"Just yesterday. And it wasn't just the Outer Ring; operatives from several other small organizations also left inexplicably," the stationed ninja said with his arms crossed, a helpless expression on his face.

It was truly frustrating to be in a situation where others knew what was happening, but you were left in the dark.

This was especially true for intelligence-focused ninja like them.

"Which factions are backing those small organizations?" Naruto stroked his chin and asked.

In a place as mixed and dangerous as the Land of Birds, for a so-called small organization to survive so comfortably and be so well-informed, there was no doubt they were fronts for larger powers.

"'Shadowed Earth' is most likely backed by Konoha. 'Sky-Covering' is almost certainly Sunagakure. As for 'Bedrock' and 'Steadfast,' I'm not sure which one is Iwagakure's front," the stationed ninja shared what information he had.

Something feels off…

Naruto's expression faltered slightly as he sank into thought.

After a long while, the stationed ninja couldn't help but call out to him.

"…Hey! Hey!"

"Do you still need me to contact the people in the Land of Wind for you?" seeing that Naruto had snapped out of it, the ninja continued to ask.

"Thank you, but no need." Naruto quickly stood up. "This might be inappropriate, but I suggest you leave this place as soon as possible."

With that, he swiftly vanished in the direction he had come from.

"…So fast!"

The stationed ninja's pupils contracted. He had never witnessed such speed before.

Regaining his composure, he quickly gathered his belongings and left the hideout without a second glance.

When a person of significance gave advice, it was best for those at the bottom to listen.

The Land of Rain.

On a flat riverbank, two forces stood facing each other, a grim atmosphere hanging heavy in the air.

It was an instinctive aura they exuded, the kind possessed by ninja who had experienced true slaughter.

"Yahiko, I feel like something's wrong," Konan said, unable to shake her unease as she looked at the Amegakure ninja opposite them.

Amegakure's request for cooperation—why now of all times? Not earlier, not later, but precisely at this moment.

Besides, would Amegakure, backed by the Land of Rain's Daimyo, truly engage so formally with an unrecognized organization like theirs to sign a treaty?

No matter how she looked at it, Konan felt that this entire affair reeked of strangeness.

"Lord Hanzo single-handedly saved the Land of Rain when it was on the brink of collapse. How could he, the 'Demigod,' deceive nobodies like us?" Yahiko turned back, offering her a reassuring smile.

"But…" Konan was about to say more when Nagato grabbed her hand.

Nagato gestured with his eyes towards the Akatsuki members behind them, their faces alight with excitement, and shook his head slightly.

The arrow was already nocked; it had to be fired.

The Akatsuki had been formed on the strength of a single conviction: a belief in dedicating themselves to the cause of peace for the Land of Rain.

Amegakure, despite its inaction over the years, was still considered the legitimate authority of the Land of Rain in the hearts of most members.

Now, their years of effort were about to be recognized by this 'legitimate authority.' They were even going to sign an alliance, leveraging their combined strength to compel the three great hidden villages to sign peace treaties with the Land of Rain.

This feeling of acknowledgment, of years of hard work finally being validated, had already caused a significant portion of the organization's members to lose their rationality.

Yahiko had surely noticed something was amiss as well, but he couldn't change anything, not even as the leader of Akatsuki.

Human conviction rarely takes reality into account!

"You are Yahiko?" Hanzo of the Salamander, his face obscured by a respirator mask, gazed at the young man not far away. His tone seemed to carry a hint of lament, perhaps even regret.

"I am, Lord Hanzo." Yahiko stepped forward, glancing at the ninja behind Hanzo. "Is such a large contingent of ninja necessary just to sign a cooperation agreement?"

"Haven't you already figured it out?" Hanzo said. "Yahiko, you've done well. It's just a pity… you were born in the wrong era."

"For the future of the Land of Rain!"

"I'm sorry!"