lerbook Chapter 259 Having you in my heart is my good fortune
Chapter 259 Having you in my heart is my good fortune
Dawn City.
Yahiko stood on the castle wall, gazing at the hazy horizon in the distance. He hadn't slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot, but his gaze was clearer than ever before.
"Yahiko." Konan walked up from behind, holding a cup of hot tea. "Take a break."
Yahiko shook his head, took the tea but didn't drink it: "Where's Nagato?"
"I told him to go and rest, but he refused and kept helping Changxin organize weapons and medicines."
Yahiko remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked down the city wall.
In the council hall of Dawn City, all twenty-odd ninjas in the city were present, and almost all the ninja tools and supplies were arranged in one place and placed in front of the table.
Yahiko walked in, looked at the things, took a deep breath, and realized that these things were too few; they were a drop in the ocean for a war.
Only then did he realize how ignorant and impoverished he was.
"We should head to Amegakure. Lord Hanzo entrusted the Land of Rain to us; we cannot let him down."
Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance and nodded.
Just then, Changxin walked in from outside.
He was dressed in a simple gray long coat, holding a scroll in his hand, with his usual gentle smile on his face.
"Lord Yahiko, are you going to take all our ninjas to Amegakure to provide support?"
Yahiko nodded: "Yes, Lord Hanzo is gone, and Amegakure needs someone to take charge. We must go and carry on his will."
"Lord Yahiko, that won't do."
Changxin put away his smile and analyzed seriously, "This is the operational record of Dawn City over the past few months. All affairs are on track, and even if the lords leave for a while, there won't be any major problems."
Yahiko took the document and flipped through a few pages. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He hadn't expected that Nagatoshi had managed the affairs of the past few months so well, even better than when he was in charge.
"Well done," Yahiko praised sincerely.
Changxin shook his head modestly: "It's my duty. However—"
He paused, his tone becoming serious: "Dawn City cannot be completely unmanned. Although various systems have been initially established, if all Akatsuki members are taken away, there will be no one to fill in if an emergency occurs, and the system could easily collapse."
In fact, Yahiko and his group did leave people to guard them. These people were mostly ordinary people with some strength who had learned from them and knew some basic physical techniques, enough to deal with ordinary people.
The most important point is that they have strong management skills, so even if they are not around, there shouldn't be any problems. The only drawback is that they have too few people left.
In a small town, there are only a few truly useful places, so in their view, leaving two or three people here is perfectly fine.
"Sir, people aren't machines; they can get sick and accidents can happen. They can't be on duty 24/7. But if one person has a problem and there's no one to replace them, can the city continue to function?"
Yahiko frowned, thought for a moment, and felt that Nagatomo made sense.
"So what do you mean?"
"I think the four of us going to Amegakure is sufficient."
Changxin's voice was unhurried: "The other members of Akatsuki will stay here to maintain the operation of Dawn City. Actually, they weren't that useful in the past. This way, neither side will be delayed."
Yahiko looked at Konan and Nagato, and after a moment's thought, the three of them nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way."
Changxin smiled and bowed: "Please rest assured, gentlemen, I will give a few instructions and everything will be arranged quickly."
"Changxin, having you here is truly a blessing for our Akatsuki organization!"
Changxin turned around, grinning, looking like a mature and reliable young man.
Half an hour later, Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and Naganobu left Dawn Castle and headed towards Amegakure.
After the group left, a figure resembling an ink painting stood on the city wall, watching the four figures disappear from sight, the smile on his face gradually fading.
He turned and walked down the city wall, pushing open an inconspicuous wooden door. Inside, several people dressed in ordinary ninja attire were waiting for him.
"Go. As planned, disperse to all major cities in the Land of Rain. Take over all the key positions as quickly as possible."
Several ninjas nodded and disappeared silently into the shadows.
Changxin's clone walked to the window and gazed into the distance.
The sky over the Land of Rain is always so gloomy, with clouds so low they seem to be pressing down on the rooftops.
"Hanzo the Salamander is dead, and the Land of Rain is now leaderless. The city-state system is fragmented, with each state acting independently... Just by influencing the thoughts of a few city lords, we can make them fall into chaos."
He recalled Yahiko's face, full of ideals and enthusiasm, and suddenly burst out laughing.
"They'll gradually erode your confidence, pushing you to the brink... By then, will you still be so naive?"
Amidst laughter and conversation, he crossed his arms and his body transformed into a pool of ink, merging into the ground.
-
Amegakure Village, the front-line garrison.
When Yahiko and his three companions arrived, it was already afternoon.
The campsite of Amegakure Village was built in a low-lying valley, surrounded by towering rock walls, and accessible only by a narrow path.
The flag of Amegakure Village hung on the camp gate, fluttering in the wind.
The guards at the gate saw the group and their expressions changed drastically: "It's you!"
The guard ninja instantly drew his weapon and stood in front of the door, his eyes filled with hostility, even hatred.
Yahiko stopped, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "We've come to see Lord Negishi Kusanagi. We have important matters to discuss."
"You dare come again? You're the ones who killed Lord Hanzo! If you hadn't come here to instigate this peace treaty, how could Lord Hanzo have gone to the appointment? How could he—"
Yahiko remained silent, offering neither explanation nor rebuttal, because the guard was telling the truth.
If he hadn't insisted on signing that peace treaty, if he hadn't gone to persuade Lord Hanzo, Lord Hanzo wouldn't have gone to that forest, and wouldn't have died. It was his fault, he admitted it.
"Get out of the way." A cold voice came from inside the camp gate.
Amatsu stepped out, wearing the standard armor of a Jonin from Amegakure, with a short sword at his waist. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were as cold as knives, capable of killing.
"Lord Amawa." Yahiko stepped forward, wanting to explain.
"Shut up."
Yu She interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "You killed Lord Hanzo, and now you still have the nerve to show your face?"
"Lord Amawa, we—"
"I told you to shut up!"
Amawa drew his sword, and with a flash of light, aimed straight for Yahiko's face.
Yahiko dodged to the side, the blade grazing his cheek and shaving off two strands of hair.
Amatsu swung his sword again, aiming for his neck, but Yahiko grabbed it.