Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 350: Peace in the Land of Rain

"The left flank is advancing like a battering ram, but the right flank is a bit weak." Yahiko observed the battlefield, noticing that while the left offensive pushed forward with force, progress was painfully slow.

"That guy Kakuzu must be killing people left and right, so of course it's not going fast," Konan commented. Though she didn't get along with Kakuzu, she couldn't deny his strength. For now, she knew she wasn't a match for him.

"That's probably it," Yahiko agreed before adding, "Let's go to the right flank first, then meet up in the center and attack together."

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"No problem, I'll take you there," Konan replied. Before Yahiko could react, she moved behind him, slipping her arms under his armpits and lifting him into the air.

"Flying is faster than walking."

"Don't let go," Yahiko said, unfazed by the sudden maneuver. This wasn't the first time she had carried him like this, and after his initial shock in earlier missions, he had grown used to it.

"If I let go, you'll fall to pieces."

Konan deliberately swayed mid-flight, but Yahiko didn't even flinch.

"Over there—throw me over there," Yahiko ordered as they neared the battlefield.

"Go." Konan descended slightly, then hurled Yahiko forward with a powerful motion, adding a playful kick to his backside as he soared ahead.

Stupid Yahiko. All you know how to do is lean on me like I'm a pillow.

"Water Release: Watercutting Sword," Yahiko called out, drawing a kunai midair and enveloping it with water chakra. Using the momentum of his fall, he landed with tremendous force.

The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. Several wandering ninja in his path were decapitated instantly, and he inadvertently crushed one unfortunate opponent who had been caught unawares.

"Lord Yahiko!"

The Akatsuki members who had been rescued stared at him in astonishment, their expressions a mix of surprise and reverence.

"Follow me," Yahiko commanded, his expression cold as he led the charge into the battle once more.

From above, Konan stayed active, refusing to remain idle. "Paper Technique: Paper Spear," she intoned, targeting the densest group of wandering ninja below.

Sharp spears of paper, deceptively simple in appearance but imbued with immense force, rained down from the sky. The air was filled with a piercing whistling as the spears tore through it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The explosions from Konan's attack echoed across the battlefield. A single round of her paper spears had a devastating effect, clearing a path more efficiently than even Yahiko's Watercutting Sword. The wandering ninja were thrown into chaos as the Akatsuki forces surged forward.

With Yahiko and Konan reinforcing the left flank, the offensive gained significant momentum. The wandering ninja on the right, expecting less resistance, found themselves completely overwhelmed. A few Jōnin who attempted to stem the tide fell under the combined assault of Yahiko's precision and Konan's relentless aerial strikes.

"Set off the signal flares," Yahiko ordered, seeing that the remaining enemies on the right flank had been scattered or eliminated.

Following the prearranged plan, the signal flares burst into the sky, marking the rally point. The Akatsuki forces would now converge at the center to deliver the final blow to the wandering ninja.

"Yes, Lord Yahiko."

A member of the Akatsuki Organization wiped blood from his face, pulled a signal flare from his ninja kit, and set it off. The purple flare shot into the sky, blooming brightly and lingering for a long time.

"Lord Kakuzu, it's time to converge on the center line," Yūichi Nagashima said, finishing off the stray ninjas in his vicinity before retreating to a safer distance from Kakuzu. He didn't want to get caught in the crossfire if Kakuzu decided to go on one of his infamous killing sprees.

"I see."

Kakuzu retracted the black threads protruding from his body, threads that had just impaled several stray ninjas. His tone was as emotionless as ever.

Yūichi Nagashima remained rooted in place, unwilling to make any decisions without Kakuzu's explicit orders. Apart from the two of them, the battlefield was strewn with nothing but lifeless bodies.

"Let's go," Kakuzu said after scanning the area. The resistance had been all but crushed.

"Yes, Lord Kakuzu."

Nagashima followed hesitantly, still uneasy about Kakuzu's temperament. Disobedience was always a concern with Kakuzu, and Nagashima knew he'd be powerless to intervene if the man decided to ignore orders.

Kakuzu took the lead, striding toward the center, with the remaining Akatsuki members following behind him. Soon, only the rescue teams were left scurrying around the left flank, attending to the injured.

"Hey, there's a big fish here," Kakuzu remarked suddenly, halting in his tracks.

He pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket and flipped it open with practiced ease, stopping midway through. His gaze shifted to the ninja battling Yahiko up ahead.

"Yes, 30 million."

For the first time in a long while, Yūichi Nagashima saw an authentic smile on Kakuzu's face.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness."

Kakuzu confirmed his target and unleashed a bolt of lightning chakra with a casual flick of his hand.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Yahiko shouted, barely managing to evade the attack. His ungainly dodge left him sprawled on the ground before he scrambled to his feet, glaring at Kakuzu.

"If you can't even dodge that, you might as well just die," Kakuzu sneered, his tone as cold as his expression. The only person he spared any respect for was Nagato.

Without waiting for a reply, Kakuzu charged at the wandering ninja still locked in combat with Yahiko. He had no intention of wasting more words.

"This guy!!!" Yahiko's fists clenched as he glared at Kakuzu. His frustration boiled over, though he kept it to himself.

As expected, only your own strength is reliable. Nagato can't protect us forever.

Yahiko's eyes darkened with determination. When I become stronger than him, I'll make sure to teach him a lesson.

Glancing at the wandering ninja Kakuzu had targeted, Yahiko noted the man's pitiful state. The False Darkness attack had landed squarely, and though the man hadn't died instantly, he was beyond saving.

You need to understand that the power of False Darkness rivals that of two Raikiri. The fact that he survived at all is a testament to his strength.

"I'll take your head."

Kakuzu grabbed the wandering ninja's long hair, his grin wicked and menacing, before swiftly beheading him.

Thirty million in hand. I'm so happy!

"Yahiko, their leader is trying to escape," Konan's voice cut through the chaos as she arrived, her presence calm yet urgent.

"Which way? Chase after them," Yahiko demanded, setting aside his irritation with Kakuzu. There wasn't time for petty arguments.

"That way. I'll go with you," Konan replied, her aerial vantage giving her a clear view of the fleeing leader. She took off without hesitation, her pace brisk.

"Yūichi, you guys take over here," Yahiko called, waving a hand to signal his delegation before racing after Konan.

After an extended chase through the forest, Yahiko finally caught up with the leader of the wandering ninja, guided by Konan's precise directions. The man stood in a dense thicket, his breath labored. His body bore little blood, suggesting he had abandoned his comrades to save himself.

No guards. Perfect.

"Let me go, and I promise I won't come back," the man pleaded, his eyes darting between Yahiko and Konan. His tone was tense, his expression a mixture of fear and desperation. For all his posturing as a leader, it was clear he had little backbone. He had witnessed their power firsthand and knew he was no match for them.

"You're dreaming!" Konan's voice was sharp and unyielding. "Do you even realize the harm you've caused?"

Though not one to seek justice for its own sake, Konan despised the wandering ninja. Their actions had plunged countless civilians in the Land of Rain into despair. The atrocities they committed could fill endless records, written on every bamboo strip and wooden plank in the region.

"They're just lowly people. Why get so worked up?" the leader retorted, his tone dismissive. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stack of bills. "Let me go, and I'll make it worth your while."

Yahiko's fists clenched beneath his robe, veins bulging as he fought to contain his fury. "This little money isn't enough to buy your life," he said coldly, his voice barely suppressing his rage.

"Too little?" the leader asked, panic creeping into his voice. He hastily pulled out more wads of cash, tossing them to the ground. A servile grin spread across his face as he tried to negotiate his way out. At a glance, the scattered bills amounted to nearly ten million.

"Even if you die, this money is still mine," Konan declared icily, cutting the conversation short. Before Yahiko could respond, she launched her attack.

Paper senbon rained down from above, sharp and unrelenting. The leader had no time to react. The bills scattered across the ground were shredded and torn, their value rendered meaningless now.