Yes, the Hokage!

In fact, he knew where Killer Bee was all along.

"Um……"

Tobirama's gaze swept over everyone in the room: his elder brother, himself, the Third Kazekage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, who was controlled by Kotoamatsukami and obeyed Fenglan's orders. These were all genuine Kage-level shinobi.

"With the addition of the Rinnegan, there is indeed a considerable chance of capturing it."

The trio's expressions changed; they clearly hadn't expected Nagato's first mission to be so dangerous, but there was nothing they could do... since he had already signed the indenture.

“I…” Nagato took a deep breath and stood up before his two companions could speak. “I will try my best.”

"No no no."

However, at this moment, Feng Lan smiled and said, "The combat strength for this operation is already sufficient, so you don't have to go."

"Really?" The trio's eyes lit up immediately.

"Don't be careless!" Tobirama shouted sharply. "Even a lion uses its full strength when pouncing on a rabbit, let alone an opponent like the Eight-Tails!"

"If my power hadn't been limited by the Impure World Reincarnation, I could have done it all by myself..." Hashirama muttered to himself.

"Please rest assured, Lord Tobirama, when I say the combat strength is sufficient, it is absolutely sufficient." This time, Feng Lan did not back down. "Please allow me to tell you the specifics later. I will definitely present something that will convince you, but for now... I am the one in charge of this operation."

He rarely showed such a strong demeanor in front of Tobirama. The Second Hokage raised his eyebrows slightly, but actually didn't say anything more.

So Fenglan turned to the trio and said with a smile, "This operation is quite dangerous, so Nagato doesn't need to take the risk. He can stay and protect Amegakure... Oh, by the way, I've talked to Sarutobi Yuichi. He will stay with his men to join in the defense and construction of the village until the barrier is set up. So even if I leave with my men tomorrow, it won't be a big problem."

"Really?" Xiao Nan's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Feng Lan!"

Nagato remained silent, because he and Yahiko understood Fenglan's personality well. He rarely did charity work, and when he did, he was definitely plotting something more, just like when he helped the children in Amegakure.

“So…” Yahiko took a deep breath, “what will the price be?”

At that moment, Feng Lan opened his squinty eyes, and his smile disappeared. All his previous tolerance and forbearance towards the Akatsuki, all the goodwill he had cultivated towards the three little ones, and all the help he had given to the construction of Amegakure were all for this moment!

This lurking viper finally revealed its true intentions: "I want your... Akatsuki black robes!"

Testimonials

To be honest, the release was a bit sudden, and I haven't quite figured out what to say yet. So let me start by talking about the plot development and update status, which are what everyone is most concerned about.

As you can probably guess from the title, this book is mainly about justice and references. However, since it's a Naruto story, there will definitely be scenes of fighting and showing off, but it will definitely prioritize justice and make fighting secondary. This is because the protagonist's personality is like Master Tang's – he avoids physical violence whenever possible and relies on his brains to avoid bloodshed.

If you really put him in a position to fight desperately, he'll definitely dare to fight, but if you ask him to act recklessly and without thinking, that doesn't fit his character.

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Furthermore, due to some random AI issues, we're no longer allowed to update more than 30,000 chapters at a time. I had to apply for special permission from the editor, who then told me that I would update five chapters after midnight on Friday and another five chapters at noon. I'm really sorry for the occasional disruption to your reading experience.

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Main text

Chapter 99 The Final Plan

Upon hearing this, the three members of the Yahiko group suddenly changed their expressions.

It's important to know that the symbol of the Akatsuki organization is this iconic red cloud and black robe. Admittedly, they are not as infamous as they were in Shippuden, where people would immediately think of that dangerous organization full of S-rank rogue ninjas when they saw this, but they have already gained a certain reputation.

Feng Lan's demand for the red cloud black robe wasn't just a case of chuunibyou (delusional) thinking it looked good; he definitely wanted to wear it when capturing the Eight-Tails! That way, Kumogakure would think that Akatsuki and Amegakure had kidnapped Killer Bee, and given the Fourth Raikage's personality, he would definitely launch a war without hesitation!

He'd have to think twice before attacking Konoha, but attacking Amegakure is a decision he can make with a snap of his fingers.

This is a well-intentioned strategy that even Xiao Nan could come up with, but... do they really have a way to refuse it?

The answer is no. If the barrier of Konoha Village had been set up, Yahiko might have a tiny chance of turning his back on him. But now only the supplies have arrived, the barrier team has not yet arrived. If he dares to refuse, does that mean he doesn't want the protective barrier?

Without a protective barrier, Amegakure would remain hidden in the shadow of the White Zetsu. These wretched creatures, though not strong in combat, are omnipresent and can shapeshift to infiltrate and dispose of corpses. Without Fenglan's assistance, this place might soon be overrun with White Zetsu.

Although Yahiko knew he had no right to refuse, the price was too high. He was torn between his conscience and his desire to refuse, but it felt as if his mouth was glued shut, and he couldn't make a sound.

"Does it really have to be this way..." Nagato said in a trembling voice, "I'll go with you to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. I promise I'll give it my all, even if it means dying in battle. Is that alright?"

By saying this, he was already implying that his Rinnegan could be taken. After all, if he died on the spot, surrounded by Konoha ninjas, how could he possibly return those eyes to Amegakure?

"Don't be so nervous." At this moment, it was time for our kind-hearted and charitable Feng to speak up again. "After all, I'm not a demon. Konoha and Amegakure have only just formed an alliance. I won't let you suffer a catastrophe."

Upon hearing this, the three members of the Yahiko group immediately looked over with intense gazes, waiting for Fenglan to continue.

"First of all, since we're all wearing Akatsuki black robes, Kumogakure will definitely think that Amegakure kidnapped the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. Once Kumogakure loses the Eight-Tails, they'll be even less likely to wage war against Konoha, right?"

The trio couldn't help but nod.

"Furthermore, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is the Fourth Raikage's younger brother and an inseparable partner on the battlefield. His status in the Raikage's heart is far beyond that of a diplomatic envoy. Therefore, both for the public and for private reasons, the Raikage must first turn his guns on Amegakure and wage war against it."

Upon hearing this, the three of them felt a chill in their hearts. But since Feng Lan said she wouldn't let them suffer a catastrophic disaster, there must be room for maneuver.

Only Tobirama understood what Fenglan's move was, and an approving look appeared on his face.

“And at this time, it’s Konoha’s turn to step forward.” Feng Lan smiled. “By then, Amegakure will have publicly declared itself an ally of Konoha. It’s only reasonable for us to protect our ally.”

"The Fourth Raikage, having lost the Eight-Tails, is certainly unwilling to engage in a direct war with Konoha. Therefore, we can mediate at this time, saying that for Konoha's sake, Amegakure is willing to return the captured Eight-Tails Jinchuriki without losing a single hair, on the condition that Kumogakure cannot start another war."

"In this way, Amegakure was protected, Konoha avoided war, and the Fourth Raikage had a way out, so the war naturally didn't break out."

Feng Lan smiled and said, "Gentlemen, is there anything else?"

Yahiko frowned: "Then the Raikage really can't see that it was you who was behind this?"

“Of course he could see that, but he could also see that the power controlled by Konoha was far stronger than he had estimated.” Feng Lan spread his hands. “We were able to forcibly capture the Eight-Tails from Yunlei Gorge. If a real war breaks out, Kumogakure will most likely lose. Even if they win, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses.”

"This operation is itself a demonstration of strength. After flexing our muscles, we will give them a way out, which will naturally prevent the war from happening. All I need Yuyin to do is provide that way out."

Hearing this, Nagato and Konan both breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.

Only Yahiko still had a deep frown on his face. He knew that this way Amegakure would indeed avoid the flames of war, but afterwards... it would probably be completely controlled by Konoha.

Having experienced the threat of war from Kumogakure and Konoha stepping up to act as the big brother, the Land of Rain will inevitably be filled with pro-Konoha factions. Even Nagato and Konan are showing this trend now. If Fenglan makes any excessive demands then, can he refuse? Would he dare to refuse?

If you refuse, they'll secretly eliminate you and then install a pro-Konoha faction in power.

In response, Fenglan said, "Don't look at me like that. I'm just copying the old 'Imperial Beauty' stuff from before I transmigrated. I'm already being nice by not just doing a peaceful evolution or scalping someone."

After all, I'm not some kind of demon. I won't colonize you directly. Instead, I'll just let the Akatsuki organization return to the mercenary model of the original ninja world. Of course, the only employer will always be Konoha, no, it's only Fenglan.

The Akatsuki organization is like a black glove for Feng Lan, allowing him to do many things that are inconvenient to do under his Konoha identity, such as reaping benefits, recruiting rogue ninja from other villages, and plotting against key figures in other countries... Although everyone knows that it was Konoha that instructed them to do it, as long as I don't admit it, it's all fake news.

The kind of thing Danzo did, where he set up a Root organization and acted as the black glove, was too low-level and low-class. A black glove, a black glove, naturally has to be done outside the village, and what he wants to be is definitely not the glove, or even the hand wearing the glove, but the brain that controls the hand.

Moreover, this is also beneficial to the Akatsuki organization itself. With Konoha as a powerful backer, doing a few impressive things and making a name for themselves will inevitably attract more forces and experts to surrender, which will greatly promote the development and construction of Amegakure. At least in a sense, this can be considered a win-win situation.

For example, if Kisame were to actually beg Fenglan in the future, that would be the time for the Akatsuki to shine.

"Yahiko?" At this moment, Feng Lan looked over with narrowed eyes. "Is there any other question?"

Yahiko took a deep breath. At first, he just found the other person's fake smile annoying, but now... he was terrified.

"No." But he knew he had to back down, because Yu Yin had no bargaining power. "I'll arrange for someone to send the robe over right away."

After leaving the conference room and stepping outdoors, Yahiko felt a wave of dizziness. He wiped his forehead and realized that his hands were covered in sweat, and his clothes were soaked through.

"Yahiko, what's wrong?" Konan walked over with concern. She had always been protected by Yahiko and Nagato, so she didn't have many schemes. At her core, she was still the innocent and carefree little girl she was when she was a child.

"It's nothing." Yahiko shook his head. Since there was no point in saying it, he might as well keep it to himself to avoid worrying his two companions.

“Yahiko, don’t worry too much,” Nagato comforted him. “We’re here for you. No matter what happens, we’ll face it with you. As for Mr. Fenglan… I’ll try my best to use my Rinnegan to help you get more things.”

"Well, I'm not too worried." Yahiko forced a smile, but what he was really worried about was that as Nagato's performance improved, his influence in Amegakure would increase, and he would eventually become the most powerful ally for Kazeran to control Amegakure.

He never cared about the position of leader. Yahiko had long believed that Nagato was the one who could bring peace to Amegakure and change the world, but if this person continued to be corrupted by Fenglan's dark ideas...

Although Yahiko didn't have the concept of Cthulhu, he couldn't help but feel worried about his companions.

……

On the other side, after the trio left, Feng Lan temporarily asked the Third Kazekage to leave the meeting room, so that everyone in the room was his own people. With him and Tobirama, two sensory ninjas, there was no risk of being eavesdropped on.

"Speak," Tobirama finally said calmly, "Produce something that will convince me."

"First, let me analyze the variables in the whole plan... that is, where the most likely link to failure lies." Feng Lan said unhurriedly, "In my opinion, there are only two points. The first is that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is too strong. We failed to subdue him in a short time, which attracted the support of the nearby Kumogakure village."

"Secondly, there's the Fourth Raikage's reckless nature. Once he gets carried away, he really doesn't care about anything and just charges ahead, which can easily cause the whole plan to collapse. As the saying goes, when a scholar encounters a soldier, there's no point in reasoning with him."

Although many people say that the Fourth Raikage is smart, being smart does not mean he is not reckless. If he were not reckless, he would not have been able to do the humorous thing of cutting Amaterasu with his bare hands.

At this point, some people might say that Sasuke acted that way because he captured Killer Bee, but the problem is... Fenglan and the others are also going to capture Killer Bee this time. In the same situation, how can you guarantee that the Fourth Raikage won't act impulsively?

Or to put it another way, the Fourth Raikage encountered many people who could be won by simply brute force, so his first reaction to any situation was to act recklessly. Only when he encountered an enemy like Minato, whom he couldn't win by brute force, could he regain his rationality and think things through.

All Feng Lan had to do was help him regain his rationality and carefully consider the pros and cons.

“Therefore, I have prepared three countermeasures,” Feng Lan said unhurriedly. “The first is that after capturing Killer Bee, Amegakure should immediately spread the word that Killer Bee is still alive.”

"Once he learns that Killer Bee is not dead, the Fourth Raikage will calm down a lot. Considering the safety of his brother, he will not dare to act rashly."

"So how can we successfully capture Killer Bee alive? This naturally requires my first strategy." His gaze fell on Hashirama Senju, "to help our God of Shinobi regain some of his original power."

"Oh?" Hashirama immediately perked up. "There's such a way?"

If he can recover to 70%... no, even 50% of his strength, capturing Killer Bee alive wouldn't be a problem.

"What can you do?" Tobirama glanced at Fenglan. "Could it be that Orochimaru has made some improvements to my Impure World Reincarnation technique?"

"As for improvements, there aren't any yet." Feng Lan shrugged. The official improvement to Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation will have to wait until Jackie Chan intervenes during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Right now, Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation isn't even as strong as the one he used against the Third Hokage at the very beginning of Naruto.

"However, if the technique itself cannot be improved, could we try to find a solution by changing the materials used?"

Upon hearing this, both the first and second Hokage couldn't help but frown. The Impure World Reincarnation required living people as sacrifices to summon back the souls of the deceased. Wasn't the material that Feng Lan was talking about...?

"Don't get me wrong." Feng Lan quickly waved his hand. "I'm not a scumbag like Orochimaru. The material I'm talking about is something that's full of the First Hokage's cells, not human but definitely alive."

"You mean, the white monster we caught that day?" Hashirama's eyes lit up.

"That's right. It's just bound by something like a cursed seal and can't speak, but it's actually still alive. It's just being controlled by genjutsu." Feng Lan said seriously, "Instead of constantly changing which Uchiha boy to use genjutsu on it every day, why not use this guy as material to strengthen the First Hokage? You know, his body is full of the First Hokage's cells!"

"Hmm..." Hashirama and Tobirama pondered at the same time, and after a moment of contemplation, they said, "It should be feasible."