"Our Akatsuki organization possesses immense strength and resources; only we can save the Land of Rain."

Daimyo's expression grew even more grim. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly pondering a solution.

But soon, he raised his head again, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "Even if I agree, how can you guarantee you can govern the Rain Kingdom well? What if you're just doing this to satisfy your own selfish desires? Wouldn't I become a sinner for all eternity?"

His tone carried a hint of doubt and hesitation, as he tried to find a way out.

Your hand rests casually on the katana at your side, the texture on the hilt smoothed by years of handling, as if it too is waiting for its master's move.

Yahiko frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Your Excellency, you don't need to worry about these things. Our Akatsuki organization has clear goals and plans. We will ensure that the economy of the Land of Rain develops and that the common people live in peace and prosperity."

"Furthermore, you have no right to bargain with us. If you disagree, we don't mind taking some tough measures."

His voice carried a hint of threat and warning, and his eyes revealed a cold decisiveness, as if telling the daimyo that resistance was futile.

Daimyo's heart tightened; he knew that the Akatsuki's strength was not to be underestimated.

If he really angers you, his life will be in danger, but he is unwilling to give up power just like that. He is caught in a fierce internal struggle.

Just then, you, who had been silent all along, suddenly moved. You stood up abruptly, and with a swing of your arm, the katana pierced straight through the banquet table with a sharp and powerful aura.

In an instant, a powerful current burst forth from the blade, spreading rapidly along the tabletop.

Wherever the current passed, it made a crackling sound, and the tableware and food on the table were shaken and flew everywhere.

You coldly glanced at everyone present, then plunged your long sword deep into the pillar, making a buzzing sound that frightened the daimyo and the surrounding servants, turning them pale.

The entire council chamber was stunned by this sudden and powerful force.

Their eyes were filled with fear and apprehension; this seemingly young woman actually possessed such domineering lightning power.

"Your Excellency, do not test our patience. You have only two choices: cooperate or die." Your eyes revealed a murderous ruthlessness that sent chills down our spines.

Daimyo looked at you in horror, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He knew that he had no way out.

After a fierce internal struggle, he finally nodded slowly. "Alright, I agree to your conditions, but you must promise not to harm me or my family."

His voice carried a hint of helplessness and resignation, as if he had lost all fighting spirit.

A satisfied smile appeared on Yahiko's face. "Your Excellency, you have made a wise choice. Rest assured, as long as you cooperate with us, we will not make things difficult for you or your family."

His voice carried a hint of victor's smugness and a desire to appease the daimyo, while his eyes revealed a confidence that he was in complete control.

Thus, through your domineering negotiations and threats, the Akatsuki organization successfully interfered in the politics and military of the Land of Rain, gaining actual control of the Land of Rain.

As they left Daimyofu, the rain was still falling, but Yahiko and you felt exceptionally relaxed.

"Yahiko, the next step is to mediate with other major powers."

When you returned to the organization, you were caught in a farce.

Hidan's face turned bright red, his eyes widened like saucers, and he waved his hands wildly in the air, shouting loudly.

"Kakuzu, you miser! You've been hoarding all the bounty from every mission. Are you trying to pocket it all?"

Kakuzu stood to the side, arms crossed, a hint of disdain and anger on his face.

His wrinkled face was now even more contorted with anger, and the veins on his forehead bulged slightly.

"Hmph, you idiot, you always act impulsively on missions. If I hadn't been cleaning up your messes, you would have died countless times by now. I'm keeping the bounty for the long-term benefit of our team."

Upon hearing this, Hidan became even more enraged. He suddenly jumped up and started circling Kakuzu like a madman, muttering incessantly.

"What long-term considerations? I think you're just a selfish bastard! You think I don't know you're hiding all that money, maybe secretly plotting something!"

Kakuzu was so angry at Hidan's unreasonable behavior that he rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, but his voice still trembled.

"Plan? What do I plan? I worked hard to earn this money, so of course I have to take good care of it, unlike you, who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun all day long and has no plans at all."

Hidan suddenly stopped, as if Kakuzu's words had struck a nerve. His eyes widened, and a hint of panic appeared on his face, but it was quickly masked by his stubbornness.

"How can I say I haven't made plans? I'm enjoying life! Besides, we're partners, and that money should be our shared property; you can't make all the decisions yourself!"

His voice rose several decibels, trying to use the volume to cover up his guilty conscience.

Kakuzu sneered, "Common property? With you, every time you get money you go and buy useless things, and it's all gone in a few days. If I didn't keep it safe, we would have starved long ago."

His eyes were full of disdain as he looked at Hidan as if he were looking at an ignorant child.

Hidan's anger was reignited by Kakuzu's mockery, and he charged at Kakuzu with bared teeth and claws.

"Who are you calling useless? You old geezer! If you don't give me half of your money today, I'm not done with you!"

Kakuzu saw Hidan charging towards him and quickly dodged to the side, not wanting to confront this irrational guy head-on.

"Don't do anything rash, let's talk this out." His voice carried a hint of helplessness. Although he was angry, he knew Hidan's temper, and if they really started fighting, the situation would only become more chaotic.

Hidan, however, was relentless, continuing to curse loudly as he chased after Kakuzu.

"You coward, all you do is hide! You think you're so tough? Then don't run away!"

His movements appeared somewhat clumsy; he was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his face, and his hair was disheveled.

Just then, Deidara walked in from outside and, seeing the chaotic scene before him, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What are you doing? Are you putting on a circus show?"

His laughter echoed through the hall, further highlighting the comical nature of Hidan and Kakuzu.

Hidan heard Deidara's laughter, turned around, and glared at him fiercely.

"What are you laughing at? What's so funny!" His voice was tinged with anger and embarrassment; being seen in such a disheveled state made him feel ashamed.

Deidara clutched his stomach, laughing so hard tears were almost streaming down his face. "You two are hilarious! Arguing like this over a little money, you're such idiots."

He laughed as he pointed at Hidan and Kakuzu, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Kakuzu felt even more frustrated when he saw Deidara laughing at him. He straightened his clothes, trying to make himself look less disheveled.

"Deidara, stop gloating. This is between us, it has nothing to do with you." His voice carried a hint of authority, as he tried to maintain his dignity.

Hidan ignored him and continued to pester Kakuzu, saying, "You have to give me an explanation today. Either give me my share of the money, or we're done!"

A hint of determination flashed in his eyes, as if he was determined to compete with Kakuzu this time.

When Kakuzu heard Hidan say that they were going to disband, his heart skipped a beat.

Although he was also dissatisfied with Hidan's behavior, they were partners after all and had gone through many missions together. If they really broke up, it wouldn't be a good thing for him either.

"You're just saying that out of anger. How can we break up? We're a team, we should support each other," he said, his voice softening as he tried to calm Hidan down.

Hidan, however, was unmoved. He put his hands on his hips and said angrily, "Then hand over the money, or I won't let this go!"

Nagato and Konan walked in and saw the chaos in the hall; their expressions darkened slightly.

"What are you doing? This is Akatsuki's base, not a vegetable market. If you want to argue, go outside."

His voice was deep and authoritative, inspiring awe in those around him.

Konan stood beside Nagato, her eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and reproach. "We are all members of the organization, we should be united, not arguing here."

When they saw Nagato and Konan arrive, they dared not speak again. They lowered their heads like two children who had made a mistake.

Hidan still had a hint of resentment on his face, but he knew he couldn't be too presumptuous in front of Nagato.

Nagato looked at them and said, "The conflict between you should be resolved peacefully, not through arguing and fighting. Money is important, but our goals and mission are even more important."

Kakuzu nodded slightly. "Lord Nagato, I understand. I will communicate well with Hidan."

His voice carried a hint of respect, indicating his agreement with Nagato's words.

Hidan was still somewhat unwilling, but he didn't dare disobey Nagato's orders. "Alright, then I'll let it go for now, out of respect for Lord Nagato."

His voice carried a hint of helplessness as he glared fiercely at Kakuzu.

This farce has come to a temporary end.

The organization returned to its usual calm, except for the occasional whispered conversations between Hidan and Kakuzu.

The summer sun, like molten gold, poured freely into every corner of Konoha Village.

Under the intense sunlight, the Hokage Rock appears exceptionally majestic, with the statues of the four Hokage overlooking the entire village, solemn and dignified.

Naruto, like a nimble little fox, clutched a can of paint tightly in his arms, his golden hair shimmering in the sunlight.

He looked up at the statue of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, his azure eyes gleaming with cunning.

"Hehe, First Grandpa, don't blame me!" he muttered to himself, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

He stood on tiptoe, dipped his brush in bright red paint, and drew two curved mustaches above the First Hokage's lips.

The paint wasn't completely dry, and it gleamed wetly in the sunlight, instantly adding a touch of comical cuteness to the originally dignified First Hokage.

Naruto took two steps back, tilted his head to admire his "masterpiece," and couldn't help but giggle.

"Next up is the second-generation grandfather!"

Like a nimble monkey, he quickly climbed onto the statue of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

This time, he used black paint and painted an exaggerated pair of round sunglasses on the second generation's eyes, and even added a few sparkling stars to the lenses.

Under the sunlight, the sunglasses reflected a strange brilliance, as if the Second Hokage had suddenly become the cover star of a fashion magazine.

"It's perfect!" Naruto clapped his hands, getting paint all over them, but he didn't care.

His artistic creations quickly attracted the attention of the villagers.

"Look! There's someone on the Hokage Rock!"

"Oh my god, it's that troublemaker Naruto!"

"Oh no! Naruto's playing a prank on the Hokage Rock again!"

The gasps spread rapidly like ripples. Iruka was grading papers at the Ninja Academy when he heard the commotion outside, and his heart skipped a beat.

He put down his pen, rushed out of the classroom, looked up, and saw that little golden dot on the Hokage Rock—who else could it be but Naruto?

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice was a mixture of anger and helplessness. "Get down here right now!"

Naruto, who was on the Hokage Rock, was not afraid when he heard the shouts; instead, he became even more excited.

He turned around, made a big face at Iruka below, stuck out his tongue, and shouted, "Teacher Iruka, what do you think of my drawing? Isn't it very creative?"

After saying that, he turned around and ran to the statue of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. This time, he took out his treasured colored paint and drew a gaudy scarf on the Third Hokage's neck, covering it with strange symbols and graffiti.

"Naruto!" Iruka was so angry that veins were bulging on his forehead. He quickly formed hand seals, used the Chakra Absorption Technique, and began to climb up the rock wall. "Do you know that what you're doing is disrespectful to the Hokage?"

“Iruka-sensei,” Naruto replied with a grin as he continued his artwork, “I just wanted to get more attention! Look, the whole village is watching me now!”

His voice carried a hint of innocent pride, yet also concealed a subtle sense of loneliness.

Iruka's heart softened for a moment, but his sense of responsibility as a teacher compelled him to stop this behavior.

He sped up and finally climbed to the top of the Hokage Rock. Seeing that things were not going well, Naruto immediately started jumping up and down between the statues and playing hide-and-seek with Iruka.

"You can't catch me!"

The chase lasted for quite a while, finally ending with Iruka grabbing Naruto by the back of his collar.

The little fox-like boy flapped his legs in the air, his face covered in colorful paint, looking just like a palette.

Chapter 123 · Termites

"Do you know you were wrong?" Iruka asked sternly.

Naruto pouted, a stubborn glint in his blue eyes. "I just wanted everyone to see me..."

Iruka sighed and rubbed his temples. "As punishment, you'll be responsible for cleaning up the Hokage Rock."

"Eh—? All of them?" Naruto cried out dramatically, but a slight smile crept onto his lips.

At least now everyone remembers him, doesn't he?

As the sun sets, a small golden figure diligently cleans the statue on Fire Shadow Rock.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, paused for a moment on the edge of the drawer.

The date on the calendar felt like a kunai piercing his tired eyes; it was time to give Naruto his allowance again.

He sighed, counted out 1000 taels of silver from the drawer, but just as he was about to close the drawer, he caught a glimpse of the special date mark under the document.

One month ago today, the Uchiha clan was completely wiped off the map of Konoha.

The banknotes slipped from between the fingers of the sun and scattered on the desk. The sunlight outside the window suddenly became dazzling, making the banknotes look like paper money used for offerings.

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