Yes, the Hokage

"Drink up..."

Both Fenglan and Nagato were so angry that they leaned back in their seats. Nagato muttered to himself, "He's playing you, Advisor."

"Get up here right now! Get up here! Get up here!"

Feng Lan completely lost her composure, while Nagato beside her was still egging her on: "Hurry up and come up, the advisor wants you to come up!"

"Oh, here it comes!"

Yahiko quickly ran up again, hunched over, and then Fenglan gave him a light slap and a kick in the butt: "I never want to see you again!"

"Lord Fenglan." At this moment, Pakura hurriedly stepped forward. "Last night, the Anbu of Sunagakure did attack. If it weren't for Yahiko's rescue, I would probably have been killed."

"Hmm~"

Feng Lan seemed to be moved by her words, and his anger subsided slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Yahiko! Because of your poor command, the Akatsuki suffered heavy losses. I was originally going to execute you on the spot, but I will spare you this time because you saved Pakula."

"Thank you, Advisor!" Yahiko, who had just been kicked down the slope, quickly got up to express his gratitude.

"However!" Feng Lan clearly had more to say, "You may be spared the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment. From now on, you will no longer be the leader of Akatsuki, but will be handed over to..."

He twirled his finger and pointed at the crowd of onlookers: "Xiao Nan!"

"Huh?" Xiao Nan feigned surprise. "Me?"

"That's right, it's you." Feng Lan lazily glanced around. "Who agrees, who disagrees?"

"I object!" Nagato jumped out as expected.

"Boom--!"

Fenglan delivered a right hook that sent him flying, tumbling down the slope and landing face-first next to Yahiko.

Seeing this, the other members of Akatsuki dared not step forward, and even if they were unhappy, they could only keep it to themselves.

Feng Lan glanced around a few more times and nodded in satisfaction: "Then, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Mr. Bakuto, please come with me."

The series of comedic performances just now had three purposes. The first and most important one was to let all Akatsuki members know who the real boss is. Feng Lan can appoint leaders at will, let alone deal with others.

Secondly, the Akatsuki organization suffered heavy losses in this war, and they need to give an explanation to the surviving members. Just like Mei Terumi, although Pakura did it on purpose, Yahiko took the blame. In addition, his comical appearance when he was scolded and beaten by Feng Lan can further reduce his authority in the Akatsuki organization.

Third, under the pretext of saving Pakura, Yahiko was given a lenient punishment. Although it was said on the surface that Konan was to be made the leader, in reality, the power was still in his hands.

In summary, it all comes down to attitude. The performance in front of others is just for show; everyone knows what's really going on.

Soon, the three people who were called out entered the tent. Seeing Feng Lan on the left and Nagato on the right, they felt a little pressure.

“There’s no need for you to be nervous.” Feng Lan then put on a smiling tiger mode. “The main reason I invited three such professionals here today is to thank you for your contributions in the Mist Shadow War.”

After all, they are Kage-level powerhouses. Even if they always reserve a third of their strength for self-preservation during battle, their large-scale AOE attacks are enough to leave ordinary ninjas far behind.

So for them... to be precise, for Kakuzu and Sasori, Fenglan's main approach is to win them over, especially Sasori, who is a powerful weapon against Sunagakure.

"Your gratitude isn't just empty words, is it?" Kakuzu sneered. Most Kage-level rogue ninjas are arrogant. No matter how powerful Feng Lan is, if his own strength is lacking, he can only make them wary, not respectful.

Upon hearing this, Obito snorted, but Fenglan immediately waved his hand to calm him down: "Of course not, I have something substantial to thank you for."

As he spoke, he picked up the box beside him and placed it in front of Kakuzu. He then opened it, revealing neatly stacked piles of banknotes.

Kakuzu reached out and stroked them with fascination, then proceeded to count them without regard for the occasion.

"A miser," Obito muttered to himself.

Kakuzu naturally heard this, but he didn't care at all: "Money is the most reliable thing in the world, far more trustworthy than companions, organizations, villages and the like."

He was once an elite Jonin of Takigakure, but was assigned by the village to assassinate the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. After barely escaping with his life, he was branded a rogue ninja by the higher-ups. In a fit of rage, he stole the village's secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear, killed all the higher-ups, and fled. It's understandable that he would only trust money.

Of course, Feng Lan's appearance here was not to understand him, but because he had previously asked Nishimura, the leader of Takigakure, who said that the Earth Grudge Fear technique had been completely lost since then. In other words, if they wanted it, they could only start with Kakuzu.

"They're not going to prepare money for me too, are they?" Scorpion scoffed. "I'm an artist, I have absolutely no interest in such vulgar things as money."

He's, after all, a guy who's turned his body into a puppet, completely devoid of any human desires, so money is naturally useless to him.

"If you don't want it, give it all to me." Kakuzu sneered as he counted the money.

Seeing this situation, Nagato was also very troubled. Although these guys were powerful, they were also extremely dangerous. Most importantly, they were unruly. If it weren't for Nagato keeping them in check, they would never obey Yahiko's orders.

But Feng Lan saw things differently, because he knew everyone's needs, so these rogue ninjas were easier to control than Yahiko. As the saying goes, problem children are the cutest.

“Of course I would not use money to insult an artist.” He knew Scorpion’s personality all too well; he had to appease him and, in particular, never question his art. “I am merely providing material for your artwork…”

As he spoke, Obito, standing nearby, used Kamui to pull a coffin out of the void.

“Could this thing be…” Scorpion’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"The corpse of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura."

Chapter 181: Is there any potential in combining the Earth Grudge Fear and the Ghost Sprout?

"Yagura's body?"

The light in Sasori's eyes intensified. To be honest, the entire Hidden Mist Village did not allow the use of the Third Kazekage's puppets, and he had accumulated some dissatisfaction in his heart. He had seriously considered finding an opportunity to run away after this matter was over, but what Feng Lan took out really attracted him.

Even if Yagura's corpse no longer contained the Three-Tails' chakra, he himself was still a Kage-level fighter. If he could create a puppet, it would be his second-best killing move after the Third Kazekage.

“I have learned of your preferences from Pakura, so I am sending you to dispose of this Yagura corpse. Of course... please do your artistic creations after you leave Kirigakure.”

“I won’t stand on ceremony.” Scorpion took the coffin and opened it to check the “materials” inside. Sure enough, it was Yagura.

At this point, Kakuzu was also a little overwhelmed with money: "Hey, puppet kid, if you don't use a heart to make puppets, then give me this guy's heart."

His Earth Grudge Fear involves stealing the hearts of different enemies to unleash their ninjutsu. Of course, this method cannot steal bloodline limits, so it can be considered a low-end version of the Demon Sparrow Technique. With such excellent material appearing before him, how could he possibly let it go?

"I don't need hearts to create human puppets," Scorpion sneered, "but why should I give them to you?"

“You bastard…” A murderous glint flashed in Kakuzu’s eyes as dark tentacles emerged from his body.

He's the kind of person who'll kill if he's unhappy, which is why his partner in Shippuden is Hidan, the guy who can't be killed.

"Want to make a move?" Scorpion sneered. His body was a puppet, and he simply rotated his arm to reveal a flame cannon.

"Gentlemen, don't rush into action," Feng Lan said unhurriedly. "As for Yagura's heart... it's actually with me too."

He calmly took out another box, opened it, and showed it to Kakuzu to inspect the contents: "However, the money from before was my way of thanking you, but this thing can't be given to you for nothing."

Seeing that the heart was with Feng Lan, Kakuzu lost his reason to fight Sasori and retracted his tentacles: "What do you want? If you give me this heart, I can do three free jobs for you later."

Feng Lan did not immediately ask for his request, but instead changed the subject: "Do you know Beiruhu?"

"Hiruko, that brat who stole other people's bloodline limits to piece together his own?" Considering Kakuzu's age was the same as the First Hokage's, he really had the right to call him that. "I know, so what?"

"I had a conversation with Nishimura, the leader of Takigakure, and discovered that Hiruko's forbidden technique, Oni-Garra, and your forbidden technique, Ji-Grief-Greeting, have many similarities, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages."

Feng Lan smiled and analyzed, "Ghost Sprout can seize bloodline limits, but the requirements are too high. While Earth Grudge Fear can only seize ordinary ninjutsu, it has no restrictions when used and can prolong life."

He didn't directly reveal that Kakudo had five lives, lest the other party turn hostile in shock and anger: "And when Konoha was attacked before, one of the masterminds was Hiruko, who has now been captured and imprisoned by the Fourth Hokage himself."

"You mean..." Kakuzu was a smart man and immediately realized Fenglan's plan.

“I will exchange this heart for the Earthly Grudge Technique, and then give it to Hiruko to study. If it yields results, I can share them with you, how about that?” Fenglan didn’t mince words and directly stated his intentions.

"Um……"

Kakuzu fell into deep thought. To be honest, he had completely mastered the Earth Grudge, so keeping the forbidden scroll was useless. However, if he gave it to Fenglan, Fenglan could discover the secret that he had five hearts and therefore five lives, which was a considerable crisis.

But then he thought about it again. With the cards Feng Lan had, if he really wanted to deal with him, he could kill him even if he had five hearts. Besides, he would get a big boost after getting Yagura's heart. If the other party could really figure something out, it would be even more incredible.

More importantly, if we directly refuse Feng Lan here, what if he lets Nagato and Obito forcibly take him away? If things fall apart, wouldn't we be the ones who suffer?

Rogue ninjas have no human rights. If he dies here, the village will not only not be angry and demand an explanation, but will instead be overjoyed and bang drums and gongs, even if he was not at fault in the first place.

Kakuzu calculated for a moment before saying, "I don't believe you'll be kind enough to share your research findings with me, so if you want the Earth Grudge, you'll have to pay extra."

He waved the money box in his hand: "I'll take another one of these boxes, and if there are any high-quality hearts available in the future, I must have priority in choosing them. If you agree to these two conditions, the deal is done."

Kakuzu is overthinking it. If he really makes a breakthrough, Fenglan will definitely share it with him. After all, it involves human modification, and he can't joke around with his own subordinates. He'll definitely use Kakuzu as a guinea pig.

However, the other party's suggestion wasn't too unreasonable, so Feng Lan readily agreed: "Okay, I'll arrange for someone to send the money over right away. In the future, if you can obtain the heart of a strong person, it will be your priority."

Kakuzu nodded and reached into his robes to pull out an old scroll: "This is the Earth Grudge."

Feng Lan put the scroll away without fear that Kakuzu was deceiving her, because once they broke off relations, Kakuzu would be the one to suffer. Besides, she couldn't understand those complicated things anyway, and it was better to leave scientific research to professionals.

"Alright, you two, I've finished expressing my gratitude." He clapped his hands with a smile. "Thank you for your hard work. Please go back and rest now."

Kakuzu and Sasori stood up, glancing at Bakuto intentionally or unintentionally, before lifting the tent door and leaving.

Meanwhile, Bakuto was undoubtedly under immense pressure. Fenglan had directly used the Mizukage's corpse as material to send it away, and not just any corpse, but two! He wasn't even being discreet. To do something like this right in front of him meant either that the Mizukage didn't know his identity, or that he already considered him dead.

[Damn it, I shouldn't have waited for the old man's reply. I should have just finished the fight and run away.] When Bakuto saw Feng Lan, Obito and Nagato looked at him at the same time. Bakuto really wanted to throw his flying bird and run away immediately, but at such a close distance, he would probably be hit by Bansho Tenpuden before he even left the tent.

"Finally... Mr. Tsuchikage." Finally, Feng Lan spoke with a smile, "How is the Tsuchikage's back?"

Upon hearing this, Bakuto felt as if the sky had fallen; he had indeed been exposed! Damn it... he shouldn't have tried to take advantage of the Jinchuriki that night.

He didn't know that Feng Lan had made a judgment based solely on his abilities being similar to Deidara's, and he thought that it was because he had been too obvious in his behavior towards the Jinchuriki that night that he had been exposed.

No, it's also possible that that bastard Yahiko has switched sides to Fenglan and sold himself out. Otherwise, why would the punishment he received just now be all bark and no bite?

But as a veteran powerhouse, even though he was flustered inside, he wouldn't show any weakness on the surface: "Advisor Fenglan, I haven't seen that old man Onoki for a long time since I defected from the village."

"Don't be so nervous, I won't do anything to you." Feng Lan smiled. "Even disregarding the friendly relationship between Konoha and Iwagakure, you should still be worried about me self-destructing here, right?"

[What kind of friendly relationship do Konoha and Iwagakure have... Wait, how did he know I was going to self-destruct?]

Bakuto immediately let out a cold snort. The reason he dared to stay was because he still had a trump card. If pushed too far, he could take the entire Hidden Mist Village with him.

But now that Feng Lan casually brought it up with a smile, he was a little less confident. Besides, Bakuto wasn't Deidara after all; he didn't have that spirit of sacrificing himself for art. Otherwise, he would have already started arguing with Sasori, who pursued eternal beauty.

"So, I really won't do anything to you." Feng Lan shrugged. "Otherwise, why would I be so close to you? I could have just had Obito ambush you last night. If I suddenly dragged you into the Kamui dimension, even if you self-destructed inside, who could you possibly hurt?"

After calming down and thinking about it carefully, Bakuto realized that it made sense, and he relaxed a little: "To be honest, Advisor Fenglan, I am not simply a rogue ninja."

He still didn't give a definitive answer, because he didn't know how much intelligence the other party already possessed, and they would definitely reveal as little as possible.

“I know why you’ve come, and I know who sent you,” Feng Lan said with a smile. “However, I don’t intend to pursue this matter. I just want to ask you to pass on a message for me.”

Bao Tu still didn't answer. Saying more would only make things worse. Right now, the village's interests were at stake, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every word was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

"Just tell Onoki that Akatsuki is my black glove. He can try to poach people, but he definitely can't." However, Fenglan didn't need his answer, and just laughed to himself, "Also, don't agree to that black thing's cooperation request just because you're afraid of Uchiha Madara, otherwise my two Hokage will be very unhappy."

Bakuto was completely confused by what he heard, but as soon as Onoki heard it, he would immediately understand what was going on. Fenglan was warning him not to cooperate with Black Zetsu, otherwise he would refuse to undo the Impure World Reincarnation of the First and Second Hokage.

Feng Lan was certainly not a genius who could predict that Black Zetsu would suffer a setback at the Raikage and then turn to the Tsuchikage. He was simply giving a warning in advance. If Black Zetsu really went, it would naturally make Onoki think that the other party was incredibly insightful and become wary. Even if Black Zetsu didn't go, it could still be taken as a warning.

"I...I understand..."

Bao Tu had never felt so suffocated in front of someone before. After deliberating for a long time, he could only lower his head and agree, then asked, "So, Consultant Feng Lan, how do you plan to deal with me?"

"Why would I bother with you? You're not even tasty." Feng Lan chuckled. "As long as the message gets through, you can leave if you want, or stay if you want."

"You...you still allow me to remain in the Akatsuki?" Bakuto's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, that makes it easier for me to send some private messages to the Tsuchikage when I need to."

Chapter 182 Are you deliberately picking a fight?

Somewhat dejected, Bakutsuchi left the tent. The current situation was completely beyond his control. He urgently needed to write a secret letter to inform Onoki of everything and await the Tsuchikage's further judgment.

I can't possibly deal with such a troublesome enemy as Feng Lan by myself alone.

After he finished sending the secret message and tried to subtly inquire about Feng Lan's situation, he learned from other Akatsuki members that Feng Lan had already left Kirigakure.

"[Just like that?]" Bao Tu couldn't believe his ears. Please, I'm a spy! Can't you show some respect to a spy? Don't treat me like I'm just a passerby!

Meanwhile, Feng Lan and the others had already boarded the large ship for their return journey.

"I still can't believe it." Minato sat in the cabin, conflicted. "You've just gotten engaged, don't you really need to spend a few more days with your fiancée?"

“I’m only staying to help her with the paperwork. I’ve already done enough for you in Konoha. Do you expect me to do it again on a business trip?” Feng Lan yawned and leaned back in her chair. “It’s better to head back sooner. There’s a lot of things to take care of in the village.”

It's worth mentioning that currently only Fenglan, Minato, and Obito are in the front cabin. Pakula is resting in his room because he hasn't fully recovered, while Orochimaru is studying the Earth Grudge Fear in the rear cabin, with Shisui keeping watch nearby.

"Is there anything more important than spending time with your fiancée?" Minato asked with an innocent gaze.

"There are too many to list. The forging of the Thunder Blade, the manipulation of Hiruko, the research on the Sky Ninja Tools, the planning of the Samsara Festival... Do you think everyone is as idle as you, you big blond hair?"

"Wait a minute, the previous part is one thing, but isn't the planning of the Reincarnation Festival handled by the life department?" Minato looked completely bewildered.

"I want to seize the opportunity to make money."

"puff--!"

Obito, who was holding the cup, immediately spat it out. Is this the kind of thing you can say in front of the Hokage?