That is to resist, rather than being as submissive as the Hidden Grass Village, allowing the large nations to bully without daring to fight back.
"What should we do next? Does Lord Nagato have a follow-up plan?"
White Zetsu asked.
"Nagato has already headed to the Land of Demons to seek assistance."
"Chiba Hakushi won't agree easily. He's the type who won't act unless there's a benefit. This would only make the Land of Demons high-profile and a target."
"Nagato has ways to make Chiba Hakushi agree."
Speaking of this, Konan recalled Nagato's words before he left, and her expression turned peculiar.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Konan's confident look, White Zetsu seemed confused but wisely chose not to ask.
While Konan and White Zetsu were talking, footsteps were heard outside the cave, mixing with the sound of rain and reaching their ears.
"Oh dear, what bad timing for coming back, you two. This is really not a good time for an organizational meeting."
White Zetsu grinned at the two people who entered.
One tall, one short.
They were clad in black cloaks with red clouds, and the shorter one wore a straw hat with bells, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes glowing in the dim cave. The red pupils and three black magatama were clearly visible.
Sharingan.
Uchiha Itachi.
The tall one was naturally his partner Hoshigaki Kisame, who grinned as he walked over with the Great Sword Shark Skin on his back.
"It does seem unsuitable for a meeting; it's gotten chaotic outside, and the Hidden Rain Village has become much emptier than before."
Kisame's words suggested that he and Itachi had returned to the Hidden Rain Village at some point before coming here.
Due to the outbreak of the internal war, almost half of the ninjas in the Hidden Rain Village had been redeployed and were mobilizing within the Land of Rain.
However, this doesn't mean the defense within the Hidden Rain Village is lacking. If anyone thinks of sneaking into the Hidden Rain Village now to cut off the Hidden Rain Ninja's retreat, it would be very unfortunate for them.
In the Land of Rain, there is no place more dangerous than the Hidden Rain Village.
"Sorry, we're in the midst of a war right now. It should be much better by next year."
Konan said apologetically.
"It's okay, but will the war really be over by next year? Based on my observations with Itachi, it's not just the Land of Fire; the Hidden Rock Village from the Land of Earth seems to have officially joined as well. If there's anything useful we can do, don't hesitate to let us know."
Kisame smiled, holding no expectations that the war would end by next year.
"Both the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth don't wish to expand the war in the Land of Rain... no, they are unaware of the strength of the Hidden Rain and are launching a wrong war at the wrong time, as they attempt to claim sovereignty in the Land of Rain."
Konan said so.
"Is Nagato not here? I was hoping to know what the next mission is."
Kisame asked.
"Nagato went to the Land of Demons, I'm in charge here for now."
"The Land of Demons?"
Kisame was briefly stunned.
Itachi's Sharingan flickered but he remained silent, standing quietly beside.
"Now is not the time to reveal Nagato's power. By using the Land of Demons to cover some of our edge, securing victory is beneficial for both nations."
The power of the Land of Demons in the west has obviously surpassed the Land of Wind. Now, it just needs to compete with the Land of Earth to establish dominion.
If the Land of Demons supports the Land of Rain, and overshadows the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, then the position of the Land of Demons in the west will be more stable, getting closer to achieving the status of a giant nation.
The critical point now is how the Land of Demons will choose.
Whether to continue watching or to intervene and work towards becoming a major power.
"Is that so? It's good to have a plan. If the leader fails, it might undermine the organization's authority."
Kisame chuckled lightly, lost in thought.
Konan did not comment on this.
Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain Village are originally two different factions.
There are things Akatsuki can handle, and the Hidden Rain Village cannot step forward.
Once on the path of contention between countries, some tactics must remain behind the scenes.
After defeating the Land of Wind, Chiba Hakushi and others were anxious to compel Konoha to erase their renegade ninja statuses, worried that their identity would invite criticism.
And once these rumors gain momentum, they can affect leadership, which is deadly for the upper echelons of a country.
The interests of Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain overlap in some areas and conflict in others. At its core, Akatsuki is an underground organization that recruits dangerous renegade ninjas. Konan doesn't truly believe that the members of Akatsuki would dedicate their lives to the rise of the Hidden Rain Village.
"This isn't your concern. As for your next mission, do as you like, just ensure it doesn't attract the attention of those large nations. Nagato won't limit your freedom. If you genuinely want to contribute to the organization, pay attention to strong ninjas in the Ninja Realm and recruit them."
"It's not so easy to find ninjas that meet the requirements... oh well, Itachi, let's go. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a break without missions."
Kisame stretched and exhaled a deep breath.
"No, I need to go somewhere to replenish supplies. I'm running low on kunai and soldier rations pills."
Itachi spoke.
"Is that so? Then I'll accompany you. The pursuit squads from the Hidden Mist have been after me recently, it's safer with two people."
Kisame said.
Itachi pondered for a moment, glanced at the expressionless Konan, and nodded, "Okay."