Land of Fire, northern border town.
Momo-chan, Mayuri, and Amber stood at the town's only intersection, waiting quietly.
Kambara Hayato sat under a shady tree next to them, eating watermelon, and said, "Are you sure you don't want to come over and have some?"
"No, I want to wait for Brother Shou and Brother Sasuke to come back," Momo-chan said.
Kambara Hayato shrugged.
He was specially sent by Linto to come ahead of time to protect Momo-chan and Amber's group.
Ever since Linto took down Orochimaru, too many people had been eyeing him, inevitably approaching Momo-chan and the others with various intentions.
Among the people Linto knew, Kambara Hayato was one of the few he trusted.
An excellent information expert, fighting wasn't Kambara Hayato's strength, but hiding thirty or so people and trying not to be found wasn't too difficult for him.
However, since becoming the temporary babysitter for this group, Kambara Hayato hadn't had close contact with young women for a long time.
He spat watermelon seeds in front of him, looking at Momo-chan and the others.
These three were really energetic. Since receiving Linto's letter two days ago, roughly calculating that Linto would be here today, they had come early this morning to wait.
"If you ask me, there's no need to wait at all. Just prepare a bathtub and a beautiful woman for me, and Linto and Sasuke will automatically appear."
"A bathtub... a beautiful woman?" Momo-chan looked confused.
Mayuri covered Momo-chan's ears, her cheeks slightly puffed out, and looked at the unreliable information merchant with dissatisfaction: "Mr. Kambara, please don't say such things in front of children."
Kambara Hayato said seriously: "I'm not kidding with you, I'm serious, there must be something to this.
Do you believe me, as long as I say—
'Ah, I'm tired, I should find a girl to massage my shoulders', Linto and Sasuke will pop out like weeds on the roadside."
After he finished speaking, he suddenly looked towards the road.
Nothing.
Kambara Hayato said it again, and looked at the end of the road again.
Still nothing.
Kambara Hayato turned his head to meet Momo-chan's big eyes.
"Tch."
Throwing away the watermelon rind, Kambara Hayato patted his butt and stood up.
He wasn't planning to wait any longer. Whoever wanted to wait could wait. He really wanted to go back and take a bubble bath—
Tap tap tap.
The sound of horse hooves came.
Three figures on horseback emerged from the woods at the end of the narrow path. It was Linto, Sasuke, and Konan, who had been hurrying back from Konoha Village all the way.
Kambara Hayato's eyes gradually widened, and he grabbed Amber's arm.
"Look! Look!"
Amber pushed his hand away, saying dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Momo-chan started walking, at first just walking, then quickly jogging, and soon running at full speed, her pink hair dancing in the wind, a smile already blooming on her face.
Sasuke got off his horse and ran towards Momo-chan.
They met in the middle of the road and hugged tightly.
Momo-chan smiled and shed tears: "Brother Sasuke, I really thought I would never see you again."
Sasuke gently stroked Momo-chan's head and said, "Don't cry, I'm back."
He looked back at Linto.
"We're all back."
"Yeah!"
Momo-chan nodded vigorously, tears in her eyes.
Mayuri and Amber bowed deeply to Linto.
"Lord Linto, everyone is waiting for you to come back," Mayuri said.
Linto got off his horse.
"Let's go."
…
Hiding more than thirty people, saying it was difficult was very difficult, but saying it was easy was actually quite easy.
Kambara Hayato divided them into smaller groups, each assigned a different fake identity. As long as they didn't deliberately expose their Land of Water habits, they basically wouldn't be recognized.
But today, all thirty-plus people in hiding had gathered in a room. They were wearing uniforms from all walks of life, and a pair of bright eyes were all shining with a light called hope.
Linto sat cross-legged opposite the crowd.
Beside him were Sasuke, Momo-chan, Konan, Kambara Hayato, and others. Mayuri sat to the side, pouring tea for Linto.
"Thank you."
Linto took the teacup and met the eyes of everyone in front of him.
Everyone was waiting for him to speak, but Linto lowered his head and remained silent for a full half minute. No one urged him to speak. They sat quietly in place, without even the slightest wavering in their eyes.
In the silence, an invisible force was gathering.
This scene was familiar to Konan.
Just then, Linto's voice came.
"Everyone, I want to walk a path that no one has walked before."
Linto raised his head and said to the thirty-plus people in front of him:
"In order to practice this path, I will try to build a village, try to change some things, but this is a path full of thorns, and many people may die once they follow me on this path."
"Including me."
"This path is not suitable for everyone, so I have prepared another option for you, which is to stay. As long as you stay, your fake identities will become real, and you will become ordinary Land of Fire civilians, enjoying peace and quiet."
"Those who want to stay can leave now."
No one looked at each other, let alone moved a bit. If they wanted to retreat, they wouldn't have chosen the path of building Hope Village, let alone waited bitterly for Linto's return in a remote town.
Amber put her hands on her legs, kneeling on the ground and said: "Lord, just tell us, where are we going next? What can we do for you?"
Linto looked around at everyone and nodded slightly:
"We're going back to the Land of Water."
As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. They had managed to escape from the Land of Water with great difficulty. Now, going back wasn't like returning to the former pit of fire?
But in the next second, they met Linto's calm eyes, and the worry in their hearts gradually subsided.
"Yes."
Everyone went back to pack their bags.
Linto stood by the window, looking at the busy town below.
Just two days ago, he had received a carrier pigeon from Terumi Mei.
The actions of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, were becoming increasingly strange. Led by Terumi Mei and Ao, a sizable group of people was formed to overthrow Yagura's rule in the near future.
Considering that Yagura was a perfect Jinchuriki with amazing combat power, Terumi Mei invited Linto to come and help out.
Once successful, the Terumi Mei faction would be able to ascend to the position of Mizukage. At that time, no matter who became the "Kage", they would be able to give Linto a piece of land as a base for Hope Village.
And this would become the starting point for all of Linto's plans.
"Fuu--"
A faint smoke floated from the side. Kambara Hayato was holding a cigarette, his hands in his pockets, and walked over unsteadily.
"Just now you said that you might die... what exactly do you want to do?"
Linto smiled: "With your level of information gathering, can't you find out what I plan to do?"
"It's because I found out everything you've done along the way that I'm asking this question." Kambara Hayato's unrestrained eyes rarely became serious: "Linto, you don't really want to—"
He held out his hand, turned it over, and turned it over again.
"What if I do?"
Linto asked, "Are you still willing to help me?"
Kambara Hayato pursed his dry lips. The information merchant's intuition told him that this would be a crucial decision concerning his life.
"One last question, answer me, and I'll help you."
"Speak."
"If you really die, will the path you want to walk be cut off?"
"It won't be cut off. As long as there are still people alive in this world, as long as there are still people who want to get rid of the terrible world we're in now, there will always be followers who will continue along this path. What's the saying—"
Linto looked out the window and said softly:
"Success doesn't need to be mine."
After hearing this, Kambara Hayato lowered his head, took a deep drag on his cigarette, threw the remaining cigarette butt on the ground, and stomped it out fiercely:
"Then let's do it!"
An hour later, everyone gathered on the main road of the town.
Linto stood at the front.
"Let's go."
"Land of Water."
At the same time.
Akatsuki organization base.
Pain's cold gaze stared at Uchiha Itachi.
"Can anyone translate for me, what does 'spy' mean?"
---
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