Recently, the Land of Rain had experienced an unexpected surge in prosperity. A massive amount of grain had suddenly appeared, bringing wealth and relief to the village's struggling inhabitants. Secretly, they had been cultivating crops using advanced methods that made the plants resistant to drought, floods, and harsh winds. These hardy crops achieved exceptionally high yields, far beyond what was expected in this harsh climate.
They didn't keep this advantage to themselves. Instead, they sold seeds bred from these crops to various neighboring countries, creating a steady stream of income. Alongside this, they had also developed a legendary medicinal wine, crafted with ingredients from the Sake Ninja Village, which became highly sought after and equally lucrative.
Pain observed Izumi carefully as she busied herself with an experimental setup, the faintest trace of approval in his voice. "I never thought Wood Release could be used in such diverse ways," he said. "Not just for combat or construction, but also to accelerate crop growth."
Izumi smiled softly, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "Different people see Ninjutsu through different lenses. In my eyes, the greatest potential of Wood Release lies in this—supporting life itself."
Konan chimed in, her voice tinged with wonder and practicality. "The seeds we've sold all need to be tested first. The buyers said that if the seeds truly perform as we claim, they will purchase large quantities."
She paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully at Izumi. "I never thought these seeds could be cultivated through hybridization like this. It's remarkable."
Izumi carefully placed a seed onto a small sample of Hashirama's cells, releasing her chakra gently to encourage the rice plant's growth at just the right time. When the rice was mature, she opened the husk and extracted pollen from the grain.
Then, she placed rice grains that had no pollen together with other rice varieties, allowing them to cross-pollinate slowly under her watchful care. Afterward, she catalyzed their growth into finished products and rigorously tested the seeds' characteristics.
"Originally, I wanted to use Senju Hashirama's cells," Izumi explained, "but I didn't expect Zetsu to be able to use Wood Release as well. That saved me a lot of time."
She sighed, thinking aloud. "For agricultural projects, what matters most is time and luck. Wood Release perfectly solves both problems."
Pain regarded her with admiration. "Though you are young, you have lifted the people of the Hidden Rain Village from starvation and provided us a way to earn money through this grain. You are an indispensable talent to our Akatsuki Organization. Whatever you need, we will support you."
Izumi smiled faintly, though her eyes held a hint of detachment. "I don't have any personal requests. I only want to see if your organization will ultimately succeed."
Pain's face hardened with resolve. "Hmph. With me at the helm, no matter what difficulties arise, nothing will stop us. We will succeed."
Izumi nodded silently but sighed inwardly. You are not a god. You are merely a pawn, blinded by hatred. But what right do I have to mock others?
She rose from her seat and said, "I'll be going back now. If you need anything, just call. I will come."
Pain nodded approvingly. "Good. You have been here a long time, and the others you have trained can gradually complete these tasks. You are still young—you need to rest well."
"Mm," Izumi responded, and her Shadow Clone vanished in an instant.
Konan watched thoughtfully. "I didn't expect that guy to find such a useful talent."
Pain nodded. "Yes. Being able to feed the people is a great skill. Now, we'll see how the rice yields after the trials."
Konan exhaled deeply, a note of relief in her voice. "In that case, the people of the Hidden Rain Village will finally be able to eat their fill."
Taking over the Hidden Rain Village had been a daunting challenge for Konan. Governing an organization like Akatsuki was one thing, but managing a village was entirely different. Since the village had been isolated, conflicts between families, ninja, and civilians had become rampant, requiring Pain's immense strength to maintain order.
Yet despite his power, life in the Hidden Rain Village remained harsh and impoverished. Witnessing the desolate conditions weighed heavily on Konan's heart, filling her with pain. The success of the Wood Release crops gave her hope and eased the pressure she carried.
Konan added thoughtfully, "According to Izumi's plan, we can sell the grain to the public at low prices—but not give it away for free."
Pain was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Giving too much for free would make people lazy. They would rely entirely on the village and stop working. That would stunt the development of our village."
Konan continued, "She also suggested adopting orphans and training them as ninja to gradually strengthen the Hidden Rain Village's power."
Pain's eyes softened, recalling his own childhood as a wandering orphan. "That is a good idea. But we must distinguish true orphans from spies or opportunists. We cannot afford to be deceived."
"Mm," Konan agreed, then turned to leave.
Pain gazed down at the village below, a growing confidence swelling within him. The future was uncertain, but he felt hopeful.
---
Meanwhile, Izumi's main body received information from her Shadow Clone. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as boredom crept in. What should I do now? Oh, I know.
She made her way to the Root headquarters once again.
Upon entering, she was slightly surprised. "Wow! There are quite a few people here."
Using her sensory Ninjutsu, she carefully scanned the area. Eight patrol ninjas were visible, all positioned to keep watch on each other, and surveillance cameras had been installed around them.
Izumi sneered. "They even added cameras… but the cameras can't see me. Hehehe."
She summoned a clone to slip into the surveillance room, quickly dealing with the ninja monitoring the security systems. After shutting down the surveillance, she returned to her main body.
Izumi quietly entered the room where the most valuable items were stored.
The room was filled with precious treasures—remnants of rare Bloodline Limits, Senju cells, various powerful ninja tools, and priceless gems and crystal balls.
She scoffed quietly as she took most of the valuable items for herself.
Just as she was about to leave, something caught her attention—a faint anomaly behind a nearby cabinet.
Curious, she sent out a piece of paper to slip beneath the cabinet and carefully pulled aside the object.
She undid a hidden seal, revealing a small secret door.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Sharingan? My goodness… How many Sharingan does he have?!"
Izumi looked over more than ten Sharingan eyes stored safely behind the secret door and couldn't help but sneer.
She chose not to take the Sharingan but instead injected them with a spell that would render them useless.
Then, without hesitation, she left the room.
Before exiting, she spotted the patrolling ninja once again. A malicious grin spread across her face.
She created multiple clones, each one silently eliminating the patrol guards simultaneously.
Izumi gathered all their bodies and disappeared from the scene.
---
When Danzo returned to the Root headquarters, he immediately noticed the absence of his subordinates and the inactive surveillance system.
Fury filled him as he roared, "Who killed my men?! Damn it!"
The Root ninja were already few in number, and the loss of these elite operatives—some of whom possessed rare Bloodline Limits like the Byakugan—was a painful blow.
Danzo had risked offending powerful ninja clans to assemble this team, but now they had vanished so mysteriously.
His face twisted in rage as he vowed revenge