"Not yet."
Konan shook her head and continued, "But the ambition and greed in Orochimaru's eyes are too great. Sooner or later, he will defect. We might as well take this opportunity to expel him..."
"We are still very short of hands."
Nagato was somewhat against Konan's method of handling the situation.
Although Nagato also understood Orochimaru's danger, he had enough confidence to suppress Orochimaru. Was it necessary to drive him out for such a small matter?
Just as Nagato was about to continue discussing with Konan, a figure suddenly appeared beside Deva Path Pain, and a voice suddenly reached their ears, "Senior Brother Nagato is right, if the Akatsuki Organization starts expelling people, how can we recruit in the future?"
"Kagura!"
Konan's brows slightly furrowed.
"Why are you here?"
Nagato glanced at Akihara Kagura and asked, "Aren't you afraid that Jiraiya would suspect you coming to the Akatsuki Organization's base?"
"Are you really Jiraiya's disciples?"
Akihara Kagura looked at them, a bit puzzled.
"..."
Nagato and Konan looked more confused than him.
Was the matter tonight still not enough to prove their identity? Jiraiya himself admitted it! How could they not be Jiraiya's disciples?
"Since you are Jiraiya's disciples..."
Akihara Kagura sighed softly, "Did you forget how lively Jiraiya's nightlife is?"
"..."
Nagato's expression instantly became awkward.
"..."
Konan's face turned slightly dark.
It seemed their teacher did indeed behave somewhat indelicately.
Akihara Kagura looked at them, with a hint of wistfulness on his face, "Jiraiya waited so long near that gravestone to meet you, he has long wanted to go for a drink..."
"Alright."
After finishing his words, Akihara Kagura brought up the issue with Orochimaru again, "Let's continue discussing Orochimaru. To dismiss him without his knowledge is indeed not right. It wouldn't sound good if word got out..."
This kind of thing would be criticized to death!
At least, if we plan to expel Orochimaru, we should give him some time to arrange his next move!
There are not many news platforms in the Ninja World. Had Akihara Kagura been treated this way, he would have surely exposed everything about the company to prevent others from being duped!
"That's right."
Nagato nodded.
"But..."
Konan frowned again.
"So we can't let this get out."
Akihara Kagura raised his hand in a chopping gesture, acting as if he were chopping vegetables, "We secretly get rid of Orochimaru, then he can't spread the word..."
"..."
Nagato's face darkened.
What kind of twisted logic does this junior brother have!
"..."
Konan's eyes brightened.
Sometimes this junior brother's extreme ideas aren't too bad!
Nagato initially thought Akihara Kagura was considering things from his perspective, but unexpectedly he proposed something even more drastic than Konan's actions!
Nagato looked at Akihara Kagura and sighed, "Say, aren't you really just getting back at Orochimaru for treating you like a test subject?"
"I've long since let it go."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, feeling Nagato underestimated his magnanimity, "I'm not a narrow-minded person. Orochimaru's disciple, Mitarashi Anko, also offended me in Konoha. I even helped her find a part-time job as a tutor when she was in a tough spot, out of respect for our acquaintance..."
"..."
Nagato and Konan no longer questioned him.
This junior brother's generosity did sound quite magnanimous.
"Forget it."
"If you're really worried I'm getting back at Orochimaru, then I'll offer another plan. Just tell Orochimaru he's just a decoy to attract Jiraiya and me..."
Akihara Kagura nonchalantly proposed another idea, saying indifferently, "After all, the Akatsuki Organization isn't filled with saints. Orochimaru will surely understand and consider it a test given to him..."
"..."
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances.
Indeed, there's hardly anyone good in the Akatsuki Organization...
But...
Will Orochimaru really not get angry?
The last time, they all escaped from the Akatsuki Organization's base, using Orochimaru as bait, and he was very unhappy; this time, they're directly claiming to use Orochimaru to lure Jiraiya and Akihara Kagura...
Orochimaru's state of mind...
Will it really remain unchanged?
Akihara Kagura seemingly guessed their thoughts and took the initiative to say, "Let's just do it this way, tell him straightforwardly he's just bait. After all, Orochimaru is one of the Sannin of Konoha alongside Jiraiya, surely he won't mind such a trivial matter..."
"Alright then."
Nagato couldn't think of another solution.
Telling Orochimaru the truth directly is at least more gentle than killing him to silence or directly expelling him...
Land of Wind.
The Land of Wind and the Land of Rain are neighboring countries.
However, their climates are completely different, with the Land of Rain constantly cloudy and rainy, while the Land of Wind always has scorching and sunny weather.
The Land of Wind is mostly endless desert, with the sun in the sky shining as if it wants to melt a person. Finding a rock to block the sun is already a blessing.
"Still the same old."
Red Sand Sasori had long been accustomed to such weather.
The harsh environment of the Land of Wind led to the Hidden Sand Village's poverty and also shaped the Hidden Sand Ninja's character, making them more and more capable of enduring hardships.