Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for only $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters!
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 98: Target — Village Hidden in the Clouds
Honoka Uzumaki nodded, looking at Samui with a serious expression.
"In a moment, you must not resist. Do everything you can to cooperate with me."
"Got it. I understand. I'll cooperate fully."
Samui glanced at Konan, and her heart once again started pounding uncontrollably.
She hurriedly shifted her gaze away.
Since she'd already made her choice, all that was left was to accept her fate honestly.
With a sharp whoosh, a golden chain shot out from Honoka's back.
The golden arrowhead at the tip pressed lightly against Samui's forehead.
Samui instinctively wanted to dodge, but she grit her teeth and forced herself to hold still.
The golden arrowhead wavered for a moment, then, under Honoka's control, thrust forward with force.
There was no blood, no wound, not even a sound.
The golden arrow seemed almost illusory as it phased straight into Samui's head, driving toward the seal at the center of her mind.
"Found it." Honoka focused her perception and let out a low shout. "Seal!"
Samui's head gave a faint tremor.
In the next instant, she could no longer feel the familiar sealing power lingering in her mind.
"How is it? Is it completely sealed?" Honoka asked quickly.
Samui shut her eyes, carefully sensing the state of her mind one last time.
Three seconds later, she opened them and nodded. "It should have worked. I can't feel the seal anymore."
"You did well, Honoka," Konan said, giving her a word of praise.
Honoka immediately straightened her back, her eyes shining with excitement.
She had finally been able to help Lady Konan with something important, proving her own worth.
Konan turned her gaze back to Samui.
"Where are the biological samples of Kinkaku and Ginkaku stored?" she asked.
Samui hesitated inside, then let out a heavy sigh.
Just hearing that calm voice made her body flare up with heat and restless energy again.
She really wasn't worthy of being called an elite kunoichi.
Not even a proper one, honestly.
She couldn't even control her own physical reactions and emotions.
What a disgraceful fall…
I'm sorry… Lord Raikage.
It's not that I want to betray the village. It's just… this feeling… I can't fight it anymore…
After silently apologizing in her heart, Samui finally began to speak honestly.
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku were traitors to the village. They were not qualified to be buried in the cemetery. Their bodies are stored in the village's research center, where their bloodline and power are being studied."
Every village's secret research center was extremely well hidden. Not a scrap of information was ever allowed to leak.
Even most shinobi within the village had no idea such a facility existed, much less where it was located.
Samui, however, was part of the village's core leadership and knew quite a lot about this secret center.
"The research center is in the lowest level of the Anbu base, guarded by the village's Anbu. Its entrance is hidden in an inconspicuous civilian house in the southeast corner of the village."
As she spoke, the seal in Samui's mind began to stir.
It automatically activated, trying to destroy her brain to prevent the leak.
But wrapped as it was in the stronger sealing power of the Adamantine Sealing Chains, it was completely suppressed.
All it could do was make Samui feel a faint swelling pressure in her head.
Beyond that, there was nothing—no pain, no sense of imminent death.
To ensure the location was absolutely clear, Samui even drew a detailed map on a sheet of white paper.
The map floated over to Konan and unfolded in front of her.
"So it's here…"
From the markings, the research center was in a corner of the village—yet still buried in its deepest inner zone.
Layer upon layer of visible and hidden village institutions surrounded it, forming a protective barrier.
It was obvious how important this research center was to the Cloud.
Its defenses were tight.
If she had charged into the Cloud village blind, without intel from Samui, it would have taken Konan a great deal of time to find it.
And the outcome likely wouldn't have been pretty.
The AB Brothers and the Cloud ninja wouldn't give her that much time.
Konan tucked the map away and continued questioning.
"What about your village's current combat strength?"
Samui didn't hesitate for long.
"Inside the village, there are two Kage-level powerhouses—Lord Raikage and Lord Killer B. There are several dozen elite jōnin and jōnin, plus a shinobi force numbering over ten thousand."
Konan fell into thought.
Alex was also digesting the information.
Looking at it like this, the Cloud's overall strength really was formidable.
Konoha had taken heavy damage, Iwagakure had no new blood, and Kirigakure had been struck hard as well.
As for Sunagakure, they had always been at the bottom.
Compared to them, the Village Hidden in the Clouds faintly had the air of being the number one shinobi village.
Their strength was great, and they'd managed to preserve it without suffering too many losses.
Especially the AB Brothers.
They excelled in speed, reaction time, and raw power.
Killer B alone had once punched Sasuke so hard his internal organs ruptured and he nearly died.
Even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke could only track Killer B's movements with his eyes—his body simply couldn't keep up.
All he could do was watch the blows land on himself.
And the Fourth Raikage, Ay, with his perfected Lightning Release Armor, was even faster than Killer B by a step.
He was only slightly slower than Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God.
Combined with his terrifying defense, he was a nightmare to deal with.
He truly lived up to the reputation of a man whose bare fists could beat the Eight-Tails to the ground.
Those two had to be separated.
If they fought together, their combat power would multiply to an even more frightening level.
Konan asked again, "Are the Raikage and Killer B currently in the village? Do they have any plans to leave?"
Samui thought for a moment, then glanced at the red clouds on Konan's cloak and said hesitantly,
"Due to Akatsuki's recent activities, the village has already entered a state of heightened alert. Without urgent business, no one is allowed to leave."
"After Lord Killer B was dragged back by Lord Raikage, he's been restricted to the village and forbidden from going out."
She paused, shoulder-length blonde hair swaying slightly as something else came to mind.
"Because Uchiha Sasuke attacked Lord Killer B and tried to seize the Eight-Tails, Lord Raikage has already lodged a formal protest with Konoha and issued a strong condemnation. At the same time, he proposed holding a Five Kage Summit and is waiting for responses from the other villages."
"That might be the only reason Lord Raikage would leave the village. But even if the Summit is agreed to, I don't think it'll be held soon. It'll probably be two or three months at least."
Two or three months?
That was far too long.
Konan shook her head inwardly.
In that time, Obito and Sasuke could easily complete their eye transplant and raise their power to the "super-Kage" level.
She couldn't afford to wait patiently for the Summit and the opportunity to catch the Fourth Raikage outside the village.
Her only option was to find a way to separate the AB Brothers and infiltrate the Cloud.
Seeing the resolve in Konan's eyes, Samui swallowed, her expression uneasy.
"L-Lady Konan… If you enter the village and end up clashing with Cloud ninja, then… if you happen to see a male ninja with shoulder-length blond hair like mine… I beg you to spare him."
"Please!" She suddenly bowed her head low, pleading. "His name is Atsui. He's my younger brother—my only family. He's only a low-ranking chūnin. If you run into him, just knock him out. I beg you, please don't kill him!"
Resting one arm on the chair's armrest, Konan looked down at the kneeling Samui.
"Fine," she said. "For your sake, I won't kill him."
A mere chūnin posed no real threat.
Before he could even get close, a single sheet of paper would be enough to knock him unconscious.
"Thank you, Lady Konan! Thank you so much!!"
Samui's body trembled as she thanked her, filled with emotion.
Just that small promise made the scales in her heart tilt that much further toward Lady Konan's side.
Konan straightened up in her seat.
"Stand up and wait to the side."
"Yes, ma'am."
Samui obeyed, quietly moving to stand beside Honoka.
Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing hot and uneven, leaving Honoka more confused than ever.
"What is with this…" Honoka thought, baffled. "Why does she react like this every time she sees Lady Konan? That's way too intense…"
"Gamada."
"Lady Konan!" Kameda stepped out from a hidden spot and bowed his head.
He waited silently for orders.
"How long until we reach the Village Hidden in the Clouds?"
"Lady Konan, at our current speed, the Sky fortress will need about one more day to arrive."