Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

The art of water-based cannons is an extension of the art of water transformation.

It is a secret ninjutsu passed down through generations of the Hozuki clan, which clearly indicates that this leader of the Kirigakure ninja is a member of the Hozuki clan of Kirigakure.

Ghost Lantern and Crescent Moon.

That's his name.

Pakura's Scorch Release is not only the bane of Kirigakure, but also the greatest nemesis of the Hozuki clan. Their clan's Water Transformation Technique has no chance against Scorch Release, which is why their leader has not yet made a move, unless they can regenerate after turning into water vapor.

Just as the water droplet "bullet" was about to pierce Yekura's skull and take the life of this Sunagakure hero, a silver needle suddenly appeared and blocked the "bullet," changing its original trajectory...

After grazing Yekura's cheek, it left a long, bloody mark, but did not kill him.

Who is it?

Who saved me?

Yecang tried to stay upright, wanting to know who had saved her life, but her increasingly heavy eyelids forced her to close her eyes, and she collapsed heavily to the ground, falling into a coma.

At the same moment, the dozen or so Mist Ninja who had been besieging Yekura suddenly collapsed to the ground without a sound. Judging from their bluish-purple faces, they had obviously been poisoned.

These dead Mist Ninja had no wounds on their bodies, indicating that the poisoning method was extremely sophisticated.

The sudden scene startled Hozuki Zangetsu, who immediately raised his alert level to the maximum, looking around for the enemy. The other Mist Ninja with him held kunai and looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

The once noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and Yekura's heavy breathing.

Before long, two figures gradually emerged from the thick fog, and their conversation broke the silence.

"Why did you intervene? Could it be that you felt sorry for her because she's from the same village as you? You're not that kind of person."

First, a steady voice, slightly hoarse, rang out. The speaker was the tallest of the two figures.

"Pakura, the Scorching Release ninja, a former hero of Sunagakure, has now been betrayed by the village... Don't you think her current situation makes her a good fit to join us?"

The second voice spoke very calmly, without the slightest emotion.

Hearing this answer, the tall figure was clearly very dissatisfied: "I know she's a good fit for us, but her head is worth 4500 million taels of silver. We only need to take her head; why are you bringing this burden along?"

The calm voice spoke again: "The leader's idea is to invite suitable ninjas to join us if we come across them... I remember you were there too..."

After pausing, he changed the subject.

"Are you really going to disregard the chief's orders for money?"

Upon hearing the word "leader" mentioned, the tall man fell silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "Of course not... I just feel it's a pity about those bounties; I still have missions to earn money for the organization."

The other party's last sentence sounded very reluctant, as if they didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer, and they immediately changed the subject, saying, "I can give you this woman, but..."

As he spoke, the figure turned his gaze to Hozuki Zangetsu, who was standing on a high place. Just then, Hozuki Zangetsu was also looking at the figure.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

For some reason, Hozuki Cangetsu felt a sudden throbbing in his chest, as if something was choking his heart.

"Hozuki Zangetsu is worth 21 million taels... You have no objection to giving me this person, right?"

The other figure didn't even glance at Hozuki Shingetsu, and said directly, "I don't care about that person. He doesn't look like the type to betray the village. But after you collect your bounty, his body must be mine... otherwise I won't be able to complete the mission assigned by the leader."

"Of course...no problem..."

Hearing this, the tall figure finally showed a satisfied smile.

All he wants is money and his heart.

As the fog gradually dissipated, the two figures came into view of the Mist Ninja and Pakura.

A standard black robe with a red background.

One was tall with black hair, and the other was short and thin with red hair.

These are Sasori and Kakuzu, the two newest members to join the Akatsuki organization.

"Do you need my help?"

Sasori turned his head slightly and calmly asked Kakuzu.

"No need, I can handle these weaklings all by myself."

Kakuzu's gaze remained fixed on Hozuki Zangetsu, as if he were not a person, but a walking pile of banknotes.

Sasori nodded. He had only asked casually and had no intention of helping Kakuzu.

The two spoke so casually, as if they were simply discussing what to eat for dinner.

"Who are you people?"

Because of the distance, Hozuki Zangetsu couldn't hear their conversation clearly. He simply couldn't gauge the strength of the two, especially since their aura upon entering put him under considerable pressure. So, he tried to intimidate them by invoking the village's name: "This is Kirigakure business, please leave!"

In general, introducing yourself is an excellent method.

The major ninja villages would consider the gains and losses and choose not to act, and the minor ninja villages, unable to afford to offend them, would also choose not to act.

However... this is not the general case.

"A Mist Ninja..." Kakuzu glanced casually at Hozuki Zangetsu upon hearing this, as if recalling a memory or stating a fact, and continued in his unique voice, "You're a ninja of the Hozuki clan, aren't you? The technique you just used was the Water Gun Technique, its power is still lacking..."

Seeing that the other party had revealed his identity in one sentence, Ghost Lamp Remnant Moon secretly became more vigilant. Before he could organize his thoughts and speak, the other party's next sentence completely enraged him.

"If it were that old bastard Hozuki Gengetsu here, I might still give him face. As for you... hah..."

The contempt in his tone was so obvious that even a three-year-old next door could understand it.

Does Kakuzu know Hozuki Gengetsu? In terms of age, Kakuzu is older than Hozuki Gengetsu, so theoretically they should know each other.

However, only he himself knows whether the two have actually fought each other.

"Hmph..." Hozuki Renge snorted coldly, suppressing his anger, and said, "I'll emphasize again, this is a Kirigakure pursuit operation. Any bystanders must leave immediately!!! Otherwise... you'll be considered an enemy!!"

Seeing that the other party was not giving him any face, this time Hozuki Zangetsu was making a blatant threat.

There is pressure, but that doesn't mean Hozuki Zangetsu is truly afraid of his opponent...

Who is Hozuki Gengetsu? He is the second Hozuki Gengetsu, and also Hozuki Zangetsu's ancestor. How could he be mocked like this?

Moreover, it's a foggy day, and we're backed by the sea, so we have a large and powerful force.

Whether it's the right timing, the right location, or the right people, they have an absolute advantage.

The most crucial point is that Yekura must die today, otherwise he will be unable to complete the mission and will face dire consequences upon returning.

Since the other party is courting death, let's kill them both.

The advantage lies with me!

Thinking of this, a fierce glint appeared in Hozuki Cangetsu's eyes.

"Kill them!"