"Hey, Uzumaki Naruto is eating ramen inside. I want to eat ramen too."
"No money."
"You're a bad person! I don't like you!"
Janna glared angrily at Kakuzu. She had brought him here herself, yet he wouldn't even treat her to a bowl of ramen.
She turned to look at Uzumaki Naruto, who was gobbling down his meal inside the ramen shop, her eyes filled with deep envy.
He gets to eat ramen without worrying about money…
He must be really happy.
Noticing her pouting face, Hidan casually reached under Kakuzu's cloak and pulled out a money pouch, tossing it toward Janna.
"Okay~!"
Janna cheered and ran excitedly into Ichiraku Ramen.
"Boss! Three bowls of ramen!"
"There are too many people around him. We can't expose ourselves. We can't make a move."
Kakuzu scanned the area surrounding Ichiraku Ramen, then slowly closed his eyes as if an old lady weary of the world was resting her eyes.
Just as Kakuzu was finishing his thought, he noticed Janna walking out, holding a bowl of ramen. She looked up at Kakuzu, raised the bowl, and handed it to Hidan.
Hidan blinked, glanced at Kakuzu, then grinned and took the ramen with a chuckle.
Janna tossed the coin pouch back to Kakuzu and ran into the shop again.
"Jealous, are you? Hahaha."
Hidan blew exaggerated puffs of air in Kakuzu's direction. Seeing Kakuzu's sour expression, he burst into laughter and began eating.
Kakuzu stood up to leave, only to pause when he saw Janna approaching again, another bowl in hand.
"Hey, big bad guy, this one's for you."
Kakuzu was momentarily stunned, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't expected this little brat to even buy him a bowl.
As Janna ran back once more, Kakuzu muttered to himself, "This little thing is quite interesting."
"That's right!" Hidan added with a smirk.
——
"Boss, let's move in. I've confirmed he's alone!"
Not far away, over a dozen rogue ninjas were watching Ichiraku Ramen.
They weren't professional bounty hunters. But the bounty being offered was too high—so high that even though they knew Konoha was like a dragon's lair and a tiger's den, they still made the call to take the risk.
"Hold on. Wait a bit longer," their leader said, wiping his damp palms, visibly anxious.
This wasn't his first time doing this kind of thing, but it was his first time tugging on the tiger's beard of a major Hidden Village.
At that same moment, in another nearby location, several other figures were also watching the group of rogue ninjas. The man at the front let out a cold snort.
"Tch. Can't believe these idiots are trying to steal our job."
"Let them go first. They'll attract Konoha's attention. Then we strike."
"Hehe, boss is brilliant!"
——
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office—
"Lord Third, the Kazekage is requesting a meeting."
"Rasa is looking for me?" Sarutobi Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. By now, the Chunin Exam candidates had already arrived in Konoha. The Kages from other villages should've been resting in their respective embassies.
"What does he want?"
"He said it concerns Orochimaru. He wishes to consult with you."
"Orochimaru?" Sarutobi's face hardened in confusion. What did Orochimaru have to do with Rasa?
"…Let him in."
——
Inside the Uchiha clan grounds, a figure in a black cloak stood quietly in front of the Uchiha ancestral monument.
Uchiha Itachi stared at it for a long time, his expression cold and calculating.
Finally, he confirmed—this monument had been tampered with.
Itachi's killing intent surged forth instantly.
As he suspected, the riot within the Uchiha clan… wasn't merely instigated from within.
Someone else had pushed his father into rebellion.
There was a deeper conspiracy behind all of it.
——
"Go!"
"A'er and San, take your teams and create chaos to draw attention. Asi and Awu, you're with me."
As Naruto Uzumaki was about to leave the ramen shop after finishing his meal, the leader of the rogue ninja gave the order.
A dozen figures burst forth at once, firing kunai and explosive tags wildly. Explosions erupted along the Konoha street.
Boom!
Boom!
The explosions came one after another.
ANBU and Root operatives scattered across Konoha immediately leapt into action, rushing to the scene.
Seeing the blasts in the distance, Kakuzu and Hidan frowned simultaneously.
"Are they crazy, attacking here and now?"
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes as he watched several figures charge toward Ichiraku Ramen. He frowned. That crude assault wasn't meant for them.
Then he saw other figures tailing them—only then did he relax slightly.
"Be careful!"
Naruto Uzumaki, upon hearing the explosion, glanced over to see Janna walking out with a bowl of ramen. Without hesitation, he lunged and knocked her to the ground.
A burning wooden shard shot past them and embedded itself into the wall nearby.
Naruto sprang up, grabbed Janna, and ran.
The pair vanished into the crowd, and Kakuzu and Hidan silently followed.
"After them!"
As Naruto fled with Janna, one of the rogue ninjas raised his hand to give a command—but in the next instant, a flash of sword light appeared.
By the time he reacted, he was already dead.
Countless sword slashes lit up, slicing down every rogue ninja before they could so much as scream.
"Confirmed. All targets eliminated."
"Confirmed. All targets eliminated."
Hatake Kakashi, wearing a cat-faced ANBU mask, listened to his subordinates' report. Without expression, he pulled his blade from the rogue leader's chest.
These fools thought they'd been sneaky.
But whether rogue or bounty hunter—Konoha had tagged them the moment they entered the village.
The only reason they'd waited to strike now was on direct orders from the Third Hokage—an example had to be made.
"Where's Naruto?"
"A Root squad is tailing him."
——
"Can we finish this quietly?" Hidan asked, watching masked figures leap across rooftops.
"Impossible," Kakuzu answered. "There are three elite teams from Konoha. Killing them isn't hard—but killing them quietly? No way."
"Huh? Something's happening."
Kakuzu's expression suddenly darkened. He watched as several masked figures dropped from above, surrounding Naruto and Janna.
"You're—" Naruto began, moving to shield Janna behind him.
Before he could finish, a hand chopped down sharply onto the back of his neck.
Darkness consumed his vision, and he passed out.
One of the masked men slung Naruto over his shoulder, then turned toward Janna.
Crack.
A hand emerged behind Janna—one clasping her forehead, the other her chin. With a quick twist—
Janna collapsed, lifeless.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Even Hidan and Kakuzu hadn't had time to react—Janna was already dead.
Seeing her fall, Hidan froze.
Then rage erupted in him like a wildfire.
He couldn't understand it—why had Konoha's ANBU killed her?
Was it simply because she saw them abduct Naruto Uzumaki?
So this was Konoha?
No better than bounty hunters.
No—worse.
"Dare to kill a follower of Jashin?! ALL OF YOU! YOU WILL ALL DIE!!"
Hidan's voice howled like the wrath of an evil spirit from the abyss. He slowly drew his black pike and dragged it along the ground.
"Feiduan, calm down!"
Kakuzu tried to restrain him, gripping his shoulder. But Feiduan's body was already transforming—his back straightening, the red cloud cloak of Akatsuki appearing on him.
"My people were killed, and you tell me to calm down?"
"Now I understand… why there are so few Jashinists left in this world."
"If evil is not punished, how can the faithful survive?"
Feiduan fixed his gaze on the Konoha ANBU in front of them, then slowly stood tall and walked forward.
The tip of his pike scraped harshly against the ground.
"Kakuzu… do you believe in anything?"
"Money."
"Hmph. I knew it. You really are a bad person."
Feiduan turned his head slightly. "Before, I only knew how to preach. But now… I know punishing evil is even more important."
"Well then. Let the Leader come collect our corpses later."
Seeing Feiduan reveal himself, Kakuzu just shrugged. His own form began to shift as well.
"I must be insane… to go crazy with someone like you."
He knew full well—all five Kage were currently in Konoha.
"Akatsuki!"
"It's Kakuzu and Hidan from the Akatsuki!"
When the two appeared, the Root operatives trying to abduct Naruto were shocked.
"Notify Danzo-sama immediately!"
"The immortal duo of Akatsuki have infiltrated Konoha!"