Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Ambush at the Akatsuki's Doorstep

Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Ambush at the Akatsuki's Doorstep



After leaving the Leaf Village, Akira and his group began their journey towards the Akatsuki's main base. It wasn't a short trip by any means, requiring over a week of steady travel to reach the headquarters. After marching for an entire day, they arrived at a small town where they decided to have a hearty dinner and spend the night.

Akira insisted on treating everyone to a luxurious meal and ensured that each person had their own room at the inn.

"Wow, Akira sure has become more generous!" Kakashi remarked after finishing his delicious meal. Everyone having their own room had definitely caught his attention.

"Yeah, it's true! He wasn't like this before," Guy added, nodding in agreement.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Really? Was my brother-in-law stingy back in the day?" Hanabi asked curiously, looking quite surprised.

"Oh, you have no idea!" Kakashi said, his voice taking on a nostalgic tone. "I remember about seven years ago, when he led us to the border to intimidate the other ninja villages, all we got to eat was rice balls."

Even though Kakashi was wearing a mask, his expression of reminiscing over the tough past could be felt by everyone.

"Yeah, and we even had to sleep out in the open half the time," Naruto chimed in, nodding.

Hearing this, Akira couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Back then, he really didn't have much money, and the funds needed for his life simulations were piling up. He had resorted to cutting costs wherever he could, including their mission budgets.

But now? With each life simulation costing him a whopping ten million ryo, and with more than a hundred million in his current reserves, it really wasn't necessary to skimp on mission expenses anymore. Hence, he was spending more freely now.

"Who knew you could be that cheap, brother-in-law?" Hanabi said, looking at Akira with a mix of surprise and amusement.

"Honestly, I used to wonder why Akira decided to take this knucklehead along on missions, but now I get it," Sasuke added, giving Naruto a sidelong glance.

Back then, Sasuke had been the top student in the academy, while Naruto had always been at the bottom of the class. It had bothered Sasuke for a long time that Akira chose Naruto over him.

"Hey! Who are you calling a knucklehead, Sasuke?!" Naruto yelled, banging his fist on the table as he stood up.

After all, the Akatsuki had more than just its core members like Deidara. There was also a massive support network handling various other operations-like Tobi, who originally served as a replacement after Sasori's death.

"What?! Akira is here? And he's brought most of the Leaf's elite-almost their entire high- ranking force?!" Nagato's expression grew serious as he received the report.

Naturally, Nagato wasted no time in summoning the other members of the Akatsuki.

The news that Akira had arrived with nearly all of the Leaf's top shinobi made all the Akatsuki members look grim.

The strength of the Akatsuki lay in its members-all of them top-tier shinobi, each at the Kage level. This concentration of elite fighters was something even the Five Great Nations found intimidating. But if there was one village that wasn't scared of the Akatsuki, it was the Leaf.

The Leaf had just as many Kage-level fighters as the Akatsuki-maybe more. And to top it off, they had Akira, a shinobi whose power was beyond the Kage level, someone capable of transforming into a golden dragon. Twice now, the Akatsuki had tried to attack the Leaf and had failed each time. That fact alone spoke volumes.

But this time, things were different. It wasn't the Akatsuki attacking the Leaf; it was the Leaf attacking the Akatsuki.

The Akatsuki members couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation.

Especially when they heard that it was Akira leading the attack. The memory of him transforming into a golden dragon-that overwhelming power-was still fresh in their minds, and it filled them with dread.

"Everyone, the enemy is already at our doorstep. Whether we like it or not, we can't avoid a fight," Nagato said, addressing all the Akatsuki members. "This could be our toughest battle yet-the first time the Akatsuki has ever been cornered like this."

With the Leaf at their gates, the Akatsuki had no choice but to fight. They steeled themselves, prepared for what was sure to be a grueling battle. The Akatsuki emerged from their hideout, ready to face their enemies head-on.

No ambushes, no hiding-both sides stood face-to-face, preparing for the confrontation to come. There was a palpable tension in the air, a sense of an impending clash between two armies with no middle ground.

"So, they've finally come..." Itachi said, his voice calm. His gaze shifted slightly towards Sasuke, who stood among the Leaf shinobi, and his thoughts echoed silently in his mind.

POWER STONE!!!

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