Previously, Izumi had sent two Divine Ink clones on separate missions — one dispatched to the moon, the other to the Akatsuki Organization in the Land of Rain.On the moon, Izumi was deeply engaged in extensive research, studying Ninjutsu and uncovering mysteries that few dared to explore. Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, she officially joined the Akatsuki Organization, adopting the role of financial officer. Her main responsibility was attracting investments and managing the organization's growing wealth.During this time, Izumi opened a series of large, luxurious shopping malls across multiple countries in the Ninja World. These sprawling centers of commerce greatly influenced the region's economy and generated massive profits for the Akatsuki.However, such immense wealth did not go unnoticed.The Daimyo — the feudal lords of various nations — began to grow suspicious, their ambitions stirring with greed and caution. To maintain peace and avoid unnecessary political conflict, Izumi devised a clever plan: she proposed allocating a portion of the profits as tribute to the Daimyo.This approach was delicate — too little money would breed resentment, and too much would only inflame their greed further.Drawing on her connections through her main body, Izumi began cultivating relationships with the Daimyo of different countries, starting with the Land of Fire. Thanks to these relationships, the malls flourished, becoming vibrant centers of commerce and culture.Currently, Izumi was overseeing a major cooperative project between Amegakure (the Village Hidden in the Rain) and Sunagakure (the Village Hidden in the Sand). They were collaborating to construct a vast canal designed to divert the endless rainfall from the Land of Rain into the arid Land of Wind.This ambitious engineering project promised huge benefits: Sunagakure would receive a much-needed water supply, while Amegakure would gain funds and rights to use the canal.The Daimyo of both the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind had generously funded the venture, smoothing the way for its rapid progress.Yet, trouble brewed from Konoha. Danzo Shimura, infamous for his shadowy tactics, frequently sent agents to sabotage the project.Izumi personally collected evidence of these disruptions and handed it to the Daimyo of both the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind.Furious, the Daimyo confronted the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, who then pressured the Third Hokage to rein in Danzo's activities.The Third Hokage sternly reprimanded Danzo Shimura, who hissed bitterly, "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"Despite his threats, Danzo's open interference ceased, though he continued his schemes through subtler means.Izumi, growing tired of Danzo's meddling, took matters into her own hands, eliminating half of Root's operatives working outside Konoha, silencing his threats effectively.---At an Akatsuki gathering, Izumi declined to attend as a formal member. Instead, she followed Konan as an intern, keeping a low profile.To avoid recognition, Izumi wore an absurdly large bird-shaped mascot costume — somewhat resembling the character Elizabeth from Gintama, but without the yellow feet. Only her calves and feet were visible beneath the huge Akatsuki cloak.The oversized costume featured a comical bird head with enormous eyes and two white wings protruding from the sides. The sight was so ridiculous that even Pain froze in place in stunned silence."What are you wearing?" Pain asked incredulously.A different voice, unfamiliar and slightly humorous, echoed from inside the costume: "How do I look? I made it myself! Isn't it mysterious? Hahaha!"Konan sighed. "She insisted on wearing it. The newly joined Orochimaru knows who she is, and she said she'll keep wearing this from now on."Pain nodded thoughtfully. "I see… I forgot, you're still undercover in Konoha. If your true identity is discovered, there could be trouble."Izumi — or rather, Yana, as she was now called — replied enthusiastically, "Yes, that's right! I can officially join next year."Konan, curious, asked, "Why specifically next year?"Yana smiled mysteriously. "You'll understand when the time comes. Hehehe…"Pain blinked in confusion. "Does wearing that costume affect your intelligence?"Konan responded with a shrug. "Maybe it's just to change her style — so people won't recognize her.""Oh…" Pain said, clearly perplexed.---As the rest of the members arrived, Pain surveyed the gathering and announced, "Alright, everyone's here. Let me introduce our newest member: Orochimaru."Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, "Uh, is this everyone?"Pain nodded. "Yes. You'll be working with Sasori from now on. Let me introduce the others."Pain began: "This is Konan, Biwa Jūzō, Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Mob A."Orochimaru nodded in acknowledgement, then asked with interest, "And who's this... mascot?"The others also turned to look at Izumi — or rather, the large bird mascot figure filling out the Akatsuki cloak.The ridiculous oversized eyes and fluffy white wings made the costume seem completely out of place among the stoic, ominous members of the Akatsuki.Pain sighed. "This is Yana, our financial officer and intern. Kakuzu insisted that whoever handled the Akatsuki's finances must be trustworthy and competent. Yana has been preparing for the handover and is now ready to take over. I brought her here so you could meet her.""She's very capable. If you need anything financial, don't hesitate to ask her."Orochimaru smirked. "The leader thinks highly of her. But that costume…"Yana raised a large wooden sign with a white sheet of paper taped to it. Written in neat calligraphy were the words:"Hello everyone, my name is Yana. I'm an intern with two and a half years of practice. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"Everyone stared silently, speechless at the sight of the mascot-bird-wearing intern.Orochimaru asked, "Why the mascot costume?"Yana lowered the sign, then raised it again with a new message:"Because everyone here is so amazing, I'm afraid to look at you directly. This way, you can't see my expression either. Plus, it's mysterious and cool!"The room fell quiet.Orochimaru smiled, "Interesting… even your interns have unique personalities."Kakuzu glanced at Yana. "You were handling the accounts before, right? Let's do the handover after this meeting."Yana raised her sign again, simply stating:"No problem."Kakuzu looked slightly confused but said nothing.---Because of Izumi's presence, the meeting ended in an unusually strange atmosphere.Afterwards, Izumi formally handed over the Akatsuki's previous financial accounts and funds to Kakuzu.Kakuzu inspected the documents and sums carefully. After thorough verification, he nodded approvingly."Hmm, you've done very well. I didn't expect the Akatsuki had someone as talented as you handling the money."Yana raised her sign again. Kakuzu read it, puzzled:"Can I buy your Ninjutsu?"Kakuzu blinked, then replied coldly, "My Ninjutsu…"Yana's sign lowered and rose once more, now reading:"30 million Ryo."Kakuzu hesitated for a moment, then said, "My Ninjutsu is limited edition…"The sign dropped and rose again, this time:"60 million Ryo.""Deal," Kakuzu said quickly, grabbing the mascot paw with excitement."You really have an eye for talent! But don't spread this Ninjutsu around, or it'll lose value."Yana's sign replied cheerfully:"No problem!"---With that, the handover was complete.Izumi—under her alias Yana—had successfully integrated herself within the Akatsuki's financial and political web, laying groundwork for future plans.Though hidden behind a ridiculous costume, her influence was already undeniable.The financial power she wielded, the strategic alliances she cultivated, and the mysterious abilities she hinted at all promised to change the course of the Ninja World's future in ways no one yet understood.---
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