"Jie jie jie! Let me send you all to meet Lord Jashin together!"
Hidan roared, frantically stabbing his own body with a pitch-black spear. Across from him, a Sand ninja died in excruciating agony, his face twisted in a mask of terror.
After bringing Hanzo's salamander back to the laboratory, Simu and Hidan began their hunt for Sand ninjas within the borders of the Land of Rain. Due to prolonged unrest and the fact that the Hidden Rain Village didn't dare to confront the Great Shinobi Nations, the borders of the Land of Rain had been compromised, becoming as porous as a sieve.
Ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village, the Hidden Leaf, and the Hidden Stone Village could come and go as they pleased. Meanwhile, Hanzo—the man once hailed as a Demigod—remained hidden inside the Hidden Rain Village without uttering a word.
This absurd scene led Simu to lament: Human souls will eventually be eroded away by the passage of time.
The once-ambitious Demigod had been hollowed out by time and reality, transforming into an old man who only dared to hide within his village.
Fortunately, I am not human.
Simu let out a sigh of relief. In his current form, even he didn't know how long his lifespan might be. Once Hidan had finished venting his excitement, Simu followed the guidance of his insects to lead them toward their next target.
"This is so boring, Simu. Can't you find some more interesting opponents?" Hidan complained listlessly after finishing his ritual.
Over the past few days, they had primarily targeted Special Jonin squads dispatched by the Hidden Sand Village. As for the Chunin and Genin teams, they weren't worth Simu's personal intervention; he simply let Jugo and Rie Uzumaki handle them. Under constant refinement, the strength of those three grew rapidly, making them more than capable of dealing with Chunin squads.
During the mission, Simu also established a new stronghold at the border of the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind. He placed a Blood Pool Clone there to facilitate the localized production of materials he required. Furthermore, he released a vast number of organisms, spreading them out from the Akatsuki headquarters.
These creatures consisted mainly of Black Beetles and Ravens, though there were also other insects, birds, and reptiles. For the current Simu, analyzing the genes of natural creatures and replicating them to produce new populations with "Jashin characteristics" was no longer difficult.
At this moment, Simu was like a giant spider resting on a web. These biological entities he produced and dispersed were his "Spider Web." Once these populations became large enough to cover the entire Land of Rain, he would be able to detect the slightest movement within the country instantly.
To Simu's surprise, the climate of the Land of Rain was extremely suitable for the survival and reproduction of Black Beetles, allowing his plan to proceed quite smoothly. At this rate, Simu estimated that his insects would cover the entire Land of Rain within six months.
Of course, if he wanted to extend his network into the Land of Wind, he would need to further modify the existing insects. Although separated by only a thin line, the ecological environments of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain were vastly different.
To serve as his eyes and ears for long-term surveillance, these organisms had to adapt to the local environment and be capable of reproducing and surviving on their own, successfully integrating into the local ecosystem. Otherwise, the nutrients required to sustain them daily would be enough to drain Simu dry.
No, the one being drained should be Jashin...
While Jashin was certainly guilty of many evils, Simu didn't want to dispose of the Great Lord Jashin just yet. Otherwise, there would be no one left to take the blame for his actions.
Simu felt the intelligence transmitted by the insect on his hand and raised an eyebrow slightly. According to the reports, the Hidden Sand Village seemed quite dissatisfied with their losses in the Land of Rain over the past few days. Consequently, they had dispatched a Jonin squad to "seek justice."
This kind of thing was not uncommon. Whenever a small nation disrupted the international public order, the surrounding Great Shinobi Nations would send their own Jonin to "administer discipline." Otherwise, the Land of Rain would not have ended up in its current state.
Simu pushed up his glasses, an idea sprouting in his mind. "Hidan, some interesting work has arrived."
"Oh? What level? If it's more weaklings like these, just let that kid Jugo handle it. I don't want to defile my faith in the Great Lord Jashin," Hidan said, tilting his chin up with an arrogant air.
"There are two Jonin."
Hearing this, Hidan's eyes instantly lit up. These were Jonin! Even in the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Jonin were a scarce resource. Every Jonin possessed comprehensive strength and the ability to stand alone, unlike Special Jonin who could only specialize in one area.
For Simu, these Jonin were also highly valuable research materials. After all, the Hidden Steam Village only had a few Jonin, which wasn't enough for his experiments. He understood the Hidden Sand Village's perspective; they wanted to establish authority, which required a display of overwhelming power. Sending a few powerful Jonin was undoubtedly the most cost-effective move.
However, they didn't realize that the Land of Rain had already undergone a quiet but massive transformation.
At the border of wind and rain, where the yellow sands met the downpour.
This was a mountain range where moisture from the ocean was blocked, depositing all the rain within the Land of Rain and creating its perpetual storms. Conversely, this also created the vast deserts within the Land of Wind.
Three squads were rapidly crossing the mountains and entering the Land of Rain. To demonstrate the power of a Great Nation, the Hidden Sand Village had deployed a formidable lineup consisting of two Jonin, one Special Jonin, and six Chunin.
"This time, we must teach the Land of Rain a proper lesson. To think they dared to act against our Hidden Sand Village... do they still think their leader is the same Demigod from years ago?"
"Exactly. A total of seven of our squads have gone missing in the Land of Rain. This time, we should kill at least seventy of theirs!"
These ninjas, wearing headbands featuring the "Sand Gourd" symbol, spoke with words full of disdain for the Land of Rain. The two leading Jonin did not rebuke them, as they shared the same sentiment. They couldn't be blamed; the Land of Rain had been weak for so long that no Great Nation could possibly respect the Hidden Rain Village.
As they spoke, a sensory ninja in the team suddenly became tense.
"Alert! Enemies!"
The professional quality of these Great Nation ninjas was top-tier. The moment their teammate issued the warning, they immediately fell into their pre-planned defensive formation.
In the next second, a hazy white mist enveloped the forest.