"No way we can accept this!"
Realizing the implications, Yahiko broke into a cold sweat.
After striking against both Konoha and Sunagakure, Kirigakure's schemes were now out in the open.
Hanzo the Salamander would definitely be on high alert. Once he found out, Akatsuki would be the first to suffer the consequences.
They only had a handful of members—how could they possibly bear the wrath of Hanzo the Salamander?
This was Hanzo! Even their sensei, Jiraiya, had to team up with the other two Sannin and still couldn't beat him.
Even with Kirigakure backing them, it wouldn't matter.
Hanzo was too close. Kirigakure was too far.
The three of them quickly weighed the pros and cons, and upon returning, they flatly rejected the proposal from the Kirigakure shinobi.
"I see. That's a shame."
The Mist ninja's face betrayed no emotion. It was impossible to tell how he felt about their decision.
But his tone made it seem like he had expected their refusal from the start.
"It's not just you. Any unofficial group operating in Amegakure with even a shred of intelligence wouldn't risk provoking the wrath of the Demigod Hanzo just to help some far-off Hidden Mist scheme."
The Kirigakure ninja's words were spoken on someone else's behalf.
Hearing that, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato grew even more alert. They were all too familiar with this kind of rhetoric after navigating Amegakure's underworld since parting from Jiraiya.
This guy was about to lay down his real bargaining chip.
"That's the full extent of what we're offering."
The Mist ninja clearly saw what they were on guard against. To him, they were still just a bunch of naïve kids.
Having their suspicions called out threw the trio off balance.
"The reason the Mizukage chose your Akatsuki out of all the underground factions in the chaotic Amegakure… is because of your vision—your pursuit of peace. That choice came directly from the Mizukage himself."
The Mizukage?
The weight of that name landed heavily on Yahiko and the others.
They were nobodies. What had they done to deserve the attention of a Kage—let alone be handpicked by one?
But the name alone was enough to pull them in.
Seeing the effect, the Mist ninja continued,
"It's true that our proposal would severely impact Amegakure's interests, cutting off a portion of the village's income from mercenary contracts. Just like what we did to Konoha and Sunagakure. You'd be putting yourselves in danger."
And that was their greatest concern.
"However, what we're doing benefits the people of these nations. We hire locals in large numbers, pay them regularly, and even allow them to receive wages in equivalent amounts of local grain. This kind of work is far more stable than farming or scavenging for odd jobs that may or may not come through."
"Otherwise, why do you think Konoha and Sunagakure haven't dared to move against us?"
...
(The Mist ninja kept painting his picture of the future—vivid and compelling.)
His throat started to dry from talking so much, and Yahiko and the others were just as parched from listening so intently.
Konan stood up and went to fetch water.
When she returned and exchanged glances with the other two, she knew they were just as captivated as she was.
"Thanks."
Yahiko took a sip, then looked at the Mist shinobi.
"You're not just some ordinary ninja, are you?"
"I am just an ordinary ninja. A regular Chūnin."
The Mist ninja smiled. "Did I say too much? Sorry. Guess I got a little sentimental."
"Sentimental?"
"Yeah. I was simply telling you what I've seen these past few years—how much Kirigakure has changed since the Fourth Mizukage took office."
At the mention of that title, the Mist ninja's smile turned sincere, even reverent.
It wasn't an act. Yahiko and the others could tell. It was the same kind of smile they had when Akatsuki made another step toward their dream of peace.
Sensing that shared conviction, Yahiko couldn't help being drawn in.
"We don't know much about Kirigakure, honestly. It's too far from the Land of Rain. But during the Third Great Ninja War… I heard your Mizukage kept the Mist out of the fighting."
The word peace had always resonated with Jiraiya's students.
"Well… seeing is believing. If you three are interested, the Mizukage has personally said you're welcome to visit Kirigakure as honored guests."
That invitation had originally been meant for later, but since Yahiko brought it up, the Mist ninja rolled with it.
Now, returning to the matter at hand—
The Mist shinobi pushed the scroll Yahiko had handed back toward him.
"This decision isn't just about your organization. It's an opportunity to make real change for the people of the Land of Rain."
"So what's it going to be?" he asked. "Will you fight for the people of the Land of Rain… or defend the interests of Amegakure's leadership?"
That was the choice laid bare before Yahiko.
For the people—or for the state?
If he acted on pure emotion, Yahiko wouldn't hesitate to side with the people.
That was what Akatsuki stood for. That was what Jiraiya had taught them. Peace meant giving people the chance to live safe, decent lives.
But reason told him otherwise.
Akatsuki was too weak to pull this off. It simply wasn't feasible.
And yet… if Yagura, the Mizukage, had already considered recruiting them to carry out this move in the Land of Rain…
Then surely, he also knew full well that they didn't have the power to stand against Hanzo on their own.
Everything had been set up perfectly in advance.
Then the Mist ninja finally dropped the last piece of Yagura's plan:
"We've already reached out to an S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure—Kakuzu. He's on the same level as Hanzo the Salamander."
...
"And he's already here in the Land of Rain. Came with me, in fact. You can test his strength for yourself."
"If you agree to work with us, he'll join Akatsuki and personally protect all your operations within the Land of Rain."
The Mist ninja chuckled.
"Oh, and don't worry about hiring a rogue ninja—we'll cover that. The fee for this contract was fifty million ryō. Plus another five million for escorting me here."
...
Konan stayed behind to discuss the details with the Mist shinobi.
Yahiko pulled Nagato aside for another emergency meeting.
This time, they called in every Akatsuki member.
This was a life-and-death decision that affected them all. The three couldn't afford to decide on their own.
Accepting the offer meant becoming enemies with Hanzo the Salamander.
But everyone who had joined Yahiko shared his ideals—wandering ninja hurt by war, all believing in peace.
Akatsuki had a strong and unified ideological foundation.
Over half of them voted yes.
Some even pointed out that with Mist support, the people of the Land of Rain would no longer need to worry about being attacked by wandering rogue ninja.
After all, Akatsuki's dozen or so members couldn't possibly protect the entire country.
With the necessity of the plan confirmed, only the feasibility remained in question.
Yahiko decided to meet this rogue ninja named Kakuzu—supposedly a match for Hanzo.
The Mist ninja nodded and temporarily left their hideout.
He went to report to Kakuzu and bring him back.
What happened next…
Well, let's just say Kakuzu effortlessly dismantled the combined assault of every single Akatsuki member.
Other than Uzumaki Nagato, who managed to survive a single round, the rest—including Yahiko and Konan—were completely outmatched.
They were all just Chūnin-level, after all.
After the sparring session, Kakuzu grumbled, "Easiest five million I've ever made."
For Yahiko and the others, that was a bit insulting.
But also… kind of reassuring.
Because Kakuzu was on their side.
The black tendrils coiled around his body slowly retracted.
Yahiko, rubbing his bruises, couldn't contain his excitement. He stepped forward quickly.
"Kakuzu-san! Are you really going to join Akatsuki?!"
Nagato, Konan, and the rest followed closely behind, all eyes shining with admiration for this powerhouse.
"Yeah," Kakuzu said flatly. "Mist paid me. So I'll do the job."
He was dead serious—about money and contracts both.
"I keep track of time. Once the term ends, if they don't renew, I'm out."
Yahiko caught the hint, but only partly. Smiling, he asked, "How much?"
Konan, who had already learned from the Mist ninja, leaned in and whispered to Yahiko,
"Fifty million. For fifty days."
Fifty million ryō.
Yahiko's brain practically shut down. He'd never even seen that much money.
No way Akatsuki could ever afford Kakuzu.
Nagato, still dazed, tried to console his friend,
"Well… if nothing else, the price proves how strong Kakuzu-san really is."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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