"Nagato, what do you think?" Mokgetsu suddenly turned to Nagato and asked.
The other ninja of the Ninja Sect instinctively looked at Nagato.
Suddenly becoming the center of attention from being behind the scenes, Nagato was momentarily at a loss.
"I think it's doable." Nagato steadied himself and replied after a moment of hesitation.
His willingness to cooperate was not due to Yahiko's decision but was Nagato's own conclusion after thinking it over.
Feeling pain doesn't mean hitting the other side hard or using revenge to make them understand pain; it's about communication and letting both sides feel each other's pain for mutual understanding.
They believed that through this opportunity, the Ninja Sect could understand the Rain Village, which would be a big step towards peace in the Land of Rain.
"Nagato, we're on the same page, after all." Yahiko joyfully put his arm around Nagato's shoulder and laughed.
He was initially worried that he might influence Nagato's judgment, so he remained silent when Nagato was asked.
"Since everyone has their own opinion, let's have an anonymous vote to decide whether to agree to Hanzo's cooperation." Mokgetsu thought for a moment and said.
The ninjas of the Ninja Sect all nodded in agreement.
Each person wrote their thoughts on a piece of paper and placed it into a simple wooden box handmade by Mokgetsu. Finally, Mokgetsu compiled and announced the results.
"The number of people supporting cooperation with Hanzo is forty-five, while those opposing it is twenty-nine," Mokgetsu announced the final results after checking.
Yahiko smiled, Ike Masaya sighed softly, and Kakuzu's face was full of mockery.
Honestly, they could already guess the results before the draw. After Yahiko's speech, it was clear that many were persuaded by him.
Mokgetsu approached the Rain Village ninjas, "Our Ninja Sect is willing to join forces with the Rain Village to safeguard peace in the Land of Rain."
"That's great! I'll return immediately to report to Lord Hanzo." The Rain Village ninja didn't linger long and soon left.
Ike Masaya approached Mokgetsu, and even though the decision to cooperate with the Rain Village was confirmed, Ike Masaya still felt uneasy.
"Sosuke-sensei, say what you will about my overly careful nature, but I really sense a conspiracy in this cooperation," Ike Masaya said in a low voice.
Mokgetsu didn't refute Ike Masaya's words, smiling as he replied, "Being cautious isn't a bad thing. Even in cooperation, we must remain vigilant."
Ike Masaya felt slightly relieved inside, knowing that Mokgetsu hadn't lost his head. After all, Mokgetsu was the core and soul of the Ninja Sect.
"Can't you see through such a simple scheme? It seems you were right; I did overestimate you," Kakuzu said bluntly, approaching Mokgetsu.
No matter how good Hanzo's reputation was, Kakuzu was convinced Hanzo had no good intentions.
"Have you started caring about the safety of the Ninja Sect?" Mokgetsu didn't mind Kakuzu's tone and asked with a chuckle.
"The life or death of the Ninja Sect is none of my business, but if you die, who's going to undo the fuinjutsu on me?" Kakuzu said with a dark face.
He had tried many methods to remove the fuinjutsu on him, but all failed.
Kakuzu had to admit that while Mokgetsu was naive, his abilities were anything but simple, even being an exceptional sealing ninja in fuinjutsu.
"You don't need me; you just have to wait for the power of the fuinjutsu to deplete, and the seal will automatically release." Mokgetsu stated a weakness of the fuinjutsu with a smile.
"How long will it take?" Kakuzu directly asked.
"It should be around fifteen years," Mokgetsu replied with a smile.
Kakuzu's face darkened even more. Being sealed for fifteen years, let alone making money, surviving was already a concern.
Feeling Mokgetsu was toying with him, Kakuzu huffed and went off to contemplate by himself.
However, Kakuzu had to return soon after, as Mokgetsu began teaching fuinjutsu again today.
Kakuzu wanted to learn Mokgetsu's fuinjutsu in hopes of finding inspiration to unseal himself.
Later that evening, Nagato was summoned by Mokgetsu to a room filled with various jutsu.
Nagato curiously examined the distinctive room.
"This barrier is set up to prevent accidents," Mokgetsu briefly explained.
Nagato nodded, not particularly concerned.
"Let's eat first. You perform better on a full stomach," Mokgetsu said, pointing to the ramen on the table.
Nagato initially wanted to say he had already eaten grilled fish with Yahiko and the others, so he wasn't hungry now.
But recalling the indescribable deliciousness of the ramen from last time, Nagato swallowed his words back down and quickly sat at the table to finish the ramen.
Nagato found it remarkable. Normally, he had no desire to eat even the most delicious food when full, nor would he find it tasty.
But Mokgetsu's ramen was different, wanting to eat it even when not hungry, and it remained just as delicious.
"Actually, my name isn't Sosuke," Mokgetsu said suddenly while putting away Nagato's empty bowl.
Nagato was taken aback and looked at Mokgetsu, puzzled.
Truthfully, this didn't matter much to him; a name is just a label. The key lies in the person.
"My name is Habu Mokgetsu, a ninja of Konoha." Mokgetsu dispelled the transformation, revealing his true appearance.
The trust gained through deception isn't true trust. If not for various troubles, Mokgetsu wouldn't want to reveal his other identity to accept disciples.
Therefore, Mokgetsu planned from the beginning to disclose his true identity to Nagato after confirming him as a disciple.
Mokgetsu felt that the more Nagato trusted him, the greater the harm would be upon revealing his identity. Being deceived by a stranger would only cause brief anger, but being deceived by someone you trust could break a weaker person.
Nagato's expression turned confused, overwhelmed by the rapid burst of information from Mokgetsu.
The Ninja Sect teacher suddenly became a Konoha ninja, with a false face.
"Why?" Nagato had many questions, but they all condensed into a single query.
"I know you have many questions now, and I can explain all of them to you." Mokgetsu began his story.
"First of all, my actions have nothing to do with Konoha; they're my personal endeavors, whether traveling through the Land of Rain or founding the Ninja Sect."
"I came to the Land of Rain just as I said, for peace. In Konoha, it's challenging to advance my peace plans."
"This doesn't mean Konoha or the Land of Fire is bad; both are very peaceful. But Konoha's strength is too great, and promoting a Ninja Sect in the Land of Fire would definitely face heavy opposition from the Konoha ninja."
Mokgetsu wasn't exaggerating; even with his current powers, causing a significant upheaval in the Land of Fire was difficult.
The Land of Fire's strength is overwhelming, not just from Konoha, but also other ninja forces.
"If I operated in the Land of Rain as a Konoha ninja, Konoha would take action against me, and the Rain Village would feel provoked. Hence, I adopted the alias 'Sosuke' to establish the Ninja Sect. I didn't want to deceive everyone with a false identity, but my real identity is too complicated," Mokgetsu sighed.
He refrained from revealing information about Uchiha Madara. For Nagato at this moment, knowing would only worsen his mood and wouldn't be constructive. If Nagato showed unusual behavior, Uchiha Madara might become more alert.
"Nagato, I hope you can keep this secret for now. I wish to interact with my fellow Ninja Sect members as my true self, but the time isn't right yet," Mokgetsu said, sincerity filling his eyes as he gazed at Nagato.
Nagato's expression shifted repeatedly, feeling very conflicted.
Mokgetsu's alias didn't bother him, but when Mokgetsu canceled the transformation, Nagato grew angry and suspicious, suspecting everything Sosuke represented might be fabricated.
However, once Mokgetsu explained everything and asked him to keep the secret, Nagato realized that Habu Mokgetsu and Sosuke weren't different in essence. Though the face had changed, the impression Mokgetsu gave him remained that of the gentle and genial Sosuke-sensei.
Mokgetsu entrusting him with this secret made Nagato deeply feel Mokgetsu's trust in him.