Naraku withdrew his hand, observing Yahiko with a ninja's scrutiny. The latter was still smiling genuinely and openly, completely defenseless.
It seemed Yahiko knew his identity wasn't simple, but why was he so certain Naraku was from Konoha?
Had the informant defected?!
Nagato and Konan appeared at either end of the corridor, and Naraku knew he had been exposed. There was no point in arguing.
He asked, half-believing, "Are you Lord Jiraiya's disciples?"
"Yes, during the Second Ninja World War, Lord Jiraiya taught us for a while."
Yahiko emphasized again, "We bear you no ill will. After all, you and Lord Jiraiya are both Konoha ninja, and it's not wartime right now."
"If you wish to leave, you are free to do so at any time."
"But I'd like to invite you to stay and see for yourself that our Akatsuki is not an evil organization."
Naraku, of course, knew Yahiko was pure-hearted and true to his word, but "Uchiha Naraku" couldn't easily trust him.
Fortunately, Jiraiya taking on disciples wasn't a secret. Naraku had heard Sakumo mention it in passing, so he feigned awareness of the matter. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to plausibly accept the situation.
"I've heard about that. Lord Jiraiya stayed in the Land of Rain for a long time back then."
Naraku dropped his hostility. What he had seen and heard over the past two days, the other party's honest words and actions just now, and Jiraiya's name were enough to justify him temporarily lowering his guard.
He asked, puzzled, "But how did you know my identity?"
Konan had already approached, pulling a piece of paper from her sleeve. "We received a message earlier that a ninja from Konoha would be gathering intelligence on us, but there were no clues as to who left the note."
A mission that should have been assigned to the Anbu, a vanished contact, a mysteriously appearing note... Naraku understood. This was indeed a trap set for him. Who else but Danzo Shimura could have orchestrated such a thing?
However, what was strange was that, given Yahiko's description of their attitude towards spies, Danzo Shimura's tactic of borrowing a knife to kill would likely fail. He probably had some other contingency plan.
"Hey, I'm Yahiko, he's Nagato, and she's Konan." After introducing himself, Yahiko pointed to his friends and finally asked, "What's your name?"
"Naraku. Uchiha Naraku."
"To be able to carry out a mission like this, you must at least be a Chunin, right? As expected, there are many geniuses in the great ninja clans."
Yahiko couldn't help but sigh. He glanced at the sun and realized it was almost lunchtime. He invited, "Naraku-kun, how about trying some local Rain cuisine? It's very different from Konoha's."
...
While eating, Yahiko kept talking—about how many new members the Akatsuki had recently gained, how more and more children were being taken in, and how, despite the shortage of medicine, he would work even harder... He probably wanted Naraku to convey these things to Jiraiya if he got the chance. Master and disciples hadn't seen each other for many years, so it was natural for a disciple to want his master to know his current situation.
But he was still so chatty.
Naraku helplessly glanced at Konan, who returned a look of long-standing resignation before burying her head in her food. Nagato, meanwhile, listened without changing his expression, stuffing food into his mouth and nodding occasionally in agreement.
Yahiko wasn't satisfied with just talking, so he extended an olive branch to Naraku. "By the way, Naraku, what do you think? Do you want to join us?"
"I'm sorry, Senior Yahiko, I'm a Konoha ninja, so I can't join other organizations."
Naraku smiled apologetically, watching the people coming and going around them. Everyone seemed bustling and busy, yet there was an underlying vibrancy to the scene.
He decided to do Yahiko a favor. Besides, given the current situation, it was natural for him to feel a bit heavy-hearted about this.
"Akatsuki has grown quite large. How does the leader of the Hidden Rain view you, Senior Yahiko?"
Upon hearing this, Nagato and Konan also stopped eating, looking up intently to listen to what they were about to say.
Yahiko stroked his chin. "Lord Hanzō barely interacts with us and doesn't interfere with our actions."
"I think... it would be best for you seniors to keep a low profile, to avoid arousing the suspicion of the Hidden Rain's leader."
After all, such things were happening in Konoha, and the Tamai clan was already gone.
"Ah, Lord Hanzō, huh..." Yahiko lowered his head, then quickly looked up with a smile. "It's alright. I believe Lord Hanzō, just like us, loves Amegakure and the Land of Rain."
"But—"
"Someone has to be the first to offer trust. If we become suspicious of the leader, he will certainly no longer trust us, and perhaps a rift that originally didn't exist will form because of it. So I am willing to trust the leader, and I hope he can trust us too."
Yahiko's smile was sincere and warm. In the perpetually rainy Land of Rain, it was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds, illuminating the hearts of those yearning for light. It was no wonder he had so many followers.
Naraku pursed his lips and lowered his gaze, appearing moved.
In reality, he was silently sighing to himself. Yahiko's character was so rare and precious in the Ninja World, yet he was like a firework soaring into the night—burning himself to illuminate a fleeting moment, only to vanish into the darkness.
Alas, one should not speak too deeply when the acquaintance is shallow. Warning him this much was already the limit of his benevolence.
Just as Naraku was distracted, a member of the Akatsuki came over with documents and reported to Yahiko in a low voice.
Yahiko listened for a moment, a hint of worry appearing on his face, but it was quickly washed away by a smile.
"It's alright, I'll figure something out!"
After the member left, he explained the situation to Nagato and Konan with a troubled expression.
The Akatsuki's food reserves were running low, and food prices had been rising year after year with no sign of decreasing. He mumbled about what to do.
Throughout the entire process, he showed no reservation towards Naraku, completely unafraid that Naraku would use this information against them.
He really doesn't treat me as an outsider.
Naraku rubbed his thumb against his index knuckle, deep in thought.
After a while, he felt the time was right. Looking slightly unconfident, he slowly said, "Perhaps, Senior Yahiko, you could try building roads?"
"Huh?!"
Yahiko suddenly looked up at Naraku, his eyes full of a hunger for knowledge.
"From the moment I arrived in the Land of Rain, almost all the roads I traveled were muddy tracks. I think, perhaps because of this, the cost of transporting food is too high, which is why it sells at such an exorbitant price."
Naraku deliberately furrowed his brow, his demeanor clearly showing he was struggling to come up with useful suggestions. "Ninja are efficient and can build roads quickly. If transportation is convenient, everything will be much easier in the future... The Land of Rain is sandwiched between three great nations. If it becomes a transportation hub, it can develop commerce..."
"Naraku! You really should join us!"
Yahiko suddenly shouted, startling Naraku, who was still acting, almost to his feet. Just as he was about to wave his hand in refusal, Yahiko tightly gripped his hands, his eyes blindingly bright with an eagerness for talent.
"As long as you can lead everyone to a good life, the position of leader is yours!"
"No, no," Naraku quickly shook his head, like a child frightened by a weird uncle, repeatedly recoiling. "I am a Konoha ninja."
"Lord Jiraiya is also a Konoha ninja, yet he still took us on as disciples!"
"Th-this isn't the same. How can I compare myself to Lord Jiraiya?"
"Please!"
"It really won't work—"
...
In the end, Yahiko couldn't persuade Naraku to stay. He could only pull him into an all-night conversation, extracting most of the useful information Naraku had, and then reluctantly sent him off.
Naraku: That was close. I almost became the enemy boss.