They returned to the base together. Nagato avoided the main gathering area and entered a stone chamber alone with Yuji.
"The Hidden Rain Village wants to recruit you and formally merge Akatsuki into its structure?"
Yuji smiled when he heard the account Nagato relayed to him.
"Yahiko refused, of course. Hanzo was using this offer as a bribe, but what Yahiko actually wanted was a formal negotiation and genuine communication, an opportunity to determine and simultaneously shape the future of the Land of Rain together."
Nagato nodded.
Although Yuji had never directly participated in Akatsuki's decision-making from the beginning, every time he had analyzed the path ahead of them, his precise judgment and the accuracy of his predictions had long since earned Nagato's genuine trust.
Yuji knew Yahiko's personality well. It was extremely difficult to change. Therefore, in Nagato's view, if Yuji could use his position to subtly bring about some changes in the organization by working through Yahiko's own logic, that would be the ideal approach.
"So what did you want to tell me?"
Nagato looked directly at Yuji.
"I do not advocate negotiating with the Hidden Rain Village. Like you, Yoru, I believe that to move toward peace, we must create it ourselves. The organization has already proven that we can accomplish this on our own terms.
Although Yahiko refused the Hidden Rain Village this time, judging from his attitude and reaction, it seemed like he refused only because he was halfheartedly unwilling to engage. But what if next time..."
Nagato hesitated.
"You think Salamander Hanzo is very likely plotting something, and you do not trust him at all. Is that right?"
Beneath the mask, Yuji smirked.
"Yes," Nagato nodded.
"He clearly knows it would be walking into a trap, but once the opportunity presents itself, Yahiko might not hesitate to go anyway. He would use his own methods to try to decide his fate on his own terms."
Yuji continued.
"Your eyes are too easily deceived. Given the current situation in the Land of Rain, the Hidden Rain Village is completely unable to suppress Akatsuki through direct force anymore. In other words, Hanzo alone is no longer sufficient to restrain the threat your organization poses to him. In that situation, to resolve what he sees as an existential threat, what would he do?"
Nagato frowned, unable to arrive at an answer immediately.
"He will definitely seek outside help."
Yuji supplied the answer directly.
He intended here to subtly distort the true reason behind Danzo's future involvement. In reality, Danzo had simply been exploiting the benefits Konoha had gained from the war's end, using a private scheme to help Hanzo resolve his problem. Konoha had never officially sent forces to aid the Hidden Rain Village against Akatsuki. It had been a private operation. But Yuji did not mind adding a degree of embellishment to the framing.
"Outside forces?"
As expected, the words startled Nagato visibly.
Nagato had not the slightest doubt about Yuji's speculation. Over the past year, each of his analyses had seemed almost like a premonition, predicting outcomes with near-perfect accuracy. This had made Nagato trust his words completely and without reservation.
"Konoha," Yuji said quietly.
He looked at Nagato's uncomprehending and somewhat disbelieving expression and continued in a low voice.
"The Great Ninja War is nearing its end. For Konoha, the next several years will require a stable environment to recover and rebuild. Salamander Hanzo has been in power for decades. As long as he remains in control, the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire maintain a degree of stability that benefits Konoha. On the other hand, your organization's rise represents a massive variable in Konoha's calculations."
"If Konoha understands that with the Land of Rain in Akatsuki's hands and a new governing power ascending, a series of unpredictable changes would inevitably begin, and Konoha itself cannot fully read your intentions, then the concept of peace that your organization preaches is simply a joke to people who have spent their entire lives on the battlefield. Eliminating you would be genuinely beneficial to Konoha."
"Otherwise, what if you took control of the Land of Rain and launched a new round of conflict against the Land of Fire? The Land of Rain borders the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Fire simultaneously.
It is one of the most strategically significant territories in the entire ninja world. Who could say whether Akatsuki's current peaceful appearance was genuine? From Konoha's perspective, preventing potential trouble before it started was simply prudent."
Nagato fell completely silent after hearing this.
"But Konoha..." Nagato swallowed hard.
"Do not think too highly of Konoha. Your teacher, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, is the best example of what Konoha's loyalty actually looks like. And he is no longer a Konoha senior official in any meaningful sense. Do not carry any preconceived notions about them."
"Helping Hanzo resolve his problem with your organization would at minimum make the Hidden Rain Village owe Konoha a significant favor. There is also another consideration. Your organization has shown remarkable potential. If by any chance Hanzo managed to reach some kind of alliance with Akatsuki rather than eliminating it, the combined threat to Konoha would be enormous. From every angle you examine it, Konoha will definitely involve itself in this matter."
The answer was logical and well-founded. It connected to things Nagato and Konan had already heard about from secondhand accounts.
"If things go wrong, Yahiko will die," Nagato said, his tone suddenly going cold.
"Then what do we do?"
Nagato's heart raced immediately upon saying it.
"Do not worry. If the Hidden Rain Village seeks outside help, then you can naturally rely on outside forces of your own."
Nagato reacted immediately upon hearing those words. Until now, the three of them had been quietly wondering which force was behind the mysterious figure who had been living among them for nearly a year.
"Do not worry, it is not my organization making that move."
"I have been dormant within your organization for almost a year and there has been absolutely no progress toward any cooperation arrangement. The powerful figures behind me have long since lost patience and are deeply disappointed in my results. Otherwise, why do you think I would be wasting my time here?"
He sighed with exaggerated helplessness.
"Besides, I have been of considerable help to your organization this past year, have I not? If I had any intention of causing harm, I would not have waited this long. All three of your core members would likely already be dead."
"Furthermore, in the future you will be dealing with both the Hidden Rain Village and the Hidden Leaf Village simultaneously. Those are two ninja villages joining forces against you. That is not some minor obstacle. The force backing me does not have the kind of power required to counter that combination. Looking across the entire ninja world, there are very few forces qualified to offer you meaningful assistance in that situation."
"And even now, after everything, you are still questioning me. This makes me very sad, Nagato."
"I am sorry, Yoru."
Nagato's face flushed immediately and he bowed his head in apology.
"But relying on outside help is something Yahiko would absolutely refuse. It violates his principles entirely."
"Therefore, if nothing changes, he will die."
Yuji said it bluntly.
"I will show you a way out. The choice of whether to take it is yours."
He extended one finger.
"Yahiko certainly cannot change his nature. So when Hanzo extends his olive branch next time, luring Yahiko into the trap, Yahiko will walk into it and die because of it. Looking across the entire ninja world, the only force capable of saving him is the Hidden Sand Village. And the only village willing to stand against both Konoha and the Hidden Rain Village simultaneously..."
He paused.
"Is the Hidden Sand Village."
"You deal with the Hidden Rain Village, and the Hidden Sand Village will deal with Konoha. A perfect division of effort."
"You could first try making contact with the Fourth Kazekage. He may not necessarily be willing to cooperate, but at minimum, figure out a way to resolve the trap that has been set for you."
"Perhaps Konoha is already communicating directly with the Hidden Rain Village to target your organization right now."
"If Konoha shows itself at that moment and Yahiko dies because of it, that will naturally prove everything I have told you is true."
Having been an insider for so long, and seeing that the moment had finally ripened, Yuji revealed his purpose at last.
Nagato remained silent, lost in thought.
Over the past year of contact and shared experience, he and Senior Yoru had grown genuinely close. Within the organization, Nagato held him in the highest regard. At this point, hearing the other man mention the Sand Village felt relatively natural to Nagato. If everything was as Yoru had analyzed, then the only force capable of standing against Konoha was the Sand Village, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
As for whether Yoru himself was from the Sand Village, the thought had barely crossed Nagato's mind as a serious possibility. It was essentially impossible.
Yoru had joined the organization at a relatively early stage, back when Akatsuki had not yet developed the power and scale it possessed today. And for the Sand Village, which stood at the peak of the ninja world as the biggest winner of the Great Ninja War, paying attention to a small private organization would have been beneath them at that time.
The Hidden Rain Village had still been the symbol of the Land of Rain's governing authority back then. Akatsuki, though it had gained some name recognition in the ninja world, had not been worth nearly a year of the Sand Village's attention or resources.
Who was the Sand Village? The biggest winner of the Great Ninja War. The force that had made Konoha suffer repeatedly without flinching. Compared to them, Akatsuki at that early stage had not even been worth a glance. Beyond that, so much time had passed, and everyone in the organization had witnessed Yoru's genuine sacrifices on their behalf.
Although Nagato was well aware that the other man had his own ulterior motives, he still trusted him. And after Yoru's own words just now, confirming that the forces behind him had long since grown disillusioned and had no further desire to cooperate with Akatsuki, Nagato had no real reason to doubt him.
Because ever since Yahiko had refused cooperation, Senior Yoru had never raised the subject again. Mentioning the Sand Village now was a matter of circumstance rather than personal agenda. It was an attempt to help them solve their problem.
"I have long understood something," Yuji said, pushing off from the wall he had been leaning against and crossing his arms. "For both you and Konan, Yahiko's personal survival matters far more than the organization itself. Even setting everything else aside, neither of you could bear to watch Yahiko die."
"Yes," Nagato replied quietly.
"Then for you, cooperating with the Sand Village is something that must absolutely be kept from Yahiko. You would have to proceed in secret. You may not fully believe me right now, but when the time comes, events will prove everything I have said. What you need to do now is find a way to approach the Sand Village's Fourth Kazekage and get him to help you. Of course, you will have to pay a significant price for that help."
He continued, threading his words carefully.
"If I am wrong about everything, the worst outcome is that you displease the Sand Village and accomplish nothing. But at least Yahiko will not have died. If I am right, and you act on this, Yahiko will still survive. At most he will have to seek forgiveness for decisions made without his knowledge afterward. Yahiko lives, Akatsuki does not collapse. No matter how you look at it, it is worth attempting."
Nagato said nothing.
"I am simply making a suggestion. I am not telling you that you absolutely must cooperate with the Sand Village. Do not feel pressured."
Yuji walked slowly toward the exit of the stone chamber, raising one hand in a casual wave.
"I... I will go discuss it with Konan," Nagato said after a moment of hesitation.
"Of course."
Yuji's tone was entirely relaxed, as though the entire conversation had been a minor matter he had no personal stake in. From beginning to end, he had carried himself as a detached and disinterested observer.
But beneath the mask, the corners of his mouth were already curving upward with suppressed satisfaction.
Nagato had taken the bait.
Konan would be next. That would not be a problem either. Because Yahiko was the single greatest weakness of both of them.
...
STONES 💎
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