Chapter 602: Confess Everything
At the appointed time, Roshi followed Nagato toward the Shinobi Sect reception hall.
At that moment, Roshi felt both excited and uneasy, his emotions tangled together.
The meeting he had looked forward to for so long was finally about to happen, so he naturally could not help feeling excited. Yet he also had concerns. He was not good with words and was not sure whether he could express his thoughts properly without causing conflict with Sōsuke.
Roshi often complained about Ōnoki in his mind, but he knew his own temper was not much better than Ōnoki's.
When he entered the Shinobi Sect reception hall, Roshi found that Sōsuke had already arrived and was sitting in a chair, quietly drinking tea.
"Teacher, I brought him," Nagato said as he walked to Mugetsu's side.
Mugetsu smiled and nodded at Nagato, then looked at Roshi.
Roshi also looked at Sōsuke. This was not his first time seeing Sōsuke, but it was the first time he had seen him from such a close distance.
Sōsuke outside of class was not much different from when he was lecturing. He still wore a white robe and often carried a gentle smile.
The long-awaited conversation had finally begun, but for a moment, Roshi did not know what to say.
There was much he wanted to say, but he could not think of the best way to say it, nor the order in which he should speak.
Roshi became a little anxious. This conversation had to be started by him, because he knew Sōsuke, but Sōsuke did not know him. Not even his name.
"Have you finished reading the book? Which chapter left the deepest impression?" Mugetsu asked first, breaking the silence.
When Mugetsu first learned that Roshi wanted to see him, he had not been clear about Roshi's purpose or thoughts.
Later, Mugetsu investigated the villages along the northern border of the Land of Rain, learned about some of Roshi's actions in the Land of Rain, and combined that with certain information from the original story. Only then did he form a few guesses.
"The book?" Roshi was slightly stunned, then quickly understood which book Sōsuke was referring to.
"I've finished it. The chapter that left the deepest impression on me should be the one about the world after the ultimate goal is achieved. A world without discrimination, without war, where everyone is equal," Roshi replied, recalling the contents of the book.
That was probably the most beautiful fairy tale Roshi had ever read.
He could only describe that ultimate goal as a fairy tale. Forget war for a moment. Even eliminating discrimination alone was something Roshi thought impossible.
Because Roshi himself had been discriminated against since childhood because of his status as a Jinchuriki, he knew better than most how difficult it was to erase discrimination.
Despite possessing powerful strength and completing so many missions for Iwagakure, the villagers had still discriminated against him.
"Do you think this goal is too illusory, something impossible to achieve?" Mugetsu seemed to see through Roshi's thoughts.
"Yes," Roshi nodded honestly.
In his view, this was a beautiful fantasy that could never be realized.
Even the Six Paths Sage, a great being later rumored to be a creator god, had only maintained peace for a short time. Could war truly disappear?
"You know about walkie-talkies and televisions, right?" Mugetsu asked with a smile, not continuing directly on the ultimate goal.
"I do," Roshi replied, feeling a little strange.
He wondered why Sōsuke had suddenly brought up two unrelated things.
"If you were a Ninja from a thousand years ago, no, even five hundred years ago, would you believe that iron boxes capable of long-distance communication without Chakra would one day exist?"
Roshi fell into thought.
Although walkie-talkies and televisions were not rare in his world, now that Sōsuke put it that way, he realized it was indeed true.
If he had never known of walkie-talkies from the start, he would definitely have thought such a thing impossible.
"The development of things always moves upward in spirals. Just because something did not exist before does not mean it cannot be achieved in the future," Mugetsu continued.
"It is precisely because it is distant that it is the ultimate goal."
Mugetsu had never thought the Shinobi Sect would achieve that ultimate goal in his hands. If he could lead the Shinobi Sect to make the Ninja World a little better, even just a little like his previous country, that would be enough.
"How similar. The Six Paths Sage also wanted to create a world without war, where people could coexist peacefully," the Four-Tails exclaimed.
Looking at Sōsuke in his white robe as he explained the Shinobi Sect's ultimate goal, the Four-Tails recalled Hagoromo, who had once spoken of his ideals to the nine Tailed Beasts.
Thousands of years ago, Hagoromo had created the Shinobi Sect, taught them to live alongside humans, and spoken of peace.
Now, thousands of years later, Sōsuke had created a Shinobi Sect as well and described the goal of a peaceful world before him.
If Nagato were not the one with the Rinnegan, and Sōsuke had possessed it instead, the Four-Tails might have thought Sōsuke was the reincarnation of the Six Paths Sage.
They did similar things, held similar ideals, both liked wearing white robes, and if he had the Rinnegan, every piece would have fit.
Roshi was convinced. He felt that Sōsuke's words made a great deal of sense.
Of course, perhaps he had also convinced himself.
Because the world described by the Shinobi Sect's ultimate goal was truly a world Roshi had never even dared to dream of.
At most, he had only dared to dream of being treated like an ordinary person. He had never dreamed of war disappearing.
Who would not want such a beautiful and peaceful world to become real? Roshi felt there should be no one.
"After chatting for so long without introducing myself, I've truly been impolite."
Roshi stood up and bowed slightly to Sōsuke in apology.
Because of the cooperation between the Shinobi Sect and Iwagakure, Roshi had been worried about being exposed and sold out, so he had not shown Sōsuke and the Shinobi Sect his true appearance or identity.
Now, however, Roshi felt his actions were disrespectful to Sōsuke.
Roshi released his Transformation Technique, revealing his true appearance. Then he introduced himself in a deep voice.
"My name is Roshi."
After speaking, Roshi fell silent, preparing for Sōsuke's shock and questions.
He was, after all, a Jinchuriki, one of the Ninja World's most terrifying weapons of mass destruction. For him to suddenly come to the Shinobi Sect's Six Paths City under a false identity, any questioning from Sōsuke would not be excessive.
"Mm." Mugetsu smiled faintly and nodded.
Roshi looked at Mugetsu in confusion. He did not understand why Mugetsu's reaction was so calm.
The person he was speaking to had suddenly changed appearance, and that person was a terrifying existence like a Jinchuriki. Shouldn't Sōsuke have been shocked?
From the corner of his eye, Roshi saw that Nagato's expression was also calm, which made him even more bewildered.
Sōsuke could be explained as someone who had weathered many storms, but how could Nagato, an underage Ninja, remain so composed?
Although Roshi did not reveal his identity to show off and watch Sōsuke and Nagato become shocked, their reactions made him feel as if he had confidently displayed his strength, only to receive a "that's it?" in return.
It was awkward. Extremely awkward. Roshi was so embarrassed that he forgot to sit down.
He really did want others to treat him as an ordinary person, but not in this situation.
"I am the Four-Tails…"
Roshi thought Sōsuke might not have immediately realized who he was.
"I know. The Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure."
Roshi looked at Sōsuke in startled confusion.
Since Sōsuke knew his identity, why was he still so calm?
Was he not afraid that Iwagakure had some conspiracy, like Roshi pulling out a kunai and throwing it to the ground, only for five hundred elite Iwagakure Ninja to appear?
"You knew my identity all along?" Roshi suddenly thought of something and could not help asking.
If Sōsuke had known his identity from the beginning, then Sōsuke and Nagato's reactions made sense.
"When I learned that you wanted to meet me, I already knew," Mugetsu answered truthfully.
Mugetsu knew that pretending not to know Roshi's identity would make Roshi like him more, but that was unnecessary.
Roshi looked at Mugetsu in shock. He had not expected his identity to be exposed so early.
Even Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, had not discovered him. How had Sōsuke confirmed his identity when they had never even met before?
Moreover, since Sōsuke knew his identity, why had he not contacted Iwagakure to ask about the situation?
After all, he was a Jinchuriki. His own country would not be indifferent if a Jinchuriki suddenly appeared there for no reason.
"The Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure is already history. I am no longer an Iwagakure Ninja," Roshi said after thinking for a moment.
Since he was going to reveal his identity, he might as well reveal everything.
Roshi's words made Nagato's expression shift slightly.
He had remained calm earlier because Mugetsu had told him Roshi's identity before sending him to call Roshi, but Mugetsu had not mentioned that Roshi had become a rogue Ninja.
Ninja had a concept of retirement, but a retired Iwagakure Ninja was still considered an Iwagakure Ninja. Roshi was far from retirement age, so he could only be a rogue Ninja.
Nagato could ignore an ordinary rogue Ninja, but a rogue Jinchuriki was a major issue. Nagato, who had been taught by Mugetsu, understood what that meant.
Nagato quickly looked at Mugetsu. Seeing that Mugetsu's expression had not changed, he immediately relaxed.
"I understand," Mugetsu said with a nod, quietly looking at Roshi.
Roshi fell silent.
"Could it be that you even know why I left Iwagakure?" Sōsuke's calmness made Roshi feel numb.
Mugetsu shook his head. He only knew that Roshi leaving the village was related to Iwagakure's defeat, and there were certainly many details he did not know.
Roshi breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was something Sōsuke did not know.
However, Roshi then did not know what to say next.
The way this meeting had unfolded was something Roshi had never expected. Sōsuke not only knew his identity, but had known it very early.
This caused many chaotic thoughts to rise in Roshi's mind, and he could not sort them out for a while.
"Let's stop here for today. If you have any questions about the book's content or about the Shinobi Sect, you can come to the Shinobi Sect to find me. I will have some free time coming up," Mugetsu said after Roshi fell silent.
He could sense Roshi's interest in the Shinobi Sect. If Mugetsu actively recruited him, Roshi would most likely choose to join.
The Shinobi Sect had too much impact on someone like Roshi, who had endured a tragic childhood.
However, Mugetsu did not push this time.
Because although Roshi's strength was great, his identity was indeed a serious problem.
If Iwagakure learned that Roshi had joined the Shinobi Sect, they would definitely try every possible method to retrieve the Four-Tails. Other Great Ninja Villages might also begin coveting the Shinobi Sect because of it.
Compared with the rumored sage art inheritance, a Tailed Beast was a genuine super weapon.
Roshi joining the Shinobi Sect would bring far more trouble than improvement to the Shinobi Sect.
Mugetsu chose to let nature take its course. He would truthfully show Roshi everything about the Shinobi Sect.
If Roshi wanted to join the Shinobi Sect, Mugetsu would not refuse. He could not reject a like-minded companion because of a potential problem.
If Roshi left the Land of Rain tonight, Mugetsu would not stop him either.
"I… then, all right." Roshi still had many things left unsaid, so when he heard Sōsuke say that they would stop there, he anxiously stood up again. Only after hearing Sōsuke say that he could ask later did he sit back down.
Roshi suddenly remembered that Sōsuke had still been lecturing only a few hours ago, giving a full day's lecture to over a thousand people.
Since Roshi himself could not think of what to say, Sōsuke really should not waste time on him and ought to rest.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you," Roshi said with an apologetic expression.
Facing Ōnoki, he could be a stubborn Jinchuriki. But facing Sōsuke, who was so accommodating, being stubborn again would be inhuman. He would become no different from those Iwagakure villagers who looked at him with strange eyes.
Mugetsu waved his hand, indicating he did not mind.
Roshi felt he had contributed nothing, but to Mugetsu, as long as Roshi listened attentively in class, he was already helping him.
After leaving the Shinobi Sect reception hall, Roshi returned to the inn.
He lay on the bed, his mind filled with his meeting with Sōsuke.
"Why didn't he contact Iwagakure?" Roshi still could not understand it.
According to normal logic, if Sōsuke knew that he, a Jinchuriki, had arrived in the Land of Rain, then regardless of whether he had left the village without permission, Sōsuke should have contacted Iwagakure first. After all, they were still in a cooperative relationship.
"Wait. Sōsuke only said he didn't know why I left Iwagakure. He never said he didn't know I had left Iwagakure."
A flash of realization crossed Roshi's mind. He connected it with everything that had happened during his trip through the Land of Rain and discovered a blind spot.
It was known that Sōsuke had identified him very early. Based on the conversation he had overheard between the Iwagakure Ninja and Nagato, the Shinobi Sect had also discovered Iwagakure's unknown activities in the Land of Rain.
Combining those two pieces of information, Sōsuke could have deduced his current situation.
"Was the second unrestricted lecture being held at this time really a coincidence?" Roshi thought of the lecture event that had temporarily forced Iwagakure to abandon its search for him.
Roshi shook his head. Although it sounded plausible, most of it was his own speculation without solid proof.
"I'll ask Sōsuke tomorrow and see," Roshi decided, changing his itinerary.
Originally, he had planned to leave the Land of Rain immediately after meeting Sōsuke and head toward the Land of Birds.
Now, Roshi had many unanswered questions in his heart, and he was unwilling to leave. Moreover, he now had a strange confidence in Sōsuke, feeling that Sōsuke would definitely not betray him.
…
Meanwhile, in Amegakure.
Hanzō had just returned to Amegakure when he received news that made him frown.
"Danzo's Ninja wants to see me?"
Honestly, Hanzō became angry whenever he heard that name now.
"Tell him I am tired from travel and have already gone to rest," Hanzō ordered.
He would meet the Ninja sent by Danzo because the other party was the Hokage Assistant and represented Konoha.
However, Hanzō was also the leader of a village. He did not need to give Danzo that much face by meeting his messenger immediately.
After all, it was not Danzo or Hiruzen who had come in person.
.....
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