Shisui Uchiha did not directly share the bold theory Rei Kaguya had mentioned with the other members of the joint investigation team.
First, because there were still too many mysteries in this incident waiting to be solved. They could not use one theory that only looked somewhat reasonable to block off all other lines of thought right from the beginning.
Second, within the limits of his ability, he also wanted to preserve the Uchiha clan's reputation and dignity as much as possible.
The fact that he, a genius boy whom the Uchiha clan had placed great hopes in, had turned toward an enemy force was already enough to cause a massive backlash against the Uchiha clan, who had always been demanding that Konoha retrieve him from Kirigakure.
If, on top of that, another Obito Uchiha appeared—one who had faked his death and left the village, incited the leaderless Root members into defection, and actively created an assassination incident targeting Konoha shinobi…
The once-proud reputation of the Uchiha clan would absolutely be trampled straight into an irredeemable abyss.
However, what surprised him somewhat was that Jiraiya, whose jaw had been shocked loose by the news of his defection, did not immediately pass this information back through official channels during his intelligence exchange with Konoha.
"Why are you helping me conceal this information, Lord Jiraiya? Normally speaking, should you not pass this information back directly and let the Fourth Hokage use this opportunity to suppress the Uchiha clan?"
After the next day's intelligence exchange ended, Shisui Uchiha called out to Jiraiya alone.
Jiraiya still occasionally drew in cold breaths from the pain in his jaw.
Shisui asked him this question very directly.
"The era of the old man and Danzo Shimura is already over. Intelligence involving the interests of multiple parties like this cannot simply be sent back in a few careless sentences."
Jiraiya rubbed his still-sore jaw and looked at Shisui Uchiha's still-childish face, then sighed.
"Because of your abduction by Kirigakure, the Uchiha clan, who insisted on demanding your return, and the Hyuga clan, who gave up on Hyuga Makoto, have already become very tense with each other."
"If, at a time like this, when a storm is already about to break, I send back a brainless line like 'Shisui Uchiha has already taken Kirigakure's shape,' who can guarantee that the public backlash against the Uchiha clan will not be exploited by people with intentions outside the village?"
"…I am rather surprised that you would think that way."
Shisui Uchiha blinked and spoke with some surprise.
"Although there is the precedent of Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, the relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha should not be good to that extent, right?"
"I am worried that guy Rei Kaguya will use the issue as an excuse, then seize an opportunity to dig out another batch of radicals from the Uchiha clan who are already dissatisfied with Konoha."
Jiraiya glared at Shisui Uchiha in annoyance and said bitterly,
"You have already been influenced by him to the point where you can admit without hesitation that you are one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Don't tell me you have never seen his strange ideas and methods for scheming against people?"
"As for Lord Fourth, he probably does not have much interest lately in digging up another batch of bad-tempered Uchiha to bring back and cause trouble for the village."
Shisui Uchiha awkwardly rubbed his nose and spoke in a complicated tone.
"Besides, those people in the clan who value the Sharingan above everything else would never be able to accept Lord Fourth's ideas… You really do not need to worry about Lord Fourth wanting to poach the Uchiha clan."
"Hmph. Who knows? When something may be related to Rei Kaguya, there is never any harm in being twelve times more vigilant."
Seeing that Jiraiya seemed determined to hold onto his prejudice, Shisui Uchiha sighed helplessly.
After thanking him, he left the room with the Body Flicker Technique.
Jiraiya remained in the room with his arms crossed for another two or three minutes.
Then, Nagato's tall, thin figure drifted in through the door like a ghost.
"Have you finished talking with Shisui, Jiraiya-sensei?"
"He is just a brat led astray by Rei Kaguya. But he is still so young. The responsibility cannot be pushed entirely onto him."
Jiraiya shook his head.
Then, with narrowed eyes, he looked toward Nagato, who still did not wear a shinobi forehead protector, and spoke with deep emotion.
"But compared to Shisui Uchiha, who has taken Rei Kaguya's shape, it is your change that surprises me more, Nagato… Have you truly made up your mind to turn Akatsuki into an existence completely different from a shinobi village?"
"If we keep wearing shinobi forehead protectors, others will not believe that we sincerely want to become a neutral organization that achieves peace through communication and dialogue."
Nagato smiled.
His chin lifted slightly with a hint of pride as he asked Jiraiya,
"How does it feel, Jiraiya-sensei? This experience of openly staying in another nation's daimyo estate and using the power of other shinobi villages to investigate intelligence should be much more comfortable than secretly sneaking into another country and gathering information in the shadows, right?"
"Only young people like you would have such bold and reckless ideas."
Jiraiya helplessly shrugged.
"Did you never consider that when you publicly appeared in Sunagakure itself, you might be treated as a spy from another country and attacked and imprisoned?"
"Of course I considered it. But I believe I have the ability to retreat safely even under a full-village siege by Sunagakure. Even if I tried out a sudden new idea, I did not think it would create some irreversible situation. So I did it."
Nagato's expression was very frank.
His heroic face became even more striking under the glow of confidence.
Jiraiya looked at that young face, which firmly believed that he had no need to fear a siege by Sunagakure and that he could bring change to this chaotic era.
Filled with emotion, he let out a long sigh.
"You really have grown up, Nagato… You have already reached a realm even I, your teacher, have never stepped into. Both in strength and in thought. The Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage spoke of, the one who will change the world, should be you, right?"
"That is not necessarily true. There is still that Fourth Mizukage, Rei Kaguya, whose thoughts no one can see through."
Nagato gently shook his head.
"If we are talking about changing the world, then he, who is currently carrying out sweeping reforms in Kirigakure, is also someone walking at the front of the era."
"…Do you really have to bring up that name that makes me angry the moment I hear it?"
Jiraiya covered his jaw again, feeling that Nagato's words had irritated him so much that his teeth hurt.
"I admit that guy truly has the possibility of changing the world. But this is supposed to be time for us master and disciple to be alone, right? Can you not properly enjoy your teacher praising and complimenting you?"
"Because the atmosphere was a little too lively and did not suit the next topic, I thought I would use Rei Kaguya's name to cool the mood a bit… It seems the effect may have been a little too strong."
Nagato smiled without much embarrassment.
Then, his tone shifted, pulling their conversation into an extremely serious topic.
"Jiraiya-sensei, do you think we have a chance to wipe out Root completely this time?"
"It will be difficult."
Jiraiya was not optimistic.
"We know too little about the forces they have developed in secret. We cannot even figure out their fundamental purpose in launching this assassination incident. Under such circumstances, as long as they stop in time and disappear, it will be nearly impossible for us to catch their tail again."
"I thought so too."
Nagato nodded.
"The battle against Root, who stirs up trouble in the shadows, has a considerable chance of becoming a very long game. They may launch sudden attacks from the dark at any moment, but the major shinobi villages standing in the open may not be able to respond reasonably and in time every single time."
"If this drags on for too long, they may really find a chance to ignite war and throw the shinobi world into chaos again."
"Then what is your idea, Nagato?"
"If possible, I want to normalize and publicize the form of this joint investigation team."
Nagato took a deep breath.
After adjusting his tone and emotions, he spoke solemnly.
"With the neutral peace organization Akatsuki taking the lead, every major shinobi village will select one outstanding shinobi to join the joint investigation team, always ready to respond to Root's terrorist activities."
"In that case, after Root begins moving, the joint investigation team can use the intelligence systems of the shinobi villages behind each member to obtain more information, respond more quickly and accurately to Root's activities, and step by step compress their living space until Root has nowhere left to flee."
"…Do you not think you are being a little too fanciful, Nagato?"
Jiraiya drew in a cold breath.
After staying silent for a long time, he slowly spoke.
"Putting aside whether Root's threat is great enough to justify this, just convincing the major shinobi villages to believe that Akatsuki is an organization aiming for peace, and that it can maintain a truly neutral position, is already almost impossible."
"Do you trust me, Jiraiya-sensei?"
Nagato did not directly answer this question.
Instead, he asked Jiraiya a question whose answer required almost no thought.
"Of course. You are a disciple I am proud of, Nagato. How could I not trust you?"
Jiraiya answered without hesitation.
"Then if I invite you, Jiraiya-sensei, to become a member of Akatsuki's joint investigation team, would you refuse?"
Nagato continued pressing.
"…I would not."
This time, Jiraiya's answer came slightly more slowly.
"Look, Jiraiya-sensei. Just like that, has Akatsuki not already obtained Konoha's support and participation?"
Nagato opened his arms as if embracing the entire sky, his emotions rising.
"Similarly, Kirigakure has no reason to reject my proposal either. Rei Kaguya will only be happy to see this happen. And among the people Kirigakure is likely to send to join the joint investigation team, there is a considerable chance it will be Shisui Uchiha, who cares about the world. Would he refuse something with the goal of maintaining peace? He would not."
"Since Konoha and Kirigakure, the two strongest shinobi villages, have already joined Akatsuki's joint investigation team, then Sunagakure, which almost fell into the risk of war because of Root's actions, has no reason to reject my proposal either…"
"Even if they can only send an ordinary jonin who is not particularly outstanding to join us, they can still share the intelligence Konoha and Kirigakure gather regarding Root. Exchanging one for two, while also incidentally learning some information about other nations—why would they refuse?"
"Now, Akatsuki has already obtained three shinobi villages among the five strongest in the shinobi world, all willing to send people to join the joint investigation team…"
At this point, Nagato stopped speaking.
With his mysterious pale-purple Rinnegan, he stared directly at Jiraiya, whose brows were tightly furrowed, and grinned.
"When we have the intelligence systems of Sunagakure, Konoha, and Kirigakure available to us, Root's ability to operate around the Land of Wind, Land of Fire, and Land of Water will greatly decrease."
"And if they do not intend to directly collide with forces like ours standing in the light, then they can only choose to operate around the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning."
"In that case, Iwagakure of the Land of Earth and Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning will also have the chance to understand Root's danger and difficulty."
"They may choose to support Root for temporary benefits and use them to oppose us. But that does not matter. The facts will tell them that Root is a dangerous wild wolf that cannot be domesticated."
"At that time, to protect their own interests, they will naturally send people to join Akatsuki's joint investigation team."
Listening to Nagato's interlocking logic, which still had many details that needed to be filled in and improved, but whose framework could already be considered quite complete, Jiraiya looked at his disciple with disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.
"Did you… think of all this yourself, Nagato?"
"Most of it."
Nagato picked up the cup beside him and took a sip of water, soothing his somewhat dry throat.
"As for the rest, I suppose I borrowed some things Rei Kaguya once discussed with me and modified them to better fit my own ideas."
"This plan should have some feasibility, right, Jiraiya-sensei?"
Faced with Nagato's question, Jiraiya closed his eyes and thought for a very, very long time.
Then, he slowly nodded.
And slowly shook his head.
"Forming a joint investigation team to target Root—this plan does have a possibility of succeeding…"
"But Nagato, after Root's threat is completely eliminated, what do you plan to do with this joint investigation team?"
"Keep it. Let it exist as a communication tool for daily contact and conflict resolution between the Five Great Nations and the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
Nagato gave his answer without the slightest hesitation.
"Conflicts large enough to trigger war may not be directly reconcilable. But those conflicts that are not serious enough to make all sides immediately go to war, yet still sharpen tensions between nations, can still be brought to Akatsuki for discussion…"
"Having an official channel for communication and negotiation is still better than the old atmosphere, where everyone held their contradictions and resentment in their hearts without mentioning them, while constantly treating neighboring countries as enemies they had to guard against."
Listening to Nagato's answer, Jiraiya shook his head self-mockingly and let out a bitter sigh.
"I am old. I really am old…"
"Everything you said, Nagato, has a certain feasibility. Yet my first reaction when I hear it is always to think that it will not work, that it cannot go far. My instincts as a shinobi are desperately denying these ideas."
"Good thing the Great Toad Sage only gave me the mission of finding the Child of Prophecy. If it lost its mind for a moment and made me the Child of Prophecy who had to change the world, I might have turned into a stubborn old fossil blocking the path of those young people who sincerely want to change the world…"
"I was able to reach this point because of your teachings, Jiraiya-sensei. Your ideals and your thoughts—I still keep them in my heart."
Jiraiya quickly waved his hand, indicating that he did not need Nagato to flatter a greasy middle-aged uncle like him with such words.
Then he exhaled and threw out a topic very suitable for ending today's conversation.
"Then, Nagato, do you plan to give this joint investigation team a name?"
"No. We will let it continue being called Akatsuki."
Nagato smiled.
A radiance as bright as the sun flickered in his eyes.
"Akatsuki is the dawn and light that breaks through darkness. Standing under the sun and delivering our ideals to the entire world is our mission."
"The brighter and more dazzling Akatsuki's light becomes, the less place Root will have to stand in the darkness…"
"We are Akatsuki, so we must stand openly beneath the sun."
"They chose to become Root, so let them remain forever buried underground, where no light reaches."
"They can forget about crawling up to the surface."
Join my Patreon to read public release chapters and get 1 chapter ahead for free. Paid members can read more advanced chapters.
Continue reading here
patreon.com/Inkveil_