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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 185
🕑 Added 2024-10-17 11:00:04 +0000 UTCChapter 185: Jiraiya's Suspicion
“You’ve managed to survive an encounter with a Jinchuriki—that’s already impressive. But…” Jiraiya suddenly stopped mid-sentence, realizing something. His eyes widened in shock. “Wait… did you just say that you ‘killed’ the Two-Tails Jinchuriki?”
Byakuya casually found a place to sit and, without much care, said, “With my strength and Shisui’s, taking down the Two-Tails Jinchuriki wasn’t that hard. Does that sound strange to you?”
Of course, it sounded strange!
A Jinchuriki possessed the terrifying power of a tailed beast within them. Throughout history, except for legendary figures like the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha during the Warring States period, few had ever taken Jinchuriki lightly. They were essentially walking natural disasters due to the immense power of the tailed beast sealed inside them.
However, considering Yugito Nii’s (the Two-Tails Jinchuriki) relatively young age and Byakuya and Shisui’s abilities, it wasn’t completely impossible for them to have defeated her. Shisui was known as Uchiha’s top genius, and Byakuya was a monster capable of easily defeating elite jonin.
After a brief pause, Jiraiya chuckled and said, “The reward for defeating a Jinchuriki is immeasurable. I’ll need to report this to the Hokage and get his opinion. But don’t worry, Byakuya, Konoha will definitely provide the appropriate compensation.”
Hearing this, Byakuya nodded in satisfaction, muttering softly to himself, “Didn’t expect to get such an extra reward on this trip—not only the payment for rescuing the Uchiha but also the bounty for Yugito Nii.”
Though Byakuya’s voice was low, Jiraiya heard it clearly, and a hint of doubt crossed his mind. Could it be that Yugito Nii wasn’t taken down by Byakuya but rather by Shisui’s team?
With this thought, Jiraiya turned his gaze towards Shisui and asked, “Shisui, why don’t you tell me the details of this mission?”
Shisui nodded lightly and, as planned, recounted their prepared story.
According to Shisui, their team had stumbled upon Yugito Nii, who was operating alone. After a grueling battle, they managed to subdue her, but they nearly died in the explosion caused by the Tailed Beast Bomb.
After hearing this, Jiraiya’s expression became skeptical. He wasn’t completely convinced by Shisui’s account. After all, Jiraiya himself had experience battling Jinchuriki and knew firsthand that they were never so easy to defeat. However, the power of the Sharingan was well-known in the ninja world. With the right tactics and an element of surprise, a victory wasn’t entirely out of the question.
If Shisui really had managed to defeat Yugito Nii, then the Uchiha clan now had an elite ninja on par with Kage-level strength.
At this moment, Byakuya shot an annoyed look at Shisui and said irritably, “The Jinchuriki was taken down by Shisui, but if it weren’t for my intervention, Shisui would’ve died along with the Two-Tails.”
“Jiraiya, given our relationship, I assume you’ll make sure my name is included in the report, right?”
This remark immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room, who were all astonished at Byakuya’s shamelessness. Their understanding of his audacity reached new heights.
Jiraiya couldn’t help but chuckle at this and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to mention you both in my report to the Hokage. But defeating the Two-Tails Jinchuriki is no small matter. I’ll need time to adjust our strategic plans. You can leave for now.”
With that, Byakuya and Shisui didn’t linger in the command room and quickly took their leave.
After Byakuya and Shisui left, Jiraiya put away his smile and turned toward the back room, saying, “Shikaku, Choza, what do you think about the credibility of Byakuya and Shisui’s claims?”
Shikaku Nara stepped out of the room, looking at Jiraiya and responding, “We’ll know soon enough whether the Two-Tails Jinchuriki was truly eliminated. There’s no need for Byakuya and Shisui to deceive us.”
Hearing this, Jiraiya let out a soft sigh. “Shikaku, you know that’s not what I’m asking.”
Shikaku furrowed his brows, a bit puzzled. “Then what exactly are you doubting, Jiraiya? If they really eliminated the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, it’s a good thing for the village, and the Uchiha will get the credit they want.”
“That’s true… maybe I’m overthinking it.”
Seeing Shikaku deliberately feigning ignorance, Jiraiya decided not to dwell on the details.
In Jiraiya’s opinion, there were several loopholes in Byakuya and Shisui's story, raising suspicions that they might be selling their achievements to the Uchiha. After all, with Shisui's strength, it would be impossible to defeat a Jinchuriki unless he possessed the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. But if Shisui did indeed have the Mangekyō, it would likely lead to chaos within the village once again.
Shikaku had guessed these possibilities as well, which was why he was pretending to be oblivious. He wanted to avoid getting embroiled in the conflicts between the Hokage Tower and the Uchiha. The Uchiha taking credit for eliminating the Two-Tails Jinchuriki might not necessarily be a good thing for them either.
Returning to the main topic, Jiraiya asked Shikaku, “When do you think I should report the news about Yugito Nii to the Hokage? If she has really been eliminated, should we continue to defend or take the opportunity to launch a counterattack?”
Shikaku pondered for a moment before saying, “Jiraiya, it’s likely that Kumogakure hasn’t yet received news of Yugito Nii’s death. This would be a prime opportunity for us to launch a counterattack.”
After a brief pause, Shikaku added, “But my suggestion is that we should hold our ground here.”
“Why?” Jiraiya didn’t understand Shikaku’s plan. The most optimal choice right now would be to expand their victory, yet Shikaku was advising him to maintain their position.
Shikaku took a deep breath and explained, “If this were just a single battle, then yes, it would be ideal for us to push into the Land of Lightning and destroy Kumogakure. But the village has enemies besides just Kumogakure. If we advance into the Land of Lightning, Iwagakure and Kirigakure would definitely intervene. Also, while Amegakure is our ally now, that might not be the case in the future.”
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya’s expression became serious as he grasped Shikaku’s perspective.
If Konoha were to fail in this invasion by Kumogakure, they would lose their ally in the Land of Water and potentially give up land in the northeastern region.
However, if Kumogakure faced a total collapse, it was possible that Iwagakure and Kirigakure would secretly ally with Kumogakure to counter Konoha. Amegakure could then gain power in the chaos of war, posing a threat to Konoha’s safety.
Although Shikaku’s words were harsh and risked damaging the relationship between Amegakure and Konoha, Jiraiya understood that Shikaku’s suspicions had merit. While Amegakure was currently managed by Yahiko and others, the real puppet master remained Hanzo of the Salamander.
This figure was renowned in the ninja world and required careful handling.
With this in mind, Jiraiya sighed softly. The ninja world was filled with deceptions and betrayals. He had to accept that the peaceful world he longed for—where people could understand each other without conflict—might not exist after all.
Even this ninja, who so desperately craved peace, was already stained with blood.
