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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 135
🕑 Added 2024-08-30 15:00:04 +0000 UTCChapter 135: Stalled Progress
The recruitment of Kabuto Yakushi went very smoothly. Byakuya spent just a few thousand ryo to bring one of the future major antagonists of the ninja world into his ranks. However, Kabuto's current strength was too weak for the system to grant any rewards.
But Byakuya was quite pleased at the prospect of Kabuto’s future potential and eagerly anticipated the benefits Kabuto might bring in the future.
Kabuto, having received the money, was visibly shocked. He hadn’t expected the money to be real. While a few thousand ryo might be just a small commission for a ninja, it was a significant sum for an orphanage.
With this money, the orphanage could keep going for another month. However, handing the money directly to the director would be problematic, as it might raise suspicions and prompt questions.
And so, Kabuto decided to present the money as a donation from a kind-hearted person. This way, the director would likely accept it without questioning its origins.
With this plan in mind, Kabuto returned the money to Byakuya and quietly asked, “Can this money be given directly to the orphanage?”
Byakuya nodded in agreement, impressed by Kabuto's consideration. Despite his young age, Kabuto had displayed intelligence far beyond his peers, thoroughly thinking through the issue. The only oversight was his lack of awareness of Byakuya’s true identity and the potential dangers involved.
After leaving the money in the orphanage's mailbox and leaving behind a spore clone of himself with Kabuto, Byakuya quickly returned to the Amegakure base, ending a busy day.
---
In the following days, Byakuya did not join Yahiko and the others for meetings at the Hokage Building. Instead, he stayed in the base, focusing on studying the Shinigami mask he had brought back and secretly contacting Kabuto through his spore technique, aiming to train Kabuto as an agent embedded in Konoha.
Kabuto’s learning ability was impressive. Within a few days, he mastered many things, including the method of chakra refinement. However, Byakuya did not teach him any ninjutsu or taijutsu.
Kabuto was an orphan from the orphanage, which served as a reserve for the Root. Given Kabuto’s talent, it was highly likely he would be valued by Danzo and sent to the Root base for further training, mirroring his fate in the original timeline.
After enduring enough hardship and pain, the orphaned Kabuto would eventually transform into the perfect snake sage of Ryuchi Cave!
Meanwhile, Yahiko and Minato Namikaze had made significant progress in their discussions. Although Yahiko did not agree to join Konoha’s alliance system, they managed to reach cooperation in many areas and promised mutual support during times of war.
Minato was not entirely satisfied with this outcome, but he understood that forming an alliance with the Land of Rain was not feasible in the short term. The promise of cooperation was sufficient for now.
In the face of substantial commercial interests, the Land of Rain was unlikely to go to war with Konoha. As long as the Land of Rain did not join other factions, Konoha could reduce pressure from Iwa and Kumo, avoiding attacks from the other major ninja villages.
Moreover, Minato gained valuable reform experience from his exchanges with Yahiko. After implementing various reforms, the once impoverished Amegakure began to develop rapidly, driven by new ideas and ambitious reform directions.
Aside from trade discussions between the two countries, Minato’s primary concern was these reforms. As the delegation prepared to leave, Minato still felt that more discussions were needed and wished to retain them for another ten days or so.
Despite Minato’s attempts to keep them, Yahiko remained firm in his decision to leave. Although he enjoyed the discussions with Minato, he could not abandon his village. The policies of the Land of Rain could only be maintained through strong measures, and staying in Konoha for too long would be impractical.
Time passed quickly, and before long, the day of departure arrived.
Under the escort of Anbu ninjas, the exchange delegation left Konoha's gates, exited the village, and began their journey back to the Amegakure.
A few kilometers outside the village, Yahiko and Konan glanced back at Konoha with a hint of melancholy.
Byakuya noticed their expressions and said with a smile, “What’s wrong? Are you two reluctant to leave Konoha? If you’re so enchanted by its prosperity, maybe you should just stay here and become part of Konoha.”
Yahiko shook his head and replied, “Byakuya, I was thinking about how long it will take for our village to develop to the level of Konoha. Will it be five years, ten years, or even longer?”
“Not that long…”
Byakuya looked back at Konoha with a light smile and said, “Yahiko, you should have confidence in us. Our future will definitely be better than theirs. After all, Konoha is already at its peak and is about to enter a decline. Our reforms may make Konoha stronger, but not all reforms are suitable for Konoha. Heck, I’m actually looking forward to Konoha’s collapse.”
Yahiko looked at Byakuya with suspicion upon hearing these words.
While Byakuya’s confidence in his own village was a good thing, it seemed odd that he was so quick to dismiss Konoha’s future.
Nevertheless, there was some truth in what Byakuya said. There were indeed numerous problems within Konoha, which Yahiko had felt during his discussions with Minato Namikaze.
The power held by Minato Namikaze as Hokage was evidently less than that of Yahiko as the Amegakure leader.
The internal situation of Konoha was also much more complex than that of the Amegakure. For example, the hero Hanzo of the Salamander had been overthrown in Amegakure, while the Third Hokage was still active within Konoha.
Whatever Minato Namikaze wanted to do, he had to contend with the influence of his predecessor.
However, Yahiko believed that Minato could overcome these influences and successfully apply the Amegakure’s reform experiences to Konoha.
Though Amegakure and Konoha were different villages, the Akatsuki’s dream was to encompass the entire ninja world.
Finding more like-minded companions was essential for maintaining long-lasting peace and pushing back the onset of the next war.
Watching the Amegakure delegation leave, Minato Namikaze returned to the Hokage Tower.
With the village’s guests now gone, it was time to handle the pending administrative tasks.
Though there was a ceasefire with Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo, no formal peace treaties had been signed, and true peace had not yet been achieved.
To sign a peace agreement, further negotiations with these villages were necessary…
Once he dealt with these matters, Minato could proceed with major reforms.
During his time as a jounin leader and now as the Fourth Hokage, he had discovered many internal issues within the village. If not addressed promptly, these issues could stagnate the village’s progress or even worse.
