Yahiko and Nagato both hesitated.
After all, this kind of invitation was not the first they had received— their teacher, Jiraiya, had once made a similar offer.
Nagato's hesitation came from the fact that he still couldn't let go of the hatred in his heart—the hatred toward Konoha shinobi who had killed his parents.
Yahiko, on the other hand, worried that leaving Amegakure would cause them to lose their only shelter and fall into even greater danger.
Moreover, the Akatsuki already had quite a few companions.
After a brief but heavy discussion, Yahiko stepped forward and bowed to Minato and Wen Lan.
"Please give us a moment. The three of us need to discuss this together."
"Of course," Minato replied with a nod.
The three walked off to the side and spoke in low voices.
Minato then turned to Wen Lan and said,
"On the way here, I was puzzled why you insisted that I invite them to join Konoha. But the moment I saw Nagato's eyes, I understood."
Wen Lan shook his head lightly.
"The Rinnegan is important, yes—but those eyes… they were never truly his."
Minato's pupils contracted slightly. He lowered his voice.
"You mean… there's something hidden behind those eyes?"
Wen Lan's gaze grew deep as he looked toward the youths standing in the rain.
"The Rinnegan was never supposed to appear on him. Someone implanted it, using the Uzumaki clan's physique to nurture the Rinnegan.
That said… Nagato can use them."
Minato wanted to ask more, but seeing that Wen Lan had no intention of continuing, he ultimately said nothing.
Soon, Yahiko and the others returned.
Yahiko bowed respectfully.
"We're willing to join Konoha—but we ask that you also take in the members of our organization."
"That's no problem," Minato replied with a gentle smile.
"But once you join Konoha, you can no longer operate as an independent organization. From now on, you'll all be Konoha shinobi."
Yahiko nodded in agreement, though a trace of loss flashed through his eyes.
He had founded Akatsuki in pursuit of peace.
But today, he finally understood—
Without sufficient strength, everything else was meaningless.
They had no choice but to join Konoha.
Without Konoha's protection, today's tragedy could repeat itself tomorrow.
Deep underground, inside a hidden cavern.
Obito sat on a stone chair, dim torchlight flickering around him.
"What? It failed?"
He stared in disbelief at the figure before him—Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu nodded.
"It was about to succeed in fully activating the Rinnegan, but Konoha shinobi interfered and rescued Yahiko and the others.
And among them was a five-year-old child—Uchiha Wen Lan, a member of your clan."
"He knows that this 'Uchiha Madara' you're posing as is fake."
Obito's expression wavered for a brief instant.
Pain pulsed through the white half of his body, forcing him to suppress the shock and turmoil in his heart.
After a long moment, he took a deep breath and steadied himself.
"The plan won't change."
"Konoha now knows that Nagato possesses the Rinnegan. There's no way they'll leave such a treasure unused."
"Even if my teacher—hmph, the Fourth Hokage—doesn't want to use it, that doesn't mean the Third Hokage and the others won't."
"Konoha's upper echelon will eventually covet those eyes. When that happens, Nagato will naturally be pushed back onto the path we originally designed."
"If Minato refuses to act, someone else will do it for him."
"As for that Uchiha Wen Lan…"
Obito paused, then continued,
"The fact that he didn't expose my identity means he only thinks I'm pretending to be 'Uchiha Madara,' and that he doesn't have concrete proof. He was likely testing me."
"And even if he's certain I'm not the real Madara, he still doesn't know who I really am."
"After all… in Konoha, my identity…"
He let out a low chuckle.
"…belongs to a dead man."
"And the plan to collect the tailed beasts?" Black Zetsu asked.
"Once I recover, I can gather others and form an organization to collect the tailed beasts."
"Nagato's role is merely to nurture the Rinnegan—and at the final moment, use Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life to revive Uchiha Madara."
"As long as you have a plan," Black Zetsu said with a sinister grin.
Obito slowly closed his eyes.
The image of Rin's death surfaced once more, his heart tightening painfully.
Black Zetsu, however, showed a trace of disdain in his gaze.
Everything was for Mother.
Back then, he had judged Wen Lan to be troublesome— awakening a three-tomoe Sharingan at age five was genius-level even by Warring States standards.
That was why, during the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's ambush, he intended to use them to eliminate Wen Lan.
But Wen Lan's strength exceeded expectations, and Obito feared exposing himself—so he withdrew.
Thinking of Obito's abnormal Kamui, Black Zetsu felt reassured.
No matter how strong a technique was, it still had to hit.
With Kamui, Obito stood invincible.
Back in the Land of Rain.
At present, Akatsuki was still a small organization— only a few dozen people at most.
Most were genin, with the remainder being chunin.
Only Yahiko possessed true jōnin-level strength.
If not for Nagato's Rinnegan, Hanzō would never have gone through so much trouble to set up that trap.
The group rested overnight at Akatsuki's base and departed the next day.
Wen Lan also bought a new set of clothes in the Land of Rain—still black-themed.
A black short-sleeved top and black trousers.
The only problem was that his scabbard was gone, so he had to carry his blade openly.
When he walked into the clothing shop earlier, the owner nearly thought Wen Lan was there to rob the place.
After all, ever since the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain had fallen into decline.
Many civilians could barely get enough to eat.
Soon, the group left the borders of the Land of Rain and entered the Land of Fire.
Green vegetation swayed gently in the morning light, dew sliding from leaf tips.
Warm sunlight bathed everyone.
Especially the members of Akatsuki, who stared around them in awe.
In the Land of Rain, it rained year-round—sunlight was a rare sight.
The environment there was bleak: sparse vegetation, barren land, air thick with damp decay.
Civilians gnawed on bark and grass roots, never seeing such lush greenery.
Walking along the winding paths of the Land of Fire, breathing fresh air, felt like stepping into another world.
Because many Akatsuki members were genin, they couldn't travel at full speed.
As a result, it took nearly seven days before they finally arrived at Konoha.
The gate guards were momentarily stunned at the sight of such a large group.
But upon seeing Namikaze Minato, Wen Lan, and the ANBU at the front, they immediately stepped forward.
Konoha was strict on entry but lax on exit.
Regardless of whether you were a Konoha shinobi or a foreigner, entering the village required registration and identity checks.
Leaving, however, was much simpler.
Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had already given instructions after returning, only a brief registration was required before letting everyone through.
As they entered Konoha and saw the bustling village, the Akatsuki members looked dazed—as if in a dream.
This place was completely different from the Land of Rain.
Shops lined the streets, children chased each other under the sun, laughter ringing through the air.
The smell of rice, miso soup, and snacks drifted everywhere.
People wore peaceful smiles, utterly unaware of the horrors of war that had ravaged other lands.
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