Bab 84: Chapter 83: The Birth of Akatsuki's Will
On the way back, Hanzo sat in the same prisoner carriage that Byakuya once occupied.
The carriage was luxuriously decorated and comfortable, but it couldn't change the fact that Hanzo was a prisoner. Staring at the gray sky, Hanzo felt an overwhelming complexity in his heart.
He didn't know where he had lost. Was it due to the decline in strength that comes with age, or because he had lost his conviction? All he knew was that he was a loser now, uncertain of what fate held for him.
Unlike Hanzo of the Salamander, the Akatsuki members responsible for escorting him felt that the scene before them was somewhat surreal, probably an illusion.
In just a few months, the Akatsuki had transformed from an underground organization active within the borders of the Land of Rain into a powerful group capable of defeating a Ninja Village.
Hanzo, a hero of Amegakure, had also been captured alive by Byakuya.
They weren't sure why Hanzo had surrendered but one thing was certain: Hanzo had lost miserably when facing the higher-ups of the Akatsuki.
After checking the seals on Hanzo, Byakuya returned to Yahiko and the others.
Yahiko, unable to understand the situation, asked, "Byakuya, what happened after you were taken to Amegakure? How did you suddenly become Hanzo's disciple and even control the Salamander...? And what did you say to Hanzo to make him surrender?"
Hearing Yahiko's questions, Konan also looked at Byakuya. They had too many doubts they wanted to be answered.
Byakuya showed a mysterious expression, and cautiously glanced around, before answering.
"It was because of the will of Akatsuki. I firmly believe in the will of Akatsuki. It was this will that gave me the strength to see through Hanzo's schemes and successfully persuade Hanzo-sensei to surrender!"
Byakuya's answer was very formulaic, but it made Yahiko and Konan stunned for a moment. Will of Akatsuki? What the fuck this dude is so high on?!
Who in the organization didn't know that Byakuya was the least believer in Akatsuki's ideals? And wasn't it still just a conceptual stage? How did it suddenly become the will of Akatsuki...?
Moreover, such a thing as the will of Akatsuki couldn't possibly enhance one's strength.
Facing Yahiko and Konan's skeptical gazes, Byakuya looked innocent. He had clearly confided in his comrades, which was a display of immense courage, yet Yahiko and Konan simply didn't believe him.
His strength had indeed grown along with the development of Akatsuki. He was just being honest.
Feeling helpless, Byakuya slowly began to speak: "I told Hanzo-sensei that if he didn't surrender, I would control the Salamander to release its poison within Amegakure..."
Hearing this, Yahiko and Konan gasped but nodded in agreement.
Byakuya had actually used the lives of civilians to coerce Hanzo into surrendering. Although extremely cruel and inhumane, it was definitely something Byakuya would do.
After a brief pause, Byakuya continued, "As for the matters in Amegakure, I had spies planted in advance... I knew long ago that Hanzo planned to act against the Akatsuki, but you never believed me. It was also easy to fool Hanzo; all we needed was someone to use the Transformation Jutsu. As for provoking Hanzo into starting the war..."
"That's enough!"
Yahiko raised his hand to stop Byakuya from continuing. He didn't want to hear any more details from Byakuya.
Yahiko could tolerate Byakuya's boastful attitude, but provoking Hanzo into starting a war? Byakuya, weren't you supposed to be the victim? How could this have been premeditated?
If Byakuya continued, Yahiko might start doubting the true nature of the Akatsuki.
The Akatsuki was supposed to be a peace-loving organization advocating mutual understanding, but now it sounded sinister, like an underground terrorist organization.
"You were the one who asked..." Byakuya's eyes showed a hint of grievance.
Yahiko couldn't stand that look. However, things had already reached this point, and pursuing it further would be pointless.
At least, the Akatsuki was free from Amegakure's constraints and could now develop freely.
At this moment, Konan noticed that the path ahead wasn't leading back to the base. She asked, puzzled, "Yahiko, Byakuya, isn't this the route to the base?"
"Of course not. We're going to take over Amegakure. After defeating Hanzo of the Salamander, we are the rulers of the Land of Rain."
Byakuya and Yahiko nodded in agreement.
They both understood that after defeating Hanzo, Amegakure naturally fell under Akatsuki's control.
With Amegakure as a platform, they could better develop the Akatsuki.
---
A few hours later, Byakuya and the others arrived at Amegakure.
Looking at Amegakure, shrouded in rain, Yahiko felt a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Excitement because the Akatsuki would finally have a ninja village of their own. Anxiety because he wasn't sure if they could really manage a village, or even a country, in the future.
He still remembered everything Hanzo had said to him.
He worried that he might become the next Hanzo, only to be defeated by a future version of the Akatsuki, starting an endless cycle.
When they reached the gates of Amegakure, two factions were confronting each other.
Since Byakuya had been taken away by the Summoning Jutsu, the atmosphere in Amegakure had become tense. The ninjas representing the Akatsuki and Hanzo's factions were on the verge of conflict as if a battle could break out at any moment.
However, they all knew that the real outcome would be decided on the main battlefield.
So, both sides maintained their restraint.
At that moment, the two factions noticed Byakuya and the others leading the way.
The ninjas from Hanzo's faction knew their leader had been defeated, marking them as the losers.
However, Hanzo's defeat didn't necessarily mean their complete loss. As long as the village still existed, they would rely on it. They put down their weapons and greeted them with humble smiles, showing respect as they approached.
"Lord Byakuya, welcome, welcome!"
Byakuya glanced at them and said indifferently, "If you need anything, speak to Leader Yahiko. I'm very busy, so do not disturb me."
After speaking, Byakuya walked deeper into Amegakure, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Byakuya had little interest in dealing with opportunists.
Handling internal affairs was troublesome and offered little benefit. It was better to leave it to someone with more affinity like Yahiko. Byakuya preferred to remain a silent major stakeholder.
Moreover, Hanzo had accumulated a considerable amount of wealth over the years, all of which needed to be managed by his disciple.
After Byakuya left, the Amegakure jonin turned to Yahiko with a flattering expression and said, "Lord Yahiko, shall we have a discussion?"
Yahiko took a deep breath and nodded.
He knew this group were opportunists/bootlickers, but unlike Byakuya, he needed to start getting used to dealing with them. If not handled properly, this group would eventually become a hidden threat within the village.
He planned to use Akatsuki's rules to restrain these people's behavior and gradually reform Amegakure and the Land of Rain.
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