章節 39: 39 - When Victory Tastes Like Ash
The negotiation took place in the core area of Ame, at the residence of Hanzō. He had even prepared a large room resembling a conference room, setting up tables around it to recreate the atmosphere of the Five Kage Summit from the original storyline.
However, there were only three parties this time: Hanzō, Akatsuki, and Ōnoki with two of his subordinates. To add formality or perhaps exert pressure, Ōnoki arrived in his full Tsuchikage attire, removing his conical hat with the kanji for 'Earth' and placing it on the table.
Shin noticed that Hanzō's gaze darkened slightly as he looked at that hat, his breathing apparatus hissing a bit more sharply.
There might have been a time when Hanzō dreamt of leading Ame into the ranks of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. But those dreams were buried in the last shinobi war. His ambition has gone stale, like rain-soaked paper that never dried.
Behind his mask, Hanzō spoke in a low voice, "We've gathered here today to resolve some previous misunderstandings. I ask that you extend me this courtesy."
He attempted to leverage his authority, yet Ōnoki was not at all receptive. Without even a glance at the Salamander, he fixed a murderous glare on Shin. "Where is Kitsuchi? What did you do with him?"
Shin responded with a relaxed smile. "Don't worry, Tsuchikage-sama. Your son is safe, and if all goes well, you'll see him alive and whole this afternoon. I guarantee it."
The threat lay in the spaces between his words, in the gentle emphasis on 'if all goes well'.
Even though Ōnoki was angry, he restrained himself and didn't lash out. A vein pulsed visibly at his temple as he sharply asked, "What do you want? Spit it out!"
This further irked Hanzō, who frowned at being sidelined. He was supposed to be the main character of this negotiation, to assert his authority and protect Akatsuki while deterring Ōnoki. Yet now, he seemed almost unnecessary. Have I nurtured vipers in my garden?
He couldn't quite grasp what was happening. Since Ōnoki had been summoned by one of his own shinobi a few days ago, things had started feeling out of control. Initially, he had felt a sense of pride, believing his protégés had made a strong stand against the arrogant Ōnoki.
But now, as he watched the boy face down a Kage without flinching, he realized these youngsters weren't just seeking pride—they had done far more, making it clear they no longer needed his protection.
With a heavy gaze, Hanzō watched Shin and Ōnoki exchange words, witnessing how the boy parried every verbal blow Ōnoki delivered, leaving him defenseless.
"We have three simple conditions, Tsuchikage-sama," Shin said respectfully. "First, about your presence in the Land of Rain..."
"You dare make demands of a Kage?" Ōnoki cut in.
Even Hanzō could now see that this boy held the reins of the negotiation firmly. At first, he felt a flicker of pride and relief. But as the negotiation continued, his pride turned to silence, then discomfort, and finally a growing wariness.
His personality remained true to the original story until Shin's carefully crafted letters of praise began to soften his stance.
Yet as Akatsuki grew in power, Hanzō's competitive nature surfaced once again.
By the end of the negotiation, Shin had forced Ōnoki to retreat, not only securing an agreement for Iwa to withdraw from the Land of Rain but also managing to extort him in the process.
However, when he caught Hanzō's gaze, he gave the Salamander a smile. It became clear to Shin that his efforts from the past year were finally reaching their limit; flattery alone would no longer suffice.
Shin realized that Akatsuki's growth had become the biggest obstacle to reconciliation with Hanzō. Any exhilaration from the victory vanished as he understood that their development now threatened their relationship with Hanzō. The room felt colder suddenly. We've outgrown his shadow faster than expected. Now he sees us as competition rather than children.
Finally, Ōnoki conceded, slumping slightly in his chair, "I agree to your terms. I hope you'll keep your end of the bargain as well."
It was clear he wasn't giving up on his plan to ambush the Third Raikage, his vendetta deep enough to take some losses for Akatsuki's silence.
Previously, Shin might have felt relieved at this outcome. But now, he simply gave a cold nod. "Then from now on, I expect Iwa to refrain from interfering in the Land of Rain's affairs."
Ōnoki grunted with dissatisfaction, but Shin pushed further, leaning forward slightly, "I need you to make a commitment, Tsuchikage-sama, right here, right now."
"Fine, I'll keep out of your Land of Rain's mess. Is that good enough?"
Although he didn't understand the insistence, Shin wanted to leave a lasting impression—one that would remind Ōnoki of his firm stance and sharp gaze whenever major events unfolded in the future.
After the negotiation, to ease Ōnoki's mood and prolong the current shinobi war, Shin even provided him with a tip. "Tsuchikage-sama, you're using the supply route through Kusa for your assault on Konoha, right?"
"What are you getting at, kid?"
"Don't worry; we've always said Akatsuki has no interest in being your enemy. I'm just reminding you that a single supply line could easily be targeted, especially since the enemy has a highly mobile unit you can't easily handle."
With those words, Shin walked to the door. He was already strategizing how to escalate the war. He could feel the Salamander's suspicious gaze boring into his back as the Tsuchikage's barely contained fury filled the air.
Let the war continue. The longer it burns, the stronger we grow. The door closed behind him with a soft click.
After the negotiations concluded, Hanzō politely invited Shin and his companions to stay for a meal. Out of respect for the Salamander, the Akatsuki members agreed.
Before the banquet began, Nagato quietly asked Shin, "Regarding the ninjutsu scrolls we obtained from our transaction with Iwa, should we transcribe some and offer them to Hanzō?"
After studying under Shin for several months, he had developed a bit of social tact, unlike before when he only knew to send Hanzō a letter once every two years under Yahiko's direction.
However, this time, Shin unexpectedly rejected the suggestion, saying, "No need. Unless he brings it up, we don't need to give him anything of ours."
Both Nagato and Konan were a bit puzzled by Shin's restraint. This seemed inconsistent with his usual approach.
Shin simply patted Nagato's shoulder without explaining further. "Don't relax just yet; our real challenge has just begun."
In the past, he could appease Hanzō just by flattering him with letters, mainly because Akatsuki was weak enough to disguise itself as a fledgling bird in need of protection. Now, however, their wings were spread wide across the skies, and no amount of humility could rekindle Hanzō's nurturing feelings.
This was initially only Shin's own judgment. However, on the way back after the meal, his suspicion received confirmation from the system.
[After evaluation, the system has analyzed that your future has the following probabilities:
30.1% chance of death in 189 days, cause: combined attack from Hanzō, Root, and Black Zetsu;
22.3% chance of death in 201 days, cause: sneak attack by Black Zetsu, leading to death as a tool to spur Nagato's descent into darkness;
14.0% chance of death in 903 days, cause: serious injury in the Land of Rain, captured by Root, eventually escaping during the Nine-Tails rampage only to die under the Nine-Tails' claws;
10.9% chance of death in 6,804 days, cause: wandering the shinobi world post-Nine-Tails rampage, killed during Pain's Tailed Beast Hunt;
8.6% chance of death in 6,952 days, cause: after prolonged conflict with Pain, killed by Obito after Nagato's suicide in the Land of Rain alongside Konan;
7.3% chance of death in 7,083 days, cause: after battling Obito and Black Zetsu multiple times, ultimately killed by Madara during the Fourth Shinobi War;
6.8% chance of death in 31,330 days, cause: natural death.]
As Shin read through each probability, his fingers clenched involuntarily. So this is the price of playing on the grand stage. Black Zetsu, Obito, Madara... the real monsters finally notice me.
His previous hard-won 7.9% chance of dying of old age had even dropped by 1.1%.
For the past six months, despite his apparent influence in the Land of Rain, the actual impact he made in the larger shinobi world was minuscule. Like ripples in a pond that hadn't yet reached the shore.
In this grand theater, the main actors were still the five great villages. In the past, he didn't even qualify to attract the attention of those truly pulling the strings.
Only Hanzō and Danzō were enough to fully control his fate.
But now, after forcing Ōnoki to concede, Shin claimed his place on the grand stage of the shinobi world.
And so, he entered the view of the masterminds behind the scenes. The real players whose schemes spanned decades, not mere months or years.
Not long ago, he had told Nagato that the real challenge was only beginning.
"How ironic," he muttered, smirking. "Half a year of effort, just to qualify to be in your schemes."
Shin laughed at himself, looking up at the sky, and with a raised middle finger aimed at the moon, he seemed to be cursing fate, the mastermind, and that woman behind it all.
"You want me in your schemes? Fine. I'll rewrite them all." No more time for gentle guidance. We need teeth before they bare their fangs.
How difficult it was just to survive.
That night, he spent the whole night alone under the moonlight on the way back.
Nagato and Konan didn't understand his sudden despair; they had just overcome the crisis with Iwa, giving Akatsuki new life and significant benefits.
Shin did not take the time to explain much to them.
However, everyone in Akatsuki could clearly sense that something had changed in Shin, as if he had unlocked a switch or lifted some internal restriction, allowing him to fully unleash himself.
If Shin had previously been rebellious, now he was openly undermining Yahiko, inserting himself into every decision within Akatsuki. Each meeting became a battlefield of ideologies, with Shin's pragmatism clashing against Yahiko's idealism.
"Every member must be ready for war," Shin declared during one session.
"War? Against whom?" a member asked worriedly.
"Against everyone." Let them choose now, before the storm hits.
He began reforming Akatsuki without hiding his ambition, with measures so aggressive they could almost be called militaristic. New training regimens were implemented, missions were restructured, and the organization's peaceful facade began to crack under the weight of his preparations.
This intensity even frightened Nagato and Konan, who were close to him. They watched as their friend drove himself and the organization to its limits, like a man possessed by some terrible knowledge.
A few nights later, Konan entered Shin's office, holding a bowl of soup. "Take a break. I brought you a midnight snack."
Only then did Shin look up, his eyes bloodshot. Of all people, she might understand. But first...
"Thank you, Konan," he replied hoarsely.
"Don't push yourself so hard. Aren't things going well now? What exactly are you so worried about?"
Shin was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is Nagato in the base?"
Konan shook her head. "He's training the new recruits."
Shin relaxed, knowing that without Zetsu present, they could speak freely—at least for now.
"You think things are fine now because you haven't seen the crisis. Trust me—Akatsuki is on the brink of disaster"
Konan's eyes widened in shock. Based on their six months together, she knew to take his warning seriously. "What crisis?"
"There cannot be two protectors in the Land of Rain." And Hanzō will never accept being the weaker one.
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