Makoto was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say.
He wanted to refute Tobi, but the premise of refuting Tobi was to first refute Hanami, and that was something he could not do.
'Damn hateful, damn cunning, this mysterious ninja lord with the swirling mask, actually hiding behind the woman I love.'
But… thinking it over, he still turned to Hanami, his gaze firm, carrying a sense of seriousness.
"Hanami, you're saying this because of me, right?"
"You don't want me to leave my family, to suffer the hardship of drifting around, right?"
"With a family like yours, there's nothing worth holding on to, if you keep staying, you'll only be hurt even more! But, you think, my mother and father still love me, and I shouldn't give everything up for you, right?"
"You also think you'll bring me trouble, so you don't want to be my burden, you'd rather hurt yourself just to let me go free, right?"
"But Hanami, I don't want you to be like this."
Hanami stared blankly at her man, speaking with such certainty. For a moment she felt powerless to refute.
Because she really was thinking like that when she made such a suggestion.
In fact, anyone could see, even if the ninja lord they met could fly, come across the sea, looking extremely powerful, but with just a few people, how could they possibly interfere with an entire country?
Some situations, perhaps even the Mizukage and the Daimyō themselves wanting to change them, still could not be changed.
Hanami's eyes dodged slightly, she couldn't help but lower her head a little, shifting her gaze away.
She whispered, "Makoto, if we haven't tried, why can't we try?"
Makoto, while moved, also felt heartache, "But if it really comes to that, what will happen to you?"
"Besides, I can feel it, that ninja lord named Yahiko, the things he promises, he really will do. If he really promises you, really does it, then what? Are we to let just a few of them face the entire Kirigakure?"
"Although I trust Lord Yahiko, I can't let him throw his life away."
At the side, Yahiko was listening, and suddenly wanted to give his own opinion.
Actually, he, and the Akatsuki organization he founded, were already very strong now. Even if the organization went against Kirigakure, full-scale war, in the end, it would definitely be Kirigakure who suffered.
But, hearing is one thing, seeing is believing. Before something happened, indeed, no one dared imagine such a situation of just a few people against a great ninja village.
So, he also didn't know how to explain.
In truth, when Hanami first gave that suggestion, he had already wavered.
This time, Akatsuki had practically mobilized almost everyone, coming out as a full team.
Even if it was a situation a hundred times scarier than making the people of the Land of Water live happily, it wasn't impossible to give it a try.
Thinking this, he firmly said, "Perhaps, you really can believe in us this once."
Damn, now the situation flipped, it became three against one.
Makoto grew anxious at once.
"Lord Yahiko, you, there's no need to risk your life just for the two of us mere commoners. You still have companions, and people you treasure, you must not act recklessly in the Land of Water."
But Yahiko only smiled, "My companions are all stronger than me. I can believe in them. So, can you believe in me?"
At that, Makoto was completely speechless. He could only dejectedly say, "Since Lord Yahiko has said so, then I believe you."
"Just that…"
At this point, Makoto's eyes turned hateful.
"Hanami cannot go back to that home of hers. Lord Yahiko, I beg you to help deal with Hanami's matter, otherwise, I must take her away."
Actually, Yahiko had also noticed the wounds on the girl's face and body beside the boy. A faint sense of unease stirred in his heart, so he asked, "What exactly happened?"
Makoto then briefly explained how Hanami's father beat his wife to death in domestic violence, and then also hit his daughter.
After listening, most of the Akatsuki members, out of the most basic sense of justice, grew furious. The first to speak, however, was Sasori, hiding inside Hiruko.
His tone was mocking.
"So, being exploited all along, suffering oppression and injustice, instead of seeking out stronger ones to resist, he vents on his own wife and daughter? Truly a piece of human trash."
Unlike him, he never killed nobodies.
The Third Kazekage caused war, which killed his parents. So he sharpened his blades straight for the Third. Either don't act, but if you act, go directly for the culprit.
Kakuzu nodded in agreement. Back then, the village had ordered him to assassinate the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama. Even knowing he'd surely die, he still went. After returning alive to the village, he was betrayed.
Was his grievance small?
But even with grievances that huge, he never turned his blade on innocent villagers. Instead, he chose to directly seize the most precious possessions of the higher-ups, unleash Earth Grudge Fear, and then slaughter the higher-ups, defecting.
And besides, what are innocent villagers worth, a few coins? It's only named and famed higher-ups that fetch big bounties on the black market.
Of course, thinking that, Kakuzu kept reminding himself, stay peaceful and calm. What he did now earned more than killing and robbing. Killing a top-tier ninja was only thirty million ryō, but selling a few chakra converters.
For brighter money prospects, he must stick to Akatsuki's ideology. No one was more loyal to peace than him.
He spoke up, "That kind of man can be killed. Even if it can't be traded on the black market. Making everyone happy, especially making Konan happy, that's what matters most."
Kakuzu had noticed, among Akatsuki, the angriest one was Konan. She was so angry she couldn't even speak for a moment. How could that be allowed?
If Konan's body got worn down from anger, what if their explosive tag production dropped?
Thanks to Kakuzu breaking in, Konan finally calmed herself somewhat. Papers around her flew up, swirling all around, as she spoke coldly.
"Kakuzu's right. That kind of scum, just kill him, once and for all."
At this point, even Yahiko could no longer try to empathize with that kind of man, saying things like people should understand each other.
Because he realized, some people really weren't worth trying to understand.
He looked at Hanami, "Then our business plan will be delayed. First we'll deal with your father."
But Hanami showed a trace of reluctance. She believed, with a group of ninja lords, killing her father, an ordinary man, would certainly be easy.
But after all, that was her father.
At this moment, Makoto grabbed Hanami's hand and said, "Hanami, this time you have to listen to me, and also to the ninja lords."
"Think of your mother. Then think of yourself. You don't need to carry any guilt. If I had the strength, I would've acted long ago."
Hanami hesitated again and again, finally she took a deep breath, and nodded.
Seeing this, Tobi decided to cool everyone's temper and said, "Let's first make some disguises, and sneak into Kirigakure. If we go too high-profile, in the end it will implicate these two kids. After all, unlike us, they don't have strength. After doing something, they can't just pat their butts and walk away."
Yahiko thought that made sense, and turned to Makoto, "Can you help us find a few civilian clothes? Wearing what we are now is too eye-catching."
Makoto nodded, "If it were something else, maybe difficult. But just coarse hemp clothes like ours, that's simple."
"Come with me."
After speaking, Makoto took the lead in showing the way…
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