"I… I'll prepare it right away!" Konan hurried off, leaving Yahiko to stare after her, his face twitching. "Yahiko, are you crazy? Using Aka
"I… I'll prepare it right away!" Konan hurried off, leaving Yahiko to stare after her, his face twitching.
"Yahiko, are you crazy? Using Akatsuki as a gamble? He's an enemy of the Five Great Nations, a rogue ninja from Konoha. This goes against everything we stand for!" Nagato exploded.
They all knew Kai had helped them repeatedly.
But their differing ideologies meant they should be distancing themselves from him.
Yahiko's decision to hand over Akatsuki was reckless; it would irrevocably link Akatsuki to a rogue ninja organization.
Kosuke Maruboshi, Might Dai, and the others also turned to Yahiko, eager for an explanation.
"You think Akatsuki's goal is peace? But look at our journey – war, betrayal, even Hanzo, who we thought understood us, turned on us. To achieve peace, we need ideals and the strength to back them up. Only then will people listen," Yahiko said, his voice low, his fists clenched.
"And after spending time with him, I see Uchiha Kai isn't as the rumors portray him. You saw it too, Nagato."
"This is a worst-case scenario. If Hanzo genuinely wants us, Akatsuki remains under our leadership. And didn't you hear? He doesn't even want us as a gift."
His words hung in the air, eliciting varied reactions. The phrase "doesn't even want us as a gift" caused Nagato's face to twitch. He took several deep breaths to compose himself.
Clenching his fists, he gritted out, "Uchiha Kai, just you wait. I have the strongest Rinnegan in the world. I will surpass you, and then I will return this favor."
"Good. I'll do the same. But I'm starving. Let's eat before we go," Yahiko said, slapping Nagato on the shoulder with forced cheer. His words were cut short by a rumbling stomach.
Watching the two Akatsuki leaders bicker good-naturedly, Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Dai exchanged a silent look.
Their mission—infiltrating Akatsuki as Konoha ninjas—was risky. But it allowed them to witness a different side of Kai, a side hidden from the world. It was… unexpectedly tender.
"Don't forget our mission," the medic ninja, who had remained largely silent, reminded them.
"Relax, we haven't forgotten," Kosuke sighed, following Might Dai towards Kai's quarters.
Konan had arranged for Kai to stay in a "luxury" tent, second only to the leaders. After teasing Konan relentlessly, sending her fleeing from the tent in a fluster, Kai turned to the entrance.
"Since you're here, why not come in? You have something to say, right?" Kai smiled warmly.
"Haha, your methods are impressive. No wonder they call you Konoha's greatest prodigy, the one closest to the First Hokage," Kosuke Maruboshi chuckled as he entered.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter me. If I'm not mistaken, you're here as messengers for the Third Hokage."
"He wants you to attend the Five Kage Summit, likely to return the tailed beasts."
Kosuke's smile faltered. He sighed. "Uchiha Kai, you're not only powerful, but also incredibly perceptive."
"But you know the Third Hokage's decision is to prevent a catastrophic war. Four of the Five Great Nations are already hostile towards you. You're incredibly strong, but you can't fight everyone at once. If they declare war, Konoha's position will be compromised, and you'll become a target. You'll be in mortal danger."
Kosuke looked at Kai with urgency, hoping his words would sway him.
"Damn old fool, get out! The Boss isn't giving those hateful things back!" A voice roared from within Kai's cloak.
Three-Tails, a small, furious beast, emerged. Kosuke and the others were shocked to see not only Three-Tails, but also Two-Tails, Four-Tails, and Seven-Tails.
They knew Kai was capturing tailed beasts, but they never expected him to have four, unsealed, and seemingly as pets in just ten days. This was unheard of.
"What? If the Boss hadn't told me to be calm, I'd have already ripped you to shreds," Three-Tails snarled, shaking its head before turning to Kai. "Boss, did I do well? Um… you have more of those, right?"
Kai rolled his eyes at the now-completely-unhinged Three-Tails. He reached into a spatial scroll, producing a small bag of dried fish. He tossed it into the air.
The onlookers watched, stunned, as the supposedly ferocious tailed beasts scrambled to catch the fish.
Kosuke and the others rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
"Kimimaro, play with them," Kai tossed a larger bag of fish to Kimimaro.
The sounds of Three-Tails' boisterous threats echoed outside. The tent fell silent.
Kai looked calmly at Kosuke and the others.
You've seen it. If shinobi didn't covet the tailed beasts' power, they wouldn't be resentful. There wouldn't be rampages.
I'm just restoring balance. If you want them back and that causes a war, bring it on. I'll flatten the shinobi world.
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