Chapter 411: Identity Exposed
"I need to discuss this with my companions before I give you an answer," Mugetsu said, refusing to state his position immediately.
The Amegakure shinobi understood and withdrew to a respectful distance.
"Uncle Sosuke, I think this is a perfect chance," Yahiko said, excitement shining in his eyes. "If we cooperate, we can spread the Shinobi Sect's ideals across the Land of Rain much faster, and reach peace sooner."
He was not saying it just because he admired Lord Hanzo. Yahiko genuinely believed this was an opportunity they could not ignore.
Amegakure was the strongest shinobi force in the Land of Rain. Even in the wider shinobi world, it stood among the strongest powers beneath the Five Great Shinobi Villages. And Lord Hanzo himself was a top tier expert. If cooperation truly happened as written in the scroll, the Shinobi Sect's influence would rise by leaps and bounds.
After all, Amegakure was the official force of the Land of Rain. Deep cooperation between the Shinobi Sect and Amegakure would be close to gaining official recognition. In other words, the Shinobi Sect would no longer be merely a group of wandering shinobi with ideals. It would be acknowledged by the Land of Rain itself.
If Lord Hanzo had invited Akatsuki instead of the Shinobi Sect, Yahiko felt he would have agreed on the spot.
"Lord Hanzo is the Demigod," a Shinobi Sect member beside Yahiko said, voice full of awe.
Yahiko's words quickly gained the approval of most of the room. Many believed this was a golden opportunity, not just for the Shinobi Sect, but for all of them.
Nearby, Kakuzu watched the excitement with a mocking expression.
With his experience, he sensed something off immediately. This so called cooperation carried the smell of a trap.
"Even if it sounds good, it still feels strange," Ikechou said after thinking it through, finally voicing his doubts.
"If the Shinobi Sect is a child with talent far beyond ordinary people, then Amegakure is already a famous expert. No matter how highly an expert thinks of a child, would they really place them on equal footing and propose cooperation?"
His reasoning was clear.
If Amegakure offered subsidies or support, Ikechou would not find it strange. At most, he would say Lord Hanzo had vision and saw the Shinobi Sect's future potential.
But the scroll did not read like charity. It treated the Shinobi Sect as an equal entity, asking them to cooperate with Amegakure to maintain peace across the entire Land of Rain.
That felt like an overestimate of what the Shinobi Sect currently was.
They did not even have a hundred members. The strength inside the sect was uneven. If you excluded Mugetsu and a few exceptional figures, the Shinobi Sect was still only a promise of the future.
After Ikechou spoke, several Shinobi Sect members froze.
Not because they disliked him, but because he made sense.
"It does feel too good to be true," some of the former rogue shinobi murmured, their excitement cooling as they thought more carefully.
When the pie looks too big, it is usually bait.
Yahiko shook his head and pushed back immediately.
"I think that comparison underestimates the Shinobi Sect, and it also underestimates Lord Hanzo's magnanimity," he said firmly. "Maybe Lord Hanzo wants to help us grow faster so the Land of Rain can reach peace sooner."
Yahiko was not easily swayed. He had his own convictions.
He admitted Ikechou's logic was reasonable. Still, Yahiko believed that excessive caution could make you miss the one chance that changes everything. Sometimes, you had to step forward first, then carve out the path with your own hands.
When the Three Sannin fought Lord Hanzo, everyone else avoided them, terrified of being caught in a clash between monsters.
But Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan still searched for the Sannin.
In the end, they met Jiraiya, learned from him, and gained strength that could carry their dream.
As Yahiko recalled that experience, the atmosphere shifted again.
"You finally landed one, boss," Kyusuke said, giving Yahiko a thumbs up.
Yahiko's words made Kyusuke feel hot blooded. For a moment, he wanted to accept the cooperation immediately and rush straight toward the dream of peace in the Land of Rain.
"Even shinobi from enemy villages, as long as they show admirable qualities, Lord Hanzo will spare them and even help them gain fame," Yahiko continued, eyes bright, chest lifted with sincere confidence.
"We are not Amegakure shinobi, but we are shinobi of the Land of Rain. We are from the same country as Lord Hanzo. Would he be harsher on us than on enemies?"
A Shinobi Sect member nodded. "I do not worship Lord Hanzo, but his character is known to be solid."
Lord Hanzo's reputation was built on his strength and his achievements, but also on the way he carried himself.
Ikechou opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He could not refute Yahiko cleanly.
Because Yahiko had already acknowledged the part that did not fit common sense, and then anchored everything on one truth that Ikechou could not easily break.
Lord Hanzo was widely trusted.
To defeat Yahiko's stance, Ikechou would have to prove that Lord Hanzo was not trustworthy.
And Ikechou could not do that.
The only stain people could point to was the Land of Rain's chaos after the war. But even that was not truly blamed on Lord Hanzo. Lord Hanzo had fought like a legend. The ones who collapsed were the shinobi beneath him.
So even that criticism lost its sharpness.
Kakuzu's mocking smile deepened.
To him, Yahiko was naive to the point of comedy.
"Nagato, what do you think?" Mugetsu suddenly asked, turning to him.
The room's attention shifted at once.
Nagato went from unnoticed to the center of the room in a single breath, and he looked overwhelmed.
"I think it is fine," Nagato said after steadying himself, hesitating only briefly.
He was not agreeing because Yahiko wanted it. He had reached the conclusion on his own.
Pain did not mean inflicting greater pain, or pursuing revenge until both sides drowned.
Pain could also mean communication and understanding. Letting both sides feel each other's suffering, then learning to recognize one another as human.
Nagato believed this cooperation could help the Shinobi Sect understand Amegakure, and help Amegakure understand the Shinobi Sect.
That would be a meaningful step toward peace in the Land of Rain.
"Nagato, I knew we thought the same," Yahiko said, laughing as he threw an arm around Nagato's shoulder.
He had stayed quiet earlier because he did not want to influence Nagato's judgment.
"Since we have different opinions, we will vote anonymously," Mugetsu said after thinking for a moment. "The result will decide whether we accept Lord Hanzo's cooperation."
Everyone nodded.
Each person wrote their stance on a slip of paper and placed it into a simple wooden box that Mugetsu had made by hand. When the voting ended, Mugetsu counted the results and announced them.
"Those in favor of cooperating with Lord Hanzo: forty five," Mugetsu said. "Those against: twenty nine."
Yahiko smiled in satisfaction.
Ikechou let out a quiet sigh.
Kakuzu's face was full of mockery.
In truth, most of them could guess the result before the count. After Yahiko's speech, many had clearly been moved.
Mugetsu approached the Amegakure shinobi.
"Our Shinobi Sect is willing to work with Amegakure to protect the peace of the Land of Rain."
"That is excellent news," the Amegakure shinobi said, not lingering for even a moment. "I will report to Lord Hanzo immediately."
He left quickly.
Ikechou walked to Mugetsu's side. Even with the decision made, the unease in his chest did not fade.
"Teacher Sosuke," Ikechou whispered, "you can call me overly cautious, but I truly feel this cooperation may hide a scheme."
Mugetsu did not dismiss him. He smiled calmly.
"Caution is not a flaw. Even if we cooperate, we will stay vigilant."
Ikechou finally felt a little relief.
Mugetsu was the core of the Shinobi Sect. As long as he kept a clear head, the sect would not be swept away by excitement.
"Can you really not see something this obvious?" Kakuzu walked over and spoke bluntly. "It seems I truly overestimated you."
"Are you starting to care about the Shinobi Sect's safety now?" Mugetsu asked with a quiet chuckle, unconcerned by Kakuzu's tone.
"The Shinobi Sect's fate has nothing to do with me," Kakuzu said darkly. "But if you die, who will undo the seal on me?"
He had tried many methods to break the Sealing Technique inside him. All had failed.
Kakuzu had to admit it. Even if Mugetsu's ideals were naive, his strength was anything but. And in Sealing Technique, he was absolutely top tier.
"You do not need me to undo it," Mugetsu said, calmly revealing the weakness of his own seal. "You only need to wait until the Sealing Technique runs out of power. Then it will release on its own."
Kakuzu's eyes sharpened. "How long?"
"About fifteen years," Mugetsu replied with a faint smile.
Kakuzu's face darkened even further.
Fifteen years sealed.
Forget making money. Whether he could even survive that long was another question.
Feeling as if Mugetsu had toyed with him, Kakuzu snorted and stalked away to brood.
But he had no choice but to return later, because Mugetsu taught Sealing Technique again that day.
Kakuzu wanted to learn it, hoping to find a crack, an insight, anything that would let him break free.
That evening, Mugetsu called Nagato to a house filled with dense, intricate jutsu formulas.
Nagato looked around curiously at the special room.
"This is a barrier," Mugetsu explained simply. "It is here to prevent accidents."
Nagato nodded, not dwelling on it.
"Eat first," Mugetsu said, gesturing toward the ramen on the table. "Training goes better with a full stomach."
Nagato wanted to say he had already eaten grilled fish with Yahiko and the others, and he was not hungry.
But he remembered the impossible taste of Mugetsu's ramen from last time.
So he swallowed his words, sat down, and finished the bowl quickly.
It was strange.
Normally, if he was full, even delicious food would not tempt him. And even if he ate it, it would not feel special.
But Mugetsu's ramen was different.
Even when he was not hungry, he wanted it, and it still tasted just as incredible.
As Mugetsu collected the empty bowl, he spoke abruptly.
"My name is not Sosuke."
Nagato froze, then looked up in confusion.
In truth, a name did not matter much to him. A name was only a label. The person behind it was what counted.
"My name is Hayate Mugetsu," Mugetsu said. "And I am a Konoha shinobi."
Then he released his Transformation Technique, revealing his true appearance.
Trust built on deception was never true trust.
If it were not for the troubles his real identity brought, Mugetsu would never have wanted to take disciples while hiding behind a false face.
From the beginning, he had planned to tell Nagato the truth after the master disciple bond was established.
Because the more Nagato trusted him, the greater the damage would be when the truth surfaced.
Being deceived by a stranger might cause anger for a day.
Being deceived by the person you trusted most could shatter someone fragile completely.
Nagato's expression turned blank with confusion. Too much had been revealed in too little time.
A teacher of the Shinobi Sect was suddenly a Konoha shinobi.
Even his face had been fake.
"Why?" Nagato had countless questions, but in the end, they collapsed into a single word.
Mugetsu met his gaze steadily.
"I know you have many questions," he said. "I will answer them one by one."
"First, what I have done has nothing to do with Konoha. Traveling through the Land of Rain, creating the Shinobi Sect, all of it is my personal choice."
"I came to the Land of Rain for the same reason I told everyone. I want peace. But in Konoha, it would be extremely difficult to promote the plan I want to carry out."
"This is not because Konoha is bad, or because the Land of Fire is bad," Mugetsu continued. "Konoha and the Land of Fire are peaceful."
"But Konoha is too strong. If the Shinobi Sect were promoted in the Land of Fire, it would be met with a ruthless strike from Konoha."
Mugetsu was not exaggerating. Even with his current strength, it would be difficult to cause real upheaval in the Land of Fire.
The Land of Fire's strength was overwhelming, not only because of Konoha, but also because of the many other shinobi forces tied to it.
"And if I acted in the Land of Rain while openly wearing Konoha's identity," Mugetsu said with a quiet sigh, "Konoha would move against me, and Amegakure would also see it as provocation."
"That is why I hid myself and founded the Shinobi Sect under the name Sosuke."
"I did not want to deceive everyone with a false identity," he said, voice calm but heavy. "But my identity is troublesome."
Mugetsu did not mention Uchiha Madara or any deeper intelligence.
For Nagato, knowing that now would change nothing. It would only weigh him down further. And if Nagato showed even the slightest abnormality, it could make the enemy far more vigilant.
"Nagato," Mugetsu said, looking directly into his eyes, sincerity clear in his gaze. "I hope you can keep this secret for now."
"I want to interact with the Shinobi Sect as myself," he admitted. "But the timing is not right yet."
Nagato's expression shifted again and again. His feelings were tangled.
Mugetsu using a false name did not bother him.
But when Mugetsu dropped the Transformation Technique, anger and suspicion rose before Nagato could stop them. For a moment, it felt like everything about Sosuke might have been fabricated.
Then Mugetsu explained, clearly, patiently, without dodging a single point.
And after that, he asked Nagato to keep the secret.
Nagato slowly realized something.
Hayate Mugetsu and Sosuke felt the same.
The face had changed, but the presence had not.
He still felt that elegant, gentle teacher in front of him.
And the fact that Mugetsu chose to reveal this secret to him alone made Nagato feel something even heavier than confusion.
Trust.
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