Mastermind of the Akatsuki

"A true puppet master can control their puppets without chakra threads; your understanding of puppet techniques is shallow," Sasori said, his tone edged with disdain.

Upon hearing this, Shinnō and Orochimaru both fell silent. Sasori was right—they had indeed underestimated the full scope of puppet mastery, assuming that chakra threads were the only method. Shinnō's loss, therefore, wasn't entirely unwarranted.

Yet, Orochimaru was intrigued. If he had the chance, he'd love to uncover the mechanism behind Sasori's remote control. How Sasori managed it remained a mystery, sparking a hint of curiosity in him.

Noticing their silence, Sasori felt a surge of satisfaction. He recalled his own sense of frustration years ago when he first saw Byakuya controlling puppets remotely, surpassing even Sasori's own expertise. As a puppeteer himself, realizing someone had exceeded his skills in his own field nearly shattered his ambitions. But after years of study and innovation, Sasori had finally managed to master similar techniques.

With Byakuya's continued funding, Sasori could keep pushing his research, bringing him closer to his lifelong dream of becoming the greatest puppet master in the ninja world—a dream tied to the hopes his parents once held for him.

Several years ago, his only goals had been to achieve immortality and to take revenge on Konoha. But spending time with Byakuya had altered his perspective. Byakuya had spoken of experimental efforts within the organization to resurrect the dead. If the project succeeded, Sasori might even have a chance to revive his parents, whom he'd lost in childhood.

Returning to the present, Sasori refocused on the task Byakuya had given him. Moving to Shinnō's side, he spoke coldly, "Shinnō, you've lost. As a loser, you have no choice in this. Will you hand over the technology for the Handheld Kunai Launcher willingly, or would you rather have us forcibly extract the memories from your mind?"

"Just the Handheld Kunai Launcher technology?" Shinnō's eyes widened in slight surprise. "The plans are in the village. I'll have someone bring them to you. After that, will you let me go?"

Only minutes ago, Shinnō had appeared as the steadfast leader of the Sky Ninja. But when his life was on the line, his demeanor quickly softened. Hearing that Sasori only wanted the Handheld Kunai Launcher relieved him, as that weapon wasn't particularly advanced within Sky Ninja technology.

The Handheld Kunai Launcher might seem innovative to the nations of the ninja world, but in Sky Ninja Village, it was standard fare. The ninjas of his village, though generally weak and of low rank, excelled in chakra technology and the development of chakra-based weaponry. More than two decades ago, they had even constructed a floating fortress. If not for energy shortages, they might not have lost their previous battle with Konoha. Ever since, Shinnō had been searching for a permanent energy solution.

At that moment, Orochimaru interjected, "And let's not forget the Body Revival Technique."

Sasori frowned. "The Body Revival Technique wasn't part of our mission. I'm against you taking it," he remarked, taking the opportunity to hinder Orochimaru's plans, though he wasn't exactly sure what the technique was.

Orochimaru glanced at Sasori before speaking, "The leader didn't mention it, but I'm sure he wouldn't oppose us doing this. Don't you want to contribute to the organization?"

Sasori hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Including the Body Revival Technique, but it must be handed to me directly. Once I give it to the leader, let him decide what to do next."

Hearing this, Orochimaru was still a little dissatisfied, but he nodded. As long as the Body Revival Technique was in Byakuya's hands, it would be easy for Orochimaru to obtain it later. He could simply exchange some of his research results to get it.

After hearing the exchange between Sasori and Orochimaru, Shinnō asked with confusion, "Orochimaru, how do ninjas like you willingly serve under someone else? Is he really that strong?"

Sasori and Orochimaru exchanged a glance and nodded, "The leader is extremely strong, strong enough to be our leader, but that probably has nothing to do with you."

"Not entirely unrelated..." Shinnō forced a smile and said, "Sasori, Orochimaru, would you be willing to introduce me? I'd like to join your organization."

At Shinnō's suggestion, both Sasori and Orochimaru fell into thought.

They often heard Byakuya complain about the lack of personnel in the organization. Given Shinnō's strength and influence, he was qualified to join Akatsuki. However, they had only just created an enmity with Shinnō, and they wondered whether his joining might cause unnecessary problems in the future.

After much contemplation, Sasori and Orochimaru didn't immediately agree to Shinnō's request. Instead, Sasori touched the ring on his finger and used a Genjutsu to remotely contact Byakuya.

---

Land of Snow.

After the remote conversation ended, Byakuya lay leisurely on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

An hour earlier, he had received a mission report from Orochimaru and Sasori. The report stated that the two had reached Sky Ninja Village and obtained the related data on the Handheld Kunai Launcher's manufacturing.

They also reported having defeated Shinnō, who had opened the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates.

Byakuya was not surprised that Shinnō had mastered the Eight Gates of Konoha. Although the Eight Gates was a forbidden technique from Konoha, its secrecy was not as high as other forbidden jutsu, similar to the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

The reason was simple—these two techniques didn't pose much threat to the ninja world. Even if the enemy acquired them, it wouldn't be a major issue. The only real danger was the physical toll they took on the user.

For example, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique allowed for the creation of many clones, but all the memories and fatigue were passed back to the user, and most ninjas couldn't handle it. It often led to mental exhaustion or even dementia.

As for the Eight Gates, it literally burned the user's life away for minimal return. In the time spent training to open the Eight Gates, a ninja could learn other secret techniques much faster. Body techniques were ultimately only a last-resort method for combat.

It wasn't until Might Dai single-handedly defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist that this technique gained some attention. Then, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, a monster like Might Guy, who rivaled someone like Madara with nothing but his human body, made an even greater impact.

At the end of the video call, Byakuya learned of Shinnō's request to join the Akatsuki organization.

For this request, Byakuya had no reason to refuse. Even if Shinnō might eventually leave the organization, the rewards would not be returned.

An opportunity to exploit the system was too good to pass up.

Snapping back from his wandering thoughts, Byakuya heard the familiar system notification sound.

[Shinnō has joined Akatsuki. You have obtained Dark Medical Ninjutsu, Body Revival Technique.]

[Sky Ninja Village has joined Akatsuki. You have received Kunai Gun manufacturing data, aircraft manufacturing data, and basic chakra fragments.]