Mastermind of the Akatsuki

[Tetsuka joined the Akatsuki organization. You gained Sharingan power, Uchiha bloodline, Yin Release chakra...] 

[Izumi joined the Akatsuki organization. You gained Sharingan power, Uchiha bloodline, Fire Release chakra...] 

[Itachi joined the Akatsuki organization. You gained Mangekyō Sharingan power, Uchiha bloodline, and mastery of basic Genjutsu...] 

Upon hearing Tetsuka and Izumi's names, along with the corresponding rewards, Byakuya's expression didn't change much. 

Though Tetsuha and Izumi were both Uchiha with the three-tomoe Sharingan, their rewards were quite substantial, but Byakuya was no longer the mid-ranking ninja who was once cautious in the Akatsuki. 

The rewards for recruiting high-ranking ninjas were just an added bonus to him at this point. 

It wasn't until he heard that Itachi had joined the Akatsuki and gained the Mangekyō Sharingan that Byakuya's interest piqued. After all, at this stage, the Mangekyō Sharingan was still very useful to him. 

As he muttered a few words of exasperation, the system prompts didn't end. 

They continued for another two to three minutes before Byakuya finally heard the ultimate reward for recruiting the Uchiha clan. 

[Half of the Uchiha clan members joined the Akatsuki organization, and you gained the Uchiha bloodline at its peak, evolving into the Indra bloodline (pseudo).] 

[Indra Bloodline (Pseudo): The bloodline of the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths, one of the highest bloodlines in the ninja world, just one step away from the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline.] 

Hearing that the system rewarded him with part of the Indra bloodline, Byakuya couldn't help but smile. 

He hadn't expected that his recruitment of the Uchiha would result in gaining the Indra bloodline. Although it was only a partial bloodline, it would still significantly enhance his physical abilities. 

More importantly, Byakuya had already gained the Ashura bloodline, albeit also a partial one. If the two could be combined, the result would surely be greater than the sum of its parts. 

Unable to contain his excitement, Byakuya immediately claimed the system rewards. 

A warm flow surged within him, and Byakuya could clearly feel his body strengthening. His chakra, already comparable to a tailed beast, now reached the level of a tailed beast. 

In addition, Byakuya felt a balance between his Yang Release and Yin Release chakra within him. 

He no longer needed to deliberately suppress his Yang Release chakra, and his chakra had become almost perfect. 

Thinking of this, Byakuya raised his palm and conjured a black rod out of thin air, stabbing it into a nearby tree trunk. In the next instant, he turned the black rod into powder. 

Compared to before, his speed in using Yin-Yang Release had significantly improved, and he could even vaguely sense a limit above him. 

If he could break through that limit, he could transcend his current life stage, becoming a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki like Ashura and Indra—or even an Ōtsutsuki himself. 

Unfortunately, although Byakuya could sense the existence of that limit, with his current abilities, he was unable to break through it. The gap between an ordinary ninja and a true Ōtsutsuki descendant was a chasm difficult to overcome. 

To cross this gap, he would either have to release the restrictions and allow the Ōtsutsuki to plant a mark called the "Karma Seal" or rely on the Outer Path's Gedo Statue and the Ten Tails to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. 

In the original timeline, Obito and Uchiha Madara both became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. Although Obito only held the Ten Tails for a few hours, he still gained unimaginable benefits from crossing the life stage. 

However, becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki wasn't without consequences. 

The current Ten Tails was no longer the true Ten Tails, but rather a part of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. If someone became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, they would likely become a pawn in Kaguya's scheme. 

Madara, as the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, was a prime example. Despite being a Six Paths-level powerhouse, Madara was easily subdued by Black Zetsu. 

Fortunately, Byakuya had the system, so he didn't need to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. As long as the Ten Tails belonged to the Akatsuki, he could still gain tremendous benefits from it and step into the Ōtsutsuki life stage. 

After pulling his thoughts back from his excitement, Byakuya sat down in a cross-legged position for another half hour. While digesting the system rewards, he also thought about the future plans for the Akatsuki. 

After the Night of the Uchiha Massacre and the threat of Iwagakure's invasion, the strongest and most powerful village in the ninja world, Konoha, was temporarily unable to focus on the rest of the ninja world. Iwagakure was also busy taking advantage of the Land of Fire, leaving other regions unattended. 

The only village with the resources to intervene in the affairs of the ninja world was Kumogakure. 

The Akatsuki was now ready to proceed with their next step: hunting the Tailed Beasts and sealing them into the Gedo Statue to resurrect the Ten Tails. 

However, to seal the Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Statue, they would need the power of the Rinnegan. 

Upon returning to the village, Byakuya would either need to find a way to obtain Nagato's Rinnegan or convince Nagato, Yahiko, and the others to join the Tailed Beast Weapon Plan. 

Byakuya was confident that he could convince the trio. 

... 

After arriving in Amegakure, Byakuya first had his subordinates settle the Uchiha clan members. 

Then, using the Quick Technique, he appeared outside Amegakure building. After nodding at the guards, he entered the building. 

At this time, Yahiko was not in his office but was in the meeting room with Konan and Nagato. 

The discussion they were having was very familiar to Byakuya—it was about the war between Iwagakure and Konoha, as well as the recent Uchiha massacre night that occurred in Konoha. 

Yahiko and the others were deeply shocked by the war between Iwagakure and Konoha. 

The conflict between Iwagakure and Konoha had not escalated to the point where war was inevitable. Any war without certainty of victory was seen as reckless and impulsive.

After all, a ninja village can decide when to start a war, but it cannot control when the war ends. 

This was completely inconsistent with their stereotypical image of Ōnoki. 

Ōnoki was known for hiring rogue ninjas from the black market to create chaos in other countries. During the Great Ninja Wars, he always remained the last to enter the battlefield, hoping to profit from the conflicts. 

The recent invasion of the Land of Fire by Iwagakure was something they had been puzzled over for several days, unable to make sense of it. 

As for the Uchiha massacre night, Yahiko and the others were even more baffled. The Uchiha clan was known for its strong sense of family loyalty, so how could someone like Itachi Uchiha—who acted as a madman—emerge from such a close-knit group? 

They simply couldn't understand how Itachi could massacre his own clan and then leave the village to become a rogue ninja. 

From a motivational standpoint, Itachi had no real reason to turn on his own family. What could have happened within the clan that couldn't have been resolved by sitting down and talking? 

Was Itachi perhaps even more insane than Madara Uchiha had been? 

As Yahiko and the others pondered these questions, they suddenly heard footsteps from outside the meeting room. All three of them turned their attention toward the door.