Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Learning that Jinchūriki could survive the extraction of their Tailed Beasts eased Yahiko and the others. Their lingering guilt disappeared, leaving their minds clearer.

Byakuya observed their reactions silently, letting out a faint sigh.

'Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan are too kind-hearted. They're even worried about strangers they've never met. Meanwhile, I'm here breaking my back for the sake of Akatsuki.'

Still, this was the role of a "father figure"—to shoulder the burdens and protect the crew of Akatsuki's ship.

Having set aside their worries, Yahiko turned to Byakuya and asked, "Byakuya, who's your first target? The Jinchūriki from Sunagakure or the one from Kirigakure?"

To Yahiko, Sunagakure and Kirigakure seemed like the easiest targets.

The reason was simple: these two villages were the weakest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, located at the edges of the continent. Even if their Jinchūriki disappeared mysteriously, they wouldn't dare to publicize it.

Iwagakure and Kumogakure, however, were different.

Iwagakure's Jinchūriki, Rōshi and Han, were formidable on their own. The disappearance of one would undoubtedly alarm the other.

As for Kumogakure, Killer B was the strongest Jinchūriki in the world, even surpassing the Fourth Raikage.

While the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki in Konoha might be the easiest to deal with, his mentor, Jiraiya, was still a Konoha shinobi. Confronting their former teacher was something they wanted to avoid for now.

Byakuya pondered for a moment before replying, "Kirigakure is already under surveillance by Akatsuki members. When the time is right, we'll be notified to capture the Tailed Beast there. That's not something we need to worry about. For now, I plan to target Sunagakure's One-Tail Jinchūriki. It should be a relatively straightforward operation."

Ignoring Byakuya's latter comment, Yahiko frowned and asked, "You have operatives in Kirigakure? They're capable of monitoring the Jinchūriki's movements? But isn't the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki the Fourth Mizukage himself? When did you recruit such capable allies?"

Byakuya shook his head. "The masked man isn't my subordinate. He's more of an ally..."

He continued, "He was the one who told me about the Gedo Statue's purpose and proposed the plan to revive the Ten-Tails. Though, to be honest, his reasoning for wanting the Ten-Tails is laughable."

Yahiko's face darkened. "A masked man causing major disturbances in the shinobi world… Could he be the same masked man responsible for the Nine-Tails' attack? Working with him is like making a deal with the devil!"

Byakuya chuckled. "Don't worry about me. I know him well and understand the chaos he's caused. But against my Wood Release and Nagato's Rinnegan, he can't stir up much trouble. Besides, how else could I track him without cooperating? Dangerous individuals like him are safer to keep close at hand. And let me remind you, he's not the only unusual recruit I've brought in over the years."

Yahiko had no retort. Byakuya's recruits were indeed all extremely dangerous. Kakuzu was an infamous bounty hunter who once fought the First Hokage. Sasori of the Red Sand, a master puppeteer and rogue from Sunagakure, was another deadly addition. Even the seemingly inconspicuous Hidan and Shenno had troubling backgrounds, being a cultist of Jashin and a leader of the Sky Ninja, respectively.

But in a way, Byakuya had amassed a remarkable pool of talent, making Akatsuki a formidable force.

---

After leaving the underground cavern, Byakuya returned to Akatsuki's base.

After a brief stroll, he found Hanzō the Salamander training new recruits and invited him to his office. Seeing the puzzled expression on Hanzō's face, Byakuya smiled meaningfully.

"Hanzō-sensei, Yahiko and I just discussed it. We've decided to fulfill the dream you couldn't achieve!"

Hanzō's body stiffened. After a pause, he replied, "Has Akatsuki reached its limits? Are you so eager to challenge the Five Great Nations? Why not wait another ten or twenty years? You're all still young. You can outlast the likes of me and my generation. Once the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage pass away, you can act as you please. It's not the old men I fear—it's the young who trouble me more."

Byakuya chuckled and said, "Hanzō-sensei, don't keep saying 'your Akatsuki.' Aren't you a part of Akatsuki too? Aren't we all shinobi of Akatsuki and Amegakure?"

Hanzō gave Byakuya a complicated look and replied, "Amegakure belongs to Akatsuki, but Akatsuki does not belong to Amegakure. I know what you and Yahiko have been up to all these years.

You've secretly annexed several small nations during the Great Ninja War, expanding Akatsuki's influence several-fold. That's something I could never achieve. But let me warn you: when I challenged the Five Great Villages, only Sunagakure and Konoha responded. Even then, I was defeated, and Amegakure lost its ambition, confined to the narrow lands of the Land of Rain.

Your strength may surpass mine, but if you fail, your punishment will be far harsher than mine. Amegakure itself might cease to exist.

So, take my advice—wait a few more decades."

Byakuya could tell that Hanzō's concern was genuine. Over the years, he had become deeply integrated into Akatsuki, training recruits and providing sound advice.

While Byakuya knew that waiting longer would be ideal, Kaguya's resurrection and the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki clan wouldn't wait. If he didn't gain strength equal to theirs within ten years, he would become a mere pawn in the upcoming conflicts.

After a moment of silence, Byakuya replied, "Your advice is sound, Hanzō-sensei, but I must decline. If I wanted a peaceful life, I could have joined Konoha long ago. With my Uzumaki heritage and Wood Release, I might have even been trained as the next 'God of Shinobi.' But I didn't go to Konoha because I found no reason to. My path lies elsewhere."

Hanzō fell silent, contemplating Byakuya's words. After a long pause, he finally said, "Tell me your plan. Let me see if this old body of mine can still be of use to you. While I may no longer deserve the title of demi-god, there are still many in the shinobi world who see me as one."