Chapter 660: A Tragic Tale
Yōda first paused, not expecting Nagato to ask such a question. But upon reflection, he didn't find it surprising. Nagato had always cared deeply about his parents. So, it wasn't unexpected that he held resentment against Konoha after their deaths.
At this point, it fits his character.
As for the story of Nagato's parents, Yōda had briefly mentioned it to Konan before but never in full detail. At that time, he only needed to deceive the younger ones a bit; there was no need for an elaborate explanation.
"This matter isn't relevant to you. It's rare that you still care about your father," Yōda said slowly, his eyes fixed on the ripples in Nagato's eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"It's a tragic tale," he continued. "Your father's name is Daitomodachi Badakk, a warrior of the Daitomodachi clan. When Frieza attacked the Daitomodachi planet, he accurately anticipated the danger and, before his death, sent you away through a teleportation array guided by the Chakra God Tree, bringing you here."
"After sending you here, your father died. It was Frieza who killed him."
"As for your mother…"
"She also died in that war."
Yōda paused here, his tone wavering slightly as if reminiscing about that war. He had mentioned it before, albeit briefly, to Konan, but it wasn't a complete recounting. For some reason, when Yōda reached this part, all three members of the Akatsuki were visibly shaken. They were all aware of the grandeur of that war and its significant repercussions in the future.
However, none of them had experienced it firsthand. But just imagining it was terrifying enough.For them, the most significant war they had experienced was the Second Great Ninja War, where Konoha, Suna, and Iwa fought against Kiri. It was chaotic enough to strain their endurance.
But compared to the wars between those Daitomodachi planets, it was insignificant.
When Yōda mentioned that Nagato's parents died in that war, none of them found it surprising. Both Nagato and Yahiko had heard of Frieza from Konan.
After all, Frieza's exploits were too formidable to ignore. They admired strength, even if it was from their adversaries. When they lost to a king, they still looked back at that part of history with reverence and fear.
"In that war, too many perished. It wasn't until the appearance of the Super Daitomodachi that the war ended, and everything returned to normal."
"After the long war ended, people began searching for the exiled clansmen."
"It was through this opportunity that I found you. Otherwise, without the Super Daitomodachi, we wouldn't have known of a survivor like you."
"Nagato, remember, your parents were truly great, not like the parents you know here. They are not worthy of being called your parents."
"Don't forget your true identity."
Yōda continued, imparting a new story of the Daitomodachi clan to Nagato, shaping his identity firmly and making him remember it while downplaying the deaths of his parents. This way, Nagato wouldn't hold any other grievances against Konoha because of their deaths. After all, according to history, Nagato had always harbored resentment toward Konoha, rooted in his parents' deaths.
For Yōda, such matters were inconsequential. However, since Nagato was going to follow Minato, he had to eliminate this dangerous factor.
"I understand. I won't forget my parents, ever!" Nagato nodded earnestly. He knew he owed his survival to his parents' sacrifice. Even now, he didn't know what they looked like. If they hadn't made that decision, he would have died alongside many other Daitomodachi.
He felt grateful for their sacrifice. After all, life only came once. Once missed, it was gone forever. Everyone had a reluctance to die. Nagato was no different.
As long as he lived, no one wanted to die. He could still live here, all thanks to his parents' sacrifice. So he would never forget them.
With this new story, he could naturally ignore the so-called parents of the ninja world. He felt a noble aura within himself, feeling superior to them.
"Is there anything else about my parents?" Nagato asked curiously, his eyes fixed on Yōda. In his view, his parents were heroes who died for the Daitomodachi planet. Indeed, there must be more about them to remember. Any little detail would make him happy. He eagerly wanted to know everything about his parents.
"No, there isn't," Yōda shook his head without hesitation. He didn't want to fabricate any more meaningless stories. A little Dragon Ball-like object to deceive Nagato was enough. If he detailed it further, it would not only waste brain cells but also risk inconsistencies.
"Your parents died in battle right away."
"Your relatives died too."
"They didn't leave any memoirs or the like."
"All I know is your father's name."
"He had nothing more for me to tell you."
Yōda said something cruel to Nagato, but it was also logical. No one fully remembered the lives of those who died in battle.
What Yōda couldn't say was precisely what made sense. If he said it all, it would seem like he was diverting.
Overall, he only told Nagato two things about his parents.
First, his parents died for the Daitomodachi planet and rescued him before they died.
Second, his father's name was Daitomodachi Badakk.
Everything else was unknown.
But even knowing just that much was rare and valuable to Nagato. After all, he couldn't possibly know it all on his own.
"Thank you," Nagato stood up immediately, bowing 90 degrees to Yōda, showing respect in every aspect, from tone and demeanor to action.
"If there are no other questions, then I'll leave. Remember my advice: if you still want to stay in Konoha, you need to get along with your senior brother."
Yōda slowly got up, not wanting to stay here any longer. What he said here mainly consisted of previous fabrications, and saying something new might easily conflict with what was said before. In this situation, since he had achieved his goal, there was no need to add extra difficulties to himself.
"I actually have one more question."
At this moment, another person stood up, and it was Konan. She hesitated several times as if about to say something she found highly embarrassing.
This question, she told herself, didn't need to be asked here. She could find the answer within Konoha. But she was worried she wouldn't see it, so she decided it was better to ask first.
Immediately, without waiting for Yōda's consent, she asked her question.
"I want to know who wrote the story of Professor Haku in the ninja world?"
Konan immediately asked something utterly unrelated to the Daitomodachi, and after she said this, both Nagato and Yahiko were momentarily stunned. None of them expected such a question.
Swish!
Almost instantly, Konan's face turned red. She knew this question was highly embarrassing for her. But she couldn't control herself from asking.
"Hmm?" Yōda didn't expect Konan to ask this. He was dumbfounded, staring at Konan in front of him, then showing an extraordinary expression, asking, "Did you read it?"
"Yes, I did. I think it's well written, so I want to know who wrote it," Konan's eyes were piercing as she stared at Yōda. She believed that Yōda wrote this book, so she had no evidence herself. But this made Yōda feel extremely sensitive.
One must admit that sometimes, women's intuition is terrifying. They always think to an absurd degree, and often, what they guess is correct.
"How did you think to read that book?"
Yōda didn't directly answer her question. He could discuss the book's content or exchange experiences with others, but talking to someone like Konan made him feel a bit strange.
"Of course, it was you who gave it to me."
The corners of Konan's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile. Her gaze fell on Yōda; then, she glanced casually at Nagato beside her.
"Didn't you remember how you took me away at that time?"
"Then let me remind you."
"At that time, you appeared in front of me disguised as Xu Ding."
"All the way here, you gave everyone a copy of this book, letting everyone immerse themselves in its plot and forget about other things."
"It was a good strategy. No one noticed how you came to us like this."
"Clearly, you could have just called me to fight with your strength, but you chose to use tactics, leaving everyone bewildered."
As Konan spoke, her eyes showed an admiration that was hard to conceal. Now, she had a strong fondness for Yōda. In her eyes, everything Yōda did was right.
Such a life also attracted the attention of Nagato and Yahiko, who were beside her. They were not fools. In an instant, they understood Konan's intentions.
If it were someone else, they would still have some desire to compete. But facing Yōda, they instantly lost any thoughts.
How could they compete?
It was like finding trouble for themselves!
In their eyes, Yōda was like a god. Even though Nagato was also a member of the Daitomodachi clan, he couldn't compare to Yōda in any way. After all, the difference in their strength was too significant.
So, now that such a thing happened, they didn't dare to think about it anymore.
"So you brought this book, and seeing you bring this book over made me realize that you must have read it, or you know who the author of this book is, right?"
Konan's gaze remained sharp, staring at Yōda as if to say, admit it, this person is you.
Suddenly, Yōda realized something terrible.
In Konoha, if one listened carefully, it wasn't difficult to find out that the author was him. But now, if Konan found out that the author was him, it would be equivalent to telling her that the leader of the Daitomodachi was him.
Exposing an alias was no big deal for him.
Previously, he could discard the alias at any time and create a new one. But Yōda's original identity couldn't be exposed.
"I don't know who wrote this book."
Yōda immediately denied it. Now, he had to make this clear; he couldn't let them continue to guess. Otherwise, it would be trouble for him in the end.
"In fact, it's elementary. When I was in the ninja world, I lived in seclusion in Konoha. Recently, this book in Konoha has become very popular, so I opened it and found that the plot inside was quite good. Then, when I went to Amegakure to find Nagato, I happened to see this book being sold in the bookstore and bought these books. That's all."
Yōda calmly explained this matter was said, and there was no sign of lying in his expression—even a hint of disdain for the author being compared to him.
"I have no reason to lie to you. If there's nothing else, then we'll meet again later."