[Wind Country, Sunagakure]
Near the outer surrounding area, because there weren't very good wind-prevention measures, the wind and sand were a bit heavy.
A few raggedly dressed children sat at the doorway of an old house playing.
Their faces were dirty, yet their smiles were happy.
Five figures wearing black cloaks patterned with red clouds appeared here.
Pakura's feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, unable to move for a long time.
She just quietly looked at those children playing.
Nagato noticed, and couldn't help but walk over, standing together with Pakura to watch.
After a while, Pakura's eyes became a little moist, and she murmured, "Nagato, do you know why I became a ninja?"
Nagato, looking at those few children playing, couldn't help but recall his own childhood. Meeting Konan and Yahiko, living a life of displacement, struggling for every meal, never knowing if tomorrow was secure.
He sighed, "It was to let these children all have smiles on their faces, wasn't it?"
Pakura turned her head to glance at Nagato, giving a bitter smile, "You really do understand me."
After that, she turned her head back, continuing to look at those children, and after a while she spoke again, "Look, how happily they're smiling. Haven't I already managed to achieve this much?"
Nagato nodded, 'These children, judging by their clothes and appearance, must have all been born in poor families, yet the smiles on their faces are pure.'
Humans are creatures that find joy amidst hardship, children are no exception.
At this moment, masked Obito (Tobi) had already walked over, "What, still dwelling on the past?"
Pakura's whole body trembled, "Tobi, you say people's emotions, how could they ever be so easily cut off? Perhaps toward those cold-blooded ninjas, I can return the same cold attitude. But toward the ordinary people of the village, I can't do that."
Tobi said flatly, "You're exactly that kind of person, betrays the village, swears vengeance, but once you've fought your way to the village gates, you can't bring yourself to go in."
"What's that called? That's called weak and useless."
At this moment, Pakura also recognized herself, "Yes, maybe I really am that kind of person. Even though I've told myself again and again that they betrayed me first, but now, looking at this scene, all my hatred and grudges have scattered away."
"If I really went for revenge, and brought huge harm to the village, then who would be left to protect them?"
But Tobi said, "So just because you see a few poor kids happily playing with sand, you think that counts as happiness?"
Pakura raised her head, looking at Tobi, "Doesn't it count?"
Tobi was silent for a while before speaking, "At least from the perspective of geography, even Konoha's outer regions have lush forests. Within the forest, there are all kinds of animals and fruits, enough for ordinary people to be fed."
"But Sunagakure's outskirts, there is only sand. The conditions are extremely harsh. On this barren land, all kinds of resources are scarce. For ordinary people, even just surviving is very difficult."
Pakura fell silent. What Tobi said was the truth.
Different people, different birth, different fate.
Compared with Konoha, Sunagakure was indeed much harsher.
After a while, she finally spoke, "So isn't what Akatsuki does exactly to improve this environment? I've witnessed the effect of the chakra converters myself. Once these machines become numerous, the current situation will definitely change."
"That's also why I decided to join Akatsuki."
Tobi smiled, "So you still haven't realized the problem? Though there's a scratch across your forehead protector, your thoughts still remain here."
Pakura trembled again, mocking herself, "You mean I'm not loyal enough to Akatsuki?"
Before Tobi spoke, Nagato already answered, "Obito, she isn't that kind of person. Even if she was, what Akatsuki needs is shared ideology, not so-called loyalty."
Tobi glanced at Nagato and teased, "Nagato, as expected of Akatsuki's founder, your understanding of Akatsuki's will is really deep."
After that, Tobi turned his gaze back to Pakura, "What I want to say is, though Akatsuki has spread the chakra converters, machines are dead things, but the people who use the machines aren't necessarily good."
"Akatsuki needs a certain amount of oversight, to prevent the plan from deviating. Otherwise, once these machines are used not for people's livelihoods, but for producing weapons of war, then that instead becomes a sin."
"Originally I was still thinking about how to effectively oversee this. Now I've found the answer."
"Find someone responsible, who's full of love for this land, like you."
Pakura froze, pointing at herself, "You mean, you want me to oversee Sunagakure's chakra converter usage, making sure it's used in the right places?"
Tobi nodded, "Yes. From now on Akatsuki will set up embassies in every major ninja village, assigning one responsible Akatsuki member to each. Obviously, the Sunagakure embassy will be entrusted to you."
Pakura suddenly felt that she had found the meaning of living again, this meaning became so vivid.
She couldn't help but say, "So this is Akatsuki's plan? It's really… well-ordered, admirable indeed."
But Tobi said, "Not really. In the beginning, Akatsuki's shared ideology was just an empty shell. It's only through people with hope and shared belief, bit by bit putting in their own convictions, that this empty shell turned into reality."
"For example, this embassy plan didn't exist first and then assign you. It was only after seeing your performance that I thought of this plan. Pakura, thank you very much. It's because of you that this plan has become more complete."
Pakura suddenly smiled, "Is that so?"
She suddenly felt herself to be very meaningful.
But at the same time, she also became curious, "Won't you report this sudden plan to Leader Madara?"
Tobi shook his head, "Madara, just treat him as the organization's muscle. Besides providing the organization with combat power, he's basically a mascot."
"The real matters, all of them are decided by me. Even this plan itself was proposed by me."
Pakura was slightly shocked. She had thought all these plans, including the chakra converter, were the ideas born from Madara, this strong man who had survived since the Warring States period, through storms and trials.
She hadn't expected it was all from someone who looked like a ten-year-old child?
She couldn't help but look at Nagato, "Do you all listen to Tobi?"
Nagato rolled his Rinnegan, spreading his hands, "No choice. All of Akatsuki's operating funds, aside from the initial Uchiha investment, now all come from selling the chakra converters."
"And the chakra converter was created by Obito. Actually, even the Uchiha investment was brought in by him. There's a saying that's true: whoever puts in the money is the boss. And Obito, he's given far too much."
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