"My loved ones all died in the war. I too have personally experienced war. I know how war destroys both the soul and the body. If possible, I hope that the entire shinobi world will never again experience war. Just like all of you, I wish for peace to last forever on this land."
Shiratori looked at Himura, brows slightly furrowed, expression serious.
[Affection detected: Himura +1000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 34.1%]
Himura looked at the boy before him. To be able to say such words, it was no wonder Hanzō accepted him as a student.
If Shiratori truly thought this way, that would be wonderful.
He suddenly felt deep anticipation for the future of Ame and the Land of Rain. Perhaps these children really could change the future of the shinobi world.
"I too have seriously thought about how to truly realize peace, how to make the idea of peace take root in the hearts of ninjas."
"This will certainly be a long process."
Shiratori said, "On the battlefield, I also came to realize deeply that relying solely on force and deterrence cannot bring about true peace."
"Ninjas slaughtering each other on the battlefield only deepens hatred. Even if peace treaties are signed, the peace gained is only temporary."
"Ninjas have never truly let go of hatred, nor truly understood each other."
"To achieve true peace, we must first begin the change from Ame. One person's strength is limited. We must bring in more people who share the same ideals. We must spread the idea of peace to more and more people! By continuously spreading the concept of peace, connecting with those who also yearn for it."
"Centering on Ame and the Land of Rain, we can radiate outward, forming an Alliance of Peacekeepers, solving disputes through dialogue and equality."
"Encourage cultural exchange between ninjas, between villages, and between nations. Encourage non-military ninja exchange, increasing opportunities for mutual understanding."
"Let more ninjas learn to understand others, rather than simply seeing ninjas from other villages as enemies."
"Of course, while promoting peace, we must never neglect necessary vigilance and defense."
"We must unite all the forces we can, becoming a group with strong power that does not resort to violence, and by living out our ideals, deliver them to the shinobi world."
"The shinobi world I dream of is one where, even in the face of disagreements and conflicts, they can be resolved through dialogue and negotiation."
"Where ninjas are no longer mere tools of slaughter, but forces that maintain order, promote understanding, and confront challenges together. This road will be extremely long, and perhaps in my lifetime it may never be achieved. But as long as we begin to act, the possibility of change exists."
"I will always stand firm on this path."
Shiratori's voice was calm, yet within it contained an unimaginably vast strength.
Whether it was Himura, Yahiko, Konan, or Nagato, they were all deeply shaken by that power and great will.
[Affection detected]
[Himura: +10,000 points]
[Multiple sources: +20,000 points each]
[Total accumulated: 70,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 41.1%]
Himura stared in shock at Shiratori before him. He already knew the boy was exceptional.
His talent and strength as a ninja were already well known throughout the shinobi world. But his strength was still far from being able to compare with the height of his soul.
Himura had never met anyone who could understand peace so profoundly.
What's more, Shiratori had already thought deeply about how peace could actually be achieved.
And he was still just a boy.
His heart pounded violently, his heart, which had long been dead on the battlefield, had finally come alive again.
This one boy, whom he had known for barely an hour, had already conquered him with his soul.
Yahiko stared fixedly at Shiratori. All sounds in his ears faded away like the retreating tide. Only Shiratori's voice reverberated in his mind.
Before his eyes, only Shiratori remained.
He radiated a dazzling brilliance.
He was incredible!
No words could precisely express Yahiko's admiration for him.
Shiratori had thought of so much? He was far greater than any of them, not just in strength, but even more so in thought.
No wonder Jiraiya trusted him so much.
Everything in Yahiko's heart had been voiced by Shiratori. And he had even thought of concrete ways to carry it out.
Konan too gazed at Shiratori in awe. From him, she saw the light of will. That light shone upon her as well, enveloping her in its glow.
At this moment, he was so radiant that she believed there was nothing in this world he could not accomplish, because he was Shiratori!
A special feeling welled up within her.
She did not know what it was, but the intensity of it made her unable to resist wanting to follow him, to take his goals as her goals, his will as her will.
Nagato's pupils contracted, his words echoing endlessly in Nagato's mind. His body trembled ever so slightly.
Of course, it was Shiratori!
Nagato believed he could do it. Only he could do it!
He was willing to fight for his ideals.
He was willing to give everything for them.
"Shiratori!"
Yahiko suddenly shouted.
Shiratori turned to look at him, silently apologizing in his heart.
Sorry, Yahiko, for stealing your moment to shine.
But it doesn't matter.
I'll steal many more of your shining moments in the future.
You'll get used to it.
He gave Yahiko a smile full of expectation.
"What is it?"
"Yahiko?"
Tears of excitement sparkled in Yahiko's eyes.
"I'll join you! Your ideals are my ideals. I want to change this world together with you!"
Because Shiratori understood him best.
Because they were kindred spirits.
He wanted to fight alongside him for this great ideal.
Just like before, when he had unhesitatingly supported him in seeking out the Konoha ninjas, he too would unconditionally support Shiratori.
[Reminiscence detected: Yahiko +3000 points]
[Energy transferred to Choso]
[Development progress: 62.9%]
"And me!"
Konan wiped away the tears that had unknowingly spilled down her face. Her face carried a blissful smile, gazing at Shiratori as though she were the most devoted believer.
"Don't forget!"
"I'm here too!"
"I want to join you as well!"
Nagato fixed his eyes directly on Shiratori.
"Me too."
His voice was deep, seemingly devoid of emotion. But only Nagato himself knew how stirred he truly was inside.
Shiratori's words were like a nail driven deep into his body, pinning him down to the ground, no longer like a drifting piece of duckweed.
Shiratori looked at Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. A radiant smile bloomed on his lips.
"That's wonderful!"
He reached out and embraced them tightly.
At that moment, Konan realized their hearts were pressed closely together, warm beyond measure.
[Affection detected]
[Multiple sources: +10,000 points each]
[Total accumulated: 30,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 44.1%]
Himura looked at the children hugging each other, tears welling in his eyes.
So touching.
So genuine in their feelings.
So firm in their conviction.
He looked at Shiratori, and finally understood why Yahiko and the others loved him so deeply.
This child truly possessed a powerful charisma. Everyone would inevitably be drawn to his charm.
Wasn't he himself a living example?
"Would you mind if I joined as well?"
He raised his brow. The smile on his lips seemed teasing, yet his eyes were more serious than ever before. "My ideals are the same as yours. But in the past, I never encountered anyone who shared them. Now it's different…"
"If you're willing to join us, that's wonderful! The more people there are to change the world, the better!"
Shiratori extended his hand toward him. Himura grasped his hand tightly. Smiles appeared on both of their faces.
In the time that followed, Himura gave them a deeper introduction about himself.
"I'm actually from Iwa. As for why I appeared in the Land of Rain, you probably already know…"
His voice carried a trace of helplessness.
"Back then, Iwa and Ame were at war. I fell during a battle. I thought I was going to die, but somehow, miraculously, I survived."
"Do you know who saved me?"
His eyes turned slightly red.
Shiratori and the others looked at him, waiting for his answer.
"It was an old man from the Land of Rain."
"He was a refugee of the war. He had lost his wife, his son, his daughter-in-law, his grandson… he had nothing left to lose."
"He went around searching the bodies of fallen ninjas for any money left behind. He no longer cared about life or death, and thus felt no fear."
"But he didn't find any money. Instead, he found me, till barely breathing."
"At first, he hesitated whether to save me or not. But he said I was just like his son."
"He so desperately wished that, back on the battlefield, someone had saved his son's life like this."
"Though no one did, he chose to save me."
"I survived. But by the time I could stand again, he had already been killed by ninjas."
"It was then… that I finally understood. How terrifying war truly is... So I decided not to return to Iwa."
"I settled here, in Kikyōhara."
"I possess a unique sealing technique that can hide an entire village. With it, I helped the people of Kikyōhara avoid the war… This place is a sanctuary, and I didn't want the flames of battle to reach here…"
Himura finished his story simply.
"We are all people whose lives have been completely destroyed by war."
Shiratori smiled at Himura reassuringly.
His expression was firm.
"This country, and the entire shinobi world, is filled with countless people like us, who lost everything to war and whose souls have been scorched by its flames. We must pull them out, and drag the entire shinobi world out of this mire of bloodshed."
[Affection detected]
[Himura: +3000 points]
[Multiple sources: +4000 points each]
[Total accumulated: 15,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 45.6%]
Himura looked at Shiratori, nodding heavily, his face glowing with new vitality. It was only at this moment that he felt truly alive. "If we want more and more people to understand our ideals and join us, shouldn't we give our group a name?"
"Yes!"
Yahiko was the first to leap up.
Excitedly, he said, "Our group will definitely shake the entire shinobi world in the future!"
"..."
Shiratori fell silent.
Because Yahiko was right, Akatsuki would shake the entire shinobi world in the future. But not in the way he imagined.
Not in the name of justice.
"What should the name be?"
Konan also joined in.
She felt as though she suddenly had a clear goal. After thinking seriously for a moment, she looked at Shiratori.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Shiratori thought, Wait, wasn't naming this supposed to be Yahiko's job?
He turned toward Yahiko, only to find Yahiko staring back at him expectantly.
"You were the one who brought this idea up. You must already have a name in mind, right?" Nagato suddenly spoke.
"Akatsuki. How about that?" Shiratori finally spoke under everyone's eager gazes.
"Akatsuki?"
Yahiko asked, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"Yes, Akatsuki."
"Dawn is the time just after the darkest moment of the night, when the sun is about to rise, and light drives away the darkness."
He looked at them seriously as he spoke.
Sorry, Yahiko. I stole your moment of glory again.