Chapter 13: The Akatsuki's Goal
As soon as these words left Sasori's mouth, not only did the skeptical Kakuzu fall silent, but even Pain's Deva Path showed a flicker of surprise in his Rinnegan eyes.
Both of them instinctively looked toward Konan for confirmation. She gave a slight nod. "Sasori and he fought to a standstill. And it was Sasori himself who proposed the draw."
Now it was Kakuzu's turn to be taken aback. "To force Sasori into proposing a draw? It seems I truly did underestimate you." He knew Sasori's strength well; it was only marginally inferior to his own. For a boy this young to fight Sasori to a draw was nothing short of monstrous. It seemed this new recruit was not to be trifled with.
Even Nagato, controlling the Deva Path from his hidden chamber, felt a tremor in his heart. No wonder 'Madara' warned Konan not to underestimate Uchiha Naoki. It was the right decision to send Sasori with her. Otherwise, Konan's mission might have genuinely failed.
"Yo, Itachi! You're here too!"
Seeing the tension diffuse, Uchiha Naoki gave a mental nod of thanks to Sasori before turning his attention across the circle. He put on a bright, slightly confused smile, addressing the projection of Uchiha Itachi. "It seems our choices are surprisingly consistent!"
Uchiha Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan rotated, his gaze piercing. "You hid your true self remarkably well. You even managed to deceive me." He paused, his voice dropping to a cold, sharp tone. "Uchiha Tensho was killed by you."
Hearing that Naoki had fought Sasori to a standstill, all the pieces had clicked into place for him. His accusation was a blade. "A person like you, who hid within the Uchiha with such power, now joins the Akatsuki… What is your true objective?" The unspoken half of his question hung in the air: Are you a threat to Konoha?
Uchiha Naoki's smile didn't falter, though his eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the point of saying this now?"
Uchiha Itachi's gaze only grew more intense. "I will keep my eyes fixed on you. I will never allow you to act recklessly and endanger this organization."
The other Akatsuki members watched this drama of "Uchiha internal strife" with detached amusement.
Seeing this, Sasori and Uchiha Naoki exchanged a brief glance, a silent question passing between them: Shall I kill Uchiha Itachi for you?
Naoki gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. In his heart, he thought, He's worried I'm a danger to the Akatsuki, when in truth, the danger is to Konoha.
Aloud, he responded to Itachi's challenge. "I'll be waiting." He would also be keeping a close watch on Uchiha Obito, to prevent that masked schemer from harming Konoha. It was exhausting, having to be on guard against so many people at once. No wonder Uchiha Itachi died young in the original story. The mental strain must have been immense.
"The Konoha leadership slaughtered your entire clan because of its strength," Naoki mused silently, his feelings complex. "Yet you still chose to protect Konoha because of the Will of Fire in your heart. For Konoha, you willingly became a spy, infiltrating the Akatsuki. You provide information to Konoha without regret, all to prevent this organization from harming it." He felt a pang of something akin to pity. "Is all this really worth it, Itachi?"
He had admired the character of Uchiha Itachi in his previous life—calm, powerful, and tragic. But he could never comprehend the "Will of Fire" that Itachi clung to so fiercely. He could never choose to sacrifice his entire self, to ruthlessly slaughter his own clan, even his own parents, for such an ideal.
Hearing Naoki's verbal acceptance of his surveillance, Uchiha Itachi stared back, his resolve unshakable. "I will."
In the shadows, Uchiha Obito observed the scene, a slight, satisfied smile curling beneath his mask. He had feared unity between Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Naoki. Fortunately, that was not the case. His gaze then sharpened as it landed on Naoki. Uchiha Naoki, grow up quickly. Stimulate that Mangekyō Sharingan as soon as possible, so I can harvest a superior pair of eyes later.
Did he need to prevent Uchiha Naoki from joining the Akatsuki? There was no need. A pair of ripe Sharingan was right here, developing nicely. He only needed to wait and then pluck the fruit. Why interfere? Besides, he had far more important matters to attend to than targeting a single boy.
"So then…" The Deva Path's voice boomed once more, reclaiming the room's attention. "Let me elaborate on the goals of our Akatsuki organization."
He began with their immediate aims: accumulating vast wealth, establishing an independent mercenary force, monopolizing all war commissions, and using that influence to undermine and ultimately destroy the ninja system of the great nations.
"Our ultimate goal," Pain declared, "is to collect all nine Tailed Beasts to create the ultimate weapon. Through the deterrence of absolute, overwhelming force, we will achieve true peace for the entire ninja world."
Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened imperceptibly. His fists clenched involuntarily beneath his cloak. They're targeting the Tailed Beasts as well. The Akatsuki is even more dangerous than I imagined. Infiltrating them was the correct choice. They will undoubtedly become a threat to Konoha in the future.
As for Uchiha Naoki…
He put on a convincingly awestruck expression. "What an incredible and ambitious goal, Leader."
At this, Kakuzu snorted derisively. "Getting cold feet, brat? It's too late to back out now!"
Uchiha Naoki immediately feigned a dark, committed resolve. "Then it seems I have no choice but to walk this path of shadows to the very end. I can only hope the power of the Tailed Beasts does not disappoint."
Seeing this, the Deva Path gave a slow, approving nod. His Rinnegan swept over the assembled projections. "However, the most pressing task before us now is to further strengthen our ranks. Does anyone have candidates to recommend?"
The members glanced at one another, most shaking their heads.
Uchiha Naoki, of course, had several names in mind. But why recommend them? Drawing too much attention would only make Uchiha Obito more wary of him. For this stage, it was better to remain in the background.
"Since there are no recommendations, I have two here." Pain's gaze settled on Uchiha Naoki and Uchiha Itachi. "The recruitment of these two individuals will be entrusted to you, Seiryū," he said, using Naoki's new codename, "and you, Suzaku," he added, referencing Itachi. "What is your response?"
Uchiha Naoki's interest was piqued. He knew instantly the two people Pain was referring to: Deidara and Hidan.
"To be entrusted with such an important task so soon after joining. How exciting," Naoki said, glancing at his new partner. "What do you think, Brother Sasori?"
Sasori gave a curt, agreeable grunt. "Acceptable."
Uchiha Itachi, for his part, offered no objection.
"Here are their files." Two scrolls unfurled in the air before the four of them.
Sasori and Naoki's scroll detailed 'Hidan,' a cultist of the Jashin religion, reviled as the number one villain by the peaceful people of the Land of Hot Water. "He has a high body count. The client specifically requests the elimination of this heretic to ensure the village's peace."
Sasori scanned the information and couldn't help but frown. "He doesn't seem like a serious shinobi."
Itachi's scroll detailed 'Deidara,' the 'Explosion Release Genius' from Iwagakure.
Just as I expected, Uchiha Naoki thought, looking over the two dossiers. It's these two. A separate calculation began in his mind. The countdown begins now for when Orochimaru leaves the Akatsuki.
His eyes drifted to the projection of Orochimaru, who had been staring at Uchiha Itachi with a gaze of naked, greedy hunger. The pieces were all falling into place.