Faced with Byakuya's inquiry, Obito nodded and then curiously asked, "I transferred the money to a nearby base long ago. You just need to send someone to retrieve it. However, what I really want to know is why you're so obsessed with money? With our strength, as long as we successfully collect the Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails, money will be nothing more than a number to us. There's no need to deliberately amass wealth."
Byakuya glanced at Obito before responding, "With that mindset, I'm starting to doubt whether you're actually serious about governing Kirigakure. Given your abilities, even if you do try to govern the village, it would only backfire."
Hearing this, Obito flushed with embarrassment but had no retort.
Byakuya wasn't wrong. After using genjutsu to control Yagura Karatachi, he genuinely tried to govern Kirigakure, but the result was the opposite of what he intended, the village only grew weaker.
This left him speechless. He had never intended for Kirigakure to fall into chaos.
As if seeing through Obito's thoughts, Byakuya continued, "Masked man, I know you have many doubts. You're probably still questioning why, in this operation, I didn't directly target the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. The reason is simple. Reviving the Ten-Tails is part of Akatsuki's plan, but it's not the whole plan.
My original dream was to rebuild Uzushiogakure. But as time passed, I wanted the entire ninja world to fall under Akatsuki's rule, using the Ten-Tails's terrifying power as a deterrent to enforce decades of peace. During this process, there will inevitably be conflicts and bloodshed, but I still want to minimize war and shorten the duration of these conflicts. Accumulating wealth and nurturing subordinates are also meant to shorten this time. You're also striving for peace, which is why you're helping collect the Tailed Beasts to revive the Ten-Tails, right?"
Hearing Byakuya's heartfelt words, Obito was momentarily stunned, then began contemplating the feasibility of using the Ten-Tails to intimidate the ninja world.
Byakuya's approach was actually similar to that of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.
Back then, Hashirama seemed to balance the power of the Great Ninja Villages by distributing the Tailed Beasts. But in reality, the Tailed Beasts weren't enough to deter the Five Great Villages, the true deterrence came from Hashirama himself and Madara Uchiha.
In that sense, Byakuya was indeed a worthy successor of the Senju Clan.
Though the method of maintaining peace had evolved from distributing Tailed Beasts to using the Ten-Tails as a deterrent, in essence, it was no different from how Konoha operated decades ago.
The only difference was that Hashirama would age and die, whereas the Ten-Tails could theoretically live forever. However, the Ten-Tails wasn't a ninja. Even if they obtained it, there was always a risk of it being stolen. Once Byakuya grew old and died, the ninja world would inevitably plunge into chaos again.
Deep down, Obito looked down on this way of maintaining peace.
Using the Ten-Tails's brute force to intimidate the ninja world into peace could work for a time, but it wouldn't solve the ideals and dreams of ninjas. Ninjas would still face life-threatening missions and die in unexpected circumstances.
To achieve true and lasting peace, only Infinite Tsukuyomi could accomplish that, trapping everyone in a dream where the line between reality and illusion no longer mattered.
At that thought, Obito became even more resolute in his beliefs, and the way he looked at Byakuya changed.
There wasn't much personal conflict between him and Byakuya. Byakuya had saved him once, and he had also rescued Rin from Iwagakure's captors. Compared to those things, the humiliation he had suffered in recent years was insignificant.
The greatest conflict between them lay in their ideals, or rather, in the divide between Uchiha and Senju.
Senju's method had already been proven wrong decades ago, yet Byakuya insisted on following that same mistake. Uchiha's approach was fundamentally different, only the Uchiha way of thinking could bring true peace to the ninja world.
At present, his strength and position were inferior to Byakuya's.
Rather than foolishly opposing Byakuya head-on, it was better to feign submission, quietly amass power, and seize the opportunity when the time was right. After all, once Byakuya's plan was exposed, he would also become an enemy of the Five Great Villages.
With that in mind, Obito snorted coldly and said, "You've said everything already. What else am I supposed to say? You're the leader of Akatsuki, I'll just follow your orders."
Seeing this, Byakuya gave a helpless smile.
He had just attempted to persuade Obito through words, and on the surface, Obito seemed to acknowledge his viewpoint. But how much impact those words had was another matter entirely.
Uchiha were extremely stubborn, it was incredibly difficult to change their way of thinking.
Every single one of them longed for peace and stability, yet their actions were too extreme, often leading to the exact opposite outcome. But ultimately, that had little to do with him.
The Uchiha were like that, as long as they collected the Tailed Beasts, ignited another ninja war, revived the Ten-Tails, and initiated Infinite Tsukuyomi, that would be enough. But he was different, he had more things to consider.
---
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
Inside a small wooden cabin in the forest, after undergoing half a month of special training, Naruto hadn't significantly improved his raw strength, but under Kushina's guidance, he had come to understand and familiarize himself with the Nine-Tails. He could now access a portion of its power.
His chakra control had also become much more precise.
According to Kushina, Naruto's chakra control had reached the level of a Jōnin. With a few more years of training, becoming a Jōnin of Konoha wouldn't be a problem.
Initially, the Nine-Tails had no intention of lending Naruto any chakra. However, with a group hunting the Tailed Beasts on the rise, the Nine-Tails, fearing for its own survival, had no choice but to help strengthen Naruto to reduce the risk of being captured.
After tapping into the Nine-Tails's chakra, Naruto successfully entered a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
When the Nine-Tails's chakra enveloped his entire body, Naruto exuded a wild, explosive aura, like an unstable bomb. His strength had risen to the level of an elite Jōnin. Seeing that Naruto, in his transformed state, possessed elite Jōnin-level strength, Kushina felt a sense of relief.
Although elite Jōnin-level strength wasn't enough to defeat Obito, at least Naruto would have some means to protect himself in battle against him, enough to hold out until she could come to his aid.
Having gained Kushina's approval, Naruto began to entertain the idea of leaving this place. Kushina didn't stop Naruto from wanting to leave, but she refused his invitation to return to Konoha, unwilling to go back as the Fourth Hokage's widow.
Naruto suspected that his mother was hiding something, but he didn't have much attachment to Konoha either.
If she didn't want to talk about it, that was fine. She would explain it to him eventually. Right now, the priority was to find Sasuke and Kakashi and complete the mission of escorting Tazuna.
---
Meanwhile, under Shisui's guidance, Sasuke had learned several Uchiha secret techniques and experienced significant growth in strength. He had also received Akatsuki's latest scientific advancements, an implantation of First Hokage cells.
After gaining more power, Sasuke expressed his desire to challenge Shisui.
Shisui didn't refuse, and the two engaged in a battle in an open field. As expected, Sasuke was no match for Shisui. Even without activating his Sharingan, Shisui easily defeated Sasuke.
After losing, Sasuke sat on the ground, looking dejected, and muttered, "Shisui, if I can't even defeat you, how will I ever be able to defeat Itachi Uchiha?"
(AN: Sasuke here is calling Shisui, Shisui-nii (Older brother) but I changed it. I just don't think Sasuke would call anyone brother easily.)
Hearing this, Shisui frowned slightly and said, "Sasuke, don't tell me you think Itachi can beat me?"
Sasuke was momentarily stunned before responding in confusion, "If you can defeat Itachi, then why didn't you stop him back then?"
"He's not my equal, but I couldn't take him down either."
After a brief pause, Shisui continued, "Unless there was another ninja as strong as me, or that 'lord' personally intervened, no one could have stopped Itachi from escaping."
"So that's how it is…" Sasuke muttered before asking, "Shisui, when's our next training session? This afternoon or tonight?"
Shisui shook his head and said, "Your special training is over. It's time for you to leave."
Sasuke's expression changed slightly as he asked in confusion, "But I still feel weak. Can't I stay here and train until I'm strong enough to defeat Itachi Uchiha?"
"Your foundation is already solid. You just need time to refine it. Among Jōnin, you're already considered outstanding. From here on, improvement isn't something that can be taught by others."
"I have Jōnin-level strength?" Sasuke was dumbfounded, wondering if he had misheard.
"Of course. The fact that you couldn't beat me when I was holding back doesn't mean you lack Jōnin-level strength. Do you even know what kind of person Itachi Uchiha is? He and I may not have the title of 'Kage,' but our power is already at the Kage level. Keep honing yourself through missions. I'll continue observing you from the shadows."
With those words, Shisui vanished from Sasuke's sight, leaving only a lingering presence.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming that Shisui was truly gone, Sasuke let out a soft sigh before departing toward the designated meeting point for Team 7.
After traveling for several hours, Sasuke finally arrived at the meeting point, feeling somewhat anxious. Although Shisui had told him that Naruto was fine, he couldn't help but worry about Naruto and Sakura's safety. They were, after all, teammates.
Upon reaching the meeting point, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.
Naruto and Sakura had already arrived before him, and even that talkative old man was still alive, frowning as he looked in the direction of the Land of Waves.
Seeing Sasuke, Sakura immediately ran up to him, saying, "Sasuke, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Sasuke nodded before turning his gaze to Naruto and saying, "Naruto, you've been training these past few days too. Your chakra feels much stronger than before."
Naruto looked at Sasuke and said, "So you've been training too? Who trained you?"
Clenching his fists, Sasuke replied, "It was Itachi Uchiha. That bastard is deliberately sharpening me, as if he wants to use me for something. I'll hurry and get stronger… then kill him."
Sakura's expression turned a little awkward. Both Sasuke and Naruto had undergone training, but she had done nothing…
Listening to their conversation from the shadows, Yamato silently breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Naruto and Sasuke were safe, he wouldn't have to figure out how to explain things to the Hokage.
Kakashi glanced at Yamato and chuckled. "See? I told you they'd be fine. Byakuya really did save them in secret, and he even had them undergo training."
Yamato nodded, though his emotions remained complicated. After a few seconds, Kakashi and Yamato emerged from the bushes, stepping in front of Naruto and the others.
Seeing Kakashi and Yamato, the group froze for a moment before exclaiming in shock, "Kakashi-sensei! You're alive?!"
Kakashi gave them an odd look and said, "Were you guys expecting me to die? I know I'm a bit strict with you sometimes, but I'm still your Jōnin leader."
"Oh, right…" Kakashi gestured toward Yamato and said, "This is Yamato. Like the First Hokage, he possesses the Wood Release bloodline and has been secretly protecting you all as an Anbu ninja."
Yamato narrowed his eyes slightly, shooting Kakashi a glance since he hadn't expected him to reveal his identity so openly. But considering his signature jutsu and background, it wasn't exactly a secret worth hiding.
At that moment, Sasuke seemed to remember something and asked Yamato, "I recall Kakashi-sensei mentioning that a ninja named Byakuya also possesses Wood Release. Between you and Byakuya, who is stronger?"
Hearing this, Yamato fell silent.
Kakashi's expression turned a little awkward as he cleared his throat and said, "Of course, Byakuya is stronger. But that doesn't mean Yamato is weak. Don't underestimate him, he's one of the top Jōnin in the village."
"I see…" The group looked at Yamato differently now.
Yamato enjoyed that look. Though he had a rather stiff expression and a bit of social anxiety, he liked being admired. Being respected even made him feel like jumping for joy.
After the awkward topic ended, Kakashi and the others tacitly avoided discussing the events of the past few days.
Since their client, Tazuna, was still around, many sensitive topics, especially those concerning Konoha's secrets, couldn't be openly discussed. After some casual conversation, everyone turned their attention to Tazuna.
At this point, they had to decide whether to continue escorting him. Though this mission had originally been classified as C-rank, encountering Kisame and Itachi Uchiha instantly raised its difficulty to S-rank.
From a safety standpoint, they should abandon the mission immediately. However, Kakashi wanted to hear Naruto and Sasuke's opinions, or rather, Byakuya's stance on the matter, so he slowly asked,
"Sasuke, Naruto, should we continue escorting Tazuna?"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances before replying, "Of course, we're continuing the mission. This is our first real mission, and we're not about to give up."
Continuing the mission… Sakura's eyes widened.
She hadn't seen Kisame's strength firsthand, but she knew how terrifying Itachi Uchiha was. Did they really think they could complete this mission?
But… with Yamato-senpai and Kakashi-sensei here…
Kakashi studied Naruto and Sasuke deeply before saying, "Since you're both willing to proceed, then we'll continue the mission."