"Chiba Mokushū, I'm here to invite you to join Akatsuki."
Pain's voice was cold and emotionless.
Gakuya looked intrigued. "Akatsuki? Sounds familiar… I've looked into you. Aren't you just a group of missing-nin mercenaries? And you're trying to recruit the leader of a shinobi village?"
"That's only our surface identity," Pain replied calmly. "Akatsuki has the power to bring peace to the shinobi world."
Gakuya, seated atop a flight of stairs, raised an eyebrow.
"Peace, huh… that's a word I haven't heard in a long time. So, what exactly are you offering? And why should I join you?"
As expected, the mention of "peace" caught his interest. Pain silently noted the reaction—this was a man who shared a similar dream.
"You want to establish a sixth great nation," Pain continued. "A place to protect the common people, don't you?"
All it had taken was a glance at the banquet for Pain to understand Gakuya's intentions. Despite the elite jōnin stationed there, none had noticed Pain or Konan's infiltration.
Gakuya's eyes narrowed, his killing intent erupting. "If you know my secret… aren't you afraid I'll kill you right now?"
Pain smirked, unfazed by the overwhelming bloodlust. "You won't. We share the same dream."
"The same dream, huh?" Gakuya's killing intent faded, and he chuckled with disdain. "What a beautiful lie. So many have fallen chasing their dreams."
(Author's note: As someone writing webnovels, I deeply relate to this. So many writers, passionate about their craft, collapse on the path to godhood… sigh~)
Pain continued, unhurried. "Let me tell you a story… maybe you'll see a reflection of yourself in it."
Warning bells rang in Gakuya's mind. Logically, he knew this was a classic "talk no jutsu" attempt—Pain was trying to draw parallels between their ideals to sway him into joining Akatsuki.
So familiar… wasn't this exactly how I manipulated Uchiha Hikari?
"Twenty-seven years ago in the Land of Rain, there were three children…"
They had met amidst the chaos of war, survived by leaning on one another, and shared a common dream—peace.
To realize that dream, they founded Akatsuki. But their hopes were crushed by repeated setbacks and the betrayal of Hanzo and Danzo.
The death of a close friend shattered their innocence. From that pain, one of them decided the only way to achieve peace was through the power of the Tailed Beasts—to plunge the world into suffering.
"Only when everyone has felt pain," Pain said, "will they truly fear war. That is how we will create lasting peace."
He finished the story with remarkable patience. Anyone else would've used Shinra Tensei by now just to make their point.
"Our ideals don't exactly align," Gakuya replied, rising to his feet. "I want to unify the shinobi world. One voice, one will—not a world steeped in suffering."
"War is an extension of politics, and politics reflect economic interests. When the balance of interests breaks, war becomes necessary to reshuffle the deck."
"Konoha has never initiated a war—because they already hold the lion's share of benefits. Your understanding of war is far too shallow."
Pain fell silent, absorbing Gakuya's words.
"But…" Gakuya shrugged, "if your offer is good enough, I could be convinced to join."
Pain snapped out of his thoughts. "I can help you repel the Great Nations and establish your sixth great nation."
Gakuya clapped his hands, grinning. "Good! In that case, I assume you're the ones who captured the Four-Tails?"
"That's right."
"Then send the one who caught it to assist me. I'm quite interested in that person."
"I'll speak with him," Pain replied. "If he's interested, he'll come."
"Just tell him… I have what he wants."
Gakuya said with a smirk, "If joining your organization helps me build a new nation, then why not?"
"Konan, give him the Akatsuki supplies," Pain instructed.
Konan tossed a sealed scroll toward Gakuya.
He caught it one-handed.
"That scroll contains Akatsuki communication tools and a uniform," Pain explained. "The person you requested will arrive shortly."
With that, the two turned and began walking toward the courtyard.
"Take care," Gakuya said casually, then returned inside. Unsealing the scroll, he found its contents nearly identical to what he'd received when he first joined Akatsuki.
A ring with the codename Gen, nail polish, and two jutsu scrolls—Magic Lantern Body Technique,Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals.
"So I'm rejoining Akatsuki, huh? Guess I'll need to send a shadow clone to all their meetings…"
"But this time, there's a plus side—I can use my full strength. This Chiba Mokushū persona is starting to feel a little underwhelming."
...
Not long after, Gakuya received word from Pain, tasking him with aiding "Chiba Mokushū" in founding a sixth great nation.
Gakuya kept up the act, feigning curiosity toward Mokushū and gladly accepted the mission.
Now, all that was left was to prepare for the coming war.
Back in Otogakure, Gakuya received new intel: the warden of Hozuki Castle, Mui, had contacted him. Using his status as a former jōnin of the now-defunct Grass Village, he wished to become the new leader of a reformed Kusagakure.
Hozuki Castle was a prison jointly operated by the Five Great Nations, used to incarcerate dangerous criminals—most of whom were too powerful or unruly to control otherwise.
"Sounds like the perfect disposable army," Gakuya mused. These inmates could be handed over to the Yachihoko and formed into a throwaway force.
As for the fabled Box of Ultimate Bliss rumored to lie within Hozuki Castle, Gakuya suspected it was nothing more than an ancient ninja tool used by the Sage of Six Paths to seal away a dangerous power.
...
The box was said to transform anyone absorbed into it into a monster. Though turned into creatures, the victims supposedly retained fragments of their original consciousness.
Gakuya stroked his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps this power could be repurposed. If he timed it right, he could send a White Zetsu inside—pull it out once the transformation had progressed enough—and boom, a new war weapon was born.
"Looks like it's time for another trip," Gakuya stretched and then set off for Hozuki Castle, Uchiha Hikari at his side.
On the way, Gakuya asked Hikari if implanting Yachihoko seals on so many people at once would heavily drain her ocular power.
But it turned out the technique barely consumed any chakra. Combined with the projection crystals developed in his lab, Gakuya could potentially control countless soldiers with a single use.
...
Soon, they arrived.
Hozuki Castle stood like a fortress in the sea—massive and imposing. One glance told Gakuya that this was the infamous prison, and the Box of Ultimate Bliss was definitely inside.
Since he was operating as Chiba Mokushū, he couldn't use a puppet falcon for transport. Instead, he used Sage Mode flight techniques to bring Hikari along.
As they landed in front of the gate, several Grass shinobi immediately stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Chiba Mokushū," Gakuya replied coolly. "I'm here to discuss plans for rebuilding Kusagakure with Mui."
The shinobi's eyes lit up. They'd assumed someone else would be sent in his place—but the legendary Chiba Mokushū had come himself!
He truly was the hero defying the great nations, and his respect toward small nations was undeniable.
But… they hadn't expected him to look like such a kind, young man.
"Please come in, Lord Mokushū! We'll notify the warden immediately."
The prison gates creaked open. Gakuya gave them a nod and a polite smile, then stepped into Hozuki Castle.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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