Mastermind of the Akatsuki

In the Land of Hot Water.

Due to a strong recommendation from Amegakure, the location for the peace talks between Konoha and Kumogakure was officially set in Yugakure.

The Land of Hot Water, where Yugakure is located, is a country extremely rich in natural resources. However, despite these favorable conditions, the strength of its ninja is far below the average for the ninja world, even weaker than Kusagakure.

After arriving here, Yahiko and Konan seemed to understand why Kumogakure wanted to invade the Land of Hot Water. The country, though weak, occupied such a rich land. If they were in Kumogakure's position, they might also be tempted to seize it.

Seeing Yahiko and Konan's thoughts, Byakuya smiled and said, "Yahiko, Konan, are you interested in the Land of Hot Water? If you really want it, we could always consider claiming this land."

Yahiko gave Byakuya a wary look and shook his head. "Byakuya, we're here to mediate between Konoha and Kumogakure, not to invade the Land of Hot Water."

Byakuya, with a meaningful tone, said, "Perhaps Yugakure needs our protection. Amegakure lacks resources, while Yugakure lacks military strength. Wouldn't it be a perfect match?"

Hearing this, Yahiko and Konan fell into deep thought, considering the feasibility of Byakuya's suggestion.

After years of development, Amegakure had basically completed its internal construction, and its chakra system had reached an early stage of industrialization, producing many goods and products.

If they could bring the Land of Hot Water under their influence, they would have both raw materials and a market.

But the current issue was that the Land of Hot Water wasn't actually governed by Yugakure. The current leader of Yugakure only had the strength of an elite jōnin, which made him a top figure in smaller villages, but not much in the eyes of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Even a random elite jōnin from one of the Five Great Villages could throw Yugakure into chaos.

In reality, the control of Yugakure had always been in Konoha's hands, which was why when Kumogakure invaded the Land of Hot Water, Konoha had to retaliate.

And if Amegakure were to ally with Yugakure, or even take control of the Land of Hot Water, it would certainly draw the attention of both Konoha and Kumogakure, putting Amegakure under pressure from both sides.

Seeing Yahiko and Konan lost in thought, Byakuya chuckled and said, "I was just offering a suggestion. The Akatsuki isn't ready to take on Yugakure just yet. After all, we haven't even conquered Kusagakure, Takigakure, or the Land of Rice Fields."

Hearing that Byakuya was only joking, Yahiko sighed in relief. However, when he heard that Byakuya had ambitions toward the smaller nations surrounding Amegakure, he was taken aback. Kusagakure and the Land of Rice Fields were one thing.

There had always been conflict between Kusagakure and Amegakure, and the Land of Rice Fields didn't even have a ninja village.

But Takigakure's strength was one of the best among the smaller ninja villages. Although its ninjas weren't often seen, Takigakure had the jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails.

After taking a deep breath, Yahiko said, "Byakuya, the Akatsuki is a peace-loving organization. You can't keep targeting the surrounding ninja villages for attack. They don't pose a threat to us anymore."

"Yahiko, I've always loved peace. As long as they don't provoke the organization, I certainly won't retaliate. But if they ask for help, we can't just turn down their request, can we?"

After a brief pause, Byakuya continued, "Yahiko, I've already arranged a meeting between you and the leader of Yugakure. After talking with him, you might change your mind. Don't forget, the Akatsuki was born because of the wars between the major powers. Should we now avoid Yugakure just because we're afraid of offending Konoha and Kumogakure? Should we stop listening to their voices?"

Yahiko was visibly shaken. After pondering for a moment, he nodded.

He had many thoughts but, in the end, didn't reject Byakuya's arrangement. Byakuya was right—he had been too concerned about his relationship with Jiraiya-sensei, forgetting the reason for the Akatsuki's existence.

It was true that Jiraiya-sensei had been a mentor to Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, imparting his knowledge and ideas about peace. However, Jiraiya's concept of peace was framed from Konoha's perspective, always prioritizing Konoha's interests. When Jiraiya took them in, Konoha had been actively attacking Amegakure.

...

After successfully convincing Yahiko to meet with the leader of Yugakure, Byakuya's lips curled into a faint smile. His motivations were not so altruistic. Everything he did was aimed at increasing his own strength to face the future crises of the ninja world.

If he could forge an alliance with Yugakure, or even bring them under his control, the Akatsuki would gain a significant boost in power. With that, Byakuya's own strength could surpass the average Kage level, reaching the initial stages of a "Super Kage."

Returning to his room, Byakuya suddenly sensed something. He formed a hand seal and glanced at the floor.

With a puff of white smoke, a scroll appeared on the ground. Byakuya picked it up, recognizing it as something sent by Kabuto Yakushi, containing a brief piece of intelligence.

Orochimaru had defected from Konoha and was now an S-rank missing-nin, wanted by Konoha.

After reading the scroll, Byakuya burned it and tossed the ashes into the pond, watching as they floated and eventually sank into the water.

He wasn't particularly surprised by Orochimaru's defection. Orochimaru, more of a mad scientist than even the Second Hokage, could never have stayed in Konoha for long.

First, Orochimaru liked experimenting on his comrades, which violated the Will of Fire. Second, he had no qualms about breaking taboos and was obsessed with researching forbidden jutsu.

The only surprising thing for Byakuya was that Orochimaru's defection had happened earlier than expected, likely due to Byakuya's own interference, which had disrupted the Akatsuki's future.

But even with changes in the timeline, this wasn't a big issue for him.

What intrigued him more was where Orochimaru had fled. If he could recruit Orochimaru into the Akatsuki, Byakuya wondered what kind of rewards such a move would bring him.

For now, he planned to keep an eye on the black market, hoping to catch wind of Orochimaru's whereabouts. He also remembered that the Land of Rice Fields, near Amegakure, would later become the location where Orochimaru established the Hidden Sound Village after defecting from the Akatsuki.

Though Orochimaru had yet to join the Akatsuki in this altered timeline, it wouldn't be surprising if he had already taken an interest in the Land of Rice Fields.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Byakuya began to ponder how to respond to Kabuto. While it was crucial to use the peace talks between Konoha and Kumogakure to elevate Amegakure's position, cultivating Kabuto was also an important task.

Kabuto, a ninja who lacked love and care, could easily be swayed to follow Byakuya with just a little attention and periodic displays of concern. That would ensure Kabuto's loyalty.