My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

The sky above was an endless expanse of dark clouds, the rain never relenting, and the towering steel and concrete buildings loomed ominously. This was Amegakure, nestled in the heart of the Land of Rain.

Once a powerful force in the world of ninjas, Amegakure's reputation was solidified by its role in igniting the Second Shinobi World War. Under the command of Hanzo of the Salamander—who earned the title of "Demigod"—Amegakure stood as a village capable of challenging even the Five Great Shinobi Countries.

But that strength didn't last. A single devastating war drained Amegakure's resources that had been built up over decades, causing the village to slowly sink into decline. As time passed, Hanzo, once the undisputed leader of the village, aged, and his influence over the village waned. The once mighty Amegakure fell into disorder, with no clear direction.

It was in this chaos that Akatsuki began to take shape. Amegakure, in its turmoil, became the perfect breeding ground for the organization's rise. Coupled with the instability of the ninja world and Yahiko's personal charisma, Akatsuki quickly expanded. Within just a few years, the group grew into a mercenary force numbering nearly a thousand ninjas. While most of these ninjas weren't particularly strong, it was important to note that only the Five Great Countries, as well as the now-defunct Hidden Rain and Hidden Waterfall Villages, could assemble such a large group.

Despite Akatsuki's rapid growth, they still had no plans to dethrone Hanzo of the Salamander. He remained a respected figure among them. During the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo had waged war against both Sunagakure and Konohagakure, motivated by his desire to protect the smaller countries from the domination of the great powers. Though his efforts ultimately ended in failure, Yahiko saw himself as the successor to Hanzo's ideals.

This was the goal that Akatsuki now sought to achieve.

Boom!

Thunder cracked through the sky, followed by a torrential downpour.

In a small cottage near the border of the Land of Rain and the Land of Birds, five cloaked figures gathered. Their black cloaks were adorned with the familiar red cloud patterns of Akatsuki. These were the current leaders of the organization.

At the forefront stood Yahiko, his orange hair unmistakable even in the dim light of the storm. Beside him was Konan, her blue hair slightly damp from the rain. To their sides stood two more figures: one a giant of a man with a Buddha-like presence, known as Daibutsu, and the other, a ninja with strange markings on his face, named Kyūsuke.

Behind them stood a more subdued figure, Nagato, his red hair barely visible beneath his cloak.

Though Akatsuki's ranks had swelled to include hundreds of ninjas, only a select few were truly elite—no more than ten in total. These five were the leaders, the strongest among them.

They were gathered to discuss the latest intelligence, their faces clouded with frustration and disappointment. The news that the Kazekage of Sunagakure, the Raikage of Kumogakure, and the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure were meeting in the Land of Birds confirmed their fears: the three major ninja villages had completely ignored Akatsuki's warnings.

"Damn it! What do these big countries think of others... invading another nation's land without a second thought..."

Kyūsuke shouted angrily. His fury stemmed from the fact that he hailed from the Land of Birds.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Kyūsuke became an orphan due to the battlefield and was forced to flee to the Land of Rain, where he became a ninja of Amegakure.

"This is the arrogance of the great nations!"

Daibutsu added, his voice tinged with sorrow as he reflected on the sorry state of things.

Konan, despite her now stunning beauty, still carried a hint of childhood innocence in her expression. She glanced at Yahiko, who had remained silent throughout, and quietly asked.

"Yahiko, what should we do now?"

Her gaze was filled with concern. This mission was one Yahiko had worked tirelessly to convince everyone to support. Yet, many of them had been skeptical, unsure that the larger ninja villages would take a small mercenary group like Akatsuki seriously. And, as it turned out, they were right.

Hearing Konan's words, Yahiko turned to her with a soft gaze. Though his heart stirred, he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I guess I was too naïve, huh?"

Seeing Yahiko still smiling made Konan relax a little.

Daibutsu, trying to offer some comfort, spoke up. "This isn't your fault, Yahiko. We're just too small. These big villages don't even see us as a threat."

His words hung heavy in the air, and the room fell into a quiet, tense silence. After a long pause, Yahiko finally raised his head, his expression serious.

"I still want to try…"

The words caught everyone off guard.

"Try? What do you mean? What are you going to do?"

Konan asked, her voice filled with worry. Kyūsuke, who had secretly developed feelings for Konan, felt a sting of jealousy, but his concern for Yahiko's safety outweighed it.

Yahiko's eyes remained steady as he spoke.

"I plan to meet with the three Kage. If possible…"

Before Yahiko could finish, the others reacted sharply, including Nagato, who was rarely so vocal.

"What!?"

"Are you crazy!?"

"No, absolutely not! What if they…"

Yahiko met their worried gazes with a calm smile before answering.

"Since Akatsuki was founded three years ago, we've been preparing for this moment. Isn't this what we've been waiting for? If this war continues, it will end up just like the last one, dragging the entire ninja world into the chaos. How many more will die? How many more will become orphans like we were when we were young? What would be the point of everything we've worked for?"

His soft yet resolute words left the room in stunned silence.

They wanted to argue, but the words stuck in their throats.

"But…"

"Don't worry. I'm not an idiot..."

Yahiko added, sensing their hesitation. His smile was reassuring as he continued.

"I won't just recklessly march in there. And those three Kage might not even want to meet with me."

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"So, what's your plan?"

Daibutsu asked, his tone a little less skeptical now.

"The three Kage will be arriving in the Land of Birds soon, right? I'm going to request to meet with each of them, as the leader of Akatsuki. If they agree to meet me, I'll do my best to convince them…"

Kyūsuke clenched his teeth and muttered.

"It won't work."

Yahiko nodded, his expression resolute.

"I know. But we won't know unless we try. Otherwise, all of this will have been for nothing."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, the weight of their words sinking in. Outside, the rain continued to pour, the thunder rumbling in the distance.

This is the despair of living in the ninja world.

Just as the silence seemed unbearable, Nagato, who had been quietly observing, spoke up for the first time.

"Yahiko, I'll go with you this time."

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