My Techniques are a bit off

[That's right. They recruit S-rank rogue shinobis, have attacked me twice, and are trying to collect the Tailed Beasts?]

Link quickly switched to private chat mode, confirming the identity of the person who initiated contact—Yahiko.

Storytelling really works!

He had just reeled in a big fish.

[That guy...—]

Yahiko's thoughts scattered for a moment before he realized that in this kind of communication, both parties' thoughts were transparent.

Link wasn't lying, and in turn, Yahiko's own thoughts had just been exposed.

Quickly, he emptied his mind, suppressing unnecessary distractions, and asked seriously:

[Who are you?]

Smart guy.

Link didn't hesitate to give his evaluation and replied:

[I am Link, a Special Jonin of Konoha.]

[Thanks for the compliment.]

In just two exchanges, Yahiko had already mastered the correct way to communicate under Summoning Jutsu without revealing extra information.

He immediately asked:

[Have you ever met me while I was alive?]

[No.]

Link didn't overthink it—he simply answered directly.

Since lying wasn't possible in this communication mode, questions could easily lead to revealing unintended thoughts.

This was precisely why Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Baki, and even his own father avoided prolonged conversations with him.

Ironically, this ability aligned perfectly with the Sage of Six Paths' ideal of connecting people.

However, the truth about people was that no one wanted to lay their entire mind bare when communicating.

[So, you're not him.]

Yahiko deliberately thought this statement, ensuring it was registered.

Then, he asked:

[You've been trying to communicate with people in the Pure Land, claiming you have a way to bring the dead back to life.]

[Are you talking about Forbidden Jutsu like Edo Tensei?]

Even though he phrased it as a question, Yahiko didn't actually expect an answer.

Two seconds passed without Link's thoughts surfacing, so Yahiko continued:

[If you mean the Akatsuki from the Land of Rain—I was once its leader.]

[I see. You already knew about me, huh?]

Feeling no surprise from Link, Yahiko confirmed his suspicion.

[Even if you bring me back to life, I won't fight for you—especially not against the Akatsuki.]

Yahiko was direct and honest.

[Then why did you step forward at all?]

Link countered.

[Because there are things you can't let go of, right?]

[As far as I know, the leader of the current Akatsuki is named "Pain," and one of its members is "Konan."]

[Pain...—]

A complicated emotion stirred within Yahiko.

Pain—"A name that literally means suffering."

Just hearing it, he could already guess that the leader was Nagato.

When they were younger, Nagato often repeated a belief he held:

"War will never disappear. If people want to understand each other, they must first experience the same pain. Only then can they truly understand suffering."

This was the foundation of Akatsuki.

They had wanted to change the Land of Rain—to protect everyone.

But…

People grow.

[You're overthinking things.]

Link reminded him.

[You really know a lot, huh?]

Yahiko's voice carried a complicated mix of emotions.

How had things turned out for Nagato, the boy who once bore the name of suffering?

A part of him worried, but another part was relieved—as long as his two friends were still alive, that was enough.

Yahiko gathered his thoughts and asked:

[What do you want?]

[Jutsu. Money. What can you offer? If you can't offer anything, then at least come out and fight for me.]

Link didn't lie, nor did he need to.

[In exchange, I can give you the information I know—and the chance to return to life.]

[A fair trade.]

[Understood.]

Yahiko accepted without resistance and then fell silent.

Even though Link had reeled in a big fish, Yahiko clearly wouldn't immediately agree to fight for him.

Returning to reality, Link shook his head.

Compared to Nagato and Konan—who had been manipulated by Obito—Yahiko was far more clear-headed.

And incredibly sharp.

[He grasped the nuances of this communication method so fast.]

In just a short exchange, Yahiko had mastered how to communicate effectively under the Summoning Jutsu's constraints.

He even tried to steer the conversation to extract more information.

Unfortunately for him, he simply didn't know enough.

The Pure Land had no concept of time.

A soul only became aware of time passing when someone communicated with them.

Otherwise, they simply remained in eternal sleep.

This was why many ninja, despite comparing Link to Tobirama, didn't fully block him out.

They would eavesdrop on his broadcasts, sometimes even anonymously responding.

To the souls in the Pure Land, time in the real world had moved far beyond their last memory.

For them, it was as if they had just died.

Some, due to unresolved attachments, hadn't even fully entered the Pure Land—lingering in between, waiting for someone.

For many, entering the Pure Land meant choosing eternal sleep—a comforting void of nothingness.

But now, with Link's voice breaking that silence, they felt alive again.

They felt time moving.

So they listened.

Not everyone liked the idea of being trapped in ignorant slumber.

In simpler terms:

"They're basically silent lurkers watching a forum thread."

And every time Link activated Summoning Jutsu, these long-sleeping souls would "log in" to see what was happening.

[Yahiko was no exception.]

He had thoughts about the living world.

Regrets.

But he also had concerns—he didn't want to be used.

So, after hearing what he wanted, he went back to lurking.

As a privileged user with the ability to blacklist souls, Link realized something.

His conversation with Yahiko had marked him.

If he ever encountered Pain or Konan in battle, he could forcefully summon Yahiko as a trump card.

Even if Yahiko didn't fight for him, his mere presence could create chaos.

Holding a hostage? No. Holding a "ghost hostage."

Considering how Nagato obsessed over his beliefs, it might be more effective against Konan.

It didn't even matter if Yahiko could fight.

Just summoning him would shake the battlefield.

Sometimes, a dead person was more useful than a living one.

If possible, Link wanted to find the parents of Orochimaru, Obito, Sasori, Nagato, and even Nonō Yakushi.

Imagine facing an enemy and then summoning their long-dead parents on the battlefield.

Normal people would just curse their opponent.

He could actually summon their parents to scold them.

"Summoning Jutsu: Call Your Parents!"

[If you want to defeat me, you'll have to kill your parents first!]

Just thinking about it was hilariously messed up.

The more messed up, the better.

Link felt motivated and excitedly activated Summoning Jutsu again.

[Now, let me tell you about the other members of Akatsuki...]

If storytelling worked so well, then he'd keep going.

After all, every Akatsuki member had a story.

And once he was done with Akatsuki—

He'd talk about the Konoha Crush Plan.

He refused to believe that hearing about Suna's total surrender wouldn't bait some Sunagakure ninja into responding.

~~~

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