Naruto Bloodline Theory? Nothing but Trash

In fact, many Amegakure ninja were deeply dissatisfied with the Akatsuki Organization.

One mountain could not accommodate two tigers.

One country could not contain two armed forces.

Integration, or one side disbanding, was the normal course of things.

"Let's watch for now..."

Asuka raised a hand, signaling Ryu and the others to stay calm.

The group shifted their attention and pretended to keep staring at the table before them.

"It's been half a month since we last met, hasn't it?"

Yahiko, the orange-haired leader and founder of the Akatsuki Organization, warmly invited Shennong and Mingren to sit.

Skilled at disguising himself and practicing medicine wherever he went, Shennong presented himself as an honest, dependable physician.

He had treated the citizens of the Land of Rain many times.

He had also helped the Akatsuki Organization.

That was why Yahiko was very grateful to him.

Yet Yahiko's keen senses told him that Shennong seemed to be hiding something deep inside...

But everyone had secrets.

Before they became better acquainted, Yahiko had no intention of digging deeper.

"..."

Mingren silently swept his gaze around.

There were eight people here today.

It could be said they had traveled light.

The Akatsuki Organization had actually grown to nearly a hundred members.

—That was the figure from half a month ago.

Five nameless extras sat at another table.

At this table sat the founder, Yahiko, along with... Nagato and Konan.

Nagato's red hair and bangs concealed his eyes. He looked like a nobody, yet he was the strongest person present.

Konan, wearing a faint smile, was the flower of the Akatsuki Organization and Yahiko's childhood sweetheart.

"Brother Mingren, you're still wearing that stiff expression."

After greeting Shennong, Yahiko turned and struck up a conversation with Mingren.

Mingren glanced at him. "Can you really be happy with the Land of Rain in its current state?"

The Third Shinobi World War.

In the end, there were no winners.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages had all suffered losses.

But they were major shinobi villages. Within a few years, they could recover; their foundations remained, and they could afford to endure.

Amegakure was different.

Leaving aside Hanzo of the Salamander's age.

The fighting spirit in his heart had gradually faded and died out over several wars.

Like a blade that had gone dull.

The manga of the Original Work had already revealed Amegakure's fate. In the end, it would be dragged along by Konoha and become Konoha's ally.

In truth, it would eventually fall out completely with the Akatsuki Organization. Hanzo's entire family would be slaughtered, and even Amegakure's regime would be replaced.

Konoha's allies were, in truth, chives being drained dry by Konoha.

Otherwise, Sunagakure would not have constantly played the traitor while plotting to stab Konoha in the back.

Not to mention...

Even if the Akatsuki Organization took control of Amegakure, it would only bring a little over a decade of peace.

Afterward, because Nagato and Konan believed Prince Naruto's nonsense.

Amegakure would become ruins outright, its people left in misery.

It would be even worse than under Hanzo's rule.

So no matter how one looked at it.

The Land of Rain's situation was far from optimistic.

"That's why we must change this country."

Yahiko's smile faded as he spoke solemnly.

Then, he extended the hand of friendship to Mingren.

"So, what do you think of my proposal from last time? Would you be willing to join our Akatsuki Organization?"

Asuka: "!"

When Yahiko started poaching people... Asuka's heart skipped a beat.

As the Akatsuki Organization continued to rise, it became increasingly popular among young people.

That also represented the division of armed political power within the Land of Rain.

In theory, the Akatsuki Organization was separatist.

But since they had not openly turned against Amegakure and often did charitable deeds.

Her grandfather, Hanzo of the Salamander, had delayed taking action against them.

However.

When she saw Yahiko trying to recruit people right in front of her.

A trace of discomfort still flashed through Asuka's heart...

She stared expressionlessly at the tabletop.

Yet from the corner of her eye, she kept watching them closely.

"..."

Shennong glanced at Yahiko, maintaining his smile.

This Yahiko... was no simple man.

He thought to himself.

He saw at a glance that my disciple was the key... Convince him, and both of us would join...

He could not help but regard Yahiko more highly.

"If your companion were captured."

Instead of immediately answering Yahiko's question, Mingren looked at Konan, who sat at the table.

"If the enemy told you that you had to die in exchange for your companion's safety, what would you do?"

"..."

Yahiko frowned slightly.

He had not expected the other side to pose him a difficult question instead.

Before he could answer.

Mingren asked again, "If an enemy nation demanded that you capture the Demigod's Granddaughter in exchange for peace between the two countries, what would you do?"

One question challenged Yahiko's beliefs.

The other challenged the Akatsuki Organization's ideals.

Hanzo had hoped to rely on his own leadership to guide Amegakure's rise and thereby achieve peace, but after several wars, he realized that was impossible.

Yahiko, meanwhile... believed in Jiraiya's approach, seeking dialogue and mutual understanding as a way to stop war.

Hanzo's problem was that his convictions had collapsed midway.

Yahiko's problem was impractical fantasies and compromise.

History had proven countless times that compromise never ended well.

Mingren stared into Yahiko's eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade. "A great man once said: seek peace through compromise, and peace dies. Seek peace through struggle, and peace survives. I do not agree with your Akatsuki ideals."

Compromise?

And compromise with a place like Konoha, where Bloodline Theory reigned supreme?!

Yahiko's compromise had led to the collapse of Nagato's convictions.

Nagato's compromise had led to Amegakure becoming ruins in the end.

Compromising with the enemy and placing hope in them was the stupidest thing possible.

Mingren publicly rejected Yahiko without the slightest hesitation.

For some reason, Asuka let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Ryu and the others wore amused expressions.

On Yahiko's side, Nagato immediately stood and retorted, "If we keep fighting, it will only cause more lives to vanish... War is the most meaningless thing of all..."

"Get this straight. Did we want to start a war? Did the countless ordinary people want to fight? Were the people who killed your parents the tens of millions of ordinary citizens in the Land of Rain who only wanted to live peaceful lives? We are not the ones who started these wars! It was the ninja of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure—it was those ruling elites of the Five Great Nations!"

Mingren abruptly turned and glared at Nagato.

"You tell a tiger to eat vegetables, you tell the ambitious to become better people... that is nothing but a fool's dream. The only way to improve this world is to kill every villain! Then carry out a thorough revolution and overthrow Bloodline Theory!"

"!"

Nagato seemed to have been cowed by Mingren's forcefulness.

Even with the Rinnegan, he was left speechless for a moment, completely unable to think of a response...

Beside him, Konan blinked, curiosity appearing in her eyes for the first time.

"..."

Yahiko's brow furrowed.

For the first time, he realized just how enormous the gap between their ideals was.

Still, he did not argue with Mingren.

Instead, he raised his own question.

"A thorough revolution... that isn't a simple matter. How do you intend to achieve your goal?"

Even Jiraiya, the teacher who had taught him, did not know the answer to peace.

But Jiraiya believed that one day, humanity could understand one another.

So...

He wanted to hear a different answer for peace.

"Through strength, of course."

Mingren answered.

"Violence is the foundation for achieving everything. I will grow stronger and stronger, and then..."

"Then at most, you'll become a second Demigod."

Yahiko frowned.

That was already putting it generously.