Kurotsuchi: I Want to Join the Akatsuki Organization

Ōnoki knew Deidara's personality well. Outside of battle, Deidara was basically incapable of scheming, and there was almost no chance he would think to deceive him at a time like this—let alone shout it so naturally.

So...

They really did have his blood!

As for how they had gotten it?

Ōnoki shifted his gaze toward the direction Shirozumi had just been speaking to.

They had a companion skilled at infiltration.

Before today, before anyone knew about a technique like Death Possession Blood, who would have cared whether their blood might be collected?

"What exactly are you trying to—"

"Wait, wait!"

Just as Ōnoki was about to ask Shirozumi about his intentions, Kurotsuchi nervously and conflictedly stepped between them, staring fixedly at Shirozumi. "Um... I'm not one of the targets of this deterrence too, am I?"

"Of course."

Shirozumi smiled.

"I've been injured quite a few times over the past few years. Tell me, you collected my blood while I was injured, didn't you?"

Kurotsuchi's expression was somewhat grief-stricken and indignant.

She had already guessed something.

"Among us, male shinobi may not necessarily be subject to deterrence, but aside from people like Grandma Chiyo, no female ninja can escape it. So... what do you think?"

"What the hell do you mean, 'what do I think'?!"

Kurotsuchi clenched her fists. "Tell me, which bastard in your organization came up with such a perverted idea?!"

"Kurotsuchi, don't act rashly!"

Ōnoki grabbed Kurotsuchi and pulled her back.

Just now, Shirozumi had made Shizun die miserably without the slightest hesitation after he attacked him. Ōnoki did not dare gamble on whether Shirozumi would do the same if Kurotsuchi attacked him.

"What exactly do you want? Deterrence... could it be that you want to rule the world?"

Ōnoki stared at Shirozumi, wanting to know whether he was an ambitious man like Madara Uchiha.

"Didn't I just say so? We are an organization that loves peace. Deterrence is only meant to let us speak with the Five Great Shinobi Villages as equals.

"We insignificant little forces speak while standing, and you refuse to listen. We speak while kneeling, and you still refuse to listen. So all we can do is make you kneel.

"Come to think of it, the reason our organization's Leader came to understand this principle has a somewhat indirect connection to Iwagakure."

Shirozumi maintained his smile.

"It's connected to us?"

Ōnoki rapidly searched through his memories, trying to find relevant information, but ultimately failed.

Ōnoki looked at Kurotsuchi beside him, seemingly asking whether she remembered anything.

"I don't remember either. Don't worry, old man, you haven't gone senile yet."

After the time that had passed, Kurotsuchi had calmed down somewhat.

Since it had already happened, there was nothing they could do about it.

They should first try to draw as much information as possible from them.

Only with intelligence would they have a chance to figure out how to respond and counter them.

"It's normal that you don't remember. I said it was only 'somewhat indirectly connected.'

"There's no harm in telling you what happened.

"Danzo of Konoha once sent his subordinates to disguise themselves as your Iwagakure Ninja and kill civilians. Then he framed us for it, trying to set the tiger against the wolf. It caused our Leader at the time, as well as our earliest members, to die."

Shirozumi casually recounted the tragic conspiracy that had taken place in Amegakure.

As for whether the people of Iwagakure would realize from this that the Akatsuki Organization's headquarters was in Amegakure, it did not matter.

Ever since Shirozumi had become the Akatsuki Organization's Strategist, Akatsuki no longer needed to remain hidden in the shadows.

"Konoha?"

Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi exchanged glances, their faces full of astonishment.

So that was the kind of "connection" it was?

"That old bastard Danzo really is rotten to the core... Since Konoha did it, why are you targeting Iwagakure? You should be going after Konoha instead, shouldn't you?"

After cursing Danzo to state his position, Ōnoki asked in confusion.

"To rescue Deidara."

"Huh?"

"Is that all?"

Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi were both completely dumbfounded.

"Yes. As for Konoha, we naturally collected blood from there as well. But as I said, we're an organization that loves peace. Unless Konoha is one of the targets of our plan, we won't take the initiative to do anything there."

"..."

Ōnoki's mouth twitched.

What kind of person went around talking about loving peace all day?

"I can let you leave, but I hope ordinary shinobi won't learn about this 'deterrence' of yours. It could easily cause panic."

After pondering for a moment, Ōnoki spoke.

Even if he used Dust Release to instantly kill them now, it wouldn't solve the problem. He could only compromise for the time being.

"No problem."

"As for Deidara, you don't need to worry either. I know you regard him as a grandson, a big brother, but we regard him as a companion too.

I can tell you this much: our organization's ultimate goal is to fight against an existence that threatens the Entire Shinobi World.

We need to gather everyone's strength as much as possible, so cooperation with Iwagakure will be unavoidable. When that time comes, we'll still be comrades-in-arms..."

Shirozumi was selling them a dream.

But this dream truly struck a chord with both of them.

The perspective of Naruto had always centered on Naruto Uzumaki.

Step outside of it, and one would discover a different world.

To Ōnoki, Deidara was like Naruto Uzumaki to Hiruzen Sarutobi—perhaps even more closely connected.

When Naruto in Shippuden cheered upon hearing that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, he never considered that Orochimaru was the "Sasuke" of Jiraiya, the master by his side.

People's joys and sorrows were never shared. In the shinobi world, mutual incomprehension was the norm. Even best friends might not understand one another, and everyone had grown accustomed to it.

And now, their feelings had been voiced by someone they had only met today, someone who could even be considered an enemy.

It was an incredibly strange feeling.

"In that case, can I join your organization?"

"Kurotsuchi, wh-what are you saying?"

Kurotsuchi's sudden words gave Ōnoki quite a fright.

Damn it, Deidara, whom he'd raised as his own grandson and trained as his successor, had run off. Was his granddaughter going to run off too?

But Kurotsuchi ignored Ōnoki. Her dark eyes stared straight at Shirozumi as she waited for his answer.

"Sure."

Shirozumi froze slightly before giving his answer.

"Are you afraid that I might... What?! Sure? You agreed?"

When Kurotsuchi heard Shirozumi speak, she instinctively assumed she had been rejected and was about to start arguing. Then she suddenly realized that he had agreed just like that?

"Aren't you afraid that I want to gather intelligence on you, or find a way to destroy the blood you've collected or something?"

Kurotsuchi was thoroughly confused.

Ōnoki, listening from the side, had his mouth twitch again.

—This granddaughter of mine, why did you bare your heart every time someone gave you the slightest probe?

"Why would I be afraid? If you want to gather intelligence, you'll have to understand us.

And if you understand us, you'll understand our intentions.

You don't think I was just fooling you when I said our goal was for the safety of the entire shinobi world, do you?"

Shirozumi shrugged.

When it came to rational, level-headed people like this, Shirozumi could be completely honest and invite them onto the same path.

In Shirozumi's plan, the Five Great Shinobi Villages had always been forces that could be won over.

The only difficulty was that the people of the Five Great Shinobi Villages would not easily believe the things he had told the Akatsuki Organization.

They wouldn't easily believe them, but that didn't mean they would never believe them.

These were things that could be persuaded through words and actions.

Only those people who, no matter what you said or how reasonable it was, would start shouting about "friendship," "bonds," or "Pain, so much pain," or "This world cruelly cast you aside, and now I shall repay it with pain," so long as it didn't fit their fixed beliefs—those people could not be reasoned with.

"No! You can't, Strategist, don't agree to let her join!

Kurotsuchi is so boring, and she's not even that strong!

If she joins the organization, she'll only lower our organization's cool factor! Yeah!"

Deidara's voice suddenly rang out from inside the rock cave once more.