Kakashi and Yahiko's First Meeting

The cruel curtain of war rose once again.

Minato Namikaze led three hundred elite ninja, bypassing the front lines of both sides to launch a night raid from the rear of the Hidden Cloud camp.

On the main battlefield, Jiraiya led the main force, pinning down the bulk of the Hidden Cloud army.

This pincer attack caught the Hidden Cloud off guard, inflicting massive losses upon a force that was already struggling to consolidate its defensive lines.

Shiraishi remained hidden in the shadows, witnessing the entire war and gaining an unexpected harvest.

On the front lines, Jiraiya summoned the gargantuan Gamabunta, dealing devastating blows to the Hidden Cloud.

Gamabunta's combat record was no surprise, but its very existence was a significant revelation for Shiraishi.

Originating from the three great sage regions, practicing senjutsu, and absorbing natural energy, Gamabunta was, in Shiraishi's eyes, a spirit beast born of heaven and earth.

If he could refine their blood essence, it would be worth hundreds of ninja for the development of Shiraishi's new body.

This discovery immediately piqued Shiraishi's interest in the three great sage regions.

Within the three regions, the toads of Mount Myōboku—especially the Great Toad Sage—had an unclear relationship with the Sage of Six Paths.

Shiraishi was currently engaged in the clandestine business of harvesting souls and did not want to invite trouble or increase the risk of being discovered by the Sage of Six Paths.

The slugs of Shikkotsu Forest were a single entity representing an entire species; with their long lifespans and massive size, they were not easy to deal with either.

Excluding the first two, that left only the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, which seemed the easiest to target.

For Shiraishi to strike at Ryūchi Cave, he only needed Orochimaru to summon the snakes; before they could react, he could subdue them and prevent them from dispelling the summoning, thereby obtaining ample blood essence.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru's value in Shiraishi's eyes increased by a few notches.

Once this war concluded, Shiraishi decided to offer some incentives to further hook Orochimaru onto his line.

In Konoha, within the cemetery for martyrs.

A man wearing a spiral mask, with only one eye visible, held a bouquet of flowers and arrived before a tombstone under the moonlight.

Engraved on the tombstone was the name of Kakashi's teammate, Rin Nohara.

"Rin." The masked man crouched before the tombstone, placed the flowers in front of the tilted stone, and reached out to wipe away the dust.

In the masked man's only visible eye, longing and affection nearly overflowed.

Just then, a bizarre "human" with green hair, whose head and body were split down the middle into black and white halves, emerged from the ground.

"Obito, Kakashi has gone to the Land of Rain and is making contact with the Akatsuki."

This strange-looking "human" was Black Zetsu, possessing a White Zetsu body—a creature created by Kaguya Otsutsuki using Yin-Yang Release when she was sealed by her two filial sons.

From the moment of his birth, he had only one mission: to rescue his mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had been sealed away by the brothers of the Sage of Six Paths.

The Obito mentioned by Black Zetsu was the masked man, the teammate whom Kakashi and Rin both believed had sacrificed himself before them: Obito Uchiha.

Hearing Black Zetsu's words, the longing and affection in Obito's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a cold, sharp gaze.

"Kakashi!" Obito muttered in a low voice.

"Kakashi!" Rin's gentle voice rang in Kakashi's ear.

Kakashi turned his head to look at Rin beside him, a smile appearing beneath his mask.

Having experienced death and returned to the world of the living as a soul, Rin had become increasingly bold in her interactions with Kakashi, shedding her initial shyness.

At this moment, Rin used the unique nature of her spiritual form to remain invisible, floating beside Kakashi and occasionally circling him like a fairy from a myth.

"Rin." Kakashi looked at the smiling Rin and called out softly.

"Heehee, I just wanted to call your name." Rin let out a few light laughs before flying into the air and landing on Kakashi's other side, her gaze fixed entirely on his profile.

Kakashi shook his head helplessly and continued walking forward. He had already established contact with the Akatsuki ninja and had an appointment today to meet their leader, Yahiko.

On a platform outside a three-story concrete building on the outskirts of town, Kakashi, walking at a steady pace, saw Yahiko waiting for him.

Yahiko stood at the front with a bright smile on his face, while Nagato and Konan stood slightly behind him to his sides.

Behind the three of them stood seven or eight other Akatsuki ninja.

As Kakashi walked up to them, Yahiko took the initiative to step forward and enthusiastically extended his right hand.

"I heard from Kyusuke that you want to join us."

Kakashi nodded and reached out to shake Yahiko's hand.

"Hahaha, it's truly wonderful that our philosophy is being recognized by more and more people!" Yahiko said happily, gripping Kakashi's right hand tightly and refusing to let go.

"Yahiko." Konan, unable to watch any longer, walked to Yahiko's side and reminded him in a low voice.

Only then did Yahiko react; he hurriedly released Kakashi's hand, scratched the back of his head, and laughed awkwardly.

"I'm Konan, and he is Yahiko, our leader. What is your name?" Compared to Yahiko, Konan appeared more reliable; she offered a gentle, approachable smile and took the initiative to introduce them to Kakashi.

"My name is Obito." Kakashi's mission this time was to see Obito's soul again, so to commemorate his friend, he used his friend's name as his alias.

"Obito, how old are you this year?" Konan asked curiously, looking at the very young-looking Kakashi.

"Fourteen," Kakashi said, his voice sounding slightly cold.

Perhaps due to her experiences in childhood, Konan possessed a kind nature and enjoyed taking care of others, especially young children and teenagers.

Therefore, upon hearing that Kakashi was only fourteen, she offered a well-intentioned reminder: "Although we do not advocate violence and hope to achieve peace through communication, we still encounter danger while carrying out missions. If you wish to join us, you could start by handling logistics."

Kakashi looked at Konan, feeling the genuine kindness of this group firsthand. However, his purpose in joining the Akatsuki this time was to help steer the organization onto the right path, which meant he needed to gain a voice as quickly as possible.

While the Akatsuki pursued noble ideals, they were fundamentally a military organization composed of ninjas. In such an organization, demonstrating one's strength was the best path to advancement.

Thus, Kakashi had no intention of hiding his abilities. He spoke directly, "No need, I am quite strong!"

"Hey! Kid, Konan is being kind to you. Going out on missions is very dangerous," Kyusuke, who stood behind and had introduced Kakashi to the Akatsuki, spoke up.

Kyusuke's intervention was partly out of concern for Kakashi, but also because he had long harbored feelings for Konan.

Or rather, most of the male ninjas in the Akatsuki harbored feelings for Konan.

Kakashi maintained his calm expression and looked at Yahiko, saying, "I can accept an assessment."

Yahiko rubbed his head and said to Kakashi, "No need to be so serious. We are just one big family, pursuing the philosophy of peace together. As long as you agree with our philosophy, you can join us."

Kakashi nodded, "I agree."

Kakashi's simple, direct words, paired with his expressionless, almost paralyzed-looking face, left Yahiko momentarily speechless.

Is this another child who has undergone harsh training from a young age and matured far too early?

Yahiko looked at Kakashi, a hint of sympathy appearing in his eyes.