The Divine Power of the Horse Talisman

Shimura Danzō's words were not without reason; once Hanzo's temper cooled, he realized the logic in them.

After all, one who could ascend to the upper echelons of the village was unlikely to commit such a foolish act.

However... this crime of destroying the village and attempting to challenge his authority still required a scapegoat, or how else could he appease the public's anger? How else could he extinguish his own fury?

Regarding Hanzo's thoughts, Shimura Danzō indicated he had a brilliant idea: "Isn't it just a scapegoat you need? This is exactly what Shimura Danzō excels at!"

"Lord Hanzo! It must be that Akatsuki organization, acting in defiance of their superiors, attempting to make you lose face before the people of Amegakure so they can seize power and influence—it is a 'scheme of alienation'!"

With Shimura Danzō feeding him the line, Hanzo stopped playing dumb.

"State your plan!"

Sometimes the truth is unimportant; as long as one can maintain their majesty before the people and preserve their rule, that is enough.

Hanzo retracted the Kusarigama from Shimura Danzō's shoulder and turned slowly. Behind him, half of the curtain was suddenly sliced in two. His low voice brushed past Shimura Danzō's ear, "Spare me those convoluted political riddles."

Shimura Danzō's single eye narrowed into a slit, thinking, Finally, he's taken the bait. He pulled a scroll from his sleeve, one he had prepared in advance written in Hanzo's own tone, and spread it across the table.

"Naturally... we must cut the weeds and dig up the roots!"

Within a temporary base of the Akatsuki, because Hanzo had removed his gas mask in the village, tens of thousands of Amegakure citizens had been poisoned, and the Akatsuki had taken on the burden of the aftermath.

"Damn it... damn it...!"

Beside the wall, watching the group of citizens who could only emit weak groans from their hospital beds due to the poisoning, Yahiko felt a deep sense of agony at his own powerlessness. He could only punch the wall again and again to vent the frustration in his heart.

He had no intention of blaming Hanzo; instead, he deeply admired that Hanzo, at his advanced age, could still do his utmost to protect the village. As for the accidentally poisoned citizens... the naive Yahiko believed Hanzo had simply been forced into this desperate measure with no other choice.

At this moment, his heart was filled only with deep self-reproach.

"Yahiko... don't blame yourself... it's useless..."

Watching Yahiko's fists begin to seep blood, staining the dented wall, Nagato felt a pang of heartache.

"But! Even Jusuke has...!"

Jusuke was one of the founding members of the Akatsuki, arguably the first representative of the organization after the three founders. Now that he had collapsed in a hospital bed after investigating the "riot" in Amegakure, how could Yahiko, as the leader, not feel anxious?

"I don't even know how much antidote we can buy..."

Hanzo's poison was almost impossible to cure, save for Chiyo of Sunagakure and Tsunade of Konoha. Although some leaked antidotes could be bought on the underground black market, it was a drop in the bucket, and the Akatsuki's funds were far from plentiful.

"If I just watch my important comrades die in agony, what kind of leader am I!"

"Yahiko! Nagato! We've found a way to cure the poison!"

Just as Yahiko was feeling helpless and his spirits were sinking further, Konan suddenly pushed the door open, bringing good news.

"Re... really?!"

Upon hearing that their Akatsuki comrades could be saved, Yahiko, who had just been looking dejected, instantly changed his expression. He didn't even care about the boundaries between men and women, excitedly grabbing Konan's hands to ask.

"Mm... mm!"

Although being suddenly grabbed by the hands made Konan, who was at the age of puberty, feel a bit shy, seeing Yahiko's slightly silly and incredibly excited face made her unable to pull away. She could only wait for Yahiko to calm down, realize his mistake, and release her hands while blushing himself.

"Th... that, Konan, take me to see your method...!"

Following Konan to a ward, Yahiko saw Jusuke's face the moment he pushed the door open. At this moment, he showed absolutely no signs of poisoning; his energy and spirit were even better than before.

"Yo! Big Brother Yahiko! What's wrong? You're making a face like a crying little girl."

"You guy, I wasn't crying!"

Although he landed a heavy punch on Jusuke's stomach, seeing that he was energetic enough to joke around, Yahiko finally set his heart at ease. However...

He didn't see any skilled doctors or experts capable of making antidotes.

"It's little Jack."

Konan led Yahiko to the adjacent temporary ward filled with stretchers and hospital beds. They saw Jack simply wave his small hand, a soft green light radiating from his palm, and the patients whose poison had seeped into their marrow were instantly restored to full health.

Indeed, this was the divine power of the Horse Talisman, "Healing"—or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it "expelling all external forces." As the representative of healing among the Twelve Talismans, as long as one wasn't dead, no matter how severe the injury, it could save them!

However, the members of the Akatsuki did not know what a talisman was, nor did they know what magic was. They had their own interpretations.

"That seems to be her special ability."

"Mm... Teacher Jiraiya once mentioned that there is a type of technique that can only be inherited through blood relations and genes. Usually, besides those of the same bloodline, others cannot learn it. It seems to be called..."

"Kekkei Genkai!" Nagato added.

"I don't know if possessing special power in a world like this is a blessing or a curse..."

The three couldn't help but worry for Jack. After all, this was not Konoha, known as the "Cradle of Geniuses." A child discovered to have a Kekkei Genkai would likely be treated as a "tool" and exploited for their entire life.

"But that is exactly what we, the Akatsuki, want to change!"

Yahiko clenched his fists and looked toward the distant sky, which was gradually clearing. Sunlight spilled onto him; although the current Akatsuki hadn't done enough yet, he believed that one day, they would surely succeed!

That night, the clear weather did not last long in the Land of Rain. As night fell, the drizzle began to fall incessantly once more, but the excitement of the Akatsuki members was not extinguished by the damp environment.

In a damp cavern outside Amegakure, Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and a group of Akatsuki veterans were meeting with the man who claimed to be Hanzo's messenger, Kanzo.

"You must be the leader of Akatsuki, Lord Yahiko, right?"

"Truly a hero among youths. I never expected the leader of Akatsuki to be such a young man."

"You flatter me, Lord Kanzo, you are too kind." Upon being praised, our leader Yahiko couldn't help but scratch the back of his head and laugh, unable to maintain the poker face he had worked so hard to put on earlier.

"I am Salamander Hanzo's lieutenant, Kanzo. I have come to deliver a message on behalf of Lord Hanzo."

"I have long heard of the deeds of your Akatsuki. I hear you do not advocate the use of force and insist on resolving problems peacefully."

"That is the philosophy of our Akatsuki." Mentioning their philosophy, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan all felt immense pride. Akatsuki was moving in a positive direction; surely, peace for the world was not far off?

"Lord Hanzo wishes to meet with you. He has recognized Akatsuki and would like to discuss in person how to win the hearts of the nations and lead the world toward a path of peace."

Kanzo wore a face full of smiles, his tone gentle, speaking words he almost believed himself. However, these words had a highly motivating effect on the members of Akatsuki.

"The time is set for tomorrow morning. I hope you will all do us the honor of attending."

"Certainly, certainly! We will definitely be there!"

After smiling and seeing Kanzo off, Yahiko could not hide the joy in his heart and jumped for joy. He saw it—his dream, the dream of Akatsuki! The dream of "world peace" was drawing near!