Hiruko heard Uchiha Yū's words and finally let out a heavy breath of relief. Ignoring everyone's stares, he sat down on the ground. At that moment, both his body and mind were utterly exhausted. His once-pristine white clothes were covered in dust and sweat stains.
He swore those had been the hardest three minutes of his life. One tiny mistake, and he could have been killed.
"Finally... I survived."
Everyone could understand how difficult it had been for him. With death so close at hand, all he could do was run for his life.
Seeing Hiruko collapse from exhaustion, Uchiha Yū silently nodded. He walked to his side and spoke in a commanding tone.
"Joining the Akatsuki will grant you protection, but you will also have to pay a price. There will be some dangerous missions for you to carry out."
Everyone who could join the organization was strong. Those strong people needed to work together to complete missions, the lowest of which would be A-rank, with even S-rank missions among them.
However, Uchiha Yū would not be stingy toward those who successfully joined. So long as they requested it for the sake of becoming stronger, they would receive the corresponding resources.
Even if those resources were someone else's bloodline limit abilities, Uchiha Yū had ways to capture those people and bring them back.
That was how the Akatsuki had been born. They were a sharp sword, and Uchiha Yū would continually temper them against a whetstone until one day, that blade could cut through all darkness.
Uchiha Yū's calm words were not only meant for Hiruko, but also for the few people present who had their own schemes. His gaze swept over Uchiha Madara, then Sasori, who was hiding in the shadows.
Everyone quietly listened to what Uchiha Yū