The founding of the Akatsuki!
As dusk fell, the noise and shouts in the tavern gradually subsided, and the customers who had come to drink slowly dispersed.
However, no matter how loud the slogans are shouted, or how excited the emotions are at the time, people ultimately have to consider reality, and those who devote themselves wholeheartedly to their ideals are ultimately only a minority.
We call such people pioneers or martyrs!
As the many customers in the tavern left, the man who had just given a speech in the center of the tavern stood quietly in place, watching the departing figures with his gaze lingering for a long time.
A moment later, his gaze pierced through the throng of people and locked onto two boys in the corner who were still breathing slightly.
He walked slowly through the aisle between the tables and chairs, his robes brushing against the wooden benches, until he reached Kyusuke and the Dabutsu.
Kyusuke seeing the visitor, Kyusuke immediately straightened up. Despite his exhaustion, his eyes remained resolute. He respectfully said, "Sir! Greetings. We would like to ask you, what should we do if we want to save the Land of Rain?"
Despite the dizziness from a high fever, the large Dabutsu beside him had a resolute gaze, its bald head gleaming slightly in the dim light, as it quietly awaited the man's answer.
The man lowered his gaze to the two boys before him, his voice no longer as impassioned as during his speech, but rather calm and deep. "As citizens of the Land of Rain, each of us longs for a hero to descend from the heavens and save us."
"Everyone has a leader they are willing to follow. For me, my leader is a man with dark green eyes, who has experienced countless battles, seen through all the hypocrisy of the Shinobi World's order, yet still harbors great love in his heart!"
At this point, a hint of longing appeared on his calm expression, and his words became clearer. "If one day you can see him with your own eyes, you will be able to personally feel the unique charm he possesses, which is completely different from all other ninjas."
"In my heart, only that gentleman can find a true way out for this land ravaged by war!"
After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He nodded slightly to the two of them, then turned and left the tavern, disappearing into the continuous rain outside.
Kyusuke and Dabutsu stood there, engraving each and every word of those words firmly into their hearts.
The warm yellow light fell on the two boys: one was a stubborn boy with purple ink on his face; the other was a pale-faced but gentle-looking bald boy. Fate had already planted a seed in the hearts of the two boys, a seed waiting for their reunion.
Time flies, and several months have passed quietly.
The war in the Land of Rain intensified, and with the arrival of reinforcements from Sunagakure and Iwagakure, the ninjas of the Three Great Shinobi Villages fought repeatedly on this land.
Villages in the Land of Rain were burned down one after another, and ordinary people were constantly and wantonly slaughtered. This muddy land was constantly soaked in blood.
The entire Land of Land of Rain was filled with refugees fleeing the disaster. As the battlefield expanded, the intensity of the fighting between ninjas increased. Apart from the Daimyo Capital where the daimyo was located and the headquarters of Amegakure, the rest of the country was completely turned into a living hell.
In a secluded place in the Land of Rain.
Kakuzu sat upright inside the wooden house, while the sound of rain outside continued incessantly.
Three years ago, he received a secret letter from Kagami Uchiha, instructing him to properly train the children under his command and then establish an organization with the slogan of saving the Land of Rain.
Although he was deeply averse to such troublesome matters, he couldn't resist Kagami Uchiha's sweet talk for long, after all, the Hokage had treated him with great kindness.
However, despite receiving the mission, he was not in a hurry. Following some suggestions from Kagami Uchiha, for the past three years, he has been sending his subordinates to give speeches and spread his ideas in various towns, refugee camps, taverns, and other crowded places in the Land of Rain.
They constantly told the people of the Land of Rain about the evil of the great power's aggression and tyranny.
They constantly propagate the Hanzō threat theory—it is precisely because of Hanzo of the Salamander's ambition and arrogance that the Three Great Shinobi Villages started a war within the Land of Rain, plunging the Land of Rain into war and causing widespread suffering.
With continuous promotion over the past few years, more and more people are willing to follow him.
Orphans who lost their families, refugees whose homes were destroyed by the war, and low-ranking ninjas from Hanzō who were increasingly dissatisfied with Amegakure and disappointed with the current state of the Land of Rain; these people continuously rallied around Kakuzu, regarding him as the savior of the Land of Rain.
At this thought, Kakuzu couldn't help but secretly mutter to himself:
What savior of the Land of Rain? I'm a Takigakure missing-nin from Takigakure!
I love money... I finally found my Ninja Way, and now they want me to be some kind of savior...
The Hokage always liked to do these kinds of things, things that were beyond his control.
Sigh... Whether it was the Land of Wind scam from many years ago or the plan to save the Land of Rain now.
Well... I'll just consider this a way of repaying the Hokage's kindness. I'll reluctantly accept the role of the savior of the Land of Rain!
With this thought in mind, Kakuzu muttered to himself inside the room, "I didn't expect so many people to come and join me. It seems the time is ripe for the organization to be established."
--
On a smoggy morning, unusually, the Land of Rain was dry. Dozens of core followers gathered in a wide open space.
In the early morning, the faint light of dawn pierced through the thick smog and fell upon this group of people who had endured so much hardship.
There were no ornate battle robes, nor the Akatsuki cloak of later generations; most of the people present wore tattered Shinobi Flak Jacket and coarse black clothes.
Among the crowd, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan stood at the front, along with Kyusuke and Dabutsu, who joined them later.
Although Yahiko and his two companions were still young and inexperienced, they had developed a certain level of combat strength after years of training. The two who joined later, Kyusuke, had also grown up and were no longer as weak as before, and could be considered as two Genin.
Everyone wore solemn expressions and gazed resolutely at Kakuzu, who stood before them with his hands behind his back.
Kakuzu observed the expressions on everyone's faces, his gaze sweeping over each person before him, and spoke in a deep voice, "For a long time, the people of the Land of Rain have struggled to survive amidst the flames of war."
"Many great nations of the Shinobi World regard our land as a battlefield, where they slaughter indiscriminately. Yet Hanzo of the Salamander of the Salamander, the Demigod on whom everyone places their hopes, remains indifferent to all of this!"
"My Kakuzu. I was originally a lowly ninja. I witnessed the suffering of the people of the Land of Rain, with corpses strewn across the fields. The horrific scenes are still vivid in my mind, and I cannot bear to look upon them. In this chaotic world, powerful nations treat the people of small nations like mere weeds. Wherever the flames of war reach, countless families are destroyed. Therefore, I have resolved to gather like-minded individuals to build an organization, and its name is Akatsuki!"
At this point, Kakuzu turned his head, gazing at the rising sun, his tone becoming even more solemn:
"The Akatsuki is the dawn, the first rays of sunlight after darkness! We are the first ray of sunshine rising after darkness. We will illuminate the darkness that hangs over the Land of Rain bring light to its millions of people!"
"From this day forward, we will personally protect the Land of Rain, drive out the invading ninjas, and overthrow the ambitious figures who have seized control of this land!"
"We will not provoke trouble or cause unnecessary bloodshed. But if anyone dares to obstruct the arrival of dawn, they will face our retaliation."
"The entire Akatsuki will now travel far and wide, contacting all those who yearn for peace, persuading them with words and protecting them with strength. We are not here to conquer the world, but only to free the Land of Rain from the ravages of war, and in the future, we will continue to save the people of other small Shinobi World war."
As Kakuzu finished speaking, the rising sun shone on his face, making him appear incredibly tall and imposing.
Amidst the crowd, Yahiko clenched his fists, his chest heaving with excitement. The boy's bright eyes were fixed on Kakuzu's back, and he secretly vowed: Kakuzu, I will definitely help you realize your dream!
Nagato, standing to the side, slightly raised his eyes. His gaze, passing through thick red hair, looked longingly at the figure in the morning sun, and an excited flush rose on his pale face.
If it were you, that power would be at your disposal forever!
Konan sensed the excitement of her two companions beside her, slowly walked to the middle of them, and gently tugged at their sleeves with both hands. Then, she looked up at Kakuzu's broad back, her gentle eyes no longer showing their former timidity, but filled with anticipation for a bright future.
I just want to live with Yahiko, Nagato, and Kakuzu forever...
At that moment, someone shouted, "Long live Kakuzu!"
This shout, like a pebble thrown into a lake, instantly ignited the passionate emotions in everyone's hearts.
"I am willing to follow Kakuzu to the death!"
"We must follow Kakuzu and save the Land of Rain!"
"We will definitely defend Akatsuki's ideals and end this endless war!"
The shouts rose and fell, echoing across the sky. The haze in the sky seemed to melt away with such enthusiasm, and all eyes were focused on Kakuzu, their eyes filled with unreserved reverence.
Hearing the voices of the people behind him, Kakuzu's solemn face suddenly curled into a smile.
Hmph! I already told you to call me Master, you idiots...