The person behind the scenes?!
Those present exchanged glances, not quite understanding what Shihōin Naraku meant.
Wasn't the Akatsuki simply hiding in Amegakure, waiting for opportunities to capture tailed beasts and Jinchūriki everywhere?
"First of all, the Akatsuki wasn't like this in the beginning."
Shihōin Naraku glanced at everyone. "The original Akatsuki was indeed founded to bring stability to Amegakure and peace to the shinobi world!"
"But the Akatsuki grew too quickly in Amegakure, arousing Hanzō's suspicions."
"To wipe out the fledgling Akatsuki completely, Hanzō cooperated with Shimura Danzō and dealt the Akatsuki a devastating blow under the pretense of negotiations."
"The Akatsuki was all but destroyed back then. Even their leader, Yahiko, died as a result!"
"Logically speaking, the Akatsuki should never have recovered from such a meticulously planned attack."
"But they rebuilt a new Akatsuki in an extremely short time, and I-I suspect Hanzō may have died at the hands of the current Akatsuki leader, Nagato, around then."
"From that point on, Amegakure imposed even tighter restrictions, making it almost impossible for outsiders to get a glimpse of its true situation."
"Think back to when you stopped hearing any intelligence about Hanzō."
The others had clearly taken Naraku's words to heart.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had once fought Hanzō, earning the title of the Konoha Sannin alongside Orochimaru as a result.
But when it came to that battle, Tsunade and the other two had actually lost.
It was just that, although Hanzō, Amegakure's leader, could defeat the three of them, he did not dare kill them, because Tsunade and the others were disciples of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
To prevent the war from escalating without restraint, Hanzō had let the three leave.
After that, Tsunade and Jiraiya had never seen Hanzō again, nor had they asked about him.