After encountering Pakura, Mutsuki and the others did not face any further unexpected situations and successfully delivered the client to their destination.
"Really reliable. If I ever need to post a mission in Konoha again, I'll make sure to request you, Mutsuki," the middle-aged client highly praised Mutsuki's professionalism.
As an ordinary person, he didn't know much about Ninja affairs, but Mutsuki's strength was obvious, making him incredibly dependable.
To express his gratitude, the middle-aged client even wanted to invite Mutsuki and the others to a famous local restaurant for a big meal.
Mutsuki asked for Obito's opinion, and in the end, they politely declined the client's offer.
Normally, Obito would have been happy to go for the meal, but he was a bit concerned about the Akatsuki Organization in the Land of Rain.
The four of them decided that they would investigate the Akatsuki Organization on their way back.
Since the information about the Akatsuki Organization was obtained from Naruto Uzumaki and Yamato, they needed to keep it secret from Mutsuki.
"We can apply for a certain degree of freedom to act on our own from Mutsuki-sensei, but we won't stray too far. This way, Mutsuki-sensei can support us with Flying Thunder God, and there won't be any accidents," Kakashi shared his thoughts.
Kakashi believed there wouldn't be any problems with the investigation, but given the chaos in the Land of Rain, they couldn't go too far.
Otherwise, they might run into a strong Hidden Cloud or Hidden Rock ninja, and that would be troublesome.
"Obito can ask for it, just say you want to take pictures of the Land of Rain's scenery," Shisui suggested.
"I really do want to take pictures of the Land of Rain's scenery," Obito nodded. "Rin-chan, you should stay with Mutsuki-sensei."
Rin was the weakest among them, with most of her abilities focused on healing, making her much less capable of handling danger compared to the others.
"I'll stay with Mutsuki-sensei and cover for you," Rin agreed with a gentle smile.
She was very self-aware and would try not to add extra burden to Obito and the others.
The four of them immediately took action. Obito, holding a camera, looked a bit embarrassed and said to Mutsuki:
"Mutsuki-sensei, since the mission is done, could I find a place to take some photos as a keepsake? I won't stray too far from the team, and I'll ask Kakashi and the others to join me."
"Go ahead," Mutsuki agreed readily.
Mutsuki also wanted to gather more intelligence about the Land of Rain, so slowing down their return pace was part of his plan.
"Hehe, Mutsuki-sensei, you're the best!" Obito cheered happily, laughing.
"Be safe, don't wander too far," Mutsuki smiled, patting Obito on the head as a reminder.
Although he would definitely send Shadow Clones to protect his disciples, Mutsuki still hoped that they would remain more cautious.
Obito nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice, patting his chest to show that he was fine.
After reaching their objective, Mutsuki's team split up. Mutsuki and Rin stayed together, while Kakashi, Obito, and Shisui formed a group to investigate the Akatsuki Organization.
Obito and the others asked several villagers and town residents, but they either didn't know anything or spoke highly of the Akatsuki Organization.
"Akatsuki Organization consists of good Ninjas. They even helped our village drive away some rogue Ninjas."
"Akatsuki Organization? I've heard they're a good Ninja group. Hiring them to deal with bandits is cheaper than going to a Ninja village."
The more they inquired about the Akatsuki Organization, the more confused Obito and the others became.
"Could it be a case of the same name? Maybe these two Akatsuki Organizations aren't the same one?" Obito thought, the more he heard, the more he believed that Akatsuki Organization was a kind-hearted Ninja group, rather than a terrifying one.
"It's hard to say," Kakashi shook his head.
Previously, he had believed that the Akatsuki Organization was one thing based on Shisui's intel, but now Kakashi was starting to have doubts.
If they were simply gathering power, the Akatsuki Organization didn't need to go to such lengths and have its members go around doing good deeds.
It was a meaningless endeavor. As a Ninja organization, no matter how many good deeds they did, if they committed even just one or two bad ones, their reputation would be ruined.
Accepting contracts and earning money was the proper way to build strength.
"Maybe these two Akatsuki Organizations are the same one. The current Akatsuki Organization is indeed a kind-hearted Ninja organization, but the future Akatsuki Organization could very well be the terrifying one," Shisui said after thinking for a moment.
People can change. Being good now doesn't guarantee they will remain good in the future, and being evil in the future doesn't erase their past.
Shisui felt this was similar to Uchiha Itachi—although Itachi would go on to destroy the Uchiha clan in the future, the Itachi of today was just a naive child who spoke ambiguously.
Although they had only exchanged a few simple words, Shisui didn't think that the current Yahiko was a madman who would try to steal the Tailed Beasts from the Five Great Nations.
"That's actually quite possible," Kakashi said, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Although he was only ten years old, Kakashi had experienced quite a lot, and some things could indeed cause a person's personality to change drastically.
"So, is it or isn't it?" Obito was confused by Shisui's words.
Neither Shisui nor Kakashi answered Obito's question. With so little key information, they were just speculating.
"This is troublesome. It would be great if we could ask him directly," Obito sighed.
Whether it was luck or Obito's luck turning, while they were gathering information, they happened to run into Yahiko and his group, who were out maintaining public order, and even witnessed Yahiko make a move.
"That orange-haired man using Water Release is the leader of the Akatsuki Organization, Yahiko," Shisui said quietly.
Since Yahiko had introduced himself before, Shisui recognized him.
"He shouldn't be the person Mutsuki-sensei mentioned who could kill you in an instant," Obito said, rubbing his chin.
Yahiko's displayed strength was not weak, but to say that he could kill Shisui in an instant was far-fetched.
Obito didn't sense that overwhelming aura of a true powerhouse from Yahiko, not even as much as the Sand hero Pakura they encountered before.
"The person next to him with red hair is very strong!" Kakashi's eyes widened as he entered Transparent World and saw the massive amount of Chakra within Nagato's body. His pupils contracted sharply.
This was by far the most terrifying Chakra Kakashi had ever seen, even stronger than Mutsuki's Chakra.
But Kakashi quickly stopped focusing on Nagato's Chakra because he discovered something even more shocking. Just by using Transparent World, he felt an extreme sense of threat from Nagato's eyes.
Nagato seemed to sense something and looked toward Kakashi and the others. When he saw their Konoha Chunin vests and headbands, his brows furrowed.
"Yahiko, there are a few Konoha Ninjas over there," Nagato reported the information to Yahiko.
He didn't particularly like Konoha Ninjas, but he wouldn't attack them without reason.
"Those Konoha Ninjas over there, we've already noticed you," Yahiko shouted directly towards the direction Nagato had pointed to.
Yahiko didn't have much animosity towards Konoha Ninjas, and since Konoha Ninjas had saved Akatsuki Organization members not long ago, he didn't mind being watched.
"What should we do? Should we go out or just leave?" Obito asked, looking at Kakashi.
Kakashi took out a Flying Thunder God kunai from his ninja tool pouch, glanced at it, then put it back. He then made a Shadow Clone and sent it running full speed towards Mutsuki.
Kakashi was someone who didn't like to be in a dangerous situation. If Mutsuki hadn't been close by, he would have left without hesitation.
"Let's go have a look, but keep your distance, especially watch out for that red-haired guy," Kakashi responded.
The three of them then emerged from the shadows, observing Yahiko and Nagato.
"They're the Konoha Ninjas who helped me before," the tall, thin ninja said as soon as he saw Kakashi and the others.
"Such a coincidence," Yahiko said, a bit surprised.
"Thank you again for the help last time. This is Yahiko, the leader of our Akatsuki Organization," the tall, thin ninja introduced Yahiko.
Yahiko sized up the three Konoha ninjas and was surprised to find Shisui unusually familiar. After a moment of thought, he remembered meeting him before during a mission to eliminate bandits, with a small misunderstanding.
"So it's you. The ninja world really is small. We met once in the Land of Rivers. Do you remember?" Yahiko greeted Shisui with a smile.
Shisui nodded in acknowledgment.
"I've heard that your organization is dedicated to peace and stability," Kakashi said after considering his words carefully.
Since Yahiko was acting so friendly, Kakashi thought it would be a good opportunity to try and gather some intelligence.
"That's right. The purpose of Akatsuki's creation was to bring peace to the Land of Rain and the entire ninja world," Yahiko replied happily.
He believed the more people who knew about Akatsuki Organization's dream, the closer they would be to achieving it.
"Although we still have many shortcomings, I believe that as long as we keep working hard, we will succeed," Yahiko thought of the man named Sosuke.
Yahiko had been diligently protecting the villages these past few days, not only to raise Akatsuki Organization's reputation but also in hopes of meeting Sosuke again.
But Sosuke was elusive, vanishing without a trace. Not only had Yahiko not seen him, but he hadn't even heard any news about him.
Kakashi observed all the members of Akatsuki Organization, then returned his gaze to Yahiko, who was excitedly describing the future of Akatsuki Organization.
"What could have happened for such an Akatsuki Organization to turn into a terrifying organization that seizes Tailed Beasts?" Kakashi felt a weight in his heart.
When Yahiko spoke of Akatsuki Organization's dreams and future, all the members had looks of longing on their faces. It was hard to fake that expression, unless they had rehearsed it beforehand.
Though Kakashi didn't know what would happen, he guessed that it would surely be a tragic and devastating event.
"War should never exist," Obito agreed with Yahiko's words.
Obito also wanted to end the war, to make Konoha and the Land of Fire peaceful, and ensure that no more ninjas died in battle.
"Do you think the same way?" Yahiko asked, his eyes shining as he looked at Obito.
If it weren't for Obito's identity as a Konoha Ninja, Yahiko would have immediately invited him to join Akatsuki Organization.
Yahiko had inspired some ninjas to join Akatsuki Organization, but more often, he faced rejection and mocking of his dreams and goals.
"My dream is to end the war and become Hokage," Obito said proudly.
Even though Kakashi always told him he wasn't cut out for being Hokage, Obito believed he could do it.
"If we keep working hard, we will succeed. And when that time comes, we can cooperate to bring peace to the ninja world faster," Yahiko said with a hearty laugh.
At that moment, Obito looked at Yahiko with newfound admiration, thinking that Yahiko was a good person and easy to get along with.
As long as you believe I can become Hokage, then you're a good partner.
Because they still needed to check on other locations, Yahiko wanted to talk more with Obito but had to leave.
"Goodbye, I hope that when we hear from each other again, it will be as renowned ninjas in the ninja world," Yahiko said as he bid farewell.
He sincerely hoped that someone like Obito, with similar aspirations, would become Hokage. The five great ninja villages had a significant influence in the ninja world.
"It will happen. Just wait for Uchiha Obito's name to spread across the ninja world!" Obito said, mentioning his name before leaving.
The three of them watched as the Akatsuki Organization ninjas left, and then they stopped their investigation into the Akatsuki Organization.
After this exchange, Kakashi could pretty much confirm that the current Akatsuki Organization was completely different from the one in the future, making the investigation pointless.
No matter how they would change in the future, for now, they were a group of ninjas fighting for peace.
However, Kakashi still felt some headache when it came to the Akatsuki Organization.
As for Uchiha Itachi, they could choose to guide him from a young age and try to change the future.
But the Akatsuki Organization was not so easy to deal with. The ninjas of the Akatsuki Organization were much older than them, and there was also a red-haired ninja whose strength was unknown.
Obito didn't think too much about it. What he wanted most in his heart right now was for Mutsuki and Rin to survive the Third Great Ninja War, for Minato to not die from the Nine-Tails' rampage, and for the Uchiha clan to not be wiped out.
After returning to the team, Kakashi couldn't forget the pair of eyes that had posed a fatal danger to him. He drew that unique eye on paper and casually asked Mutsuki about it.
"Mutsuki-sensei, I saw this on a mural somewhere in the Land of Rain. It looked so unusual. Is it part of some special culture from that area?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly.
Obito looked at Kakashi in confusion. When did Kakashi secretly go off to look at murals? Weren't they supposed to be investigating the Akatsuki Organization's whereabouts?
Mutsuki took the paper Kakashi handed over, thought for a moment, and then replied, "It has many names: the Sage's Eye, the Eye that controls life and death, Rinnegan. It is the eye of the Six Paths Sage."
Kakashi showed a shocked expression. He had thought it might be a very powerful Kekkei Genkai, but he never imagined that it was such a big deal, even being connected to the Six Paths Sage.
Although most people worship the Six Paths Sage like a god, the Six Paths Sage is not a fictional myth but a real person. He is considered the ancestor of ninjas due to his creation of the ninja system.
"Huh? The Six Paths Sage's eyes?" Obito hurried over to take a look when he heard it was the Six Paths Sage's eyes.
Kakashi didn't give Obito that chance. In order to prevent any information from being exposed, Kakashi pulled Obito aside for some combat training.
Shisui couldn't stay calm after hearing it. The Six Paths Sage is too special for ninjas.
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