Chapter 399: The Eyes of the Sage of Six Paths
After the encounter with Pakura, Mugetsu and his team ran into no further surprises. They safely delivered the client to his destination without incident.
"Truly reliable. If I ever go to Konoha to post a mission again, I will definitely request you by name, Mugetsu," the middle aged man said with heartfelt praise.
As an ordinary person, he did not understand much about shinobi matters, but Mugetsu's strength was obvious, and his presence was reassuring from start to finish.
To show his gratitude, the client even offered to treat Mugetsu and his team to a lavish meal at a famous local restaurant.
Mugetsu asked Obito what he thought, and in the end, they politely declined.
Under normal circumstances, Obito would have been delighted to accept a feast like that, but he could not stop thinking about the Akatsuki Organization in the Land of Rain.
The four of them quickly discussed it and decided to investigate the Akatsuki Organization on the way back.
Because the information about Akatsuki came from Uzumaki Naruto and Yamato, they had to keep it hidden from Mugetsu.
"We can ask Mugetsu sensei for some freedom of movement," Kakashi said, voicing his plan. "But we cannot go too far from him. That way, if something happens, Mugetsu sensei can support us with Flying Thunder God, and nothing unexpected will happen."
Kakashi believed investigating was fine, but the Land of Rain was too chaotic. If they wandered off, they could easily run into another Kumogakure or Iwagakure powerhouse, and that would be troublesome.
"We can let Obito bring it up," Shisui suggested. "Just say he wants to take some photos of the scenery in the Land of Rain."
"I do want to take photos of the scenery in the Land of Rain," Obito nodded. Then he looked at Rin. "Rin, you should not come. Stay with Mugetsu sensei."
Rin was the weakest among them. Most of her strength was in healing, and her ability to handle sudden danger was far worse than theirs.
"I will stay with Mugetsu sensei and help cover for you," Rin agreed with a gentle smile.
She understood herself well. If she followed them, she would only slow them down.
They moved immediately.
Obito held his camera and spoke to Mugetsu with awkward seriousness. "Mugetsu sensei, the mission is complete. Can I look for a few places to take commemorative photos? I will not stray too far, and Kakashi and the others will come with me."
"Go ahead," Mugetsu agreed without hesitation.
Mugetsu also wanted to gather more information about the Land of Rain, and slowing their return had already been part of his plan.
"Hehe, Mugetsu sensei, you are the best!" Obito cheered, grinning.
"Be careful, and do not go too far," Mugetsu said, smiling as he patted Obito's head.
Even though he would definitely leave protection in place, Mugetsu still wanted them to stay vigilant.
Obito nodded rapidly and thumped his chest as if to prove he was perfectly fine.
With their goal achieved, the team split up.
Mugetsu went with Rin, while Kakashi, Obito, and Shisui formed a three man group to investigate the Akatsuki Organization.
They asked around in several villages and towns, but people either knew nothing or spoke warmly of Akatsuki.
"The Akatsuki Organization is full of good shinobi. They even helped our village drive away rogue ninja before."
"Akatsuki Organization? I heard they are a good shinobi organization. Hiring them to deal with mountain bandits is more cost effective than going through a hidden village."
The more they asked, the more confused Obito became.
"Could it just be the same name?" he muttered. "Maybe these two Akatsuki organizations are not the same Akatsuki Organization?"
The more he listened, the more Akatsuki sounded like a benevolent group, not the terrifying organization from their information.
"Hard to say," Kakashi replied, shaking his head.
Earlier, Kakashi had leaned toward it being the same organization, especially after hearing Shisui's account. But now, even Kakashi felt uncertain.
If Akatsuki were merely accumulating power, there was no reason to go out of their way to do good deeds in public. It was a meaningless path. As a shinobi organization, even if they did a hundred good things, one or two major crimes would destroy their reputation anyway.
Taking paid work and building resources would be the more direct method.
"Perhaps they are the same Akatsuki Organization," Shisui said after thinking for a moment. "The current Akatsuki is truly a benevolent organization, and the future Akatsuki is truly a terrorist organization."
People changed. Being kind now did not guarantee kindness later. Being evil in the future did not mean they had always been evil.
To Shisui, it felt similar to Uchiha Itachi. In the future, Itachi would slaughter the clan, but right now, Itachi was just a naive child who could barely speak clearly.
Shisui had only exchanged a few words with Yahiko, but he could not imagine the current Yahiko becoming a madman who would steal the tailed beasts of the Five Great Nations.
"That is very possible," Kakashi said, thoughtful.
Even though he was only ten, Kakashi had already seen enough to know that some events could twist a person beyond recognition.
"So is it or is it not?" Obito asked, completely lost.
Neither Shisui nor Kakashi answered. There was too little key information. Everything was still speculation.
"So troublesome," Obito sighed. "It would be great if we could just ask them directly."
Either Obito's mouth was blessed, or their luck had finally turned, because not long after, they ran into Yahiko and his group while they were maintaining public order. They even saw Yahiko take action firsthand.
"That orange haired man using Water Release is Yahiko," Shisui whispered. "He is the leader of the Akatsuki Organization."
Since Yahiko had introduced himself before, Shisui recognized him immediately.
"He should not be the one Mugetsu sensei said could instantly kill you, right?" Obito said, stroking his chin.
Yahiko's strength was not weak, but instantly killing Shisui sounded absurd.
Obito did not feel the pressure of a true powerhouse from Yahiko. Not even close to Pakura, the Sunagakure hero they had met earlier.
"The red haired one next to him is extremely strong," Kakashi said.
He entered Transparent World, and his pupils contracted sharply as he saw the terrifying chakra within Nagato's body.
It was the most monstrous chakra Kakashi had ever sensed, even greater than Mugetsu's.
But Kakashi's focus shifted immediately, because he noticed something even more alarming.
Just by looking through Transparent World, Nagato's eyes gave Kakashi a sense of fatal danger.
Nagato sensed something and turned his gaze toward them. When he spotted their Konoha chunin vests and headbands, he frowned.
"Yahiko, there are Konoha shinobi over there," Nagato reported quietly.
He did not particularly like Konoha, but he would not attack them without reason.
"Konoha shinobi over there, we have already spotted you!" Yahiko shouted toward the direction Nagato indicated.
Yahiko did not hold much hostility toward Konoha shinobi. And since Konoha shinobi had recently saved Akatsuki members, Yahiko did not mind being watched.
Obito glanced at Kakashi. "What do we do? Go out, or leave?"
Kakashi took out a Flying Thunder God kunai, examined it briefly, then put it away. After that, he formed a shadow clone and had it sprint at full speed toward Mugetsu's position.
Kakashi did not like standing in a dangerous situation. If Mugetsu were not nearby, he would have withdrawn without hesitation.
"Let's go take a look," Kakashi decided. "But keep your distance, especially from that red haired one."
The three of them stepped out from the shadows and faced Yahiko and Nagato.
"They are the Konoha shinobi who helped me before," the tall, thin Akatsuki member said as soon as he saw them.
"What a coincidence," Yahiko said, surprised.
"Thank you again for last time," the tall, thin man continued. "This is Yahiko, the leader of our Akatsuki Organization."
Yahiko studied them, then his gaze paused on Shisui with a faint sense of familiarity. After a moment, he remembered the encounter in the Land of Rivers, when there had been a misunderstanding during a bandit suppression.
"So it is you," Yahiko said with a smile. "The shinobi world is truly small. We met once in the Land of Rivers. Do you remember?"
Shisui nodded in acknowledgment.
"We heard that your organization seeks peace and stability," Kakashi said carefully, choosing his words with caution.
Since Yahiko was friendly, Kakashi decided to probe for information directly.
"That is right," Yahiko replied brightly. "Akatsuki exists to bring peace to the Land of Rain, and to the entire shinobi world!"
He looked genuinely happy, as if speaking the dream aloud brought it closer.
"Even though we still have many shortcomings, I believe that as long as we work hard, we will succeed," Yahiko added, thinking of the man named Sōsuke.
Lately, Yahiko had been protecting villages outside more diligently than ever. It was partly to build Akatsuki's name, and partly because he hoped to run into Sōsuke again.
But Sōsuke was like a shadow, coming and going without a trace. Yahiko had not seen him, and he had not even heard any news about him.
Kakashi's eyes moved across the Akatsuki members. As Yahiko spoke, every face around him held longing. It was not the expression of people reciting lines.
What kind of tragedy could possibly turn an organization like this into a group that stole tailed beasts?
The thought weighed on Kakashi's chest.
"War should not exist," Obito said, agreeing with Yahiko.
Obito wanted the wars to end too. He wanted Konoha and the Land of Fire to be peaceful, so shinobi would stop dying on battlefields.
"You think so as well?" Yahiko looked at Obito with shining eyes.
If Obito were not a Konoha shinobi, Yahiko might have tried to recruit him on the spot.
Yahiko had successfully inspired some shinobi to join, but more often, people mocked and rejected his dream.
"My dream is to end war and become Hokage!" Obito declared, puffing out his chest and lifting his chin.
Even though Kakashi always said he was not suited for it, Obito believed he could do it.
"If you work hard, you will succeed!" Yahiko laughed warmly. "When that day comes, we can cooperate. We can bring peace back to the shinobi world faster."
At that moment, Obito found Yahiko extremely pleasant.
Anyone who believed he could become Hokage was automatically a good friend.
Because they still had other places to patrol, Yahiko could not keep chatting even though he clearly wanted to.
"Goodbye," Yahiko said. "I hope that when we hear news of each other again, we will both be famous throughout the shinobi world."
He truly hoped someone like Obito would become Hokage. The Five Great Villages influenced the entire shinobi world. If the Hokage shared the same ideal, peace would no longer be just a dream.
"Definitely!" Obito raised his fist. "Just wait for the name Uchiha Obito to spread across the shinobi world!"
The three watched Akatsuki leave, then stopped investigating further.
After that exchange, Kakashi could essentially confirm that the current Akatsuki Organization and the future Akatsuki Organization were completely different in nature. Further probing would not help.
Whatever they became later, right now they were shinobi fighting for peace.
Even so, Akatsuki still gave Kakashi a headache.
With Uchiha Itachi, they could try to guide him from childhood and change the future.
But Akatsuki was not so simple. Those members were far older than them, and there was also that red haired shinobi whose strength was unknown.
Obito did not think that deeply.
What he wanted most was simple. He wanted Mugetsu and Rin to survive the Third Shinobi World War. He wanted Minato to avoid dying in the Nine Tails rampage. He wanted the Uchiha clan to avoid annihilation.
After they returned to the team, Kakashi still could not forget those eyes, the ones that had made him feel like death itself was staring back.
He drew the unique pattern on paper, then approached Mugetsu and asked cautiously.
"Mugetsu sensei, I saw this on a mural somewhere in the Land of Rain," Kakashi said in an even tone. "It felt very unique. Is it a special local culture?"
Obito looked at Kakashi with confusion.
When did Kakashi sneak off to look at murals? Had they not been asking about Akatsuki the entire time?
Mugetsu took the paper, studied it, and after a moment, replied, "It has many names. Sage's Eye. The eye that controls life and death. Rinnegan. It is the eye of the Sage of Six Paths."
Kakashi's expression changed instantly.
He had assumed it might be some powerful bloodline limit, but he never expected an origin that grand, tied directly to the Sage of Six Paths.
Most people revered the Sage of Six Paths like a deity, but he was not a fictional myth. He had truly existed, and he was regarded as the progenitor of shinobi because he founded the shinobi creed.
"The eye of the Sage of Six Paths?" Obito heard the words and immediately leaned in, trying to get a better look.
Kakashi did not give him the chance. To avoid exposing anything, he grabbed Obito and dragged him aside for combat practice.
Shisui could not remain calm either. Anything connected to the Sage of Six Paths was too extraordinary for a shinobi to ignore.
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