Suigetsu Hōzuki's mind was filled with a single thought.
Run. I need to run—right now. Otherwise I won't even know how I die.
However, Yōsuke continued speaking:
"When Itachi and I led part of the Uchiha clan away from Konoha, Deidara used his ninjutsu to completely obliterate the forest surrounding the village. Konoha lost more than half of its combat strength in that incident—that's what triggered this war. So I have to stop it."
"What?! Are you saying that massive explosion near Konoha was caused by you people?"
Suigetsu's face was filled with disbelief.
The forest outside Konohagakure being completely destroyed by a gigantic explosion was something even he had heard about while still in Kirigakure. It could be said that explosion was the true fuse that ignited the war.
Facing Suigetsu's question, Yōsuke replied,
"It wasn't done by all of us—but it was done by one of our organization's members. Deidara did it alone."
Suigetsu never would have imagined that the explosion was caused by someone from the organization he had just joined.
"That Deidara… is he strong?"
Yōsuke thought for a moment before answering,
"Decent. He's a bit older than you. A troublesome kid who'll cause chaos if no one keeps him in check."
Suigetsu was completely shaken.
Someone only slightly older than him was already that strong? And someone like that still needed to be "kept in check"? Then just how powerful was the man standing before him—the one Gyutaro respectfully called Yōsuke-sama?
Hakuji asked,
"Then, Yōsuke-sama, should I withdraw from the Akatsuki and help you stop the war directly?"
Yōsuke shook his head.
"No. You should stay undercover in the Akatsuki. Their current task is to help Konoha draw Kumogakure's firepower, which actually works in our favor for stopping the war.
"More importantly, I'm concerned about the Akatsuki leader hiding behind the scenes. I need you to investigate him."
Hakuji nodded.
"Understood. Then I'll head back to Kumogakure and continue causing chaos. If I'm gone too long, they'll grow suspicious."
Yōsuke nodded in return.
"Go ahead. Be careful."
Gyutaro then asked,
"Yōsuke-sama, Kirigakure has already been forced into the war by the three great villages other than Konoha. What should we do now?"
"Gyutaro, return to Kagerō Village and bring Itachi and Deidara with you. Then wait on standby at the border of the Land of Fire.
"Kumogakure will be handled by Hakuji and the Akatsuki. If Kumogakure's forces withdraw to defend their village, you move on to Kirigakure and force the Mizukage to retreat. Once that happens, Iwagakure will naturally pull back when they see the situation turn unfavorable.
"As for Sunagakure alone, Konoha still has more than enough strength to drive them back."
He paused briefly, then continued,
"But if Kumogakure refuses to retreat, then Gyutaro, you'll add fuel to the fire—go to Konoha and force its higher-ups to make concessions. Once each village gains something, they'll naturally withdraw.
"After all, aside from Sunagakure, no one wants to fight Konoha to the bitter end. This war—while partially my fault—also exists because Konoha went too far.
"The Nine-Tails incident. The Uchiha clan massacre. Both were carried out under the orders of Konoha's higher-ups. They brought this upon themselves.
"And besides, the Sage of Six Paths only told me to end the war as soon as possible. He never said I had to side with any particular village."
Yōsuke had prepared two separate plans.
After listening, Gyutaro nodded.
"I understand. I'll head out now."
Suigetsu felt dizzy.
In just a few minutes, they had decided the direction of an entire war?
Gyutaro left for the Land of Fire, bringing Suigetsu with him.
Once Hakuji and Gyutaro were gone, Pakura returned to Yōsuke's side.
"I vaguely heard you mention organizations and war," Pakura said anxiously.
"Yōsuke, are you part of some mercenary ninja organization? Are you planning to accept village commissions and join this war? Don't get involved in this mess! A war between the Five Great Nations isn't something people like you can survive—you'd just become cannon fodder!"
During the time she had traveled with him, Yōsuke had always taken care of her. For the first time in a long while, Pakura had felt relaxed and at ease. That was why she didn't want him to throw his life away.
Yōsuke rubbed his nose awkwardly and explained,
"We are an organization—but not a mercenary one. How should I put it… we're a group of partners who trust each other completely.
"And we're not joining the war. We're trying to stop it. I made some mistakes, and now I have to clean up the mess."
But to Pakura, it sounded like an excuse.
How could a single group possibly stop a war? This had to be Yōsuke justifying his desire to join the conflict for personal gain.
Determined to stop him, Pakura pressed on,
"What kind of mistake could possibly require you to enter a war with almost no chance of survival?"
Yōsuke explained awkwardly,
"On the surface, the war started because the Uchiha clan was wiped out and Konoha lost its top-tier combat strength. But the real fuse was something our organization did.
"One of our members destroyed the entire forest around Konohagakure—and a large number of Konoha ninja died in that incident."
Pakura froze, just as Suigetsu had earlier.
"That massive explosion in the Land of Fire… you did that?"
Yōsuke nodded.
"So when the other three great villages saw Konoha weakened, they decided to launch a war. I want to stop it."
Pakura shook her head.
"Even if you caused the war, stopping it would mean making enemies of all four great villages outside Konoha. That's impossible!"
"Whether it's possible or not," Yōsuke replied calmly,
"we won't know unless we try.
"Pakura, our journey together ends here. I have important matters to attend to now. I believe you've also had time to think about where you should go next. This is where we part ways."
Yōsuke bid her farewell, but Pakura hesitated before asking softly,
"May I ask you one question?"
"Go ahead. If I can answer it, I will."
Pakura asked solemnly,
"To you… what is a companion?"
Yōsuke thought for a moment before replying,
"A companion is someone you can entrust your back to without conditions—someone you will never abandon, no matter what. That's what a companion means to me."
"Never abandon… no matter what…"
Pakura's eyes gradually filled with resolve.
"Yōsuke… can I join your organization?"
Yōsuke was surprised.
"Why? Aren't you going back to Sunagakure?"
Pakura shook her head decisively.
"No. I hate Kirigakure—and I hate Sunagakure even more for abandoning me. To them, I was never a companion. I was just a tool. A tool that could be discarded at any time.
"That's not what I want. What I want are true companions."
Lowering her head, she added in a voice as soft as a mosquito's,
"And… I want to entrust my back to you."
Yōsuke didn't quite hear her last words.
"What was that?"
Blushing, Pakura shook her head.
"Nothing. So… may I join?"
Yōsuke gladly accepted her request.
And the thought in his mind was—
Finally, someone joining the organization who isn't a kid.
…Wait, does Pakura know how to take care of children?
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