Five days later. On a deserted street in Tanzaku Quarters. Qianyu stood beneath a streetlamp, waiting.
He was waiting, of course, for Yahiko and the two new members.
Before long, Qianyu heard three sets of footsteps.
Behind him, three figures wearing masks with eerie patterns walked toward him.
The one in the lead was Yahiko. Qianyu recognized the mask—he had given it to him. It was designed to conceal Yahiko's chakra signature on the off-chance he ever crossed paths with Nagato.
The masks of the other two members were copies of Yahiko's, establishing a signature style for the Owl Organization.
Yahiko stopped before Qianyu. "Leader," he greeted. "I've brought the new members."
Even with his back turned, Qianyu could feel the weight of two intensely curious stares from behind Yahiko.
Qianyu turned and gave a slight nod. "Good work, Shindai."
The two masked figures behind Yahiko saw his face, and their shock was audible. "Bl-Blood-Eyed Asura?!"
A faint smile touched Qianyu's lips. "Hello," he introduced himself. "I'm Qianyu, the founder and leader of the Owl Organization. A pleasure to meet you. Now, introduce yourselves."
The two recruits didn't speak immediately. Instead, they turned to Yahiko, disbelief in their voices. "Shindai… what's going on here? Why is Konoha's Blood-Eyed Asura our leader?"
Yahiko shrugged. "I told you before, I'm just the deputy leader. He just… doesn't handle day-to-day matters. Hurry up and introduce yourselves. You've heard the rumors about his temper, right? It's not good."
The two recruits shuddered, memories of Qianyu's infamous reputation flashing through their minds.
Qianyu chuckled. "Now, now, Shindai. Don't say that. I'm very friendly and patient with my comrades."
The two members removed their masks.
The first was a woman with distinctive birch and green-streaked hair. "My name is Pakura. Former Sunagakure Jonin, now a Suna missing-nin. I specialize in the Kekkei Genkai, Scorch Release. Shindai saved me. That's why I joined the Owl Organization."
The second was a man with long green hair, thick eyebrows, sharp teeth, and bandages wrapped around his upper body. "I'm… Raiga Kurosuki. A Kirigakure missing-nin. Formerly one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I was being hunted by Kiri's Anbu when Shindai and Pakura saved me. So I joined."
Qianyu felt a flicker of surprise. He'd never met these two, but he knew of them.
First, Pakura. During the Third Shinobi World War, Qianyu had heard her name repeatedly. A famous elite Jonin in Sunagakure, she'd carved out a legendary reputation with her devastating Scorch Release, a hero to her village.
His memories of her were dark. Before Suna's failed alliance with Kumo to invade Konoha, Suna and Kiri had been locked in a long war. After the invasion collapsed, Suna sought reconciliation with Kiri. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and the Suna Council made a collective decision. They offered Pakura as a sacrificial bargaining chip. They sent her on a "covert mission" into Kiri territory, where Kiri ninja ambushed and killed her. Afterward, the Suna higher-ups collectively covered it up, fabricating her death as having occurred in battle against Iwa-nin. A truly tragic figure.
Then, Raiga Kurosuki. Wielder of the thunder blades, Kiba. He'd narrowly escaped death in the battle against Might Duy. In the original timeline, during the reign of the Fourth Mizukage—who was under Obito Uchiha's genjutsu control—Kiri descended into the "Bloody Mist" era. The Seven Swordsmen, disgusted by the village's tyranny, defected one by one. Raiga was among them. It seemed his defection had happened earlier here.
After their introductions, Qianyu nodded. "Good. Welcome to the Owl Organization. With you two helping Shindai, I can rest much easier."
"Wait a moment!" Pakura interrupted, her voice tense. She couldn't accept this. "But… why would Konoha's hero, the Blood-Eyed Asura, found this organization? Is the Owl Organization actually a front for Konoha? If that's the case… I must decline. I may be a Suna missing-nin now, but I won't sell my life to Konoha!"
Raiga grunted in agreement. "Same. I won't be Konoha's dog either."
Qianyu looked at Yahiko. "Didn't you tell them why I created this organization?"
Yahiko looked puzzled. "When you told me to found it, you never explained why."
Qianyu blinked. "I didn't?"
Yahiko let out a dry laugh. "Heh. You really are forgetful."
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Qianyu's face. He remembered now. He'd basically strong-armed Yahiko into creating the organization using Nagato's life as leverage. He really hadn't explained the why.
Qianyu cleared his throat, his expression turning serious. "Before I explain, let me ask you both a question. Was everything you fought for before… worth it?"
Pakura and Raiga stiffened.
Was it worth it?
Pakura would have died for Sunagakure. What did she get in return? Betrayal by the very village she loved.
Raiga had loved Kirigakure too. But the higher-ups' "Bloody Mist" policies had suffocated him. After barely surviving the fight against Might Duy, he was broken and spent. Yet the Third Mizukage forced him back into battle, denying him any respite. It finally pushed him over the edge into defection.
Pakura's voice was bitter. "If it had been worth it, I wouldn't have abandoned Suna to join an organization."
Raiga's head drooped slightly. "Yeah. If it was worth it, I wouldn't be a missing-nin."
Qianyu smiled slightly. "I'm the same as you. It wasn't worth it."
Pakura and Raiga stared at him, confusion etched on their faces. It didn't make sense. With his fame and achievements, his status in Konoha must be sky-high. How could he think it wasn't worth it?
Qianyu explained, "You think I'm lying, right? That someone who fought so hard for Konoha couldn't possibly feel that way? I'll tell you why. Because I had no choice. If I hadn't chosen to fight for Konoha, the name 'Blood-Eyed Asura' might not exist. The name 'Qianyu' might be nothing but forgotten dust." "Konoha drove my family to their deaths. And my life in the village back then? I was at the very bottom. Anyone could step on me." "If I hadn't struggled, hadn't sold my life to Konoha back then… I would have never climbed out of that pit."
Pakura and Raiga looked at him, stunned. Even Yahiko was surprised. Qianyu had never told him about his past.
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