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Qianyu stated his purpose for founding the organization.
Pakura frowned. "You mean… to live the life we desire, without regrets? To found a hidden village?"
Qianyu chuckled. "Why did you immediately jump to founding a village? There are only four of us right now. Five, if you count my wife. That's a bit too few for a village. Maybe later, if we grow.
For now, let's keep our focus on the organization. So. The two of you. Will you stay with the Owl Organization? It's not forced. But joining… in my view, it's a very good choice for you.
Shindai and I won't force you to do anything. Most organizational decisions, we'll discuss and decide together.
Of course, when the organization is threatened, every member must stand and fight for it. Otherwise… there'd be no point in establishing it in the first place."
Pakura and Raiga Kurosuki exchanged a glance.
They'd already joined the Owl Organization because of Yahiko. They never expected the organization's leader to be Qianyu.
Their biggest disagreement—no, their biggest worry—was that the Owl Organization might be a Leaf operation.
Since it wasn't… the disagreement vanished.
And also…
Love yourself. Live the life we desire, without regrets.
Their entire lives, the philosophy drilled into them was Village first, self second.
Now, both having personally experienced betrayal by their own villages, Pakura and Raiga Kurosuki felt a powerful yearning rise in their hearts at Qianyu's words.
"We choose to stay!" they said in unison.
Their choice didn't surprise Qianyu.
He smiled. "We're in the start-up phase, the bare-bones draft stage. So you two will have to work a bit harder. Help Shindai out more. I'm in Konoha right now and can't manage things directly. I'll be stuck there for a few more years before I can leave.
If you run into anything you can't handle, don't force it. Contact me. I'll come and help you resolve it."
Yahiko asked, "Leader, what do we do next?"
"Recruit," Qianyu answered. "Let the organization grow slowly. A few of us isn't enough. But don't accept just anyone. Quality over quantity. Members of our organization… they need at least elite jōnin-level strength.
Don't worry about money. I'll handle it. If you're short on funds, come to me. In the early stages, I'll solve the organization's funding problems. But once we reach a certain size, or after I leave Konoha, we'll need to be self-sufficient."
In Qianyu's plan, the new department he'd proposed to Danzō would definitely be established. Danzō would slot him into it. From there, Qianyu could siphon funds to feed the Owl Organization.
He continued outlining the plan for the three. "The state of the ninja world won't see any major changes for now. At most, some local friction. Your main focus should be on a mercenary organization called the 'Akatsuki.'"
At the name 'Akatsuki,' Yahiko flinched.
Qianyu noticed but didn't acknowledge it. "In the future, we might cooperate with the Akatsuki. But our relationship with them will be strictly business. Because we might also end up as enemies.
The Akatsuki's goal is to collect the nine Tailed Beasts. To create a Tailed Beast weapon…"
Raiga Kurosuki was shocked. "That Akatsuki's appetite is that big? They want to collect all nine? Do they think the Five Great Villages don't exist?"
"That's the issue," Qianyu explained. "The Akatsuki does have the capability to collect them. Right now, they're in a development phase, just like us. Their leader possesses the Rinnegan. He's extremely powerful. The ninja under him are all elite jōnin from various villages.
And collecting the Tailed Beasts means declaring war on the Five Great Villages. As their collection progresses, the ninja world will descend into chaos."
Pakura asked, "Should we stop them?"
Qianyu shot back, "Why would we?"
Pakura thought for a moment. "Well… if the world falls into chaos, it's not good for us either, right?"
Qianyu shook his head. "In my view, chaos in the ninja world is inevitable. This last war… I think you saw it clearly. It ended simply because every village had nearly exhausted their resources and ninja.
Once the villages recover, once they replenish their resources and manpower… the next war won't be far off.
Besides, we can't stop the Akatsuki. The reason why… you don't need to know right now. Just let things take their natural course."
Yahiko, Pakura, and Raiga Kurosuki nodded. "Understood."
Qianyu looked at Yahiko. "Shindai. Let the two of us talk alone."
They moved to the side.
"So," Qianyu began. "You've traveled the world now. Any thoughts? Still think your old theories of peace could work?"
Yahiko fell silent. He lowered his head.
These years of wandering the ninja world had planted a seed of despair in his heart.
Killing. Betrayal… Events that shattered his worldview happened again and again.
At the start of his journey, Yahiko was still full of hope.
But everything he encountered… that hope slowly died.
He once saved a Stone ninja. That injured ninja's teammates found them. They attacked Yahiko without even asking questions.
If the ninja he'd saved had just spoken one word for him… maybe the teammates wouldn't have attacked.
But he didn't.
Worse, the ninja Yahiko saved claimed he was 'an unidentified person' and that they should just kill him.
Then there were the village ninja, slaughtering defenseless civilians without a second thought.
Yahiko saved those civilians. But from the hatred in their eyes… he saw no possibility for peace.
He felt his past ideas were so childish.
Peace through mutual understanding between people… it was impossible.
Every person was an independent individual. Unless their thoughts were synchronized, true mutual understanding was a fantasy.
But synchronized thoughts? Aside from Shadow Clones, it could never happen.
Seeing Yahiko's expression, Qianyu's eyes lowered. "It seems you already have your answer. Now that your naivety has been shattered… it's time to grow up. Nagato's methods are extreme, but they're not without merit. You could say his path to peace is the most likely to succeed. It's just… unfortunate. Nagato is a pawn. His dream can never be realized."
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