chapter 114 part 1
Chapter 114: Amplified Summoning Jutsu!
For Nagato and the others, recent days had been quite difficult.
Nagato himself was alright. Compared to the days when they couldn't even find food, their current life in hiding was much better. He was more concerned about Konan, who had been captured by Orochimaru, and even more worried about when Yahiko, who had been gone for over a day, would return.
In a cave, Nagato was resting with his eyes closed. Having had too much Life Force drained by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he was diligently recuperating. The other ninja monitored for any movement outside.
"Who's there?!" a ninja shouted sternly.
"Calm down, Kyūsuke, it's me. I'm back."
Yahiko's figure appeared before everyone's eyes. However, instead of relaxing, they tensed up, all looking towards Nagato.
Nagato activated his Rinnegan's visual prowess, observing carefully. There were no issues, neither with his chakra, movements, nor micro-expressions.
"Yahiko, when do you plan to kill Orochimaru and rescue Konan?"
"We haven't made a plan to kill Orochimaru at all. Instead, we're devising a plan to find him, not ruling out the possibility of infiltrating the Hidden Leaf Village."
"That's great, it really is Yahiko! You're finally back!"
Everyone immediately crowded around him, letting out sighs of relief.
Yahiko said in a deep voice, "I apologize, everyone. I've made you all suspicious these past few days. I'm not a competent leader, and our organization—"
"Don't say that, Yahiko. Every one of us gathered here because we believe in you," Nagato quickly interrupted. Being the most familiar with Yahiko, he faintly sensed a subtle change in Yahiko's demeanor, but couldn't quite place it.
It seemed… he had become more confident? No, it must be an illusion. In just over a day, there's no way Yahiko could have found a method to drastically change the situation.
Yahiko carefully scrutinized everyone present, observing the expressions on each of their faces.
The organization they had built from scratch constantly saw new members join, and others die or leave for various reasons.
But there would always be someone willing to fight for that seemingly ethereal ideal.
"Nagato, we need a Base that truly belongs to us," Yahiko said.
Nagato nodded emphatically, confirming that Yahiko had indeed undergone some change, becoming more confident. "I am now much stronger than when I faced Orochimaru and Danzo a few days ago. With my current strength, even if a Kage from one of the villages came personally, I wouldn't lose!"
Nagato, who was usually hesitant, wouldn't have stated such a definitive conclusion without absolute confidence. This indeed invigorated everyone present, who looked at his eyes with reverence.
"What incredible power, Nagato! You truly are the Reincarnation of the Sage of Kaedex Paths. There's no end to the limit of your power; your strength improves every single day." Kyūsuke was invigorated. As one of the earliest followers of the three, he had practically watched Nagato's rise firsthand.
From mastery of five nature transformations, roughly at jonin level, he had taken off with sparks and lightning, and now he could handle Kage-level powerhouses with ease.
"Reincarnation or whatever, I don't know. I don't have any memories of it anyway. I just want to use this power to protect my comrades. Konan, she…" Nagato clenched his fists, deeply regretting his slow growth.
If he had his current strength back then, he alone could have swept aside Danzo, Orochimaru, and Tsukasa Kaede. How could he have watched Konan be captured? But there was nothing he could do; he hadn't even awakened the ability to extract souls back then, and still needed to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to activate the Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals.
"I want to name our organization Akatsuki! It represents the dawn of the world, dispelling darkness and spreading hope. With our power, we can surely achieve this vision."
Yahiko spoke in a deep voice, Konan's face constantly flashing in his mind. His comrade and lover had been captured, and his heart was already in turmoil. He had been struggling to suppress it, forcing himself to remain calm.
He was the leader, and he had to keep leading the people forward.
But now, he had found something that could enhance their power. With Nagato, they would surely lead the Akatsuki to grow stronger! "Nagato, in a while, you'll come with me to the Hidden Leaf Village. No matter what, we must bring Konan back. Kyūsuke, you'll lead everyone in defending the Base."
Yahiko declared firmly, "I will never abandon any comrade. Otherwise, what is the point of our cultivation? We might as well not have started cultivating in the first place. An ideal without comrades walking alongside you is absurd and unrealistic."
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces. Those willing to follow Yahiko steadfastly might not be the smartest, nor the strongest, but their conviction was undoubtedly firm.
Furthermore, a few individuals vaguely noticed Yahiko's change, but didn't press him for details, because Yahiko wasn't Nagato—Nagato was a rather straightforward person, overly trusting of comrades with whom he had shared life and death. He would say whatever he was asked, lacking basic common sense.
But Yahiko was different. He was the "brain"; he believed but wasn't superstitious. If you asked him something, he wouldn't easily divulge it.
Nagato looked at Yahiko in confusion. He knew Yahiko's talent all too well—even at his very best, he was, at most, an elite jonin, and that was being generous.
Could just him and Yahiko really enter the Hidden Leaf Village and take Konan? The Hidden Leaf Village was teeming with experts; there were several Kage-level ninja, not to mention countless ninja forces…
But since Yahiko said so, there must be a reason for it. Just blindly follow, Nagato thought.
After resting for a while longer, the group planned to find a new location for the Akatsuki's Base.
"Wait, someone is coming our way!"
Nagato stopped everyone, staring in shock at the figure slowly approaching through the drizzle from afar.
From distant to near, unhurried, the appearance became clearer and clearer.
"Tsukasa Kaede??! It's Orochimaru! That guy truly hasn't given up. Nagato, you protect our comrades. I'll figure out a way to defeat him, and then I'll capture him and question him about Konan's whereabouts!"
Yahiko's face darkened. Ignoring the astonishment and helplessness of the others, he stepped forward, blocking their way.
If one didn't consider Yahiko's strength, this demeanor made those who lacked security and stability feel incredibly reliable—but Yahiko's strength was not nearly enough, dammit!!
Kyūsuke's face twitched. He never questioned Yahiko's orders, but now he finally couldn't help but interject, "Leader, you alone are no match for Orochimaru. Why don't we all go together, force Orochimaru to expose an opening, and then create an opportunity for Nagato?"
"No need. I said, I can deal with Orochimaru alone," Yahiko said resolutely.