Asuka's figure slowly appeared before the Akatsuki members. When they saw the mysterious person wearing a black robe and mask, they couldn't help but nervously swallow.
Asuka's gaze swept across the wary members of the Akatsuki inside the cave before finally settling on Nagato, whose expression was solemn, and Yahiko, who remained alert but still relatively composed. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"There's no need to be so nervous. I didn't come here to cause trouble."
Asuka's voice was calm and steady, yet it seemed to carry a penetrating force, overriding both the sound of the rain outside and the breathing inside the cave.
"My name is Wu. I came today because I want to make a deal with you."
"Wu?" Yahiko frowned slightly. Although he had never heard this name in the ninja world before, the terrifying aura emanating from the man forced him to remain extremely cautious.
"Sir, suddenly intruding into our base and then proposing a deal is a little too abrupt."
As Yahiko spoke, he subtly moved to stand in front of Nagato and Konan, his posture firm. Although he could feel the overwhelming chakra pressure coming from Wu—far beyond anything he could comprehend—and his legs trembled slightly without his control, as the leader of the Akatsuki, he had to protect the companions behind him.
Konan quietly gathered folded paper at her fingertips, her eyes fixed coldly on Wu. If the man made any sudden move, her Paper Ninjutsu would activate instantly.
Nagato, meanwhile, continued staring intently at Wu. His Rinnegan faintly glowed in the dim firelight. He could clearly sense that the chakra of the person in front of him was terrifyingly vast.
Asuka paid no attention to their vigilance and walked straight toward the campfire, ignoring the weapons clutched tightly in their hands. He casually sat down on a nearby stone. The flickering firelight reflected on his mask, alternating between light and shadow, making him appear even more mysterious.
"Whether it's abrupt or not depends on the value of the cooperation."
He picked up a burning stick and stirred the fire, making the flames burn brighter.
"I know the goal of the Akatsuki organization—to achieve peace through dialogue and end this endless war."
The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the cave was startled.
The Akatsuki had only recently been formed, and their ideals had not yet spread widely. For this person to know about them so clearly meant he had definitely done his homework.
Yahiko's gaze became sharper.
"Sir, have you been investigating us? What exactly is your purpose?"
"My purpose is simple. I have high hopes for you."
Asuka spoke bluntly. His gaze passed over Yahiko and finally settled on Nagato.
"You have the ambition to change the ninja world, and you also have the potential. But the ninja world runs too deep. The Five Great Nations have been established for many years, and the various ninja clans are deeply rooted. With your current strength, you don't even qualify to be taken seriously by them, let alone achieve so-called peace."
Nagato finally spoke. His voice was slightly hoarse, and the glow of his Rinnegan intensified.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Are you planning to help us?" he continued. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. What exactly is your objective?"
Asuka chuckled and tossed the burning stick back into the fire. Sparks rose briefly before falling.
"Smart question."
He nodded in approval.
"My goal is simple. I've lived for a very long time, and I'm tired of the stagnant state of the ninja world. Your ideals may still be naive, but they're interesting enough for me to offer you some assistance."
This was the identity Asuka had prepared in order to approach the Akatsuki—an ancient monster of the ninja world who had lived for countless years and had grown dissatisfied with the endless chaos.
After finishing his explanation, Asuka threw a scroll toward Yahiko.
"These contain some basic Five Element Ninjutsu, a few Forbidden Techniques, and more advanced chakra refinement methods. I assume you're quite lacking in these areas."
Yahiko caught the scroll but did not open it. Instead, he passed it back to Konan.
Konan examined it carefully for a moment before giving Yahiko a small nod.
Seeing this, Yahiko continued, "Sir, aren't you worried that we might leak this information to others after receiving such generous help?"
Asuka laughed softly.
"If I dare to give it to you, I'm not afraid of people knowing."
"And even if you tell others… what of it?"
As he spoke, a visible wave of chakra erupted from his body.
The chakra wrapped around him like a tangible force, causing the entire cave to tremble violently.
A terrifying pressure instantly filled the cave. Everyone felt as if a massive boulder had been placed on their chests, making it difficult to breathe. Their faces turned pale as they looked at Asuka in shock.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the pressure vanished like a receding tide.
Their bodies relaxed all at once.
If not for the small stones falling from the cave ceiling and striking the ground, they might have thought the suffocating pressure earlier had been nothing more than an illusion.
Moonlight stretched the shadows at the cave entrance, and the faint chirping of insects echoed through the night.
Standing at the boundary between light and shadow, Asuka calmly looked at Konan. Seeing that everyone was still hesitant, he decided to break the silence himself.
"You don't need to rush your answer. I'm a very patient person. When you've made up your minds, you can contact me at any time."
He took out a feather similar to the one he had once given to Sara and handed it to Konan.
"If you want to contact me, simply channel chakra into this feather, and I will come immediately."
As soon as he finished speaking, Asuka's body turned into a wisp of crimson smoke and quietly vanished into the night outside the cave.
The remaining members stood there in stunned silence, exchanging confused glances, unsure how to react.
Finally, Konan—still holding the feather—spoke first.
"Yahiko, should we trust this mysterious Mr. Wu?"
Even the usually decisive Yahiko hesitated for a moment.
At that moment, Nagato—who had been silent the entire time—finally spoke.
"I don't think he has any ill intentions toward us. With his strength, if he wanted to attack us, he could have wiped us out just now."
Yahiko nodded slowly.
"I think so too. Although we still don't know his real objective, at least for now he doesn't seem hostile. In fact, he even gave us a rather generous 'welcome gift.'"
Someone nearby asked, "So… should we accept the cooperation he proposed?"
Yahiko thought for a moment before answering seriously.
"Even though he appears to have good intentions, we still know nothing about him. Our strength is far too weak right now. If we cooperate recklessly, there's no telling what might happen."
"For the time being, we should wait and observe. Don't contact him unless absolutely necessary."
Meanwhile, ignoring the Akatsuki members' deliberation, Asuka had already teleported to the Hidden Rain Village to observe the current situation there.
He wasn't worried that Yahiko would reject his help.
The feather he had left behind was simply a chess piece placed for the future.
From beginning to end, Asuka's attention had been fixed on Nagato.
The others were merely supporting pieces in this game.
When the Akatsuki eventually fell into Hanzo's trap and Konan was taken hostage to threaten Yahiko and Nagato, that feather would play its role exactly as he intended.
--------------Author---------------
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