10 Chapters today because I was kinda busy and this is an apology
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"..."
Juzo had an odd look on his face as he glanced at Kuzo.
He couldn't help but recall a past incident.
Although he hadn't been with Akatsuki long, he had never gone on a mission with Kuzo, nor had he seen his abilities firsthand.
However, Juzo had once gone on a mission with Kakuzu.
During that operation, he witnessed the terrifying strength of the man known in legends as the "Immortal Ninja."
Kakuzu wielded a powerful secret technique called Earth Grudge Fear. On his own, he could take on and defeat several Jōnin-level shinobi with ease.
Even someone like Juzo—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—had to admit that his strength was inferior to Kakuzu's.
But...
Not long after that mission, something surprising happened.
During another assignment, Juzo encountered Kuzo.
At first, he assumed Kuzo was an enemy, but he was stunned to see that the young man wore the same Akatsuki robe—and even had a jade ring indicating full membership.
Juzo was instantly filled with disbelief.
He'd been shocked and somewhat disdainful, wondering how someone who looked so young had managed to get into Akatsuki.
But before he could even finish voicing his skepticism, Kakuzu, who was standing nearby, suddenly stepped forward with a grim expression and physically pulled Juzo aside.
Juzo had been completely baffled.
What was going on?
The "Immortal Ninja" himself had changed expression just at the sight of this kid?
And when Juzo asked about it, Kakuzu merely snorted and replied coldly:
"Tch... That kid Kuzo? On the day he joined Akatsuki, he destroyed two of my hearts."
"???"
Juzo had gone numb after hearing that.
He knew just how powerful Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear was.
But this golden-eyed boy, who looked clueless and harmless, had taken out two of Kakuzu's hearts?
That was insane!
From that moment on, whenever Juzo saw Kuzo, he instinctively kept his distance—just like Kakuzu did.
Despite Kuzo's smiling face and seemingly gentle demeanor, when things got serious, he was more ruthless than anyone else.
A classic example of a silent, deadly type.
...
Just as Juzo was lost in those thoughts, Pain's voice suddenly cut in, cold and flat:
"Have you made your decision?"
"Juzo, do you want to challenge Kuzo and switch teams?"
"Uh…"
Juzo's face twitched awkwardly. He hesitated, then stubbornly replied:
"Forget it, forget it."
"Actually... I think I'll work just fine with the Uchiha kid."
As soon as he finished speaking, the cave fell silent.
Everyone stared at him.
Seriously? That was a complete 180...
"..."
Pain gave him a long look, then said indifferently:
"In that case, Akatsuki's initial team assignments will remain unchanged."
"Unless something major happens, there will be no changes in the future."
"Now then—"
"Let's go over Akatsuki's long-term action plan."
"With the addition of new members, I will explain it once more."
He turned to Uchiha Itachi, his voice calm and steady:
"Akatsuki's ultimate goal is to bring true peace to the shinobi world—through overwhelming power. To achieve this, we will follow a three-step plan."
"The first step is to generate wealth. We'll accept bounties and mercenary missions from various countries to build a financial foundation for our future operations."
"The second step is to establish an independent mercenary group. We'll start small—engaging in minor wars."
"Then, we'll take over all mercenary operations in the smaller nations by undercutting the larger countries."
"Eventually, we will dominate the war industry, disrupt the power balance, and collapse the big nations' monopoly on war."
"And the third step—the most important—"
Pain paused slightly, then continued:
"We will collect all nine tailed beasts and turn them into weapons."
"These weapons will be used to enforce absolute peace and conquer the shinobi world."
"?!"
Itachi's heart skipped a beat.
Even someone as composed as him couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
His pupils narrowed sharply.
He had known Akatsuki was a dangerous group with questionable activities.
But he had never imagined that their ultimate goal was to gather the tailed beasts... to conquer the world.
His breathing subtly hitched.
Orochimaru, who had been silently observing from the side, smirked and spoke in a teasing tone:
"Oh my..."
"I didn't expect Mr. Itachi to be so surprised by Akatsuki's goal."
"How interesting."
Itachi didn't respond. He simply lowered his eyes.
Kuzo, however, couldn't help but be amused.
Itachi's reaction made perfect sense.
He might just be the person who hated war the most in the entire shinobi world.
After all, the reason he slaughtered his own clan was to prevent the Uchiha from rebelling and dragging Konoha into a Fourth Great Ninja War.
He sacrificed everything to maintain peace.
For someone like that, Akatsuki's so-called "peace through power" philosophy was completely at odds with his beliefs.
That's why, in many missions afterward, Itachi frequently held back—even letting enemies escape on purpose.
Especially the emotional showdown with his younger brother Sasuke—now that was a historic moment of passive resistance.
So, it made sense.
Akatsuki's warmongering goals were the exact opposite of what he stood for.
But...
After a brief silence, Itachi slowly looked up and said calmly:
"Understood, leader."
"As a member of Akatsuki, I will do everything I can to help achieve our vision of peace."
And just like that,
Konoha's impossible mission—Akatsuki's fourth undercover actor—
Delivered his lines with a straight face and flawless composure.
From beginning to end,
There wasn't even the slightest crack in his expression.
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