The first day of the Kage Summit ended in a stalemate.
Negotiation was a tug-of-war—a test of patience and resolve. Each side probed the other's bottom line, wielding both leverage and threats. The more desperate one became, the less likely they were to get what they wanted.
Fortunately for Kirigakure, they had Yuki Yoru, a walking natural disaster. His very presence tipped the scales in their favor.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was left calculating tradeoffs, trying to find the most strategic compromise.
It wasn't easy. It required not just wisdom—but decisiveness.
Back at their lodgings, Konoha's delegates were racked with anxiety over Kirigakure's outrageous demands.
Yoru, on the other hand, was in great spirits. He strolled through the Land of Iron with the Third Mizukage at his side.
"This is my second time visiting this country," the elder Mizukage said with a chuckle.
"What left the deepest impression last time were the hot springs."
Even though the negotiations hadn't reached a conclusion, the way things were going had clearly put him in a good mood.
"They may not be as magical or diverse as the ones in the Land of Hot Water," he added,
"but the climate here creates some remarkable spring pools. Care to join me for a soak, Yoru?"
"I'll pass," Yoru replied casually.
"You go enjoy yourself. Hot springs are great for old bones, but I'd rather find some food."
""That's a shame" the Mizukage laughed.
Yoru waved him off and headed in a different direction. Sitting around naked with an old man was not his idea of a good time.
"Welcome, customer. What would you like?"
"One bottle of sake and a few of your best side dishes."
"Right away. Where would you like to sit?"
"Here's fine."
Yoru casually made his way to a table already occupied by two young men in black cloaks with red clouds. Despite the awkward looks from both the waiter and the two seated figures, Yoru pulled out a chair and sat down.
The orange-haired young man put down his skewer of chicken and peppers, his expression cautious.
"The place isn't full. Did you really have to sit with us?"
"I just wanted to have a chat—with the people guarding the Kage Summit."
Yoru poured himself a cup of sake, sipped it calmly, and continued.
"Besides, there's no bad blood between us, is there… Leader of the Akatsuki?"
That made the boy's fists clench.
"I just don't like eating with strangers."
"Fair enough," Yoru said with a nod.
"Still, it's a bit surprising to see a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan here. I've got one working under me too—quite capable, and very attached to the memory of Uzushio."
At that, the red-haired youth next to him stiffened.
"You've got the wrong person," Yahiko snapped, cutting him off.
"There's no Uzumaki here."
"Red hair like that is hard to mistake. Only the Uzumaki have such a vibrant color."
Yoru didn't drop the subject, but remained calm.
"Of course, I understand you're just trying to protect your companion. But you must realize I'm not here to pry—I'm here to discuss a possible partnership."
"Are you interested in a new mission? One that could promote peace?"
"Peace?"
Yahiko scoffed.
"Since when does Bloody Mist Village hand out peaceful commissions?"
His tone was sharp, but Yoru didn't mind.
He understood exactly where the hostility came from. After all, word of him killing Jiraiya had spread far and wide.
"You're a bit behind on the news," he said lightly.
"The Blood Mist days are over. If the Daimyō weren't dragging out the formal succession, I'd already be the official Fourth Mizukage."
"So, let me ask again—do you really want to reject the goodwill of one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"
"You..."
Yahiko never expected that the seemingly so young Yuki Yoru was actually the Hidden Mist Village's future Fourth Mizukage, with the succession ceremony already being prepared. This meant that this meeting with the Akatsuki organization wasn't just casual chat over drinks, but a prelude to cooperation between a mercenary organization and a Great Shinobi Village?!
Their eyes met—Yahiko's guarded amber gaze locking with Yoru's calm, confident one.
After a pause, Yahiko grumbled and shoved another skewer into his mouth, chewing aggressively. Then he grabbed Yoru's untouched sake and chugged it.
"That was mine."
"Call it a deposit," Yahiko said, wiping his mouth.
"All right, future Fourth Mizukage—what do you want from the Akatsuki?"
"A lot."
Yoru poured himself a fresh cup.
"Kirigakure is rebuilding. We need help with trade, tax security, supply chains, construction…"
"We're mercenaries," Yahiko muttered, visibly annoyed.
"No offense," Yoru said, "but aside from a few standouts, most of your members are average at best. You have admirable ideals, sure. But if I sent you all to the battlefield, how many of you would survive a single mission?"
"Actually, the tasks I mentioned aren't simple either. Rogue ninja, bandits, thugs, and even saboteurs from other shinobi villages... these guys are quite troublesome and headache-inducing."
Coming from the man who single-handedly froze an entire battlefield and ended a war, the idea that he found these enemies troublesome was ridiculous.
But Yahiko had to admit that what Yoru said was true. Since its establishment, the Akatsuki organization had been operating by promoting its ideals across the shinobi world while taking on mercenary missions to secure funds and spread its message. In this era of war, the missions they could accept were naturally focused on killing, destruction, and assault. And almost every time they completed a mission, some members of their team would be lost.
This continuous process of losing comrades caused Yahiko immense pain. He even suspected he had deviated from his original purpose: creating Akatsuki for world peace. They were ostensibly advocating for peace, yet the missions they had recently undertaken only intensified the war! This was why, upon hearing that the Kirigakure and Konohagakure were preparing for peace talks, Yahiko immediately rushed to the Land of Iron with Rikaku.
Because this was, in his heart, the kind of mission Akatsuki should be taking, the kind of thing they should be doing!
He took another drink, unsettled.
Yoru didn't press him, letting the silence settle as he nibbled on grilled snacks.
After a while, Yahiko looked up again.
"Future Mizukage… Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Why do you wage war? This war—no, these continuous wars—when will they ever end? When will the shinobi world truly achieve real peace?!"
Looking at Yahiko, whose face was earnest, even solemn, as he gazed at him, Yoru suddenly felt a bit amused.
Such innocence… such naivety.
A boy surrounded by blood and ruin, yet still clinging to beautiful dreams.
"Is something funny to you?!"
Yahiko shouted, eyes blazing.
"We've seen it with our own eyes!
Kumogakure attacking Sunagakure.
Kumogakure against Konoha.
Iwagakure against Konoha.
And now you—Kirigakure—against Konoha!"
"Every time a war starts to wind down, some other nation jumps in. The cycle never ends! It only spreads more hatred, more destruction. More children orphaned, more families wiped out!"
"I thought the war between Iwagakure and Konoha would stall out. I thought your fight with Konoha would bring the chaos to a close. But today? The ones attacking this summit—weren't they mostly from Kumogakure and Sunagakure?!"
"Why?! Why is this happening?!"
Everyone in Akatsuki turned to look at Yoru—including Nagato, silently watching from the side.
Yoru set down his cup.
"You're quite brave to say all that, so loudly, in front of a representative of a great village."
"But the truth is, there are many answers to your question.
Greed.
Land.
Power.
Old grudges passed down through generations."
"Rather than obsessing over those motives, maybe you should ask something else…"
"Why do you think the Third Hokage traveled across the continent to meet us here?
Why did he agree to this summit?
Why did he ask your Akatsuki to provide security?"
"What…?" Yahiko blinked, caught off-guard.
"Don't change the subject! Obviously, it's because this is a peace summit—"
"No," said Nagato, finally speaking.
"It's because of Yoru's power."
Nagato raised his head slightly, a glint of his Rinnegan visible beneath his crimson bangs.
"Yuki Yoru is too dangerous. Konoha can't afford to keep fighting him.
They're afraid. That's why they came to negotiate."
"So," he continued, "are you saying…
If we—Akatsuki—gain the power to surpass even the Five Great Nations, if we wield a force too great to oppose… then peace will follow?"
"Of course," Yoru answered simply.
"That's how the Warring States era ended.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, forced peace through strength."
"For years after he founded Konoha, no one dared start a war. It was the most peaceful period the shinobi world has ever known."
"But it didn't last, did it?" Yahiko snapped.
"Hashirama died, and the cycle started again. Even if Akatsuki gets that power… one day we'll lose it. And then what? The world goes back to war?"
"Naturally," Yoru said.
"But for however long you hold that power—there will be peace."
"If you're dreaming of some eternal peace, a perfect world that only needs one effort to last forever—then you're deluding yourself."
"As long as humans exist, so will desire.
The desire to live.
The desire to control.
The desire to possess."
"Look at you now—you fought off assassins, you're tired, and you came here for food and rest. Aren't those desires too?"
"Human desire is limitless. But this world's resources aren't.
When the two collide, war is inevitable."
"So, don't say things like 'this is only temporary.' If you can't even grasp the present, if you can't even recognize what reality is like, and your mind is only filled with grand, empty dreams, that is the true void and sorrow."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin