Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village

Chapter 96: Mizuno Tsukiyo's First Meeting with Akatsuki
The first day of the Shadow Conference ended in a stalemate between the two sides.

Negotiation itself is an act that requires constantly stretching each other's patience, testing each other's bottom line, pulling for interests, and using force to deter, in order to finally get a result that both parties are barely satisfied with. The more anxious you are, the less likely you are to get what you want.

Since Kirigakure has the humanoid disaster Mizunotsukiyo on its side, it will naturally be able to get more things in this negotiation.

The third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had to weigh the pros and cons, find the most appropriate point and make a decision.

This is not easy. In addition to careful consideration, what is more needed is decisiveness!

……

The Konoha side was upset and their scalps were tingling because of Kirigakure's request.

Ye happily followed the Third Mizukage and strolled around this samurai country.

"This is my second time in this country. The last time I came here, the hot springs here left the deepest impression on me."

The Third Mizukage said with a smile that although today's meeting had not yet come to a conclusion, the negotiation between them and Konoha at the meeting made him quite happy: "Although the hot springs here are not as magical and diverse as those in the Land of Hot Springs, the unique climate and environment have created several good hot springs. Do you want to go with me to try them?"

"You should go and enjoy yourself. There are indeed many benefits for the elderly to soak in hot springs more often. I'll find a place to get some food."

"That's a shame."

Ye waved casually and said goodbye to the Third Mizukage.

He had no interest in chatting with the old man in a hot spring.

"Welcome, what would you like to order?"

"A pot of sake and some of your signature side dishes will be fine."

"Okay, I'll prepare it for you right away. Where would you like to sit?"

"This is it."

Ye walked towards the wine tables where many people were wearing the same black robes. He pulled over a chair and sat down amidst the confusion of the waiter and the two young men at the table.

The orange-haired boy put down the grilled chicken and bell pepper skewers in his hand and looked towards Ye with a strange look in his eyes.

"There are still many empty seats in this store. Do you have to sit here?"

"I just want to talk to you who are guarding this Shadow Conference."

Ye picked up the sake that the waiter had just served, poured himself a glass, took a sip, and felt the sour and sweet taste in the light wine. He said calmly: "Besides, there should be no contradiction between us. Why do you have such great hostility towards me, the leader of Akatsuki?"

Hostility?

Yahiko clenched his fist and said coldly: "I just don't like eating at the same table with people I don't know."

"Well, I was indeed rude. I was just surprised to see a descendant of the Uzumaki clan here. I wanted to chat with him. After all, I also have a very capable member of the Uzumaki clan under my command, and he has always been thinking about the original Uzushio Village..."

The Uzumaki clan?
The red-haired boy who had been silent paused for a moment, but Yahiko interrupted him directly, "You've got the wrong person, there's no one from the Uzumaki clan here!"

"I won't mistake such a conspicuous mark. In the entire ninja world, only their clan can have such bright and beautiful red hair." Ye shook his head and did not give up the topic because of Yahiko's refusal. He continued: "Of course, I know that you don't want your companions to have too much contact with me, but you should also know that I am just talking like this to start a topic and draw out my willingness to cooperate next."

"Are you interested in accepting a new commission? One that can promote peace."

"...Can the word peace be used for Blood Mist's request?"

The special words changed the words on Yahiko's lips, but his hostility did not diminish in the slightest.

Ye didn't care. He knew clearly the source of the hostility. After all, the news that he killed Jiraiya had already spread throughout the ninja world.

"Your information is out of date. The thick blood mist that enveloped the Hidden Mist Village has been dispelled. Moreover, if it weren't for the Daimyo's hesitation to hold a succession ceremony, the one who is talking to you right now is the Fourth Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village."

"so."

Ye ignored the incredulous and shocked looks around him, and looked at Yahiko calmly and said, "I don't know where your hostility towards me comes from, but now I want to ask you again."

"Are you going to reject the kindness of Kirigakure, one of the five great ninja villages?"

"You guy..."

Yahiko never imagined that Mizunotsukiyo, who looked so young, was actually the future fourth generation of the Hidden Mist Village, and even the succession ceremony was already being prepared.

In other words, this meeting with the Akatsuki organization was not just a casual chat over a table, but a preview of the cooperation between the mercenary organization and the Great Ninja Village? !

Yahiko stared at Ye Lu's single amber eye that was exposed outside, and their gazes met in mid-air.

After a moment, the leader of the Akatsuki organization picked up the grilled chicken and bell pepper skewers on the table with some annoyance, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed them hard, and then drank the sake in front of him.

"That's my drink..."

"Don't worry about these things, just treat them as intention money."

Yahiko wiped his mouth, looked at Ye seriously and said: "Tell me, the future Fourth Mizukage, what do you want us to do for you!"

"That's too much."

Ye Mo Mo took out a brand new cup and filled it with sake: "The village is now in ruins and needs people in many areas, such as business management, tax protection, material distribution, construction..."

Yahiko's expression gradually froze, and he couldn't help but say, "We are mercenaries!"

"Although this may be a little offensive, to be honest, except for a few individuals, most of the people in your organization are just ordinary ninjas with great aspirations. If I really let you go to the front battlefield and give you some fighting missions, can you, the leader of the Akatsuki organization, tell me how many people in your organization will be left alive after a mission?" "In fact, the missions I mentioned are not simple. Wandering ninjas, thieves, thugs, and even saboteurs from other ninja villages... these guys are also quite troublesome and a headache."

A monster who froze thousands of ninjas and ended a war with his own strength would actually give those guys a headache. Do you believe this?
But Yahiko had to admit what Ye said. Since the establishment of Akatsuki, in order for the organization to have sufficient funds and for the organization's philosophy to be better spread, Akatsuki has been promoting the organization's teachings in various parts of the ninja world while carrying out mercenary tasks to maintain the operation of the organization.

And in this era of war, the tasks they can receive are naturally killing, destruction, attacking and the like.

And almost every time a mission is completed, some people will be missing from the team.

This process of constantly losing companions made Yahiko very painful. He even suspected that he had deviated from his original intention, which was to create the Akatsuki organization for world peace.

They are clearly advocating peace, but the missions they have carried out recently have only intensified the intensity of this war!
This is why, after hearing that the Water and Fire Kingdoms were preparing for peace talks, Yahiko immediately followed Rikkaku and came to the Iron Kingdom.

Because, in his heart, this is the mission that Akatsuki should take on and what they should do!
Yahiko was a little upset and kept pouring wine into his mouth.

Ye was not in a hurry and tasted the restaurant's special snacks.

a long time.

The founder of the Akatsuki organization suddenly raised his head and looked at Ye: "Hey, the future Fourth Mizukage, can I ask you a question?"

"of course."

"Why do you want war? This war, no, these continuous wars, when will it end? When will the ninja world really usher in true peace!"

Looking at Yahiko who was looking at him seriously, even solemnly, Ye suddenly felt a little funny.

What a cute and innocent boy! Even though he is living in a cruel reality that is like hell, his heart is full of all kinds of beautiful fantasies!

“Is this funny?!”

Yahiko looked at Ye's slightly raised mouth and said angrily: "Not to mention the distant past, just in the past few years, we have witnessed with our own eyes the war that Kumogakure started against Sunagakure, the war that Kumogakure started against Konoha, the war that Iwagakure started against Konoha, and the war that you, Kirigakure, started against Konoha!"

"Whenever a war seems to be over, the countries that were watching will immediately start a new war, causing the chain of war and hatred to spread, dragging more and more people into the disaster of war, leaving them homeless and their families broken up!"

"I thought that the war between Iwagakure and Konoha would gradually subside in a stalemate, and the entire chaotic ninja world would come to an end as the fighting between Kirigakure and Konoha stopped."

"But the fact is that the war between Iwagakure and Konoha is getting more and more intense. Even today, the majority of those who tried to invade and disrupt the Kage Conference were from Kumogakure and Sunagakure, who had already withdrawn from the battlefield!"

"Why on earth is this!"

Yahiko looked at Ye, the future ruler of one of the five major ninja villages, and raised questions from the bottom of his heart. Almost all the members of the Akatsuki organization present, including Nagato, also set their sights on Ye.

"In such a public place, talking about these things so loudly, questioning those big ninja villages... I have to say, you are indeed very courageous."

Ye put down his wine glass and looked at the eyes that were falling on him: "Why start a war... There are too many answers to this question, to satisfy the greed of human nature, to gain more territory, resources, power, or because of the hatred left by our ancestors, etc."

"There are so many answers to this question, so instead of dwelling on what you said, I suggest you think about it from a different perspective."

"For example... why would the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen come all the way to the Land of Iron to sit here and talk nonsense with us all day, and even invite your Akatsuki organization to provide security."

"what?"

Yahiko was stunned for a moment, and even subconsciously felt angry because Ye changed the subject: "Don't change the subject, and there is nothing to think about from this angle, aren't you here to negotiate..."

"Is it because of strength?"

Nagato, who had been silent all this time, raised his head, revealing a corner of his slightly wavy eyes from under his long red hair.

"Because of your power, Mizunoe Tsukiyomi, Konoha can no longer bear the consequences of going to war with you, Kirigakure. They are afraid of you, so they came here and chose to negotiate peace with you."

"Mizuno Tsukiyomi... No, the future Fourth Mizukage."

Nagato said in a deep voice: "You mean, as long as our Akatsuki organization has the power to surpass the five major countries and has the power to make the world dare not start a war at will, then the world will become peaceful?"

"This is obvious. After all, the so-called Warring States Period ended in this way."

Ye said calmly: "Use force to intimidate the entire ninja world. When the first Hokage was still alive, who in the ninja world dared to start a war?"

not at all.

Since the end of the Warring States Period and the founding of Konoha more than a decade ago, the entire ninja world has been in a period of peaceful development. That was almost the most stable period in the world in hundreds of years!

"But, all this is only temporary, isn't it?"

Yahiko growled, "After the death of the first Hokage, the Ninja World fell into conflict again. So, even if our Akatsuki organization possesses a power that the five major nations fear, and the five major nations restrain themselves from launching a war out of fear, when we lose that power to intimidate the Ninja World, won't the war come back again!"

"That's for sure, but at least during the time you held that power, the ninja world was peaceful, wasn't it?"

Ye said calmly, "If the peace you desire is eternal, and can be maintained forever in the future with just one effort... then I can only say that your idea is totally unrealistic and impossible to exist."

"As long as there are people in this world, there will be desires. The desire to survive, the desire to mate, the desire to obtain more abundant resources, because this is human nature."

"Just like now, you have resisted a wave of assassins today and you are tired, so you come here to drink and eat. After you have had enough, you want to rest. Aren't these things desires?"

"Human desires are infinite, but the world's resources are limited. When there is a gap between the two, war will break out."

"So, don't say things like 'this is only temporary'. If you can't even grasp the present, can't even recognize what reality is like, and your head is full of empty so-called dreams, then that is the true emptiness and sadness."

(End of this chapter)