Chapter 377: Choice
Kakuzu's voice followed immediately, picking up where Sasori left off:
"Hmph, whether it's a hypocritical act to win hearts and minds or to maintain his fake image of a 'Hokage,' or if he is truly kind to the point of stupidity, it doesn't cover up one fact."
Kakuzu's green eyes, which had weathered the years, narrowed slightly, his gaze piercing through the vast distance:
"He possesses the overwhelming strength to support his 'willfulness.' 'Mercy' without strength is just a joke."
Kakuzu added, his tone carrying a cold judgment based on realistic interests.
However, the conversation shifted, and Kakuzu's gaze flicked, seemingly unintentionally, toward the man with the spiral mask in front.
"But..."
Kakuzu's voice lowered, carrying the probing suspicion of an old fox:
"Judging from the fragmented intelligence we've received about Hidden Leaf Village and the man himself, this Uzumaki Naruto is by no means a 'kind soul' in the traditional sense."
"When dealing with enemies, he is ruthless and leaves no room for mercy; when expanding and annexing, he is even more aggressive and efficient than the First Hokage was back in the day."
Kakuzu was comparing the styles of the First Hokage and Naruto.
There was another thing that bothered him, and that was the timing of the disappearances of Pain, Konan, and Uchiha Itachi... It was all very subtle.
Kakuzu cast his gaze toward Obito's back again, his eyes, which had seen through countless conspiracies and betrayals, flickering with scrutiny.
He always felt that this guy named Tobi knew far more inside information than he let on.
Did he orchestrate something? Or did he have some unknown connection or deal with Hidden Leaf Village?
Kisame carried Samehada on his back, baring his sharp teeth in a silent smile.
Deidara let out an impatient "Tch," as he was more concerned with the potential "artistic" confrontation in the distance than the internal power struggles of the Akatsuki Organization.
Sasori remained silent, but the tail of his Hiruko puppet swayed slightly, indicating he was deep in thought.
And Obito, from beginning to end, kept his back to them, his expression hidden behind the mask, unseen by anyone.
He simply gazed quietly at the distant Hidden Cloud Village, looking at the blonde figure.
On the cliff, the wind continued to blow.
The remnants of the Akatsuki Organization, like spiders lurking in the shadows, patiently waited for the storm that would surely affect the entire Ninja World, while maintaining a delicate balance within a web of mutual suspicion and calculation.
Hidan's muttering continued, but no one paid any attention to it.
Time slipped away in the oppressive silence.
Naruto leaned against a rock, eyes narrowed, as if truly enjoying the momentary peace before the battle.
The Fourth Raikage Ai stood like a volcano about to erupt, yet his gaze did not dare to move from Naruto for a single second.
However, this tense balance was broken by a sudden, seemingly casual remark from Naruto.
"Hey, Raikage."
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his blue irises clear and sharp, without a trace of the confusion of someone just waking from a rest.
He didn't look at Ai, but asked in a flat tone:
"Aren't you going to deal with the people over there first?"
"Which side?"
The Fourth Raikage Ai was startled. Although his sensory abilities were not as good as some specialized Ninjas, they were definitely not weak.
Yet, he hadn't detected any other hidden presence nearby besides Naruto and that Uchiha girl.
Judging by the other party's implication, it shouldn't be a Hidden Leaf Village ambush; so, was there someone else ready to reap the benefits?
As the Raikage, his experience and composure prevented him from showing immediate surprise or panic.
The anger on his face subsided slightly, replaced by a deeper gravity.
He maintained his original posture and vigilant gaze, staring intently at Naruto, as if judging the truth and intent behind the words.
Naruto didn't seem to care about Ai's silence and suspicion.
Even Sarada hadn't sensed the presence of the Akatsuki Organization, but she wouldn't doubt Naruto's words.
If Naruto said someone was there, then there must be someone.
Naruto said in a low voice:
"My arrival this time is, first, for the peace of the Ninja World—peace under unification and order. Second, it is for my own affairs. So, if I were to kill, I would only kill you, the Fourth Raikage. I have no reason to kill Killer Bee and Yugito now. They are Ninjas, the Jinchuriki of their Village, but they were not the direct decision-makers of the conspiracies back then."
"However..."
Naruto changed the subject, his tone carrying a warning,
"The guys over there might not be the same."
"Are their targets the Tailed Beasts?"
As the Raikage, he knew all too well the importance of Killer Bee and Yugito to the Hidden Cloud Village.
They were the strategic pillars of the Hidden Cloud Village and also the treasures most likely to invite covetous eyes.
However, this covetousness generally came from other major Ninja Villages, as other Villages basically couldn't suppress the Tailed Beasts.
Only two Villages were exceptions: Hidden Waterfall Village, which possessed the Seven-Tails, and the already destroyed Uzushiogakure.
Naruto looked at Ai, the corners of his mouth curling into a slightly mocking arc, and he gave a soft "Heh," as if confirming Ai's guess, or perhaps mocking the cruelty and coincidence of fate.
"What do you say?"
Naruto threw the question back to Ai, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness, as if discussing a tactical choice unrelated to himself,
"Should we join forces to kill those sneaky rats over there who want to fish in troubled waters? Or shall we fight each other first, both get battered and exhausted, and then let them reap the benefits, easily picking up your Hidden Cloud Village's two precious Tailed Beasts?"
This choice was laid bare before Ai.
Should he choose to temporarily cooperate with this great enemy to eliminate the third-party threat first? Or should he persist in his hatred and confrontation with Hidden Leaf Village, gambling that the other party wouldn't make a move while he and Naruto were both weakened?
Ai's face darkened, light flickering in his single eye, clearly engaged in an intense internal struggle. He was not the pure brute he appeared to be, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to hold onto the position of Raikage.
After a moment of silence, Ai responded with a Bottleneck that exceeded Sarada's expectations:
"You can't be sure that their target isn't you, Uzumaki Naruto."
Ai tried to shift the focus back to Naruto.
This was both a probe and a possible glimmer of hope.
If the target of those hidden figures was Naruto, then the probability of the Hidden Cloud Village defeating Uzumaki Naruto would become higher.
However, Naruto was indifferent to Ai's probing.
"If they could take me down, then taking down the current Hidden Cloud Village would be even easier."
This was a naked declaration of strength and a ruthless evaluation of the current state of the Hidden Cloud Village.
"Besides," Naruto added, his gaze cast toward the distant cliff again, as if he could see through the distance to the true faces of those hidden ones,
"It's just a coincidence."
"I happened to run into them just as they were preparing to harvest the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails."
The word "harvest" made the Raikage very uncomfortable, as if the Tailed Beasts of the Hidden Cloud Village were just fruits waiting to be picked.
Even if Naruto knew they were after him, he had to drag the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails into it.
The weakest in the Akatsuki Organization had strength close to Kage-level; as long as Naruto hadn't reached the level of Six Paths Madara, there was a possibility of a mishap.
He was unwilling to let a great situation be overturned by his own carelessness.
Now, the power of choice returned to Ai's hands.
Should he believe Naruto's words, temporarily put aside the hatred for Hidden Leaf Village, and deal with the third-party threat lurking in the shadows with a clear target of the Tailed Beasts? Or should he believe this was Naruto's ploy to divide and conquer the Hidden Cloud Village, and insist on fighting Hidden Leaf Village to the death with the full strength of the Hidden Cloud Village?
No matter which path he chose, it was full of risks and unknowns.
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP