After Yahiko finished his announcement, the members sincerely smiled and immediately began discussing it among themselves.
Standing among them, Yahiko's excitement soon gave way to hesitation as he found himself troubled by a new problem.
The application had been sent, and now the other side had agreed, so which member should they send?
Just as Danzo Shimura had once remarked, this organization was simply a group of idealistic young people gathered together under the slogan of "Mutual understanding between people and the pursuit of peace."
Yet they had never seriously considered what should be done at each stage, what preparations were necessary, or how they would gradually move toward that distant goal.
Take this matter as an example.
Whether when they first submitted the request or during the period while they waited for a response, not a single person had sat down and seriously considered it.
If Konoha agreed, what would they do next?
Who would go? How many people should they bring?
Once they arrived in Konoha, under what identity, position, or pretext would they engage with others?
Would they simply look around and leave, or would they take the opportunity to pursue deeper exchanges with Konoha or the society?
All of these matters, which should have been settled in advance, existed within Akatsuki only as spur-of-the-moment considerations. There were no contingency plans, no division of responsibilities, and not even the most basic schedule.
They were merely a group of people holding onto a beautiful but vague dream, taking things one step at a time and seeing where the road led.
Thus, they began discussing it on the spot. One person spoke after another, and a decision was quickly reached.
In the end, it was decided that Yahiko, Konan, and Kyosuke Idate would travel to Konoha together. At the same time, Nagato, the other member of the core trio, would remain behind to oversee Akatsuki's daily affairs.
There was no helping it.
Nagato's eyes were simply too sensitive an issue.
The Rinnegan!
Those were the eyes once possessed only by the legendary Sage of Six Paths, an existence that had existed solely within ancient myths for a thousand years.
If they were exposed, they would undoubtedly stir up an unimaginable storm throughout the Shinobi World.
Every major force and every great ninja village would swarm toward them like sharks smelling blood.
By then, Akatsuki would never know peace again, and even the situation within the Village Hidden in the Rain would be completely thrown into chaos.
Even if Nagato concealed his eyes using the Transformation Technique or other disguises, it still could not be considered foolproof.
After all, this was Konoha, the village that possessed the Byakugan.
Before the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan, any disguise or transformation based on chakra was effectively meaningless. No matter how ingenious the deception, it could not overcome the Byakugan's penetrating vision.
Nagato could not help feeling somewhat regretful about this, but he said nothing. In fact, the decision to remain behind had been proposed by him personally.
He had already grown accustomed to hiding in the shadows, allowing Yahiko and Konan to face the world beneath the sunlight in his place.
And this time, it would be no exception.
Yahiko, meanwhile, stated that he would carry a scroll containing one of Nagato's Shadow Clones with him.
(Note: Shadow Clone is not exclusive to Konoha. When you looked at the user of Shadow Clone at Naruto.Fandom.com, ninjas from different villages can use it, and one of them is Nagato.)
When the time was right, he would release the clone so that Nagato could personally witness the establishment ceremony as well.
Although it would not be the real body attending, all the clone's memories and experiences would return to the original when the clone was dispelled, which could at least serve as some compensation.
With the discussion concluded, no one lingered any longer, and they immediately began making preparations.
They planned to depart that very day and arrive in Konoha several days early so they could take the opportunity to personally see what the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages was really like.
Come to think of it, these young people who had grown up amid the mud and rain of the Village Hidden in the Rain had never once set foot in one of the great nations.
Before departure, worry and unease could be seen on the faces of many of their companions.
Seeing this, Yahiko laughed cheerfully and said, "Come to think of it, I was talking about this Shinichi Higashino not long ago. I was thinking that if I ever got the chance to meet him, I'd definitely have to argue things out with him face-to-face. Who would have thought the opportunity would come so quickly?"
"So it turns out he's also been thinking about how to guide ninjas onto a different path and how to achieve peace. That actually reassures me quite a bit. The ideals he advocates do have some similarities with what Akatsuki has always pursued. Maybe when we arrive in Konoha, we'll genuinely get along quite well."
He paused, then added with a grin: "Don't be so nervous. Sure, Shinichi Higashino is absurdly powerful, but when it comes to exploring mutual understanding between people and pursuing the path to peace, we've been stumbling along this road for quite a few years ourselves. No matter what, that makes us his seniors. Who knows? Maybe when the time comes, he'll humbly ask us for advice! Hahaha!"
By the end, even Yahiko himself felt a little embarrassed and laughed, and under his influence, the previously tense atmosphere relaxed considerably, and the other members began smiling as well.
"Then! We're off to Konoha!" Yahiko declared with a grand wave of his hand.
And so, under the watchful gazes of the Akatsuki members, Yahiko, Konan, and Kyosuke Idate set out together on the road to Konoha.
Their figures gradually disappeared into the endless curtain of drizzle that perpetually shrouded the Village Hidden in the Rain.
Only after they had completely vanished from sight did the members remaining at the base withdraw their gazes one after another and return to their respective duties.
Nagato, however, never moved.
He stood at the entrance of the base, his eyes hidden under his crimson hair, silently watching the direction in which the three had departed.
Return to the ancestor's original intent, and reclaim the Sage of the Six Paths' original aspirations...
The ideals advocated by Shinichi Higashino's society unconsciously surfaced in his mind, and almost instinctively, he raised a hand and lightly touched the edge of his eye socket with his fingertips.
These eyes are the legendary Rinnegan once possessed by the Sage of Six Paths himself.
...
Meanwhile, deep within an underground cavern somewhere in the Village Hidden in the Grass.
Madara Uchiha sat quietly upon a crude stone seat, and behind him, the massive, withered silhouette of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path cast a deep shadow.
More than a dozen tubes connected behind him trembled slightly, pumping the life force of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path little by little into his body, which had become little more than a withered husk.
A moment later, the figure of White Zetsu slowly emerged from the rock wall.
Half of its body was still embedded within the stone when it impatiently spoke: "Madara-sama, there's earth-shattering news!"