Chapter:52

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"Haha. It seems that Kirito-kun holds quite the grudge against the Third Hokage," Orochimaru remarked with a wry smile, breaking the silence.

"Of course. If that old man hadn't broken his promise and teamed up with that wretched Danzo to try and kill me, I wouldn't have defected. Who likes living in fear? It would've been nice to stay in Konoha, work as a Jonin, take on missions, and live a peaceful life."

Kirito sighed helplessly, spreading his hands with an innocent expression.

This made Orochimaru and the others twitch. If someone didn't know better, they would think that Kirito's family hadn't been wiped out by him, but rather the other way around.

"It seems the ninjas from Konoha get along quite well," a commanding and deep voice suddenly echoed through the room.

As the voice finished, a young man with a face full of black piercings entered, followed by a woman.

The woman had light blue-purple hair, a beautiful, calm face, and a striking figure. She was slightly older than Kurenai Yuhi, and in terms of beauty, she was easily her equal.

Even with Kirito's composed nature, he couldn't help but be slightly distracted. He silently mused about how the world of Naruto was filled with beautiful women, though few met a happy end.

But now that Kirito was here, his ultimate goal was to give all the ladies a perfect home.

"Leader," Orochimaru greeted formally, though Obito, disguised as Tobi, had already disappeared unnoticed.

Pain ignored Orochimaru's attitude, merely waving him away. Orochimaru left without protest. As long as Orochimaru didn't cause trouble, Pain had no issues—he only cared about completing the tasks he assigned.

The lavender Rinnegan swept over Kirito and Itachi in turn. Pain said, "I am the leader of the Akatsuki organization, Pain. Codename: Zero. You can call me the leader, or simply Pain. Akatsuki's goal is world peace. We will rule the world, replacing the five major nations."

"A lofty goal," Itachi commented softly.

Kirito voiced his opinion, "It's a noble wish, but as long as the ninja village system exists, true peace will never come. The system itself is the problem."

"They don't produce anything. They survive on commissions. The moment peace comes, the income of ninja villages drops. That leads to friction between nations, and eventually, someone will create chaos. That's how the Ninja World Wars began."

Itachi, standing silently, showed a disapproving expression.

Kirito glanced at him and crossed his arms. "Don't dismiss my words. The reason you disagree is that your perspective is limited to Konoha. Konoha has the best resources, and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is content with peace."

"But those ninjas living in war-torn, barren lands don't see it that way. They want better resources and a more stable life. No one goes to war for fun."

"The leader, being from the Rain Village, should understand this well."

"You're correct," Pain nodded, a glint of interest in his Rinnegan as he looked at Kirito.

Kirito continued, "This is all just a legacy of history. If the First Hokage had allied with Uchiha Madara to unify the ninja world and regulate the nations and villages, instead of relying on the Will of Fire to sway others, things would have been different."

"At the first Five Kage Summit, the peace treaty was signed only because the other villages feared the First Hokage's power, not out of mutual understanding. When he died, the First Ninja World War broke out—that's all the proof you need."

After a moment of silence, Pain asked, "So, how do you think we can achieve permanent peace?"

"I don't know," Kirito replied. "Even if we unify the world and establish a perfect system, it'll only last temporarily. As long as chakra exists, there will be no lasting peace. People like Danzo or Hiruzen, with their schemes and hypocrisy, are just a reflection of the times."

"I see," Pain said thoughtfully, before returning to the original topic. "Akatsuki's goal is world peace. To that end, we're gathering talented ninjas from all backgrounds. Kirito and Itachi of Konoha, welcome."

Hearing this, both Kirito and Itachi removed their headbands and slashed through the symbols, severing ties with Konoha.

Pain handed over the signature rings that symbolized official membership in Akatsuki. Itachi's ring bore the character "Red," and Kirito's was "Blue," previously belonging to Deidara in the original series.

"These will be your codenames in Akatsuki—Red for Itachi and Blue for Kirito. The rings also serve as communication devices and must be worn at all times. When in action, you'll wear the Akatsuki uniform to help promote our reputation, as we're still in the development stage. Also, nail polish is mandatory."

Pain's commanding voice echoed in Kirito's ear. His mouth twitched as he placed the ring on the index finger of his right hand. "Well, I like the black cloak with red clouds, but nail polish? I'm not a fan of wearing that."

"No exceptions," Pain cut in firmly.

"Fine," Kirito sighed, giving in. "By the way, can you arrange a secure, private place for me to stay? I'll need to live with an old friend of mine."

"Of course. Protecting Akatsuki members and their families is one of our core principles. You'll stay in the highest tower of the Rain Village, the safest location in the ninja world. Apart from me and Konan, no one else is allowed in or out," Pain assured him.

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

Kirito vaguely remembered that the top tower in the Rain Village was where Nagato and Konan resided. It truly was the most secure place in the world, as long as Kirito remained loyal to Akatsuki and didn't betray the organization.

It seemed Obito still held reservations about Kirito, placing him under the Rinnegan's watchful eye.

Pain said, "The top floor is off-limits except to Konan and me. Elsewhere, you can do as you like—train, relax, whatever—just don't damage the property."

(End of the chapter).

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