Mastermind of the Akatsuki

The Land of Grass bordered the Land of Rain, so it only took Byakuya a few hours to reach it. Once there, he quickly subdued a few rogue Kusagakure shinobi who were pillaging the area.

Using genjutsu, Byakuya read their memories and uncovered crucial information about Kusagakure's recent activities. Their recent incursions at the border were indeed linked to the Box of Ultimate Bliss. However, the attacks on the Rain Country's border weren't part of some longstanding conspiracy; rather, they were fallout from a civil war within Kusagakure itself.

Ironically, Byakuya had played a part in sparking this unrest. When he rescued Akane, Kusagakure lost a valuable "healer machine." Without Akane, they no longer had access to affordable medical services, which had been their competitive edge.

As a third-rate ninja village, Kusagakure couldn't beat Suna in price competition, nor could it rival Konoha's stellar reputation and service. Over time, financial strains caused tensions to build within the village, leading to an internal conflict.

The hawkish "Grass Seed Faction" publicly challenged the current leader, the dovish "Grass Flower Faction," at the jōnin council meeting. They criticized the doves for being too passive, never initiating wars. The hawks demanded that the Box of Ultimate Bliss be opened, believing the monster within could help Kusagakure reclaim its past glory.

In the Sage of Six Paths era, the Land of Grass had once been the most powerful nation in the ninja world.

The Grass Flower Faction opposed opening the box. While it had once elevated the Land of Grass to supremacy, it had also brought centuries of misfortune. With neither side willing to back down, the Grass Seed Faction dispatched ninjas to raid the Land of Rain, hoping to provoke a war and force the doves to unlock the box and realize their dream of world domination.

After gleaning this information, Byakuya shrugged. He had suspected that Kusagakure had already opened the Box of Ultimate Bliss and released the creature that feeds on negative emotions. Yet, things hadn't escalated to that point.

In fact, the box required a massive amount of chakra to open, and Kusagakure likely lacked both the means to unlock it and the strength to control the creature inside. Still, with Kusagakure instigating conflict, the Akatsuki now had grounds to intervene in the Land of Grass.

Having taken care of the rogue Kusagakure ninjas, Byakuya returned to Amegakure's tower and reported the events to Yahiko. Yahiko frowned upon hearing that their neighbors were in turmoil.

From a military perspective, Kusagakure, along with the other small villages nearby, couldn't hope to stand against Amegakure. Yahiko was confident that he could defeat Kusagakure within a month if it came to an all-out attack.

However, if Kusagakure's internal conflict was spilling over into the Land of Rain and it was merely rogue factions causing trouble, Amegakure couldn't launch a full-scale retaliation. But leaving these renegades unchecked would destabilize security and even disrupt the nation's import and export trade.

As he considered the options, Yahiko instinctively looked to Byakuya. This situation could only be handled by someone like him. Many issues couldn't be addressed officially by Amegakure. So, instead, they required the shadowy touch of Byakuya and his Akatsuki organization. Recently, he'd even heard that Byakuya had recruited several more ruthless ninjas.

Byakuya noticed Yahiko's gaze and knew his friend was once again planning to use him as the workhorse.

But this time, Byakuya didn't plan to handle the mission personally. Instead, he proposed an alternative. "Yahiko, I can take care of Kusagakure, but I think this task would be a great opportunity for Nagato."

"Nagato?" Yahiko's eyebrows raised, surprised. "Nagato probably has little interest in such matters. Besides, do you think he's ready to handle an entire shinobi village?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, feeling that Yahiko had grown too comfortable over the years. Perhaps he'd begun to underestimate Nagato's true potential. Though Nagato had spent recent years working on construction and infrastructure projects in the Land of Rain, he had not neglected his training or puppet-making. His strength was among the highest in Akatsuki, even making it challenging for Byakuya himself to keep up.

Reading Byakuya's expression, Yahiko quickly clarified, "It's not that I doubt Nagato's abilities. I've seen how much he's improved over the years. But handling an entire ninja village on his own—I'm worried he lacks the experience."

Yahiko still remembered the Nagato from their youth—the quietest and most indecisive of their group. Even now, despite possessing the Rinnegan and being hailed by Jiraiya-sensei as the "Child of Prophecy," Yahiko wasn't sure if Nagato had the confidence or assertiveness needed for a solo mission.

After a moment's thought, Byakuya replied, "Nagato needs the chance to try. He's been responsible for many construction projects, leading teams successfully. But if he always remains sheltered in the background, he'll never realize his full potential."

Byakuya meant every word. He genuinely wanted Nagato to grow into his own. Because his own unexpected arrival had altered the original trajectory of Akatsuki, he had also changed the destinies of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. In the original timeline, Nagato would have already been assembling forces to take on Hanzo the Salamander, and after defeating him, would consider himself a god of Amegakure, aiming for peace through the fearsome might of the tailed beasts.

However, the Nagato of that timeline and the present Nagato both carried Yahiko's ideals, only with different approaches suited to different times. Even in the original timeline, Yahiko had always been the guiding force in Nagato's heart, whether advocating peace through dialogue or peace through strength.

After a pause, Yahiko relented and agreed to let Nagato take on the mission. He, too, wanted Nagato to grow and step into his role as the true Child of Prophecy.

When the ANBU summoned Nagato from his construction work, he looked at Yahiko and Byakuya in confusion. He'd been focused on building new housing for the villagers, so being called in urgently made him wonder if something significant had occurred.

Without wasting words, they informed Nagato of the mission. Upon hearing Yahiko and Byakuya's request for him to go abroad on this mission, Nagato didn't protest. Instead, he fell into a thoughtful silence, sensing Yahiko's intention.

After a moment of reflection, Nagato nodded and accepted the task of traveling to the Land of Grass to mediate its internal conflict. He knew it would be challenging, but he wanted to try. Even if he failed, he trusted Byakuya would have his back.

With a few necessities packed, Byakuya and Nagato departed the village and headed toward the Land of Grass.

Their pace was swift, and within a few hours, they arrived at the outskirts of Kusagakure.