Chapter 138: News about Sasori of the red sand

Nagato was startled by his own thoughts.

He considered himself a mild-mannered ninja, yet he found himself contemplating the idea that only through the deterrence of force could peace be maintained. Had he unconsciously embraced Byakuya's ideology?

Reflecting on his experiences, he realized that using forceful threats was indeed a practical approach. Without sufficient strength, one couldn't compel enemies to negotiate or foster mutual understanding.

However, Nagato still disliked violence and struggled with the idea of killing enemies. He preferred the exchanges and discussions about building a home with comrades. Such dark actions were better left to Byakuya.

With that in mind, Nagato decided not to delve further. He would continue to follow Byakuya and Yahiko's instructions, as he always had. Questioning every detail could strain their relationship, and Yahiko might have also felt this way, leading him to not meddle in Akatsuki's affairs.

"Byakuya, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave you now."

Finding a convenient excuse, Nagato walked deeper into the cave, disappearing from Byakuya's sight.

Byakuya watched Nagato's retreating figure with a slightly strange expression. Had Nagato grown so mature so quickly? Was premature maturity, especially in a ninja, such a good thing? It often led to darkness due to the world's harsh realities.

Muttering to himself, Byakuya left the Outer Path Golem's cave, heading to distribute the rings to the elite ninjas in the organization.

Without a doubt, Hanzo and Kakuzu were eligible for a ring.

As for the remaining rings, their distribution would depend on Kakuzu's performance. Byakuya had tasked Kakuzu with finding black market experts, aiming to recruit those who had turned rogue and possessed valuable skills.

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Shortly after delivering the rings to Kakuzu, Byakuya received important news through one of the rings.

Kakuzu had managed to gather information about Sasori of the Red Sands and tracked some of his movements after several months of effort. Byakuya wasted no time and left the Land of Rain to meet Kakuzu at a black market location.

Kakuzu was meeting with the black market's head, assessing potential targets for assassination. Despite receiving a salary from Byakuya, Kakuzu was keen on earning additional income.

Byakuya saw this and didn't comment. Unlike the core members of Akatsuki, the elite team he was forming was a more loosely organized group, similar to the original Akatsuki led by Nagato.

The main difference was that Byakuya was the leader, not Nagato.

After meeting Kakuzu, Byakuya got straight to the point, "Kakuzu, where is Sasori now?"

"He's in the forest ahead…"

Kakuzu provided Sasori's location and then asked curiously, "Boss Byakuya, why are you so interested in Sasori of the Red Sands? His bounty isn't high, and he hasn't done anything particularly spectacular…"

At this time, Sasori had not yet undertaken the feat of single-handedly destroying a nation. He had only killed a few Jonin and had some notoriety in the black market.

To most ninjas, Sasori, who had killed Jonin, was formidable. However, to Kakuzu, who had survived from the Warring States period, Sasori was merely a notable junior. He couldn't understand Byakuya's interest in him.

Byakuya looked at Kakuzu and smiled, "Sasori hasn't done much yet, except assassinate the Third Kazekage and successfully instigate the Third Shinobi World War."

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu's expression changed: "The missing Third Kazekage was assassinated by Sasori?"

Byakuya nodded and said, "Although the exact details are unknown, the Third Kazekage was likely killed by Sasori. Facing a ninja of this level, Mr. Kakuzu, are you feeling a bit intimidated?"

Intimidated? Kakuzu didn't think so and shook his head lightly.

In his long life, he had encountered Five Kage-level ninjas before, but he had never managed to claim their bounties due to being outnumbered in the end.

However, he was aware that there were differences in strength among the Kage-level ninjas. Some were adept at direct combat, while others excelled in assassination. Perhaps the Third Kazekage was caught off guard and fell victim to Sasori's attack, ultimately losing his life.

Kakuzu was more concerned about the bounty on Sasori. Not only was Sasori a challenging opponent, but the reward was also quite low.

Even if he defeated Sasori, the financial gain wouldn't be substantial unless he sold the information to a merchant and handed Sasori over to Sunagakure.

Seemingly understanding Kakuzu's thoughts, Byakuya continued, "It's good to have confidence, Mr. Kakuzu. However, my intention in finding Sasori is not to trouble him, but to recruit him to join us."

Kakuzu sighed and said, "Recruiting Sasori is not an easy task… I don't have absolute confidence in it."

Recruiting a powerful stranger was far more challenging than simply killing him.

Byakuya, with an air of calm, said, "Rest assured, Mr. Kakuzu. Since I have decided to recruit him, I've made the necessary preparations. You only need to stand by and prevent him from escaping."

Hearing this, Kakuzu showed a skeptical expression.

Byakuya's talent was indeed impressive, otherwise, he wouldn't have been taken in by Hanzo. But considering his age, how strong could he really be? Kakuzu thought that he would likely end up taking action himself for the sake of money.

However, for the sake of earning, losing a few hearts was acceptable, as they could be replaced later.

Byakuya noticed Kakuzu's expression and smiled faintly. Kakuzu might actually believe that Byakuya was Hanzo's disciple, but Hanzo had taken him out for training purposes.

After exchanging some intelligence, the two entered the forest to locate Sasori.

During the search, Kakuzu demonstrated the professional skills of a top bounty hunter. By examining the trampled plants on the ground and the human scent in the air, he pinpointed Sasori's direction.

Just as Kakuzu was about to lead the way, he found that Byakuya had already moved ahead of him.

Moreover, Byakuya's direction was accurate, which made Kakuzu question his own tracking skills. It seemed impossible for him to be outperformed by a young man.

What Kakuzu didn't know was that Byakuya's regular tracking ability was far inferior to his own.

However, Byakuya relied not on tracking but on sensing. He had long since pinpointed the chakra of all ninjas in the forest, making Sasori's position stand out like a radar signal.

It could only be said that the Earth Grudge Fear gave Kakuzu five times the strength of an ordinary Jonin and an immortal body.

But before the bloodline of the Six Paths, the Earth Grudge Fear was still insufficiently powerful, unless it could also acquire the Bloodline Limit while absorbing chakra.