30 - Fruit of the Poisoned Plant

This round saw a significant increase in survival probability, so naturally, the system siphoned off more of the power of destiny, bringing new rewards to Shin. The familiar blue glow of system notifications filled his vision.

[Gained: Wind Release Ninjutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Gained: Earth Release Ninjutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Gained: Fuinjutsu Training Insights (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Gained: Body Modification Insights from the Octopus (to be delivered through dreams)]

[Gained: Intelligence Gathering, Stealth, Reconnaissance, and Counter-Reconnaissance Insights from the Red Fox (to be delivered through dreams)]

As expected, most of these rewards were related to Torune. The system had never been so generous before. The price of survival grew sweeter with each victory.

Wind and Earth Releases were techniques Torune used in battle; the Fuinjutsu Training Insights likely relate to the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal used on the Root members; as for the insights on body modifications, they were undoubtedly related to the insect manipulation techniques; and the last set of insights were the bread and butter of an intelligence operative.

This was the first time Shin has seen the system milk so much from a single person. He sat back in his chair. The system's getting more efficient at extracting abilities. Or maybe death just makes for better teachers. Hm...

Whether it was his improved odds of survival or finally killing his would-be killer, he couldn't tell.

"The Wind Release insights… this is the second time I've received them. I wonder what's different from the last set?" he murmured to himself, fingers tracing patterns in the air as if feeling the wind's currents.

Not long ago, after he managed to trick Pakura, the system rewarded him with a set of Wind Release Ninjutsu insights.

Unfortunately, he'd made little progress with Wind Release jutsu. This time, he wondered what would be different about the second set.

If I could combine the two sets of insights, could I try creating my own jutsu?

After some planning, he set this aspiration aside. The aftermath will bring questions. It always does. Better to focus on the immediate storm.

No point in overthinking it; it'd be best to wait until he learned something from his next dream.

He then turned his focus to handling the aftermath of Root's operations. The mountain fire's smoke could still be seen from his window.

In the afternoon, the door burst open, crashing against the wall and rattling the windows.

And here comes our idealistic leader, right on schedule.

Yahiko had come to demand accountability. He was covered in dust and soot, his face bearing marks of smoke and ash, with steam still rising from his head. His clothes were burned in spots, and he reeked of smoke.

He had just returned from the scene of a mountain fire rescue.

Shin had to admit: Yahiko was genuinely kind and proactive, not just pretending to be noble.

Instead of confronting him first thing in the morning, Yahiko had chosen to fight the fire. Such selflessness was rare in their world—perhaps too rare for survival.

He truly has a noble and compassionate soul—something Shin admired. Like a candle burning too bright, destined to burn out too soon.

But admiration didn't mean agreement. In the shinobi world, kindness alone was useless.

Yahiko immediately slammed the table and demanded, "Shin! You caused all this! The whole mountain is burning, and the fire's still not out! Do you really think deceiving the villagers makes it okay?"

As he watched him catch his breath, Shin's eyes fell on a fruit basket on the corner of his desk—Konan's latest attempt to ensure he ate properly during his planning sessions. How many times have I told her about my hatred for bananas?

As he stared at the bananas, an idea formed in his mind. Sometimes the best lessons come from what we despise most.

"You remind me of a banana," he said suddenly.

Yahiko's anger momentarily gave way to confusion. "What? Are you mocking me even now?"

"Did you know bananas grow curved because they're constantly reaching for the sun? They twist their entire being just to catch a glimpse of light. Just like you, bending our organization's strength away from reality, reaching for impossible ideals."

"And what's wrong with seeking light?"

Shin responded calmly, "I eliminated enemies with ill intent who had invaded the Land of Rain, preventing a future disaster far worse than this fire. Why shouldn't I feel justified?"

"In nature, bananas started straight. But their desperate reach for ideals, for light, changed their very form. And like bananas, your idealism makes you soft, easily bruised by the harsh realities of our world."

Yahiko became even angrier. "That's just twisting words! You didn't even talk to those Konoha ninjas—what right do you have to assume they were enemies?"

"Better to reach for light than embrace darkness like you! People can understand each other; we could've sat down and talked."

Always the same argument. As if words alone could change the ninja world.

"If you really believe people can understand each other, then tell me, why do you hide Nagato's eyes?"

Yahiko froze, at a loss for words.

"I… I…"

"You say people can understand each other, so why don't you dare let the major villages know about his eyes? What's the matter? Are you afraid they won't understand?"

Sometimes the cruelest kindness is shattering someone's illusions.

"…"

"You talk about sitting down and negotiating with Konoha, but have you looked into the people who came this time?"

"They're from Root. Konoha's notorious intelligence and assassination squad. They're nothing like your teacher, Jiraiya. They came specifically targeting Akatsuki. The villagers can attest to it—they started asking about us the day they arrived."

"If I hadn't acted, they would've gotten dangerously close to Nagato. And if the Rinnegan is exposed, how will you make them 'understand'?"

His eyes locked onto Yahiko's. "Do you really want everyone to die for your ideal?"

Although he may have exaggerated at times, Shin's last words were genuinely heartfelt.

To him, the original Akatsuki was ultimately sacrificed for Yahiko's idealism. Kindness and gentleness are indeed admirable qualities, especially when paired with courage, wisdom, and strength.

But alone, these traits mean nothing in a chaotic world.

Yahiko was left speechless. He was furious. How did things turn around so that the one demanding answers was the one being lectured?

It didn't make sense. But he couldn't find a way to refute it, so he ended up slamming the table in frustration.

Table: HP-10

After dealing a decent blow to the table, he regained some clarity. "What were you doing all day then? After lying to the villagers, why didn't you go help put out the fire?"

Shin smirked. "Don't be a banana, Yahiko. You know how much I despise them."

"I've been dealing with the aftermath. I wrote to Hanzō, informed him of the situation, and lavished him with praise. Next, I plan to coerce him into joining us to face the pressure from Konoha."

"I've also sent people to spread half-truths along the borders of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, emphasizing Konoha's weaknesses."

"If the situation unfolds as I hope, I might even provoke Iwa to declare war on Konoha by year's end, stirring things up even more."

He spread his hands, saying, "You see, I have a lot on my plate, especially since certain leaders lack vision for the future of the organization and fail to anticipate current crises."

Yahiko was again left speechless by Shin's retorts.

His hand tingled from the impact with the table; otherwise, he'd probably have slammed it again. The wood had already begun to splinter from his earlier outburst.

Lately, in Shin's presence, he felt increasingly like a child being outmatched. The gap between them seemed to grow wider with each confrontation.

But he couldn't understand why, since they were roughly the same age. There was something in Shin's eyes that seemed far older, far more calculating than any teenager should be. Has the world really made him this cynical, or was he born seeing shadows in every light?

Just as Shin was about to leave, Yahiko called out one last question. "If what you're doing brings turmoil to the Land of Rain, and if war breaks out here again, how will you take responsibility?"

Shin stopped at the doorway, his eyes falling on the fruit basket with its cursed contents. "Come outside, Yahiko. I'll show you exactly how I handle problems in Akatsuki."

He grabbed the basket and walked out into the drizzling rain. Yahiko followed, perhaps drawn by the cold certainty in Shin's voice.

Shin upended the basket, letting the bananas fall in a heap on the wet ground.

Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger, his hands flowed through the signs as naturally as breathing. A concentrated fireball erupted from his lips, engulfing the pile of fruit.

"Watch closely, Yahiko. This is how I handle things that threaten Akatsuki's future." The flames reflected in his eyes as the bananas blackened and charred.

"Keep bending toward your naive ideals like these pathetic things, and you might find yourself sharing their fate."

"Akatsuki needs steel, not softness."

He dropped the empty basket beside the burning fruit and turned away.

Though he had boldly claimed confidence in front of Yahiko before leaving, he hadn't relaxed in the slightest over the following days.

Confidence in strategy required constant caution in tactics!

Over these days, whenever he had free time from training, he would visit Sora-ku with Ayumi, monitoring how Konoha might react to the recent events through the Uchiha connection.

Within a week, not only Shisui but many other Uchiha clansmen knew that a new contractor from the Land of Rain had appeared in Sora-ku.

This Aizen was gentle and polite, even managing to chat amicably with the most prideful and difficult Uchihas. He would bow just deeply enough to show respect without seeming servile, laugh at their jokes with perfect timing, and offer small insights that made them feel clever for agreeing.

In this way, Shin felt his alias was living up to its image. The steady stream of Uchiha visitors to his small shop space in Sora-ku proved his approach was working.

Persistence paid off, and soon Shisui came to him, bringing long-awaited news.

"Aizen, has something major happened recently in your Land of Rain?"

"Why do you ask?"

"This isn't something we should usually tell outsiders, but I think it's fine with you—" Shisui leaned in closer, lowering his voice.

"Fugaku-sama says that Danzō has been acting strangely in the village. The day before yesterday, he even had a huge fight with Orochimaru's subordinates on the frontlines."

"The clan leader suspects he may be hiding something, so he's gathering intel around the village. Do you know anything?"

In that moment, Shin smiled gently. He had finally confirmed what he had suspected: Danzō had chosen to cover up Torune's death without reporting it to the village. Likely, he felt it was not important enough to reveal, or perhaps Torune's dispatch to the Land of Rain had been an unauthorized move by Danzō himself.

His tension eased considerably. His shoulders relaxed slightly, though his mind remained sharp as ever.

As long as Danzō didn't drag all of Konoha into the conflict, Shin wouldn't be intimidated by his solo interference with the Land of Rain. Shisui's news also contained an unexpected benefit.

"Why did Danzō argue with the frontlines commander?" Shin's eyes widened slightly. Then he quickly bowed his head, "Oh, I apologize. If it's a Konoha secret, feel free not to answer."

He feigned an apologetic look, but Shisui didn't mind at all, convinced by Shin's impressive disguise and trusting the insightful Aizen before him.

The young Uchiha waved off the apology with a friendly gesture.

"For you, it should be alright. Apparently, Danzō and Orochimaru clashed over personnel allocation."

Shin thought about it and soon understood. No wonder the intensity of Torune's infiltration had been so low in the initial days, as though he was hardly trying; he had likely been forcibly reassigned from Orochimaru's forces.

Now, the Snake Sannin was probably demanding manpower from Danzō, who had concealed Torune's death and couldn't provide anyone, leading to their fallout.

A snake and a hawk fighting over missing prey. How fitting.

This was delightful news for him. Who could have expected such a fortunate outcome? The value of that kill had only increased. Hearing that Danzō was in such a difficult position brightened his mood.

To reinforce his cover as an ordinary Rain ninja, he offered Shisui a small piece of intel in return.

"Now that you mention it, I do recall something. Recently, Hanzō-sama received a letter. He didn't disclose the content but instructed us to be wary of any sudden aggression from Konoha."

"Some of my comrades speculated that a Konoha elder had taken reckless actions and lost several subordinates near the Land of Rain, putting Hanzō-sama on high alert."

With a few lighthearted words, he had shifted the entire narrative. What had originally been a planned ambush on Root by Akatsuki, now seemed like a Konoha elder's misguided orders that had led to the deaths of Root ninjas.

"Thank you, Aizen. This is important news; I'll report it to the clan leader at once!"

Shin nodded with a smile—this was his goal. He watched Shisui's retreating back with satisfaction, like a puppeteer watching his strings work perfectly.

What Fugaku would do next, whether to openly challenge Danzō or quietly smear his reputation, he didn't concern himself with. He had given them the sword; how the Uchihas wielded it would be their own fate.

What would that have to do with the kind and amiable Aizen of the Land of Rain?

Shin left Sora-ku in a cheerful mood. He would still monitor Konoha's movements, though now with much less anxiety.

With a bit of free time at last, he began exploring an idea he had considered for some time—creating his own jutsu.

He had accumulated extensive knowledge in fire, wind, and earth. Combined with his self-taught lightning and water, he had confirmed that his body had all five chakra natures.

All he lacked was the Sharingan to become a true Copy Ninja.

With such natural talent, it was a shame that he was born in a small country with limited access to advanced jutsu. If no one else would teach him, he'd simply create his own. The thought made him smile—a genuine expression for once, with no one around to see it.

With the system's insights, he now had a solid understanding of jutsu, especially in Wind Release, where he had nearly comprehensive knowledge. 

The prospect of creating his own techniques no longer seemed out of reach.

First, I need to define my requirements... Shin sat cross-legged in the clearing, watching leaves dance in the wind. My combat style opens with genjutsu deception, followed by close-range kenjutsu suppression. The new jutsu should enhance this sequence without disrupting my established pattern.

He muttered to himself, drawing diagrams on the ground with a twig. The soft earth took the markings well as he sketched out chakra flow patterns.

With these requirements in mind, large-scale storm summoning isn't useful to me. The cutting nature of wind suits my style better.

When testing chakra nature, a paper showing wind would be cut in half, revealing that Wind Release's core trait is cutting, precisely what he needed. He pulled out a blank scroll and began jotting down notes. The cleaner the cut, the less chakra wasted. Efficiency is key.

With the core requirement clear, the next is a secondary need. He stood up, drawing his sword to test a few practice swings.

The new jutsu shouldn't hinder my swordsmanship. Single-use attack jutsu aren't meaningful since I'd be better off just slashing. A manipulation jutsu, like Pakura's Scorch Release would fit my needs perfectly.

Lastly, for extended versatility: the jutsu should ideally be cast without hand seals, though that's a nice-to-have. His fingers moved through various combinations of signs, testing which felt most natural with his sword grip.

With the requirements summarized, he was ready to begin his work. This could be his first real step toward becoming one of the shinobi world's top elites.

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