Chapter 22: The Peace-Loving Akatsuki Organization

Byakuya's head snapped up at the sound of Karen's voice filtering through the door. "Lord Byakuya, may I ask what I can do for you?"

He sighed, already picturing her helpless expression. Rising from his chair, he opened the door to find his suspicions confirmed. Byakuya's brow furrowed in confusion. "Didn't I tell you to follow Yahiko's arrangements? Why come to me?"

"Yahiko-sama instructed me to follow you. He said the members you recruited should take care of your needs..."

Byakuya rolled his eyes, a silent concession to Yahiko's well-meaning meddling. He ushered Karen inside and gestured towards a kettle in the corner. "There's hot water over there. Feel free to pour yourself a cup if you'd like."

Karen nodded, a flicker of relief crossing her features as she busied herself with the kettle. Byakuya watched her, his gaze lingering on her youthful face etched with worry. He understood her trepidation.

Witnessing the destruction of her homeland and the loss of her family had left her deeply afraid of being cast out again, of becoming a nomad in the unforgiving ninja world. It was this very fear that had led her to endure the harsh constraints of Kusagakure, clinging to any semblance of stability.

Byakuya steepled his fingers, his mind turning over the question of Karen's placement within the Akatsuki.

As an Uzumaki, she possessed immense potential – impressive sealing techniques, powerful ninjutsu, and a natural aptitude for sensory perception. With proper training, she could easily become a high-level ninja, perhaps even rivaling the likes of Karin, an elite with exceptional healing ability.

However, Karin had benefited from Orochimaru's tutelage, a training regimen far superior to what Byakuya could currently offer.

The logical solution, from a purely utilitarian standpoint, would be to confine Karen and drain her blood for healing purpose. But unlike Karin, he had no need for her healing abilities.

Yet, the Akatsuki's glaring lack of medical personnel made the idea of nurturing her medical ninjutsu a tempting prospect.

Byakuya raised his cup to his lips, took a sip of water, and then set it down with a thoughtful sigh. "There's not much I can arrange for you right now but if you're truly at loose ends, you could consider becoming a medical-nin."

Karen's eyes widened in surprise.

"Become a medical-nin?" She echoed, a tremor of fear creeping into her voice. Instinctively, she pulled up her sleeves, revealing arms crisscrossed with old wounds. "Do you want to... draw blood? I can only offer thirty milliliters a day, at most. Any more than that, and it'll weaken me."

Byakuya blinked, a heavy silence settling in the room as he realized Karen had completely misinterpreted him. "Nope, my intention is for you to become a true medical-nin, one who relies on skill rather than just their special lineage. Even if you drained yourself entirely, how much good would it truly do? What this organization desperately needs is more medical personnel. With proper training, you could easily become our top medical-nin."

Relief washed over Karen's features. It didn't matter what specific task Byakuya assigned her; all she craved was a purpose, a way to prove her worth, even if it meant offering her own blood. After experiencing such tremendous loss, being given a chance to contribute filled her with an almost paralyzing fear of failure.

However, a flicker of doubt flickered across her brow. Throughout her life, countless ninjas had reacted differently upon learning about her blood's healing properties. Yet, Byakuya seemed utterly unconcerned with it, almost dismissive.

It felt strange. Did he not fear injury? Or was there another motive at play?

Byakuya couldn't help but notice the shift in Karen's expression. He'd initially believed her to be far more well-adjusted than Karin, but it seemed remnants of past trauma still lingered. Thankfully, they appeared salvageable, a silver lining in this unexpected situation.

Reaching into his backpack, Byakuya retrieved a scroll and offered it to Karen. "This contains basic medical ninjutsu techniques. While I can offer you a personal letter of recommendation, mastering the fundamentals will be your responsibility. Study diligently, and I have faith you can become a valuable asset to the organization, even inspiring others to pursue medical ninjutsu."

A spark of determination ignited in Karen's eyes as she accepted the scroll.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, her voice filled with gratitude. With newfound purpose driving her, she bowed respectfully and exited the room.

Alone again, Byakuya closed the door behind her with a sigh. His gaze drifted towards Yahiko's office, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. Perhaps, he mused, this unexpected turn of events might just prove beneficial for the Akatsuki's future.

Byakuya kept his reasons for giving Karen the medical ninjutsu scroll hidden from Yahiko. That's why he made a show of having Karen stay with him.

However, he did need to build his own team, and Karen seemed like a perfect candidate.

Despite having a good relationship with Konan and Nagato, Byakuya lacked the shared history they had with each other. He hadn't wandered with them or learned from Jiraiya, making it difficult to truly integrate into their existing dynamic.

Karen, on the other hand, was a blank slate. Byakuya had saved her, and she now looked to him for guidance.

Furthermore, if Karen could blossom into a skilled medical-nin through self-study, she could establish a medical department within Akatsuki. This would not only benefit the organization but also create a positive internal cycle.

With a satisfied sigh, Byakuya closed his eyes, longing for a moment of rest.

...

The following days unfolded with a newfound sense of ease for Byakuya. With no external missions on his plate, he reveled in a more relaxed routine.

His days were dedicated to honing his ninjutsu and taijutsu skills in the training grounds. Evenings brought a welcome respite – a bath, a warm cup of milk, and a blissful eight hours of sleep ensured he was well-rested for the next day's endeavors.

Logically, Byakuya's system meant he didn't necessarily need to dedicate so much time to physical training. He could simply wait for the feedback from Akatsuki members.

However, the execution and timing of a jutsu could drastically alter its outcome. It was akin to a past life ninja game he'd played – characters with identical abilities could achieve vastly different results based on the player's skill.

This was the elegance of strategic manipulation, a far cry from brute force achieved through maxed-out stats.

Of course, maintaining appearances was paramount. It wouldn't be believable for him to possess such immense strength without putting in the regular practice, even if he could use exceptional talent as an excuse.

After all, his skills had skyrocketed from a mid-level chunin to an elite jonin in just over a month.

Wiping sweat from his brow after an intense training session, Byakuya gratefully accepted the cup of warm salt water Karen offered. He took a deep swig, then turned towards Nagato, who was also diligently training. "Nagato-senpai, care for some?"

Nagato hesitated briefly before accepting the cup and draining it in one go. As they both used towels to mop up sweat, Byakuya inquired, "Haven't seen Konan-senpai around lately. Where'd she disappear to?"

Nagato cast him a sidelong glance. "Locked herself in the room, churning out exploding tags. She's convinced it'll solve our financial woes, and even Yahiko can't seem to budge her."

Byakuya's expression contorted into a grimace at the image of Konan hunched over in a dimly lit room, tirelessly creating exploding tags.

While he himself had suggested this method of generating revenue, surely there was a limit. Had she forgotten the basic principles of economics?

Flooding the market with exploding tags would inevitably drive down the price, negating the entire purpose of the exercise.

Still, considering the ongoing Third Shinobi War, Konan's future as an arms dealer held some promise. At least in the short term, they wouldn't have to worry about a surplus of unsold tags.

But wouldn't that make them a rather paradoxical organization – peace-loving arms dealers?

A curious thought flickered across Byakuya's mind. Perhaps there wasn't an inherent contradiction between those two ideals.

After all, wouldn't a world with readily available, affordable deterrents like exploding tags discourage reckless aggression?

Perhaps a well-armed populace could act as a force for peace, a concept he could explore further in the future.

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