Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan
Chapter 118

The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, was currently in Pain's hands.

This perfect Jinchuriki was intercepted by Pain while covering for his brother A and the remaining Kumogakure ninja. When the full form of the Eight-Tails appeared, even the fearless Konoha reanimated forces struggled against this behemoth. Even Pain himself had to expend considerable effort to subdue it.

The awe-inspiring power of "God" shocked many Konoha ninjas present. However, when they learned that such a formidable figure was their ally, their initial fear turned into excitement. No one dared to protest when Pain dragged Killer Bee away, thoroughly impressing them.

“Up ahead is the Konoha camp. I won’t be going in…” Kurome wisely stopped at the outskirts of the camp.

Currently, Konoha did not know that Neiki, now known as Kurome, had joined the Akatsuki. This was the main reason Konoha and the Akatsuki maintained their current peace. However, with Itachi as a double agent and Pain's blatant and unabashed actions, the relationship between Konoha and the Akatsuki, with Konoha's crisis now resolved, was clearly set to deteriorate rapidly.

“No need. We can see it from here,” Pain said nonchalantly.

In terms of information gathering, the Rinnegan wasn’t as proficient as the Byakugan, but it still had a much greater range than ordinary eyes.

They reached a nearby cliff, overlooking the entire Konoha camp. The camp wasn’t large, as most combat personnel were on the front lines pursuing Kumogakure forces. This camp served as Konoha’s command and logistics center. It housed wounded Konoha ninjas brought from the front lines, captured Kumogakure prisoners, and a group of academy students who weren’t even as tall as Kurome’s legs.

“Those are the seeds of war,” Pain remarked coldly, observing the children. “Recently, Konoha’s external policies have shifted noticeably, especially after Danzo took charge and the Wind Country Daimyo was assassinated. They don’t seem to believe the war will end anytime soon, so they’re bringing these kids to the front lines to get them used to the battlefield early.”

Kurome watched as a group of children under the guidance of a Konoha instructor surrounded a bound Kumogakure prisoner, throwing kunai at him. This training method, very much in Danzo’s style, made Kurome’s expression twist in slight disgust. “Is Danzo the Fifth Hokage now?”

“Not yet,” Pain shook his head. “But he is the de facto leader of Konoha. With the reanimated Konoha shinobi backing him, no one else stands a chance.”

Pain’s tone was still cold, but Kurome sensed an underlying emotion. Upon reflection, it made sense; Danzo and Pain had significant past grievances. Before the Akatsuki’s restructuring, its greatest enemy, Hanzo of the Salamander, had teamed up with Konoha’s Root to suppress the organization.

Hanzo, under the pretense of using the Akatsuki’s strength to negotiate peace with the Fire, Wind, and Earth countries, invited the Akatsuki members into a pre-set trap. To save Konan, who Hanzo had taken hostage, Yahiko chose to die by Nagato’s hand. Overwhelmed by the power of the Rinnegan, Hanzo’s forces, including Danzo’s Root ninjas, were decimated, leading Nagato to understand the “true path to peace” and triggering the Akatsuki’s transformation.

Thus, the grudge between Danzo and Pain was deeply rooted. Danzo might not know the full truth, but he knew none of his Root members had survived that day.

Now, with Danzo on the verge of becoming Hokage, the animosity between the Akatsuki and Konoha was inevitable.

“That’s the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki,” Kurome pointed, noticing the blonde boy. “Danzo actually brought him out of Konoha…”

“Hmm?” Pain turned to Kurome.

Kurome explained, “If the situation were still under the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi’s control, he wouldn’t take such a risk after experiencing two Nine-Tails disasters.”

“Only Danzo, decisive and ruthless, wouldn’t allow any resources to be idle or wasted. If Naruto is useful, he’ll use him as a Jinchuriki. If not, he’ll use him as the Nine-Tails.”

“If things go south, he might even release the Nine-Tails.”

Indeed, Konoha insiders knew their affairs best. Having once worked under Danzo, Kurome understood both Konoha and Danzo well, almost accurately analyzing the situation.

Pain nodded slightly, seemingly deep in thought.

“Shall we… act?” Kurome asked softly.

Given the current defenses, a sudden attack by the two of them would be hard to fend off.

Pain glanced at Kurome. Although they came to "observe" the Nine-Tails, if an opportunity arose, it wouldn’t be unthinkable to act.

Kurome could sense Pain’s growing interest.

Pain opened his mouth to speak but suddenly noticed something, his expression darkening as he changed his mind. “Forget it. We’ll deal with it later.”

“Worried about Itachi?” Kurome asked.

“No,” Pain shook his head. “It’s that guy down there… he’s not easy to deal with.”

Following Pain’s gaze, Kurome saw a white-haired figure casually exiting a hut behind Naruto, tying his belt.

Jiraiya.

Kurome nodded in agreement.

He would indeed be a problem.

Though Jiraiya might not win against both Kurome and Pain, he could certainly stall them long enough to prevent them from taking Naruto.

“Let’s go. If we stay longer, he’ll notice us.”

The mission was aborted, but Pain at least noted Naruto’s appearance, making the trip worthwhile.

Pain stood and turned away.

Kurome took one last look.

He saw Naruto holding a water-filled balloon, his face red with exertion, seemingly using all his strength.

Nearby, Jiraiya was instructing him, occasionally getting frustrated.

Kurome grinned.

Interesting.

…

The clone successfully infiltrated the Akatsuki and began operating with Pain. During this time, he experienced a warm welcome from the Akatsuki members, especially from his good friend Itachi. Neiki was well aware of everything his clone Kurome went through.

Using the Byakugan Tree to control this body was akin to having a second body for Neiki—a single consciousness controlling two bodies. If Neiki wasn’t naturally talented with a knack for multitasking, this setup would have left Kurome motionless whenever Neiki spoke.

But even so, the first day wore Neiki out. He couldn’t sleep unless Kurome slept simultaneously. Neiki could safely sleep in the Land of Waves, but it would be problematic if Kurome just slept anywhere without caution.

Thankfully, Neiki’s exhaustion only lasted a day. The jutsu combining Shadow Clone Technique with a secondary consciousness had been successfully developed. Now, he could summon a Shadow Clone every few days, using its secondary consciousness to control Kurome through the Byakugan Tree, no longer requiring Neiki’s constant personal involvement.

With this jutsu at his disposal, he could control not just one clone but hundreds, limited only by the amount of chakra he could distribute.

The convenience and power brought by Neiki’s Byakugan were evident.

Any troublesome situation? Create a jutsu.

A difficult enemy? Create a jutsu.

A troubling status quo? Create a jutsu.

Neiki, who had gone to bed early the previous day, opened his eyes to find it was already midday. He tidied himself up, washed, took the mask off the wall, and put it on before stepping outside.

“Lord Hashirama.”

“Lord Hashirama.”

Two ninjas from Kengakure greeted him at the door.

Neiki glanced at their faces. “Is it your shift today, Zoryo, Sonshi?”

They weren’t students of the Kengakure Ninja School but wandering ninjas who chose to join Kengakure.

Among them, Sakuragi Zoryo was a rogue ninja from Kirigakure and a former subordinate of Zabuza. Banri Sonshi was a survivor from a small village that had been destroyed.

After Hashirama had defeated the Kirigakure forces in the Land of Waves and the Mizukage Yagura in Kirigakure, his name became well-known, especially in the vast regions of the East Sea and the Land of Water. Benefiting from the historical weight the name "Hashirama Senju" carried, legends and discussions about him increased daily, spreading his fame further.

This name attracted more and more ninjas who crossed seas to seek admission into Kengakure. Of course, most of them had ulterior motives—spies from nearby forces fearing Kengakure’s power, hired ninjas sent to uncover the true identity behind Hashirama’s mask, or those with other agendas hoping to leverage Kengakure and Hashirama’s name for personal gain.

In short, wandering ninjas who escaped from other villages often had various flaws, while those with good character and allegiances rarely abandoned their villages. The general consensus in the ninja world was that most wandering ninjas were undesirable, which was why ninja villages typically trained their own ninjas.

Loyalty was one aspect; shared values were another.

Given this situation, although the office received numerous applications from foreign ninjas daily, Neiki selected very few, using them merely to fill gaps until the students from the ninja school matured.

As Neiki left, the two ninjas gazed at his departing figure with respect.

Sakuragi Zoryo, having joined shortly after Haku, was an older member, while Banri Sonshi was a complete newcomer, feeling particularly moved.

“Lord Hashirama remembered my name…”

“Lord Hashirama is always so kind,” Zoryo smiled. “Remembering names is nothing. If you ever see Lord Hashirama in action, you’ll understand why everyone holds him in such high regard.”

In the bloody Kirigakure, a gentle and powerful person like Hashirama was rare, even shocking someone like Zoryo, who was used to killing.

Neiki wasn’t aware that his restrained killing intent while playing the role of Hashirama was observed and appreciated by his subordinates, forming a protective halo around his good reputation.

Now, he wandered through half of Kengakure and arrived at the ninja school.

Here, another "Hashirama Senju" was teaching the children, wearing a uniquely patterned wooden mask to distinguish himself from the real Hashirama.

His lectures were calm, with frequent hearty laughter, creating a joyful classroom atmosphere. He interspersed the main content with various interesting fables, sometimes conjuring a flower mid-lecture, leaving the students in awe.

As the class ended, Hashirama walked out amidst the students’ cheers, spotting Neiki waiting outside. His laughter ceased abruptly.

The two masked figures silently acknowledged each other. Hashirama gently detached from the students and walked beside Neiki towards the cafeteria.

“You’re overqualified for teaching cultural subjects,” Neiki remarked.

The ninja school of Kengakure followed the Konoha model, dividing classes into cultural and professional ninja subjects. The former included the environment and politics of the five great nations, human anatomy, ninja ethics, history, mathematics, linguistics, and introductions to the five chakra natures. The latter included chakra extraction and control, basic jutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu dispelling, shuriken throwing, and ninja-specific hand signs and language.

In theory, it was excellent. In reality, the ninja school, being only a few decades old, lacked the transformative power to instill new ideals. Ninjas were seen primarily as tools of war, needing only to follow orders, not know too much.

Thus, cultural lessons were inevitably suppressed. Regardless of how much history one knew, a kunai to the chest would still kill you.

Hearing Neiki’s comment, Hashirama sighed, “Don’t think that just because someone is strong in battle, they can teach well. Education and combat are different. Teaching my combat habits might not be good for them.”

Neiki considered this and agreed. He had been misled by the legend of the God of Shinobi, thinking strength equated to teaching ability.

“By the way, where’s Mei Terumi? I wanted to ask her for some teaching tips. Where did you assign her?” Hashirama asked.

“She’s preparing for the Kirigakure reformation plan,” Neiki replied calmly.

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