Mastermind of the Akatsuki

After leaving the Akatsuki's laboratory, Orochimaru respectfully walked Byakuya to the door, not daring to let his guard down again. With such an unpredictable and powerful superior, Orochimaru realized that any future plans to defect would be significantly harder to execute.

Despite the constraints, Orochimaru found himself appreciating the Akatsuki's environment. The organization allowed substantial freedom; though he needed to report to Amegakure periodically, he could spend most of his time in the Sound Village.

Compared to the rigid, ideological Konoha, which felt like an elderly entity fading away, the Akatsuki was vibrant and dynamic, like a youthful force, driven by power and ambition rather than any restrictive code like the Will of Fire. This sense of raw potential and competition was invigorating to him.

---

Not long after leaving, Byakuya noticed a familiar figure with blue hair standing by the roadside. It was Konan, one of the Four Pillars of the Akatsuki. She was dressed in her signature cloak adorned with red clouds, her arms crossed, seemingly waiting.

Konan was gazing pensively at the Akatsuki base in the distance. She knew this base well; it held memories and a sense of familiarity from the past. However, the base now looked imposing and impersonal, filled not with her old comrades but strangers Byakuya had recruited—mercenaries like Kakuzu and Sasori. Although she understood that this evolution was inevitable as the organization grew, it was hard not to feel nostalgia for the past.

Konan worried that the influence of these rogue ninjas might make Byakuya's methods even more extreme.

Just then, Byakuya approached her with a smile. "Konan, what brings you here today? Another high-level meeting called by Yahiko?"

Konan nodded, saying, "Yes, Yahiko asked me to bring you over. It's time for the monthly high-level meeting."

Rolling his eyes, Byakuya muttered, "Another high-level meeting? Didn't we just have one last month?"

Hearing Byakuya's lighthearted complaints, Konan's melancholy dissipated, and they soon arrived together at Amegakure's main building.

---

Inside the meeting room, Yahiko and Nagato were already waiting. The meeting covered both external and internal matters.

Externally, Amegakure had recently secured an unbreakable alliance with Yugakure, and the trade agreement with Kusagakure had strengthened ties with Amegakure. The mutual trade between these three nations was growing into a market comparable to those of the major countries.

Internally, Amegakure had also made strides. After years of development, they now had hundreds of genin-level ninjas, armed with kunai and explosive tags, capable of fighting at nearly chunin-level strength.

This low-level combat power placed Amegakure on par with the lower end of the Five Great Nations, comparable to Sunagakure. However, Yahiko realized that to spread peace across the ninja world, they still lacked sufficient power.

That was why he'd invited Byakuya—to see if he could suggest ways to further strengthen Amegakure's forces.

Upon hearing Yahiko's request, Byakuya was intrigued, raising an eyebrow as he said, "Yahiko, didn't you always oppose military expansion, saying the village's finances were already stretched?"

Yahiko's expression turned slightly embarrassed. In the past, Amegakure had been focused on rebuilding, so its finances were indeed tight, leading to cuts in the military budget.

However, after years of development, with newly established markets in the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Grass, Amegakure's finances were far more stable. The success of trade agreements with these lands had shown Yahiko the appeal of expansion.

Through careful investigation, Yahiko had also come to a deep realization. No matter how much Amegakure improved, this growth could only benefit the people of the Land of Rain. Across the ninja world, it wasn't just the ninja wars that brought suffering—warlords and daimyo inflicted pain on the people as well.

To help those outside the Land of Rain, Amegakure had to increase its combat power. But with a limited population, boosting strength meant finding ways to enhance the overall strength of each Rain ninja.

After a moment of silence, Yahiko raised his head and said seriously, "I was too narrow-minded before. If we want to protect Amegakure and bring lasting peace to the ninja world, our village must increase its military strength."

Hearing this, Byakuya dropped his playful tone and began analyzing seriously for Yahiko.

To increase the average combat power of the Rain ninja, there were two main approaches. One was to leverage external technology, like the chakra armor used in the Land of Snow or kunai guns from Land of the Sky.

Although chakra armor was costly, it could greatly enhance a ninja's defense and chakra reserves. In the original timeline, Snow Country's ninjas, with the aid of chakra armor, were able to put up a decent fight against Kakashi Hatake.

Another option was Orochimaru's cursed seal technique. The technique was derived from Jūgo, a ninja born with the ability to harness natural energy. By using Jūgo's cells and combining it with Ryūchi Cave's methods of natural energy utilization, Orochimaru had developed the cursed seal.

However, it was unclear if Orochimaru had even found Jūgo yet. Although cursed seal transplants weren't as risky as transplanting Hashirama's cells, they still carried a high risk of fatality. After thinking it over, it seemed that chakra armor was the most feasible option for Amegakure.

After a brief pause, Byakuya turned to Yahiko and said, "Yahiko, if we want to increase our combat strength, we need to target the Land of Snow and Land of the Sky and obtain their chakra technology."

"To go after the Land of Snow and the Land of the Sky?" Yahiko fell into deep thought.