Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Yahiko was not unfamiliar with the name of the Land of Snow.

This country, located in the far north of the continent, remained covered in ice and snow year-round. As a result, it had limited interaction with other nations, making it a rather mysterious place.

However, Yahiko had never heard that the Land of Snow had developed chakra armor capable of enhancing a ninja's power.

As for the "Land of Sky" mentioned by Byakuya, Yahiko was even less familiar with it. In his understanding, there was no such country as the Land of Sky within the shinobi world; at least, he had never heard of it before.

Seeing Yahiko's confusion, Byakuya explained:

"The Land of Sky is a small nation near the Land of Fire. During the Great Ninja War over twenty years ago, a rogue ninja village called the Sky Ninja Clan arose there. They attacked Konoha using advanced chakra-based weapons from a flying fortress, but Konoha ultimately defeated them."

Yahiko frowned and asked, "By your account, wasn't the Sky Ninja Village destroyed over twenty years ago? How are we supposed to acquire more advanced technology from them?"

"The Land of Sky did indeed fall, but that doesn't mean the Sky Ninja Village was completely eradicated. Some remnants of the Sky Ninja still lurk in the shinobi world, and the location of their airborne fortress remains unknown."

After a brief pause, Byakuya continued, "For years, I've been sending people to investigate ancient ruins across the shinobi world and have uncovered the locations of several remaining Sky Ninja. We can find them whenever we're ready. Previously, however, our organization wasn't in a position to negotiate with them. But now, things are different."

Yahiko pondered this revelation deeply.

It turns out that Byakuya, while leading the Akatsuki, had secretly done so much. He had set his sights not only on the major nations but also on remnants of once-destroyed groups. His thoroughness was impressive.

However, this wasn't Yahiko's first day knowing Byakuya. He knew Byakuya always possessed a strong sense of caution and constantly viewed the Five Great Nations as potential threats, developing multiple strategies to defend against them.

Returning from his wandering thoughts, Yahiko spoke, "I can send someone to negotiate with the Land of Snow to see if we can trade for their chakra armor. But as for the Sky Ninja Village, that will likely have to rely on you."

(AN: I didn't watch the movie or probably has forgotten but I have never heard Sky Ninja Village. I also didn't found it on the Wiki. So, this village is also an assumption. The name will be appearing quite often in the future.)

Byakuya shook his head and replied, "I plan to send others to investigate the Sky Ninja Village. And as for acquiring the chakra armor technology from the Land of Snow, I have a better plan. Standard negotiations won't secure such a crucial technology."

"True. So the task of acquiring the chakra armor will have to be left to you, then."

Yahiko nodded slightly, trusting Byakuya's abilities as usual. Then, he seemed to realize something and smirked faintly.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Byakuya was stringing him along and had everything calculated from the start.

And if Byakuya went to the Land of Snow himself, would it cause the same chaos he had stirred in the Land of Grass? He could already picture the Land of Snow's leaders being pressured into signing an alliance treaty.

It wasn't that he opposed the idea of an alliance treaty. But if Amegakure kept up this high profile, it would inevitably provoke the Five Great Nations' suspicion. And given Amegakure's geographical position, it was no better than the Land of Fire's—it lay between multiple major powers as a vulnerable frontier.

Byakuya, unaware of Yahiko's thoughts, wouldn't have cared much even if he knew.

Glancing at Konan nearby, Byakuya extended his hand to her, saying, "Konan, you'll accompany me on this mission. I'll need your help with it."

Konan looked a bit puzzled but nodded. She hadn't left the village in some time.

With their immediate focus set on the Land of Snow and the Sky Ninja Village, the high-level meeting came to an end.

Byakuya didn't depart with Konan immediately but first returned to the base to send two outer-circle members to locate the Sky Ninja Village's ruins.

In Byakuya's view, the remnants of the Sky Ninja Village had been quietly active within the shinobi world.

The Sky Ninja Village leader, Shinnō, was even known for stealing secret techniques from Kumogakure, which had landed him on their wanted list. His actions were far from discreet.

The two people Byakuya sent on this mission were Sasori and Orochimaru.

Both Sasori and Orochimaru were scientists in their own right. If they found Shinnō, they might share common interests, which could lead to recruiting Shinnō into the Akatsuki.

As for why Byakuya personally volunteered to go to the Land of Snow, he had his own reasons.

The Land of Snow was highly industrialized, ranking among the top in the shinobi world in terms of chakra-based technology. Many military industries unsuitable for Amegakure would have to be based there, especially those involving secret or forbidden techniques.

…

After organizing the next few months of tasks, Byakuya and Konan left Amegakure.

Both were skilled in Paper Style jutsu and had mastered low-altitude flight. Even in the wet climate of the Land of Rain, they could travel swiftly.

On the journey, Byakuya looked back at Konan, noting her ability to keep pace. He realized he wasn't the only one who had grown stronger.

After years of intense training, Konan had advanced from an elite jonin to kage-level strength. Her chakra reserves and proficiency in Paper Style were now on par with her future self, and she had mastered the advanced "Multiplying Paper Explosive Tag" technique, allowing her to use explosive tags more efficiently.

With these abilities, Byakuya believed Konan might even stand a chance against the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.

While Byakuya observed Konan, she was also watching him. She was long accustomed to Byakuya's superior strength.

Byakuya was one of the rare prodigies of the shinobi world, with talents surpassing even Nagato, the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths.

Compared to Byakuya and Nagato, she and Yahiko sometimes felt like they were lagging behind. Yet as her experience grew, so did her awareness of Byakuya's overwhelming capabilities.

She had used every free moment to keep up with him.

After some time on the road, they left the Land of Rain and entered the Land of Fire.

Looking at the lush forests of the Land of Fire, Konan couldn't help but ask, "Byakuya, isn't the Land of Snow to the north? Why are we here in the Land of Fire?"

Byakuya glanced at her and explained, "We need to board a ship from the eastern coast of the Land of Fire to reach the Land of Snow. This route avoids many unnecessary troubles. Also, there's a key person here in the Land of Fire we need to find."

"Only by finding her can we successfully acquire the chakra armor technology once we reach the Land of Snow."

"A key person in the Land of Fire? Who are we looking for?"

Konan grew even more curious, though she trusted Byakuya's judgment implicitly. Since long ago, he had never let her down.

Whoever Byakuya sought was clearly deeply connected to the Land of Snow.