Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 344: The Dawn of the Akatsuki Organization

"We'll worry about the future later. Right now, our problem is, what do we do first?"

After a long silence, Yahiko finally spoke. The preliminary operations written in Kawakaze's scroll were too vague to count as an actionable strategy.

"Sensei's general direction is correct," Nagato said thoughtfully. "Even if we use force to conquer the Land of Rain, we'll still need people to manage it. So recruiting soldiers is the first step."

Nagato's reasoning was sound. With only five people in their group, managing an entire country was out of the question.

"Nagato is right," Nonō agreed, her tone supportive.

"So, where do we go to recruit people?" Konan asked, as usual turning to others for answers. Aside from money matters, she rarely took the lead in thinking through problems.

"Stupid," Kakuzu scoffed dismissively. "The big fish eat the little fish, and the little fish eat the shrimp. Do you really need to ask something so obvious?"

"You're stupid, and your whole family is stupid!" Konan shot back without missing a beat.

"Sorry, I'm the only one in my family," Kakuzu retorted. "And unfortunately, I'm still smarter than you."

Kakuzu had long since figured out Konan's temperament. The more carefree she acted, the more he got under her skin.

"Stop. We're talking business," Yahiko interjected, making a halting gesture. He couldn't remember how many times he'd had to be the peacemaker between these two.

"Hmph." Konan turned her body away with an exaggerated puff, refusing to look at Kakuzu.

"This will indeed get us a team together quickly," Nagato said, studying the map Nonō had yet to put away. "So, who should we start with?"

"If you want to eat, eat the big ones. We can deal with the smaller fish later," Kakuzu said with certainty. He was eager to see the war end so he could focus on making money.

"Move them?" Nonō tapped on the map's largest marked force and frowned.

"Is there something wrong?" Yahiko asked, noticing the concern on her face despite agreeing with Kakuzu's idea.

"From the current situation, subduing these wandering ninja is indeed the fastest solution," Nonō explained. "But they're numerous, and managing them later will be difficult. I don't think it's a good choice. As the saying goes, it's easy to conquer the world but hard to maintain it. They have no sense of belonging to the Land of Rain—they're just looking for a place to settle down."

Nonō's analysis was clear and practical. She wasn't worried about their strength but about the long-term implications of their decisions.

"If they don't submit, we'll kill them until they do," Kakuzu said coldly, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.

He never minced words. Anyone who gets in the way of my fortune will die!!

"No."

"Killing only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Once the seeds of disaster are sown, chaos will follow in the future."

Yahiko shook his head. Taking over the Land of Rain was just one step. Looking ahead, they intended to ally with Konoha in secret, so they couldn't afford any mistakes.

"So what do you suggest?"

Kakuzu, aware that he wasn't in charge, sighed and gave up. The mere thought of delaying the day he could count his money made his heart ache.

"What do you think of the remnants of the Land of Rain?"

Nagato's eyes lit up with a sudden idea. He had thought of a promising target.

"That's a good idea," Nonō said, her expression brightening. She still believed his Nagato had a knack for clever strategies.

"They have the strongest sense of loyalty to the Land of Rain," she continued.

"Their strength shouldn't be underestimated. If there's no interference from outside, they'll never be able to defeat those wandering ninja."

"We just need to find the right opportunity to step in, and we could take them down with ease."

In a matter of moments, Nonō had formed the beginnings of a plan in her mind.

"Tell us more," Yahiko said, leaning forward with interest.

The three of them were from the Land of Rain, and fighting alongside their countrymen felt like the natural course of action. As four pairs of eyes fixed on her, Nonō took a deep breath, organizing her thoughts.

"The wandering ninja see the ninja of the Land of Rain as a major threat," she began. "Skirmishes between the two sides happen often. I suspect it won't be long before a major battle breaks out.

"When it does, we'll help the ninja of the Land of Rain escape. Wouldn't that be seen as a lifesaving act? And since you're from the same country, they'll accept you easily."

"Wouldn't that make this force practically ours?"

Nonō's plan focused on rescuing them rather than outright victory, a strategy that played on human nature. Lending aid in a time of dire need would leave a deeper impact than merely offering support when things were stable.

"But that will lead to a lot of deaths," Kakuzu said mockingly, his gaze flitting between the others. Though he could easily overpower them, it didn't stop him from looking down on their idealism.

"Sometimes sacrifices are necessary," Nagato replied with a measured tone, meeting Kakuzu's gaze.

"We're not exactly philanthropists, are we?" His words carried a layered meaning as he cast a sharp glance at Kakuzu.

Does he really think we're children?

"Haha, you're right," Kakuzu replied, feeling a flutter of discomfort under Nagato's gaze. He forced a wry smile.

"Then it's settled. I'll leave the intelligence gathering to you," Yahiko declared, giving the final word. Professional matters were best left to the professionals.

"Leave it to me," Nonō readily agreed. This was well within her expertise.

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With the main topic concluded, the group finally had time to relax and catch up. Nonō recounted her experiences over the years, each story more harrowing than the last. Her tales made their hearts race—it was as if she'd been dancing on a tightrope, where even one misstep would have meant certain death. That she was now alive and standing before Nagato was nothing short of a miracle.

It was no surprise that Jiraiya had spoken highly of her.

"I'll always be there for you now," Nagato said softly, his heart aching at what she had endured. This was far more dangerous than any mission she'd undertaken in the Anbu.

"It's all in the past. I'm fine now," Nonō reassured him with a smile. She had spent years worrying about Nagato's safety too. Now that they were reunited in the Land of Rain, it was an unexpected joy.

"Don't be sentimental. Consider this the end of the bitter times," Konan said, wiping her reddened eyes. Compared to Nonō, her life had been one of luxury.

"Today is a good day. Let's all be happy," Yahiko said, breaking the somber mood. "Why don't we come up with a name for our team?"

"Sure. Let's pick something bold," Konan said, her mind whirring as she tried to come up with ideas.

"Why don't we just use the name of our old team?" she suggested after coming up empty.

"No, it's not a good idea to use the old name—it'll give us away," Yahiko objected, cautious as ever.

"There are so many people names related with Maple in the world. How would it give us away?" Konan argued, still unconvinced.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Yahiko insisted.

"How about we call ourselves Akatsuki?" Nagato suggested. "It symbolizes dawn and the break of day—a new beginning and a bright future. We'll restore peace to the Land of Rain."

The others fell silent, considering his words. Nagato's knowledge from the many books he'd read was paying off.

"Not a bad moral," Kakuzu said, genuinely approving. He wouldn't have wanted to participate if they'd used the name Maple—just thinking about Kawakaze made his teeth itch.

"Sounds good."

"I like it."

"Let's go with that."

The name Akatsuki was unanimously approved.

In that small, run-down house, the Akatsuki Organization was born.