Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

“I heard…” Pipa Juzo slung the guillotine behind his back, hesitated for a moment, and said:

"I heard that the new Mizukage expressed his support for that brat, and Konoha, under pressure from both inside and outside the village, withdrew his punishment and even tried to appease him."

"Those...high-ups, they really know how to bend and stretch." Orochimaru licked his lips.

"Danzo's death... was truly worthless!" Konan's voice was low.

Orochimaru gave her a half-smile and said:

"However, that's what makes it interesting. This Thousand-Handed Qingwu has stirred up a storm, but in doing so, he has gained even more attention. Payne, I think we can adjust the plan."

"Oh?" Pain turned to Orochimaru expressionlessly, his rippling eyes revealing neither his like nor dislike.

"Recruit him into the organization!" Orochimaru said directly.

“He has now developed a rift with the Konoha leadership. Although there has been some outward reassurance, the seeds of suspicion have already been sown.”

"Surrounded by powerful external enemies and with an unstable internal foundation, this is precisely the time when he needs new strength and a sense of belonging the most."

"And our... Akatsuki's ideal is to end this corrupt world filled with war and suffering, and to create a new order..."

“A young man as capable as him, who is also skeptical of the existing order, should be very attractive; at the very least, worth a try.”

Orochimaru rarely spoke so much at once, and everyone's expressions became serious. They could all hear Orochimaru's high regard for the Konoha kids.

Moreover... the Akatsuki organization does indeed have a particular fondness for absorbing rogue ninja.

"I object!"

Unexpectedly, the first person to object was Pipa Juzo.

He was once a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and instinctively disliked Qingwu, who had a close relationship with the Mizukage.

“That kid is from Konoha, not some rogue ninja. He’s also involved with… the Mizukage. He’s not trustworthy. Trying to win him over is too risky.”

"I support it!"

Kakuzu and Juzo Biwa disagreed: "What's the difference between that kid and a rogue ninja now? He's just missing an official warrant from Konoha."

He paused, then added, "If he comes, I... would be willing to team up with him."

Kakuzu's goal is obvious to even a blind man: his partner... has been sold to a gold exchange.

It's likely that Kakuzu also harbored the intention of "becoming an ally and then seizing the opportunity to strike."

Scorpion's hoarse voice came from Hiruko: "I'm not interested in living people, but if he's dead, his body might have some research value."

Sasori and Orochimaru had studied mysterious summoning creatures together, and Sasori was somewhat interested in Senju Seigo. Hmm, it would be even better if he could become his puppet.

Konan said, "What Orochimaru said makes some sense, but this person does have a complicated background and we need to be careful."

She was the most enthusiastic about recruiting talent for the organization, automatically filtering out the remarks of these oddballs.

However, Senju Seigo's surname is Senju after all, and it remains to be seen how his relationship with Konoha will develop.

Pain remained silent for a moment, his Rinnegan expressionless: "Senju Seigo is a huge variable. His character and stance still need to be observed. Orochimaru."

"Ok?"

"Since it was your suggestion, I'll put you in charge. Keep a close eye on all of Senju Seigo's movements and try to make contact... It's feasible."

"no problem."

"But it must be done with extreme secrecy. Before confirming that they have a clear tendency to turn away from Konoha and identify with us, the organization's core secrets must not be exposed. At this stage, we should focus on observation and assessment."

"Hehe, I understand."

Orochimaru smiled with pleasure. For him, it was just a way to find something new to do in his spare time from experiments.

"The rest of you, continue with your missions and lie low. The turmoil in Konoha and the upheavals in the ninja world are the time for us to accumulate strength. Disperse."

As Payne finished speaking, his figures disappeared one by one, and the cave returned to silence.

Only Payne and Minami remained standing in the same spot.

"Nagato, what do you think of that Senju Seigo..." Konan asked in a low voice.

"He is a sharp knife," Payne said indifferently. "If used well, he can break the shackles of the old rules; if used poorly, he may also hurt himself."

Judging from the abilities analyzed from the intelligence, even Pain felt somewhat wary of that young man from Konoha.

"Let Orochimaru test the waters first. Our plans sometimes need some 'variables,' but before that, we must conduct a careful assessment."

"I understand." Xiao Nan lowered her head.

Since Yahiko's death, Nagato has "grown" a lot, not only becoming more sinister in personality but also becoming more and more cautious in his actions.

She knew that these were the price of pain.

But sometimes I can't help but wonder, is this what Yahiko wanted to see?

Just as Xiao Nan was pondering, the air inside the cave suddenly experienced a noticeable distortion and fluctuation.

"..."

Pain, who stood indifferently to the side, had a barely perceptible hint of wariness flash across his ripple-like Rinnegan.

call--

A figure appeared silently before the two of them, as if emerging from nothingness.

It was the masked man who called himself "Uchiha Madara".

"It seems I've arrived just in time."

The voice came through the mask, carrying a strange sense of distortion, making it impossible to discern the original timbre, yet it seemed to contain a hint of... urgency!

……

Chapter 268 Black Jue

Payne slowly turned his head, his Rinnegan gazing indifferently at the uninvited guest.

Konan frowned slightly and unconsciously took half a step forward, subtly blocking Payne's side and front.

“Abi, or…Uchiha Madara.”

Payne spoke coldly, "What brings you here uninvited?"

When the organization recruited new members, the masked man appeared as "Intern Tobi," but when he usually interacted with Pain, he still habitually referred to himself as "Uchiha Madara."

The masked man seemed unfazed by Payne's coldness and Konan's wariness.

His single eye, visible through his mask, swept across the empty cave, and he casually asked, "Were they all here just now?"

Before Payne and Minami could reply.

He then continued, "I heard you guys were discussing... trying to win over Senju Seigo from Konoha?"

The masked man's voice remained muffled, but the sense of urgency seemed even more pronounced.

"I've come to tell you that this idea is extremely foolish, and... extremely dangerous!"

"Oh?" Payne's tone was completely flat, as if he were just listening to an insignificant comment.

"I object to this proposal!" The masked man no longer concealed his true feelings, a fierce glint flashing in his single eye as he emphasized his words:

"Senju Seigo is a ninja of Konoha and a descendant of the Senju clan!"

"His roots are in Konoha. You saw him kill Danzo and think he would betray Konoha? Ridiculous!"

"He killed Danzo to protect his so-called 'bonds,' which precisely shows that he had an unbreakable bond with Konoha!"

"How could someone like that possibly agree with Akatsuki's ideals? How could he possibly betray the village where he grew up for the sake of the so-called 'New World'?"

At this point, the masked man paused, his voice carrying a hint of mockery:

"Win him over? You think you're using a good knife?"

"No! That's inviting trouble! It's planting a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment!"

"Once he learns of the organization's existence and true purpose, given his personality and abilities, what do you think he will do?"

"He will be the biggest obstacle to our plans!"

"!!" Xiao Nan frowned even more as she listened to the masked man's fierce words.

What's going on? The mighty Uchiha Madara! How could he be so... wary and hostile towards a Konoha boy?

Pain's Rinnegan looked even colder.

He never believed that the masked man's true identity was "Uchiha Madara," and now... he believes it even less.

"I think Orochimaru's suggestion is reasonable."

Xiao Nan spoke coldly, directly refuting the masked man:

"Now that a rift has formed between Senju Seigo and the Konoha leadership, it is the time when he most needs to find a new sense of belonging and power."

"Our ideology is inherently attractive to strong individuals who are weary of the old order and war and yearn for change."

"Even if we can't win them over immediately, we can at least try to reach out and assess them."

"Letting such a powerful variable roam freely is also a risk for us."

"As for whether he will become an obstacle..."

Xiao Nan said firmly, "If he really can't accept us, or even becomes our enemy, then... we'll eliminate him."

"But we cannot give up any opportunity to strengthen our organization and advance our plans just because we are afraid of risks!"

From the masked man's words, she could sense that he might... have a personal grudge against that Thousand-Handed Qingwu.

But she didn't know the specific details.

So, using the topic as an opportunity, I decided to probe the masked man further.

"Do you really think he'll become a rogue ninja?"

The masked man let out a sneer:

"Konoha is under pressure and dares not touch him now, and even has to appease him, which precisely shows that the Konoha leadership is also aware of his value!"

"Have you considered that if we make contact now and Konoha notices, we might inadvertently expose ourselves?"

Is it worth the risk for a member who might not even be worth recruiting?