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"You might be wrong. The ninjas of the three great nations have been attacking our Akatsuki members all this time. It's very likely that they captured your brother and framed us." Nagato said.
Konan nodded in agreement. "That's right. It must have been the ninjas of the three great nations. Our Akatsuki has always adhered to the principle of not killing. Everyone in the Rain Country knows this for the past two years. It couldn't have been Kenshi-nii."
The child looked at Nagato and Konan, who were both excited. His expression suddenly changed slightly, and he slowly backed away, his body trembling as he stammered, "Uh... maybe... maybe I was wrong. I'll go now."
With that, the child immediately turned and left. He suddenly realized that these three were very close to the people who had captured or killed his brother. If he continued to ask, there was a high chance that he would also be captured, or even killed directly.
"Wait!"
Yahiko suddenly spoke. The child's body froze. Although he was very scared and terrified, he didn't dare to move another step. He took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and said calmly, "Is... is there anything else?"
Yahiko looked serious. "I don't know if your brother's matter is related to Kenshi-nii. Even if it isn't, I will investigate and find out why he and the others disappeared. I will give you an explanation. I promise."
The child was stunned. Looking at Yahiko, who was serious and determined, he felt inexplicably reassured. His fear dissipated slightly, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you."
The child left.
Nagato and Konan looked at Yahiko, feeling a bad premonition.
Yahiko hadn't said a word in defense of Kenshi-nii from beginning to end. This made the two of them feel a little panicked.
"Let's go. We'll go back."
Yahiko said this and accelerated towards Ameyuri City. He was silent all the way. Nagato and Konan didn't ask any more questions. They also wanted to go back quickly and ask Kenshi-nii what the truth was.
Kenshi and Yezi returned a day before Yahiko and the others. After they returned, they didn't go on any missions. They waited for Yahiko and the others to return at the base.
The next day, Yahiko and the others returned.
"Kenshi-nii, come with me for a moment."
Yahiko called Kenshi to the top of the tower, where the red tongue stuck out. Konan and Nagato also came. Yezi realized something was wrong and followed them.
The five founders of Akatsuki gathered again.
"What's wrong?" Kenshi was a little curious. He could sense that something must have happened, and it was related to him.
"Kenshi-nii..." Yahiko looked at Kenshi with a complex expression. Then, he told him everything that had happened on the way back, including what the child had said. Finally, he stared into Kenshi's eyes and asked seriously, "Did you do it?"
Nagato and Konan looked at Kenshi nervously. After two years of getting along, Kenshi had always sparred with them and taught them jutsu. In a way, after Jiraiya left, Kenshi was their second teacher, the teacher who taught them to become stronger.
They really didn't want Kenshi, who was like a teacher to them, to be the one who broke their shared ideals of peace.
Actually, Kenshi could deny it. He was sure that no one had seen him kill those people. His shadow clone had been carrying out missions in the village all along.
He also believed that as long as he denied it, Yahiko would trust him first and then investigate where the people he had killed had gone.
As long as Yahiko was still alive, he would keep investigating and give the child an explanation.
During this time, Kenshi could stay in Akatsuki until Yahiko died.
But... Kenshi suddenly smiled. This smile made Nagato and Konan's hearts tremble. They felt as if a cold water had chilled them to the bone.
"I have to say, Yahiko, your intuition is really accurate."
Kenshi didn't deny it because Yahiko's intuition had already found the answer.
Intuition is sometimes really absurd.
Yahiko had a feeling, even though he didn't want to believe it, from the moment he heard the child finish speaking, that what the child said was true.
Now, hearing Kenshi admit it, Yahiko was silent. Nagato and Konan were also silent.
They didn't know what to say next.
After a few breaths, Yahiko raised his head tremblingly and asked, "Are... are they still alive?"
"Dead." Kenshi shook his head, shattering the last bit of hope in Yahiko's heart. He closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he suddenly opened his eyes.
"Why?" Yahiko asked heavily.
"What do you think it's for?" Kenshi smiled and asked back.
Nagato and Konan's hearts instantly filled with a glimmer of hope when they heard this. If it was because his life was threatened and he had to kill those people, then... it wasn't Kenshi-nii's fault.
Yahiko initially thought the same way as Nagato and Konan, but he quickly realized that with Kenshi-nii's strength, and he was carrying out the mission alone, even if he couldn't win, it would be easy for him to escape.
Besides, those missing wandering ninjas were all generally weak. They wouldn't pose any threat to Kenshi-nii's life.
Could it be that Kenshi-nii... had some unspeakable reason?
But... even if there was some unspeakable reason, he shouldn't have killed so many people?
"Do you want to kill me to avenge those people?" Kenshi suddenly said with a smile.
Nagato and Konan's expressions tightened. They immediately looked at Yahiko.
Whoosh!
Yezi had already used a Shunshin and appeared beside Kenshi, making her choice with her actions.
Seeing this, Konan quickly said, "No, no, no, Kenshi-nii. You must have some unspeakable reason. Tell us!"
"That's right." Nagato also said, "I know that killing is not good. I've also accidentally killed people before. It's not necessary to reach the point of being on opposite sides. Don't you think so, Yahiko?"
Nagato looked at Yahiko. But Yahiko didn't say anything. Just when Yezi thought that Yahiko was going to attack, he suddenly took a deep breath and said to Kenshi, "Kenshi-nii, you should go."
Kenshi-nii is a good person.
Really.
But he had already violated Akatsuki's principles. He wasn't on the same path as them anymore. If they continued to be together, Kenshi-nii would still kill people.
The key was that Yahiko knew that Kenshi-nii had never agreed with his path of peace. Two years had passed, and he thought that their current achievements had changed Kenshi-nii's mind.
But now, it was clear that they hadn't. Kenshi-nii was still Kenshi-nii.
So, they couldn't continue to walk together.
If Kenshi-nii killed people again in the future, he would personally defeat Kenshi-nii and stop him.
Yahiko had made up his mind.
"Goodbye."
Kenshi was also decisive. He jumped off the tower with Yezi. In the air, Yezi condensed a paper bird to catch them and flew into the sky, flying into the distance.
"Kenshi-nii!"
"Yezi-nee!"
Nagato and Konan shouted from the tower behind them, but it was useless.
As the saying goes, plans never survive contact with reality. This was the case.
Originally, Kenshi had wanted to continue hiding by Nagato's side and watch the play unfold. Now, it seemed like he couldn't.
But it was fine. It was good to break free from Madara's control sooner rather than later.
"Boss, where are we going now?" Yezi asked.
"To the Hidden Rain Village." Kenshi's eyes flashed as he said this.
His mission to infiltrate Nagato's side and secretly protect the Rinnegan had failed. He knew a little about Madara's personality. He was extremely proud. This kind of person was a man of his word.
What would Madara do to him for failing the mission?
He would most likely kill him directly.
Or, he might let him live because of his strength, making him one of the people who would capture the Tailed Beasts in the future.
But Kenshi felt that the latter possibility wasn't very likely.
So, Kenshi had to make some preparations before Madara made his move.
Ameyuri City was not far from the Hidden Rain Village, where Hanzo was. They were both on the shores of this large lake. In a straight line, it would take half an hour to get there with the paper bird's speed.
Arriving above the Hidden Rain Village, Kenshi quickly flew down. He found a Hidden Rain Village jōnin who was about twenty years old and had about one chakra point. He controlled him with a Perception Deprivation Technique, picked him up, flew into the sky, and threw him on the paper bird.
Then, the two quickly flew away from the Hidden Rain Village.
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