Chapter 602: A Candid Confession
Chapter 602: A Candid Confession
As the appointed time arrived, Laozi followed closely behind Nagato, making their way towards the Ninja Guest Hall.
At this moment, Laozi felt a mix of excitement and apprehension, his emotions running high.
The long-awaited meeting was finally upon him, and Laozi couldn't help but feel thrilled. However, he also had his concerns. He wasn't the best at expressing himself and wasn't sure if he could convey his thoughts effectively without causing discord with Sou Yuukei.
In his heart, Laozi often criticized Danzo, yet he knew that his own temper wasn't much better.
Stepping into the Ninja Guest Hall, Laozi noticed that Sou Yuukei had already arrived and was seated, sipping tea calmly.
"Teacher, I've brought him," Nagato said, standing beside Mu Yue.
Mu Yue nodded at Nagato and then turned to look at Laozi.
Lifting his gaze, Laozi met Sou Yuukei's eyes. This wasn't the first time he had seen Sou Yuukei, but it was the first time they were this close.
Even outside the classroom, Sou Yuukei's appearance didn't differ much from when he was teaching—he still wore a white robe and often had a gentle smile on his face.
The much-anticipated conversation was finally about to begin, but Laozi found himself at a loss for words.
He had a lot he wanted to say, but he couldn't decide what would be best to say and in what order.
Laozi felt a sense of urgency as he knew that he had to initiate the dialogue. He was aware that Sou Yuukei knew nothing about him, not even his name.
"Have you finished reading the book? Which chapter left the deepest impression on you?" Mu Yue was the first to break the silence.
Initially, when Laozi had expressed his desire to meet, Mu Yue hadn't understood his intentions or thoughts.
Later, after investigating a village on the northern border of the Rain Country and learning about Laozi's actions in the Rain Country, along with some information revealed in the original book, Mu Yue began to form some speculations.
"The book…" Laozi was slightly taken aback but quickly realized which book Sou Yuukei was referring to.
"I've finished it," Laozi replied, his eyes reflecting on the content. "The chapter that left the deepest impression on me was probably the world after the ultimate goal was achieved—a world without discrimination, war, and where everyone is equal."
This was perhaps the most beautiful fairy tale Laozi had ever read.
He could only describe the ultimate goal as a fairy tale, for it spoke of a world without war and discrimination, things that seemed so out of reach.
Laozi, discriminated against since childhood due to his jinchuriki status, understood all too well how difficult it was to eradicate discrimination.
Despite his immense power and the countless missions he had accomplished for Iwagakure, the villagers still treated him with scorn.
"You think this goal is illusory and impossible to achieve, don't you?" Mu Yue said, as if seeing through Laozi's thoughts.
"Yes," Laozi admitted with a nod.
In his opinion, it was a beautiful fantasy that could never be realized.
Even the Sage of the Six Paths, revered as a creator deity in later generations, could only maintain a brief period of peace. How could war possibly be eradicated?
"You're familiar with walkie-talkies and televisions, aren't you?" Mu Yue asked with a smile, changing the subject from the ultimate goal.
"Yes," Laozi replied, feeling a bit puzzled by the shift in topic to these unrelated objects.
"If you were a ninja a thousand years ago, no, five hundred years ago, would you have believed that a metal box that doesn't require chakra could be used for long-distance communication?"
Laozi fell into deep thought. While walkie-talkies and televisions weren't unusual in his world, Sou Yuukei's words made him realize the truth in the statement.
If he hadn't known about walkie-talkies from the start, he would have certainly deemed their existence impossible.
"The development of things always spirals upward," Mu Yue continued. "Just because something didn't exist before doesn't mean it can't be achieved in the future."
"It's precisely because it seems so distant that it is considered the ultimate goal."
Mu Yue never imagined that the Ninja Sect would achieve its ultimate goal under his leadership. If he could make the ninja world even slightly better, resembling the state of his previous life's country, that would be enough.
"How true," the four-tailed beast sighed. "The Sage of the Six Paths also wanted to create a world without war, where humans and beasts could coexist peacefully."
As he watched Sou Yuukei, clad in white, explaining the Ninja Sect's ultimate goal, the four-tailed beast reminisced about the man with feathered clothing who had shared his ideals with them so long ago.
Thousands of years ago, the feathered man had founded the Ninja Sect, teaching them how to interact with humans and preaching the value of peace.
And now, thousands of years later, Sou Yuukei had founded the Ninja Sect once more, standing before them and describing his vision of a peaceful world.
The only difference was that Nagato, not Sou Yuukei, possessed the Rinnegan. Otherwise, the four-tailed beast would have thought that Sou Yuukei was the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths.
With their similar actions, ideals, and preference for white clothing, not to mention the Rinnegan, the similarities were indeed striking.
The world depicted by the Ninja Sect's ultimate goal was truly beyond Laozi's wildest dreams.
At most, he dared to dream of being treated as an ordinary person, but he had never dared to dream of a world without war.
Who wouldn't want such a peaceful and beautiful world to become a reality? Laozi thought that there probably wasn't anyone who wouldn't.
"It's been quite a long chat, yet I haven't even introduced myself. My apologies," Laozi said as he stood up and bowed slightly to Sou Yuukei.
Due to the cooperation between the Ninja Sect and Iwagakure, Laozi was concerned about exposing his identity, so he hadn't revealed his true appearance or identity to Sou Yuukei and the Ninja Sect.
Now, however, Laozi felt that his actions were disrespectful to Sou Yuukei.
Laozi released the transformation jutsu, revealing his true appearance, and then introduced himself in a low voice, "My name is Laozi."
After saying this, Laozi fell silent, preparing himself for Sou Yuukei's surprise and questions.
After all, he was a jinchuriki, the most terrifying weapon of mass destruction in the ninja world. It was only natural for Sou Yuukei to be shocked and question him for suddenly appearing incognito at the Ninja Sect's Rikudou City.
"Mhm." Mu Yue nodded slightly with a faint smile.
Laozi looked at her in confusion. He didn't understand why Mu Yue's reaction was so calm. It was only natural to be shocked when the person you were talking to suddenly transformed into a jinchuriki, a terrifying existence.
Out of the corner of his eye, Laozi noticed that Nagato also maintained a calm expression, even more bewildered than before. He could somewhat understand Sou Yuukei's composure, having experienced many things in his life, but Nagato, as an underage ninja, shouldn't be this unflustered.
Although Laozi didn't reveal his identity to show off, he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed by their lack of reaction. He had expected them to be amazed by his true power, but instead, they seemed to be thinking, "Is that all?"
It was quite embarrassing, extremely so. In fact, Laozi was so flustered that he forgot to sit down.
He really wanted others to treat him as an ordinary person, but this wasn't the reaction he had hoped for.
"I am the four-tailed beast..." Laozi thought that perhaps Sou Yuukei hadn't realized his identity yet.
"I know. You're the jinchuriki of the four-tailed beast from Iwagakure," Sou Yuukei said calmly.
Laozi looked at him in surprise and confusion. If Sou Yuukei knew his identity, why was he so calm? Didn't he fear that Iwagakure had some hidden agenda, like having five hundred elite Iwagakure ninjas ready to strike at a moment's notice?
"You've known my identity all along?" Laozi asked, his eyes narrowing as a realization hit him.
If Sou Yuukei had known his identity from the start, then his and Nagato's reactions made sense.
"Yes, I found out when I learned that you wanted to meet me," Mu Yue replied honestly.
Mu Yue knew that pretending not to know Laozi's identity might earn him some goodwill, but he saw no need for such deception.
Laozi stared at Mu Yue, shocked that his identity had been discovered so quickly.
Even the five great ninja villages of Iwagakure hadn't been able to uncover his true identity, so how had Sou Yuukei confirmed it without ever meeting him before?
Moreover, since Sou Yuukei knew his identity, why hadn't he contacted Iwagakure to inquire about the situation? After all, jinchurikis were incredibly important, and the sudden appearance of one in his country should have sparked some interest.
"The jinchuriki of the four-tailed beast is a thing of the past in Iwagakure. I am no longer a ninja of the village," Laozi added, deciding to reveal everything.
If he was going to expose his identity, he might as well do it thoroughly.
Laozi's words caused Nagato's expression to change slightly.
Previously, he had been able to maintain his composure because Mu Yue had told him about Laozi's identity before sending him to call Laozi over. However, Mu Yue hadn't mentioned that Laozi had become a missing-nin.
While ninjas could retire, a retired Iwagakure ninja was still considered part of the village, especially since Laozi was far from retirement age. Thus, the only explanation was that he had become a missing-nin.
Nagato could afford to be indifferent to an ordinary missing-nin, but a jinchuriki going rogue was a completely different matter. Having been taught by Mu Yue, Nagato was well aware of the implications.
Nagato quickly glanced at Mu Yue, and seeing that he remained unperturbed, he felt somewhat relieved.
"I see," Mu Yue nodded, his gaze calm as he looked at Laozi.
Laozi: ...
"You even know why I left the village?" Laozi asked, his confusion turning to astonishment at Sou Yuukei's composure.
Mu Yue shook his head. He only knew that Laozi's departure was related to a defeat in battle, and there were likely other details that he was unaware of.
Laozi breathed a sigh of relief. At least there were still some things that Sou Yuukei didn't know.
This led to a flurry of chaotic thoughts swirling in Laozi's mind, leaving him unable to organize his thoughts for a moment.
"Let's end it here for today. If you have any questions or doubts about the contents of the book regarding the Ninja Sect, you can come to the Ninja Sect to find me. I'll have some free time coming up," Mu Yue said, seeing Laozi's silence.
He could sense Laozi's interest in the Ninja Sect, and if Mu Yue were to recruit him wholeheartedly, Laozi would most likely choose to join.
The Ninja Sect's ideology was too alluring for someone like Laozi, who had endured a tragic childhood.
However, this time, Mu Yue didn't intend to push for it.
While Laozi was strong, his identity posed a significant complication.
If Iwagakure learned that he had joined the Ninja Sect, they would undoubtedly do everything in their power to reclaim the four-tailed beast, and the other great ninja villages might also covet the Ninja Sect because of it.
Compared to the mere rumors of the Ninja Sect's teachings, the tailed beasts were tangible super weapons.
Laozi's addition to the Ninja Sect would bring far more trouble than the benefits of his strength.
Mu Yue decided to let things unfold naturally. He would show Laozi everything about the Ninja Sect truthfully.
If Laozi wanted to join, Mu Yue wouldn't refuse. He wouldn't deny himself a like-minded companion because of a potential problem.
And if Laozi chose to leave the Rain Country tonight, Mu Yue wouldn't stand in his way.
"I... Alright then." Laozi still had a lot he wanted to say, and he stood up again in a hurry upon hearing Sou Yuukei's suggestion to end the meeting. It was only after Sou Yuukei mentioned that he could ask questions later that he sat down again.
Laozi suddenly remembered that Sou Yuukei had been teaching just a few hours ago, lecturing to over a thousand people for an entire day.
In his moment of uncertainty, it would indeed be unreasonable for Sou Yuukei to keep him any longer, and he needed rest.
"Sorry for bothering you," Laozi apologized sincerely.
He could be stubborn when dealing with Danzo, but facing Sou Yuukei, who was so accommodating, it would be ungracious of him to persist. To do so would make him no better than the Iwagakure villagers who treated him with scornful gazes.
Mu Yue waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind.
Laozi felt that he hadn't contributed anything, but for Mu Yue, as long as Laozi listened attentively during class, it was a form of help.
After leaving the Ninja Sect's guest hall, Laozi returned to his inn.
He lay on the bed, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Sou Yuukei.
"Why didn't he contact Iwagakure?" Laozi still couldn't wrap his head around this question.
Based on normal logic, knowing that a jinchuriki like him had arrived in the Rain Country, whether he had fled here on his own or not, Sou Yuukei would first contact Iwagakure, especially since they were cooperative villages.
"Wait, Sou Yuukei only said that he didn't know why I left Iwagakure, not that he didn't know I had left," Laozi realized, connecting the dots of his journey to the Rain Country and spotting a blind spot.
It was known that Sou Yuukei had discovered his identity very early on, and from eavesdropping on the conversation between Iwagakure and Nagato, the Ninja Sect was aware of Iwagakure's unknown operations in the Rain Country.
Combining these two pieces of information, it was possible for Sou Yuukei to deduce his current situation.
"Is it a coincidence that the second Unlimited Lecture is being held at this time?" Laozi thought of the lecture that had caused Iwagakure to temporarily halt their search for him.
Laozi shook his head. While it seemed plausible, most of it was still his conjecture, lacking factual evidence.
"I'll ask Sou Yuukei tomorrow." Laozi decided to change his plans.
Initially, he had intended to leave the Rain Country immediately after meeting Sou Yuukei and head to the Land of Birds.
Now, with so many unanswered questions in his mind, he felt reluctant to depart, and he had a strange sense of confidence in Sou Yuukei, believing that he wouldn't betray him.
...
On the other side, in the Rain Ninja Village.
Not long after his return, Hanzo received news that furrowed his brow.
"Someone from Danzo's group wants to see me?"
To be honest, just hearing that name made Hanzo angry these days.
"Tell them I'm tired from the journey," Hanzo ordered.
He would meet with the ninja sent by Danzo because he represented Konoha as the Fire Shadow's assistant.
However, Hanzo was also the leader of a village, and he didn't need to give Danzo that much face by meeting with his envoy immediately.
After all, it wasn't Danzo or Hiruzen Sarutobi who had come personally.
(End of Chapter)
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