Chapter 609: Putting Ideology into Practice
Chapter 609: Putting Ideology into Practice
Mu Yue had been keeping an eye on Danzo Shimura for several days. After discovering that Danzo had been obsessed with Wood Release ninjutsu and had done nothing else, Mu Yue left a Yang Seal shadow clone while his main body went to the Ninja Sect.
This incident mainly involved his pseudonym, and the impact on Konoha wasn't significant.
Upon arriving at the City of Six Paths, Mu Yue immediately dispelled the shadow clone from the Ninja Sect, reintegrating its memories into his main body.
He needed to know if anything unusual had happened at the Ninja Sect during his absence and how things were with Lao Zi.
While Mu Yue's main body kept watch over Danzo Shimura, he had no way of knowing what was happening with Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu, so he remained vigilant.
"Their focus should be on Danzo and Orochimaru now," Mu Yue thought to himself after carefully considering the shadow clone's memories. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened at the Ninja Sect during his absence.
Mu Yue figured as much. After all, Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu probably just wanted to kill him.
Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru were working together, and with their subordinates, they had enough power to ambush Sougouki. There was no need to do more.
"I need to get Lao Zi out of the City of Six Paths," Mu Yue continued, his thoughts turning to the old man.
Lao Zi hadn't explicitly expressed his intention to join the Ninja Sect, but during these few days, he had come to find Mu Yue to learn more about the sect, and he got along well with Kakuzu.
Of course, Mu Yue's desire for Lao Zi to leave the City of Six Paths had nothing to do with whether or not he intended to join the Ninja Sect.
It was because of Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu's recent schemes targeting Sougouki.
Currently, Mu Yue didn't know if Madara had any information about Lao Zi's presence in the Ninja Sect.
If he did, then not only would Mu Yue have to deal with Danzo, but he might also face ninjas from Iwagakure.
Unlike Danzo, who was all talk and used Konoha as a front, if Madara exposed Lao Zi's presence, it would create a slew of troublesome problems as long as Lao Zi remained in the Rain Country.
So, Mu Yue wanted Lao Zi to lie low elsewhere for a while, regardless of whether Madara knew about him or not. He wanted to give Madara the impression that Lao Zi was merely passing through the Rain Country.
Once Mu Yue dealt with Danzo Shimura and unified the Rain Ninja Village, the Ninja Sect's strength would reach a whole new level, and some troubles wouldn't be so troublesome anymore.
Mu Yue called for Kakuzu and said after some thought, "The situation in the Rain Country has stabilized, and there won't be any major changes in the short term. I think it's time to spread the Ninja Sect's ideology to some of the smaller countries nearby that don't have ninja villages."
Going to countries with ninja villages to spread the Ninja Sect's ideology would be seen as a provocation. In the eyes of many ninja villages, the Ninja Sect was essentially a ninja village, just without the 'village' in its name.
"It's indeed time to start our overseas strategy," Kakuzu agreed, nodding.
Although peace had just been established in the Rain Country, theoretically, the Ninja Sect should focus on recuperating and building up its strength.
However, Kakuzu believed that the current chaotic situation presented a rare opportunity for the Ninja Sect.
If the major ninja villages stopped their constant warfare, it would become more difficult for the Ninja Sect to expand and spread its ideology.
Moreover, laying the groundwork wouldn't require too much effort and wouldn't have a significant impact on the Rain Country.
"Do we have a suitable candidate for this task? This is the Ninja Sect's first official step outside the Rain Country, so we need someone with a deep understanding of our sect's ideology," Kakuzu asked.
He wanted to recommend Nagato.
Firstly, Nagato had a profound understanding of the Ninja Sect's ideology, and secondly, Kakuzu felt that Nagato could use the opportunity to gain some maturity.
"Yes, I have someone in mind," Mu Yue nodded.
"Who is it?"
If they failed to execute it properly, not only would it damage the Ninja Sect's reputation, but it would also be a significant blow to the morale of its ninjas.
Their dream was to bring peace to the ninja world, and stumbling at the first step would undoubtedly be disheartening.
Mu Yue smiled at Kakuzu without saying a word.
"Me?" Kakuzu pointed at himself, his expression a mixture of surprise and disbelief as he looked at Sougouki.
In his mind, Sougouki would most likely choose Nagato, and Yahiko would be a distant second choice.
After all, Nagato was Sougouki's disciple and the top genius in the ninja world. He had also immersed himself in the teachings of the Ninja Sect.
For such a meaningful and crucial task, there would be no objections from anyone in the Ninja Sect if Nagato were to take charge.
Yahiko's Akatsuki organization had directly merged into the Ninja Sect, and their dedication to their work had earned them recognition from many within the sect. So, if Sougouki chose Yahiko, Kakuzu wouldn't be too surprised.
"It's a bit inappropriate, isn't it?" Kakuzu couldn't help but say.
In terms of position and strength, there was no doubt that he, Kakuzu, was the second-in-command of the Ninja Sect in the eyes of outsiders.
However, Kakuzu's path to joining the Ninja Sect had been different from that of the other ninjas. He had attempted to assassinate Sougouki but ended up being swayed by the latter's actions and chose to join the sect instead.
Even though no one in the Ninja Sect had brought it up, it had indeed happened.
Could he, a ninja who had once tried to assassinate Sougouki, truly shoulder this important responsibility?
"Why is it inappropriate? You have the most experience among the Ninja Sect's members, and your understanding of our teachings is also commendable. You are the most suitable candidate," Mu Yue said, patting Kakuzu on the shoulder.
Even without the unexpected factor of Lao Zi, Kakuzu would still be the best choice during this turbulent time.
While Nagato was strong, his means of self-preservation were not as reliable as Kakuzu's, and he lacked experience. There was also the potential issue of Uchiha Madara causing trouble.
"No matter what you say, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to accomplish this mission perfectly," Kakuzu said, suppressing his slightly excited emotions and replying with a calm expression.
This wasn't false modesty. In Kakuzu's opinion, the success of the Ninja Sect's establishment and development thus far was at least ninety percent due to Sougouki's efforts.
The most suitable person for this task was undoubtedly Sougouki himself. Kakuzu believed that if Sougouki were to repeat what he did in the Rain Ninja Village, he could replicate that success and establish another Ninja Sect division.
"Before doing it, no one can be sure," Mu Yue smiled encouragingly.
"All I can say is that I'll do my best," Kakuzu replied, crossing his arms.
"Have you ever thought about inviting Lao Zi to join the Ninja Sect?" Kakuzu suddenly asked, a thought occurring to him.
Kakuzu couldn't quite gauge Sougouki's intentions in this regard.
Previously, Kakuzu had seen Sougouki allow Lao Zi into his office to ask questions, and he had thought that Sougouki might be considering recruiting him. However, Kakuzu's observations of Sougouki's subsequent behavior made him unsure.
If Sougouki intended to bring Lao Zi into the Ninja Sect, this would be a good opportunity to invite him to put the sect's teachings into practice.
"If he wishes to join, the Ninja Sect welcomes him," Mu Yue replied, maintaining his previous attitude towards Lao Zi.
"I see," Kakuzu said, his expression turning thoughtful.
A few days later, Kakuzu, along with several other Ninja Sect members and a disguised Lao Zi, arrived in the Land of Birds, which shared a border with the Rain Country.
After Mu Yue finished handling this matter, he left a shadow clone in the Ninja Sect and returned to Konoha with his main body.
PS: I'm a bit busy today, so this chapter is a bit shorter.
(End of Chapter)
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