Chapter 454: If I’m Full Every Day While You’re Starving, How Are We Supposed To Understand Each Other?

"The Village Hidden in the Rain isn’t exactly close to here. You really came a long way. Oh, right! I just heard you mention an organization. What organization are you with? Are you from Amegakure? Is your village leader that Hanzo guy? I heard Hanzo’s incredibly strong; they call him the Demigod of the Shinobi World, right? Did he come this time? And what exactly does your organization do?"

One question after another flew from his mouth like a barrage.

"Our Akatsuki isn’t affiliated with the Village Hidden in the Rain. We’re simply an organization pursuing peace."

Yahiko replied with a smile.

"As for Hanzo-sama... He is indeed the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain, and naturally his strength and authority are beyond question. But the Village Hidden in the Rain isn’t made up of Hanzo-sama alone. People like us, who also hope to make our country a better place and pursue peace, are searching for our own path."

"So your Akatsuki is an organization that pursues peace? That’s kind of similar to Shinichi Society’s ideals!"

Obito nodded, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Obito Uchiha, one of Shinichi Society’s founding members. Our society is dedicated to returning to the original ideals of the Sage of Six Paths, so that ninja will no longer exist merely as tools for killing. What about Akatsuki?"

"Obito, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Our Akatsuki believes that people can truly come to understand one another."

Yahiko continued, "Without relying on military deterrence or the balance of power among great nations, we hope every person will willingly try to understand another. Although we’re still very weak right now, we’ve been working tirelessly toward that goal."

"Every person will willingly try to understand another? Why does that sound so familiar...?"

Obito thought for a moment before suddenly slapping his hand against his palm.

"I remember now! Isn’t that Jiraiya-sama’s belief? Back then, Jiraiya-sama even asked Shinichi about that very issue!"

Upon hearing this, Kyosuke Idate showed little reaction, but both Konan and Yahiko’s expressions shifted slightly.

Konan could not help asking, "Obito, do you know Jiraiya-sama?"

"Of course I do!"

Obito nodded, unable to hide a trace of pride.

"You know the famous Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, right? He’s my teacher, and Jiraiya-sama is teacher Minato’s teacher."

"So that’s how it is."

Yahiko nodded without betraying any emotion. Since he wasn’t sure whether revealing his and Konan’s identities might cause trouble for teacher Jiraiya, he chose not to mention that the two of them had once been Jiraiya’s students.

After all, Jiraiya was one of Konoha’s legendary Sannin, while he, Nagato, and Konan, though personally trained by him, were ultimately not Konoha ninja.

At that moment, another matter concerned him even more.

"Then, Obito, could you tell us how your president answered that question back then?"

"Shinichi said that mutual understanding alone wouldn’t work. There has to be a prerequisite."

Obito tried hard to recall the conversation from that banquet, speaking as he pieced it together.

"What prerequisite?" Yahiko asked, his brows knitting slightly.

"Let me think..."

Obito frowned deeply as he struggled to remember for a moment before speaking uncertainly.

"Back then, Shinichi said it had something to do with competition over survival and resources... Oh, right!"

Suddenly, it was as though something clicked into place. Obito spoke faster and faster as his thoughts became increasingly clear.

"Your Village Hidden in the Rain has rain all year round, doesn’t it? Farming is extremely difficult there, right? And floods break out all the time? Teacher Minato told me that most of the Village Hidden in the Rain is swampland and valleys. There isn’t much farmland to begin with, and one heavy rain can wipe out an entire year’s hard work."

The three members of Akatsuki grew quieter with every word, but Obito failed to notice and continued.

"So the people of your country all want land with sunshine, more reliable harvests, and lives where they don’t have to worry every year about floods and famine, right? I’m not wrong, am I?"

Yahiko remained silent for a long time before finally replying,

"No... You’re not."

"So that’s the key! Mutual understanding alone isn’t enough. If I’m full every day while you’re starving, how are we supposed to understand each other? Understand why the other party isn’t starving just like we are?"

Obito spoke with complete confidence. He had no intention whatsoever of discouraging them; he was simply repeating everything he had heard that day without holding anything back.

Yahiko stood there in silence.

Konan lowered her eyes without speaking, while Kyosuke Idate looked at Yahiko, then at Konan. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he couldn’t find anything to say.

Seeing that all three of them had suddenly fallen silent, Obito scratched his head before speaking somewhat cautiously.

"Sorry. I think I went a little too far."

Yahiko shook his head.

"No, Obito. You’re right."

"What you said is crucial. Those are probably issues that our Akatsuki will have to confront and solve in the future."

After a brief pause, he asked again,

"Then, Obito... Did your president ever say how those problems could be solved?"

Obito Uchiha quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then glancing at the travel-worn appearance of the three of them, he took the initiative to say, "Let’s talk while we walk. You probably haven’t found a place to stay yet, right? I know an inn. I’m acquainted with the owner, the prices are fair, and it’s close to the society headquarters."

"Then we’ll be in your debt, Obito-kun." Yahiko nodded.

Thus, under Obito Uchiha’s guidance, the three of them walked down the street. Along the way, Obito hardly stopped talking. He spoke of the Sage of Six Paths’ original intention, then of the society’s ideals, and from there drifted into the various projects that were currently being prepared.

As he got carried away, he suddenly scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said that he wasn’t particularly capable and couldn’t really contribute to those projects.

On ordinary days, he mostly did miscellaneous work, such as organizing documents, putting up notices, and running errands for his seniors.

Then he continued by talking about how he usually helped elderly people at the village entrance repair their roofs, helped old grandmothers cross the street, ran errands to buy groceries for people who found it inconvenient to go out, and so on.

Yahiko listened attentively the entire way, nodding from time to time, and naturally picked up the conversation. Through all those scattered little stories Obito told, he seemed to see himself in them, so he took the initiative to talk about what the Akatsuki organization had done in the Village Hidden in the Rain over the past few years.

For example, how they mediated conflicts between two villages, how they persuaded hostile villagers to sit down and talk, and how they helped people rebuild their homes brick by brick after torrential rains and floods.

One talked about Konoha, the other about the Village Hidden in the Rain. Although it was their first meeting, the more they spoke, the more they hit it off. The conversation flowed effortlessly back and forth, and before long they were calling each other "Big brother Yahiko" and simply "Obito."

When they parted, Obito helped the three of them settle into the inn and even gave the owner a special reminder.