The More It Longed for the Light Above, the Deeper Its Roots Had to Reach Down (Begging for Monthly Votes!!!)

Accepted Tasks: 1/2

Task Name: [Akatsuki's Founding]

Task Details: Witness the first meeting of Akatsuki's founders, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan

Task Rank: Blue

Task Deadline: 69 natural days

Completion Reward: 2,000 points

Task Status: Completed

Points Held: 2,200 (200 + 2,000)

Looking at the task triggered three months ago, Yun Chuan shook his head and thought, Just "witnessing" the first meeting of the three little ones leaves a lot of room to work with.

He only had to bring Yahiko and Konan back and let the three little ones get to know each other for the task to be completed directly.

But that was fine too. As long as it did not require him to join Akatsuki, it did not matter to him.

After all, if he had been expected to do nothing and simply let the original plot unfold until they founded Akatsuki before joining it, he would not have accepted this task.

Yun Chuan had found Nagato in a ruined village several months ago.

He had been looking for someone when he heard an explosion and immediately rushed over.

Then… there was no then.

God knew how dumbfounded he had been when he saw that red-haired brat unconscious on the ground, along with the corpses of those two Konoha Ninja.

Even he had not expected to find Nagato before Yahiko and Konan. He had even wondered whether some old bastard had deliberately led him there.

After all, Yun Chuan had always believed that luck was merely accidental, while misfortune was the norm.

But after carefully recalling the entire incident, he found nothing unusual. In the end, he could only attribute it to "luck" and remain extremely vigilant.

Even though he knew getting close to Nagato would place him in the sights of those two old schemers, Yun Chuan could not possibly pretend he had seen nothing and simply leave.

The Rinnegan was simply too important.

Yun Chuan knew that his "weight" in the ninja world was steadily increasing. He could not do nothing and wait for the main plot to begin.

His existence would sooner or later disrupt the course of history, causing him to lose the few advantages of foresight that came with being a transmigrator.

Yahiko and Konan were clear examples.

Since they were not particularly special people to begin with, Yun Chuan’s butterfly wings had only needed to flutter lightly for them to encounter a fatal crisis they otherwise would never have faced.

If that had not been a trap arranged by Yun Chuan, Yahiko and Konan might not have survived.

Their importance in this world was simply too low. If they had not met Nagato, they would have merely been two of countless war orphans.

So, even at the risk of being watched by those two old schemers, he had to keep the Rinnegan in his own hands and keep Nagato under his watch at all times. Only then could he seize the initiative in the future.

Besides, not just any Uzumaki Clan member could use most of the Rinnegan’s abilities.

Nagato was a "vessel" painstakingly selected by old Madara. He was also an extraordinarily gifted member of the Uzumaki Clan, likely unmatched even within the clan itself.

The Rinnegan combined with an Uzumaki genius was simply far too tempting to Yun Chuan.

When a human trafficker saw a child with potential, how could he possibly leave empty-handed?

In any case, before Nagato grew strong enough to stand on his own, old Madara could not possibly make a special move against those around him. At the very least, he would have to wait until Nagato could summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, or perhaps until he could use the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.

By the time Nagato could do that much, if Yun Chuan was still afraid of an old Madara who struggled even to catch his breath, then he would deserve to die.

The only thing Yun Chuan regretted was that Nagato’s parents had already died by the time he arrived.

Otherwise, he might have gained another Uzumaki Clan member.

When Nagato first woke up, he had been a completely withdrawn brat.

He watched Yun Chuan use all sorts of methods and personal charisma to attract companions, then watched the City of Daybreak gradually rise piece by piece.

After several months of Yun Chuan’s teachings and guidance, Nagato had finally become less withdrawn.

Because he had shifted to the other extreme.

"Ah."

Whenever Yun Chuan thought of that, he could not help sighing.

Then he directly grabbed Nagato’s cheek beside him, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and said resentfully, "Can you smile more often? Stop walking around with that gloomy face all day, looking like the whole world owes you something!"

"You’ve already scared seven children into tears. Half the complaints in the box outside my office are children crying about how you bullied them!"

To reduce the number of times Nagato used the Rinnegan and slow the pace at which he became familiar with its abilities, lest his Uzumaki Clan talent be wasted,

Yun Chuan had not only customized a training plan for Nagato, but had also borrowed Tobirama’s words as an excuse to blindfold him.

He called it: a pair of cursed eyes.

In the original plot, Nagato had covered his eyes with his long hair anyway. Now, he was merely doing it differently.

At first, Nagato had been somewhat unaccustomed to it, but as he experienced more things alongside Yun Chuan and saw more filth, ugliness, and chaos, he gradually got used to closing his eyes and no longer looking.

Although Nagato’s powerful Uzumaki Clan sensory talent had been developed, perhaps because he blamed himself for his parents’ deaths, or perhaps because witnessing too much filth and ugliness had twisted his mind…

In any case, he had ultimately become the gloomy and indifferent person he was now.

The only two things Nagato cared about now were Yun Chuan, who had saved him and was both like an older brother and father to him, and the City of Daybreak that he had watched being built.

He had named it the City of Daybreak, symbolizing the last remaining Pure Land in a dark world.

That was why, after hearing Yahiko’s words, Nagato had attacked him without mercy.

He knew very clearly how much he and his brother had sacrificed for everything they had now. How could he allow an immature, naive idiot to slander it?

"Brother, there’s something I need to tell you."

Nagato seemed to have grown used to Yun Chuan’s behavior. He rubbed his face, walked over, and whispered a few words into his ear.

"…Is that so?"

After a brief silence, a smile appeared on Yun Chuan’s face again, but there was not the slightest hint of amusement in his blue eyes.

They were like a bottomless, deep pool, unable to reflect even a trace of light.

"You don’t need to ask for my approval over things like this in the future, nor do you need to have any reservations."

Yun Chuan pushed Nagato’s head away and said calmly, "Since I handed Dawn over to you, do things according to your own ideas. Just submit a report to me afterward."

"Alright." Nagato lowered his head in acknowledgment, a chill flashing across his face. "Then I’ll deal with it first."

Brother was still brother, after all.

Even when it concerned Nagato himself, Yun Chuan would never go soft-hearted.

Asking for approval before taking action only made him seem insufficiently resolute.

With that in mind, Nagato took a step forward and turned to leave.

"Hey, red-haired brat!"

Nagato’s foot paused mid-step. He turned back expressionlessly and looked at Yahiko, whose face had darkened.

"I’m starting to dislike you." A vein bulged on Yahiko’s forehead as he shouted, "I’ll pay you back for that sooner or later. You’d better not let me find an opportunity."

The guy before him was completely incompatible with him and always gave him an irritating feeling. He really wanted to grab that gloomy face and beat him senseless!

"Are you done? Once you’re done, it’ll be my turn." Nagato’s expression did not change as he said in a low voice, "Don’t let me hear you maliciously speculating about Brother’s intentions with that pitiful brain capacity of yours ever again."

This guy simply did not understand.

Just like Brother had told him before, the more a tree grew and longed for the light above, the deeper its roots had to reach downward—into the soil, into even darker depths!

And his duty was to clear away the insects underground, lest they steal the tree’s nutrients or even gather in numbers and gnaw through the tree.

There was no way to explain such reasoning to the brainless idiot in front of him.

"Also, although it’s childish, I really dislike you right now."

After adding that final remark and making Yahiko jump around in fury, Nagato left without looking back.

Unlike that idiot, he had work of his own to do.

—To crush those filthy insects!