Obito-Sensei Chapter 14.5

Akatsuki

I think I'd have to start near the beginning, or else I'll sound a little strange.

Amegakure isn't just a village anymore. It's a Nation now: the Nation of Rain. Your sensei told you that? That's good.

Yes, the Daimyo was overthrown. Rain's government and the leadership of Amegakure became one and the same. It is unusual; everyone thought so. You'd never dream of replacing the Daimyo, I imagine.

That's because your Daimyo has served you well. The Daimyo isn't elected; is the Hokage? I'd heard that somewhere. Ah, how interesting. The village must be truly unified, to trust its leadership to democracy like that.

The Daimyo isn't elected but he is still in a way your servant, in the same way anyone who is held at the mercy of others is their servant. I'm sorry, perhaps that's a bit harsh. What I'm trying to say, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has worked together well with Konohagakure and the rest of his country; he's done his best to keep the people of the country as safe, happy, and wealthy as possible. The village is a big part of that, naturally. Hidden Villages are enormous parts of their country's economies: I'm sure you know that.

The Daimyo of the Land of Rain wasn't like that.

Did you know that during the last three great wars, Rain was a central battlefield in every one? I know, it's surprising, but when you look at a map, it makes sense. It's set directly between Fire and Earth, like most of the minor nations and villages. I'm not sure if it's on purpose or not, but it's no accident that that's the case for all the major nations; they're all separated from their neighbors by buffers like the Land of Rain.

Yes, there's quite a grudge between Stone and the Leaf. I was surprised to see it today. I'd heard about it, but seeing that hatred for myself… it made me sad. Naruto's father did terrible things to them, I'm sure, but it was a war; the goal is to do terrible things to one another, after all. Still… how many lives do you think he ended, to grow that kind of hatred in children who never met him? It's frightening. Naruto doesn't seem like him… he doesn't seem like what I would expect from the son of a Kage. I guess I don't have a reference.

You're right. I guess it is that simple. He's kind. It's an admirable trait. Sasuke seems similar.

Where was I?

Right. The Daimyo of Rain wasn't like yours. He did nothing to protect his people. Maybe you're right, and he just couldn't. Time after time, for decades, Rain was ravaged by armies that had no business with it, only with each other. That was what started the Akatsuki.

Oh, so you know the founders? Yes, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko, our Kage. They were trained by a shinobi from the Leaf, who gave them the power to achieve peace. He left, and they took over the Village Hidden in the Rain some time later.

But to their surprise, that didn't fix the problem. The previous ruler of Amegakure had been a cruel man, that Hanzo the Salamander. The Akatsuki had assumed that removing him would end the conflicts inside their border, that they would be able to keep Rain safe from Amegakure, but nothing changed. Eventually, they determined it was the fault of the government of Rain. It was weak, and could not keep other ninja from entering its lands and killing its people.

So for the good of Rain, they imprisoned the Daimyo. Killing him would be cruel; he lives a comfortable life, but he no longer has any control over it. It makes some sense, doesn't it? I thought so. I made the same face you are when I heard this story for the first time; it seemed silly to say the country's strife was caused by its government, when the other villages were…

Yes, Konoha included. No. No, I don't think so. It would be silly of me to say something like that. It's the rational decision for a village to do its best to conduct its wars outside of its home country. Doing otherwise makes them look weak, and risks harming fellow citizens of Fire. Konoha isn't to blame for fighting in Rain; the circumstances that brought it there are.

The circumstances? That's a complicated question. I'm too young to answer that in full, unfortunately. I guess I would call it… the world. The system? The Shinobi System, you're right, that's a good name for it. You cut right to the heart of it.

The Shinobi System, then. Have you ever thought about what exactly your job is, Sakura?

…

Maybe that's a rude question. We can stop if you'd like. I overstepped.

You're sure?

Alright, my apologies.

Helping people is a good answer. Maybe it's what shinobi should be. If that's the kind of shinobi you want to be, you should strive for it with all your strength.

But I think what most shinobi are trained for isn't that noble. Even me, talking about it now… at its core, everything is driven by supply and demand. That's how things have always worked: the people who succeed are the people who provide something that other people need, or think they need.

The thing that shinobi supply is…

Violence, yes. Again, you got right to the heart. You can see I'm struggling: I couldn't have put it that simply. The thing that shinobi supply is violence. Even when we help people, that's almost always how we helped them. By putting violence somewhere necessary.

Your first C-Rank?

…

That's a good example, yes. You and your team helped those merchants by killing their captor. How frightening. It's no wonder you picked up a sword after that. That was something only a shinobi could have done. No one else would have stood a chance.

Now, how can I say this. The relationship between the shinobi and the Daimyo is two sides of the same coin. Shinobi provide violence, but not all of it, because the Daimyo need to hold onto some of their own to maintain their independence: that's why all of them have armies, militias, and elite shinobi guards. The Daimyo provide stability, but not all of it, because the health of their nation is tied very closely to the prosperity of the hidden villages. In that way, it's a kind of symbiosis. The two sides make each other stronger, and both prosper.

Ha! Exactly. That's why we're always taught to work together. Teamwork makes everything stronger.

But when one side of that relationship isn't holding up its contract, as it were, the whole thing grows rotten. That's what happened in Rain. The partnership broke down and failed to provide the country with any security or stability: the shinobi, and innocent civilians, were taking on all of the violence with none of the promised benefits. They were just being ground down. That's why the Akatsuki removed him. But those circumstances weren't unique. They could easily be repeated.

Well, maybe I'm being cynical, but… the only service shinobi can offer is violence, or the threat of violence. That means any system that is centered around ninja, like our current one, operates entirely on an exchange of violence. It's an economy of violence, even if money and pride are the motivators. But the problem with such a system, the Shinobi System, as you put it, is that no one wants to be the ones receiving violence. They only want to give it to others.

I mentioned earlier that Konoha was 'correct' to fight its wars outside its borders. The same goes for all of the major villages. Fighting in your own country means risking your countrymen, and damaging your village's reputation. Most of the great wars were fought in those minor border countries like Rain. The Land of Rivers, Grass, Tea, Whirlpools… they all became battlegrounds time and time again, just like Rain. No other country has had something like the Akatsuki... but that's probably because it took several truly incredible shinobi in the right place at the right time to make it happen.

This happens because, like we've been saying, violence has to be exported. No, you wouldn't want to find it at the store! It's something that the villages can only give to other countries, or else they'll seem to be failing. I was born in the Land of Water… yes, I'm like Kabuto. I lost my parents when I was young. Water is a larger country, but it was trampled in the Second War and many of its citizens grew to loathe and fear shinobi. Despite that, one saved me and took me away.

His name was Zabuza. Yes, he's in the Land of Rain now as well. He went there looking for… vengeance, maybe. Money, mostly. But he found something else, so we stayed there.

It was a strange relationship. But he saved my life, and taught me how to survive. I'll always be grateful to him, even if… well, I won't bore you with that.

The point is, shinobi travel to other countries, spread violence, and create instability. My, it sounds so horrible when I put it that way. That instability is supposed to be countered by the Daimyo, but in some cases it grows beyond their control. When that happens, people look for other solutions. Some flee the country entirely. Most of the time, the minor villages and countries throw themselves into service to the major powers, hoping for protection. That wasn't something Rain ever did; perhaps Hanzo was too proud for it.

Is that so? I wouldn't be surprised. It seems in his character.

Well, most villages aren't like Rain. The Land of Rivers, for example: they've been Konoha's allies since the Second War. They were kept from being trampled in the Third. That's the power of the Five Villages. Right now, countries like them are relatively safe. But Rain, and perhaps Frost… They're stuck between the Leaf, Stone, and Cloud. All powerful villages, all with deep grudges. If another war ever starts, they'll be the battlegrounds, I'm sure.

No. I hope not. I pray not. I don't ever want to see a war. That's why I joined the Akatsuki at all. I've been babbling. At its heart, all Akatsuki wants is to prevent war. To keep peace.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

…

What do you mean by a contradiction?

Well, I suppose that's correct. The Daimyo want the villages to be as strong as possible, but not so strong they grow out of control. That would upset the contract between them, if the village could provide all the necessary violence and stability for the country, as Amegakure can.

Oh, without a doubt.

It's a delicate balance. I don't want to sound rude, but… the Land of Fire isn't the most powerful nation in the world because it grows the most food, or produces the most goods. It's because it can export the most violence. Or nowadays, the most threat of violence. Because Konoha is in such a strong position.

I know, but that's what being shinobi is. Your Hokage is the only living ninja marked as "Flee on Sight," you must know that. That definition alone is all you need; Konoha is the mightiest because it is the most frightening. I'm not trying to-

I'm right?

I thought you'd be-

Okay. If you say so. Do you want to…

…

Why do you think there are only five great villages, Sakura?

It's not just because it's a convenient number. Each of the countries grew with their villages, absorbing more territory as their shinobi grew stronger. The Land of Fire is so large because Konoha has been so strong for so long. The same goes for Lightning, Mist, and Earth. Only Wind has remained mostly the same, and that's probably because of its deserts. No one else is confident enough to live there.

Yes, I'm worried about that Sand team as well. I can't picture them working with others. That boy from Stone mentioned them… I wonder what he meant by 'nabbed.'

I suppose we'll find out tomorrow for sure.

What I'm trying to say is that the five villages, on purpose or not, won't allow anyone to rise to challenge them. I don't mean that in a menacing way. I'm just saying that they have a monopoly on their violence, and there's only so much to go around.

There have been other villages like Rain, in the past. Not the Akatsuki, I mean. Minor villages that grew strong enough to gain acknowledgement from the others. We're growing every year; I'm sure we've been mentioned.

Well, I guess that's gratifying in a way. But it's also what I'm talking about. The last was Uzoshiogakure, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. It was ruled by the Uzumaki, but they grew too strong for their neighbor's liking. Before they were destroyed, they were between Water and Lightning; the two villages allied to decimate them. That was the end of the Second Ninja War.

Konoha was their ally, but there was nothing they could do, fighting Stone and Sand at the same time. Yes, it must have been terrible. There weren't many surviving Uzumaki, but they fled across the world, many of them to Konoha. Perhaps you've met some of them.

No? That's surprising. Well, maybe now that you know of them you'll notice them.

…

I don't think things can continue. I've talked about this with people before, but you… you've made me think about it more, I guess.

The whole system, it's evil. It exploits and destroys people. There has to be a better way, right?

Right now, I… maybe it's because it's so dark. This forest really is incredible. I've never seen anything like it. Trees like these.

...

I feel like we're moving steadily towards something horrible.

Each war has been more terrible than the last. Shinobi are only growing stronger and more numerous. Any system like this naturally creates tension. People and nations grind together, competing constantly.

Maybe that's what the Daimyo want. For us all to come together in one last great clash and destroy each other. To reset the board to when they didn't have to worry about balancing the villages and their countries, to keep shinobi in the thrall of unworthy people forever...

You're right, that's paranoid. I shouldn't say it like that. It's not that they're consciously creating the situation. It's just… how it is. Like gravity. Like any competitive economy. The violence just grows and grows.

I'm sorry. I'm tired. I didn't mean to be so melodramatic.

What am I devoted to? I never did give a straight answer, did I.

To peace, I guess. I said that at least. To creating a world where no one will desire war. I just want people to be safe. To not feel like they have to fight and kill to get what they want. Maybe that's naive, but I think so long as I hold to that goal…

We'll be able to accomplish something. Exactly. Better to try than to concede. That's what Zabuza always told me. That you only lose when you give up. When he was training me he taught me that shinobi were tools, but Rain showed me that was a lie. A lie I think he told himself, to keep himself… not happy, but sane. Shinobi are people that sometimes make tools of themselves. That's what I try to keep in my heart.

I refuse to be a tool.

…

Thanks for talking with me. I haven't…

It's nice, sometimes. You're smart, Sakura. Maybe you could look at all this and come up with a better answer than me. I'm just going to keep the people precious to me safe, and follow the Amekage wherever he leads me. That's all I think I can do.

…

We should get the next shift, yeah. Naruto and Kabuto, I think. Let's give Suigetsu and Sasuke more time to rest: they took both those Stone ninja down, after all.

Good idea.

My secret?

You really want to know?

Oh, I'm a boy.

…

...

Goodnight.