Chương 116

No, that's not the point. The point was, if he could read minds like he was thinking, then he definitely knew about his plans with Sasuke, which in turn meant Sasuke was in danger. This made Itachi tense all of a sudden, and all the bloodlust that he had been bottling up poured out in an instant. Rei didn't even flinch when he saw Itachi's rising paranoia and bloodlust. He was sure that he might have equated something with something else. But could one blame him for that?

There was Madara, and then he got to know about Pain.

"Killing me? Sorry, trying to kill me will only lead to your death, Itachi. If you are worried that I will speak of your strengths and secrets to others, you are gravely mistaken. I don't have any interest in your petty squabble." Rei said. Itachi's eyes slowly turned into the Mangekyō form, and he was ready to spit Amaterasu, but the last words, "petty squabble," made him stop.

"Petty?" Itachi asked.

"Humans killing each other to get a sense of superiority and control. In my eyes, that is nothing but petty. Death is inevitable for all species, and we are just fighting to reach the end of the race faster." Rei said. This made Itachi stop in his tracks. He had never expected this unknown person to say such words, words that showed that this person also had a story. There was a moment of silence as Itachi withdrew the Mangekyō form and slowly deactivated the Sharingan too.

This person knew everything about him and even their organization, and if there was a chance that this man had proper morals, maybe, just maybe, he could use him to achieve his goals and safeguard Konoha, since this person seemed to come from Konoha.

"What? My words changed your mind?" Rei laughed as he saw the bloodlust receding.

"That depends on the path you intend to walk." Itachi said.

"My path? My path has always been peace and silence. But peace and chaos are the two sides of the same coin. We tend to think that the two sides are different, but they are not. Peace will always beget chaos, and vice versa. But human lives need not be denoted by only those two points. There is grace in us, there is beauty, magic, love, and camaraderie among us. So yeah, I want to maintain that." Rei replied. Itachi was silent for a moment and then asked,"What help do you want from me?"

"So you finally decided to help me?" Rei asked with a wide smile on his face. Sadly, Itachi couldn't see it.

"Do not mistake my curiosity for an offer of assistance."

"Fine... Fine. What a nasty piece of work you are... I want you to find Jigen for me."

"Who?" Itachi asked, confused.

"A monk who has been in hiding for quite some time." Rei replied. Itachi remained completely silent for several long seconds. The name meant absolutely nothing to him. During his years inside the Akatsuki, he had investigated countless hidden organizations, missing-nin, feudal lords, and underground networks. Even through the intelligence supplied by the organization, he had never once encountered someone called Jigen. That alone was enough to make him realize this wasn't an ordinary request.

"... A monk?" Itachi finally repeated.

"You possess knowledge that even my organization lacks, yet you're asking me to search for someone who supposedly lives in hiding. Either this man is extraordinarily skilled... or he's far more dangerous than you're letting on." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Rei's helmet slowly turned toward the roaring waterfall below.

"... Both." The single word lingered between them longer than either expected.

"You don't need to know everything about him." Rei continued calmly.

"In fact, the less you know right now, the longer you'll stay alive. Just understand this much... Jigen isn't someone who appeared recently. He has existed for an exceptionally long time. Long enough that most people would refuse to believe it. Kingdoms have risen and fallen while he continued watching from the shadows." For the first time since arriving, genuine caution appeared within Itachi's eyes. Shinobi could extend their lives through forbidden techniques, but there were always limits.

Maybe Madara had crossed some limits, and he wasn't sure if the guy was really Madara, because from what he knew, Madara would never hide in the shadows.

"... How old?" Rei remained silent for several moments before answering.

"... Older than the Hidden Villages and the clans that established them." The valley itself seemed quieter after those words. Even Kakuzu wasn't that old, Itachi thought. Itachi's calm expression finally cracked ever so slightly. If that statement held even a fragment of truth, then every conflict he had devoted his life to understanding suddenly appeared frighteningly small. How powerful a person could be and remain in hiding for such a long time?

But this person could also be very weak, and maybe he had devoted all his concentration to living long enough. Wasn't that what Orochimaru wanted?

"... And he's still alive?" Itachi asked quietly.

"He is. Well, in a way he is dead, but also alive at the same time. It's complicated." Rei's answer came without the slightest hesitation.

"So don't waste your time measuring yourself against Pain or the man calling himself Madara. Compared to what's waiting in the darkness..." Rei didn't finish his words as he slowly looked up into the sky. The sky was always the danger, not the mere humans here for Rei. He wanted his parents to live and have a happy life here, including himself. He could always live in the MCU, but he knew that his parents were very nostalgic about their home.

They dreamed of having a life just like the MCU in their own home, and Rei would do his best to achieve that. Of course, he wasn't forced to do any of it; it was just his own desire. If he failed to safeguard this world, then so be it, but he would try his best. Itachi didn't know what to comment on. He hardly believed his words, but the way this man knew his secrets and even about the Akatsuki, did he have the standing to challenge his knowledge? No.

"How is he alive and dead at the same time?" Itachi asked.

"The same way Kakuzu is alive. Feeding off others." Rei replied.

"What more can you tell me about him?" Itachi asked.

"Hmm... What more do I know about him... Keep an eye on a man named Amado Sanzu. His life might lead you to this person called Jigen. But make sure not to disturb this man named Amado or allow your organization to know anything about Amado, or else I would have to forcibly come and intervene in the growth of your small group." Rei said, and the last threat was so casual that Itachi would have laughed.

But the way he handled Kisame and how well he knew of the Akatsuki made him realize that this person might deal serious damage to their organization. Itachi was almost tempted to ask him to do that, but he knew he couldn't because he didn't have any leverage.

"Why? Is Amado that powerful and dangerous?" Itachi asked.

"Powerful? No. Dangerous? Maybe. But you wouldn't want the world's best scientist to land in the hands of the same organization that you are spying on now, would you?" Rei asked.

"I understand." Itachi replied. It seemed like Amado was quite an asset. Maybe he would serve Konoha better.

"But you can't expect me to find this person named Jigen all by myself, right?"

"Did you think I was commissioning you to labor for free? Of course not. I called you here because I need your mercenary organization to do the work and search for him. If you can give me precise information about him, I will even compensate your whole organization with enough money to last a lifetime for all of you put together, and enough to run nations." Rei said. Huh? Enough money to run nations? When did Konoha have such a huge amount of cash? Was he living in the same Konoha? Well, whatever!

If he was saying that, then he probably had the strength to back it up. And besides, if he didn't, he would have to fight his way out against Kakuzu, and from the looks of it, this person would return victorious. There was a moment of silence, and at the end Itachi said,"Akatsuki will do its best to fulfill your assignment." Itachi said.

"Thank you. That's all I want." Rei was happy that Itachi had taken the assignment and that he didn't need to fight this guy into submission.

"Anything more I should be aware of regarding this so-called dangerous Jigen?" Itachi asked as he got the cue that he was subtly being asked to leave, as Rei finally went from a sitting position to a standing one.

"Take my caution seriously. Especially about Jigen." Rei said.