Any intelligent creature is bound to run into maddening dilemmas.
Right now, Takeshi was in exactly that state. He both wanted Black Zetsu and Madara to never find this place, and he also desperately wanted them to find it, discover he was the mastermind behind everything, and, ideally, realize it only after they were no longer any match for him.
If that happened, Madara and Black Zetsu might just die of rage, Madara because the eyes were his, and Black Zetsu because he had waited a thousand years to rescue his "mother," with Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan as the pivotal step.
If all that got wrecked...
"Heheheh."
Of course, it was mainly about the Points. Without Points, he honestly couldn't be bothered to poke at an old man in the middle of a late-life crisis. Why not just laze around at home? Life was hard enough.
Nagato's gaze drifted, his thoughts unreadable.
Yahiko and Konan looked much more solemn. Takeshi had already told them someone might be watching. If that was true, and if you added the possibility that Nagato's eyes had issues...
Then there had to be something sinister behind it all.
Yahiko drew in a slow breath.
He felt crushed by the pressure. As the leader of Akatsuki, he had to think not only of Nagato and Konan but also of all their comrades.
If someone really was watching from the shadows...
Even with one of Takeshi's clones around, that wasn't a permanent solution. The best way was to separate Nagato from everyone else and entrust him to someone capable of protecting him.
Thinking of that, Yahiko glanced sideways at the black cat.
'Is this really safe?'
With Nagato involved, he couldn't help but become a conspiracy theorist, what happened in Amegakure had left him deeply shaken.
"My lord, are we staying in the village for a few days, or going out to look around?"
Kanna walked over and asked Takeshi quietly.
"A few days, Meow."
The Land of Snow was far too cold. He needed someone to make him a cat-sized cotton coat. Otherwise, it was just too damn cold to stroll around outside.
He couldn't hide in Kanna's arms forever.
That would be too forward.
Though, the thought was a bit exciting, but Takeshi was not that kind of cat.
"Yes."
Kanna was meticulous, she had thought of the same thing right away.
'A few days should be enough time...' she thought to herself.
The instant the black cat arrived, everything turned upside down.
He was only one more superior on the ladder, but Yukigakure was no longer as quiet and peaceful as before. Villagers were spooked and tense everywhere. The longtime residents, in particular, were plagued by a fear of cats.
After one lap around the village, Takeshi decided to go chat with Kagawa.
Kagawa had yielded his position quickly once Akatsuki arrived.
"Takeshi-sama."
When he saw Takeshi, his gaze flickered, avoiding eye contact.
It wasn't his first time surrendering, but it still felt shameful.
At the same time, he couldn't help sneaking a look at Kanna.
She looked very similar to that Akatsuki leader, Nagato, especially her hair.
But that wasn't the key point.
She was always by Takeshi's side, treating the black cat with reverent admiration and standing very close. Clearly, their relationship was anything but ordinary.
'The black cat's attendant? As expected.'
'Akatsuki must be this lord's subordinates.'
He silently rejoiced in his decision not to fight them.
"Meow~ Good thing you didn't actually make a move on Akatsuki. If you had, Yukigakure might have been wiped out by now."
Takeshi's second sentence sent Kagawa crashing to his knees with a *thud*.
At first, Kagawa had indeed considered killing the Akatsuki members and then going on the run, but only his closest confidants in the village knew.
So... a mole? His first thought was that someone had betrayed them.
But that made no sense!
"Meow~ Mind Reading."
Takeshi "reminded" him.
Mind Reading! At those words, Kagawa broke out in a cold sweat, bowing even lower.
In reality, Takeshi couldn't read minds at all. These idiots thought they had been discreet, but Konan had already observed their entire conversation with her paper techniques.
"Has Doto contacted you again?"
Takeshi hopped onto a chair and sprawled out.
This man really knew how to live, he had set up a fireplace in his house. It was warm and cozy in here, far more comfortable than anywhere else.
"No, yes!"
"Which is it?"
"Yes, yes! He wanted me to keep an eye on Lord Yahiko and report his every move. But I've always just taken the money without doing anything. I haven't leaked a single word about Lord Yahiko."
Halfway through, Kagawa rushed to explain.
"You're proud of that, Meow?"
Takeshi stared at him, speechless. Talking about stabbing Yahiko in the back and taking money without working rolled off his tongue so smoothly. This guy was really something.
It made Takeshi feel even less burdened about what came next.
"I am guilty, I deserve death a thousand times. Please punish me, my lord."
Kagawa kowtowed in a panic.
"Forget punishment. This house is mine now. You have another place in Yukigakure, right?"
Takeshi smiled.
Kagawa went blank.
What did that mean, his house was gone? He stared for several seconds, first at Kanna, then at the demon-like black cat...
A few minutes later, Kagawa pulled up a cart and obediently started moving out his furniture.
He had no choice.
The situation was bigger than him, and he knew he was in the wrong. Since Takeshi was only taking a house of little value and not his head, Kagawa actually felt relieved.
At least he didn't have to worry about dying.
As for Doto, Takeshi planned to have Konan handle him.
The power of the Dance of the Shikigami aside, its elegance was top-tier, and its ability to awe and deceive people was immense. Takeshi had already written an entire script around Doto's execution.
An angel descends upon the Snow Capital and delivers divine punishment to the sinner.
It was ridiculously theatrical.
But for the Land of Snow, this kind of approach would work beautifully.
Koyuki's father, Sosetsu, knew nothing of Yukigakure, it was Doto who had established ties. So if they wanted to get funds from the Land of Snow, Doto's death had to be public, righteous, and spectacular.
Besides, this plan fit Yahiko's tastes perfectly and won his fervent approval.
Takeshi was starting to understand how Nagato turned out so dramatic later. Yahiko clearly had a lot to answer for...
After a few days of fun in Yukigakure, Takeshi, Konan, Nagato, and Kanna set out for the Snow Capital together. Takeshi initially hadn't planned on bringing Nagato. A black cat plus two beautiful young women was the perfect lineup: high in looks, high in cuteness.
What was Nagato supposed to be, extra luggage?
But Yahiko had begged him over and over, so in the end, Takeshi relented and brought Nagato along.
The Land of Snow was vast. Without a guide, it was easy to get lost in the endless blizzards. Fortunately, Konan's Dance of the Shikigami could easily scout the route, so they made their way without getting turned around.
...
At noon that day, above Doto's estate in the Snow Capital, countless sheets of paper drifted through the sky like snow.
From below, they looked like snowflakes, merging and gathering high overhead.
Finally, someone noticed.
"What is that?"
"Snow?"
"It looks like..."
That day, everyone in the Snow Capital saw, under the radiant sun, countless "snowflakes" gather into an impossibly beautiful angel, shining with a divine light like a sacred deity.
As the feudal lord, Sosetsu got word quickly and ran out from his residence.
At the same time, Doto also stepped out.
He had no idea that a black cat was crouched on his rooftop, watching him walk into the courtyard.
"I am Kuraokami, the deity of rain and snow. Doto has for many years stolen grain, disrupted the markets, and oppressed the people... The gods are enraged. I have descended to deliver divine punishment."
By the time the string of accusations was read out, Doto was already stunned.
'Kuraokami? Deity of rain and snow?'
What the hell was this? He had never heard of such a thing. But then what was that angel in the sky?
His brain turned to mush.
Right now, however, survival came first.
Whether it was a real god or a fake, the target was clearly him.
Doto's reaction was fast. He turned to sprint back inside, there was a secret passage in his home for making a discreet escape.
However...
The next second, he saw the angel in the sky extend her hand.
An Ice Gate crashed down from the heavens and slammed onto Doto. In the blink of an eye, he was sealed and suppressed. Even more terrifying, he could feel a power invading his mind, while the freezing aura from the ice pillars steadily devoured his body.
The guards rushed over, but by the time they arrived, all they saw was the eerie, gorgeous Ice Gate.
The Ice Gate pinned Doto by the neck, forcing him to kneel like a condemned sinner. His face held no fear, only serenity and calm.
'So this is divine punishment?' The crowd's hearts filled with trembling fear and reverence.
===============
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