The Road to the Uchiha Clan Revival & Other Stories

Chapter 36 - To Join or Not to Join

Chapter 36 – To Join or Not to Join

*What?*

Join, the Akatsuki. Did I hear it right..?

"Madara. Joining the Akatsuki is contradicting what I'm trying to accomplish. I acquire peace, yet your Organization is malevolent. This doesn't make sense."

"I do not oppose your objective. After all, you and the Akatsuki are not much different." Said Madara

"!?" What does he mean?

"Just how much do you know about the true Akatsuki; we are said to be a criminal Organization, and you are being dogmatic to affirm it? Isn't it against your better judgment, Hisako?"

His words pierced straight to the core. Without realizing, I'm indeed being a dogmatist regarding the Akatsuki. In honesty, I never knew what the Akatsuki's goal was, or what they ever did that was considered evil. Konoha was antagonizing the Organization while knowing little to nothing about them in depth. Maybe the presence of a member such as Uchiha Itachi itself convinced them the stance of the Organization. The Akatsuki being an evil group was after all, another circulating assumption by the people. Since I decided not to give credit to the common story of Uchiha Itachi's superficial reason of his Clan's massacre, then why am I believing what was said about the Akatsuki by the public?

Madara went on: "The Akatsuki's long-term goal is to acquire world peace. Our Organization was initially founded during the Third Shinobi World War to recalcitrate the tyranny and oppression suffered by our founders' home village: Amegakure. From the surface, we consist of S-Rank missing Ninjas assigned with different tasks spanning in different regions. What do people know about us? How they view us is not important. We are narrowing the gap to peace in our own way."

A silent moment followed.

"Aren't our goals all aimed for peace in the end..?" Madara finally said

His words made my heart skip a beat. At this point, I'm bedeviled. Could I be wrong about the Akatsuki? I still don't know. This person in front of me claimed to be Madara without solid proof. How is his story credible? I'll refuse him for now.

"This is too sudden. I'm not ready to join a dominant Organization such as the Akatsuki. Besides, I'm affiliated with Konoha now. Joining you would mean betrayal." I stated

"I am not asking to you join, I am forcing you." Madara's voice became even more stern

What a situation have I got myself into. If I was actually convinced by this Madara's words, I would regret the day I was born if they turned out to be a lie. In the end, I could be used by the Akatuski to achieve their goal, which I can't even confirm is whether good like Madara said, or evil.

I didn't answer.. yet.

Madara turned around. Zetsu's whole body emerged from the grass; he wore an Akatsuki cloak too. He joined Madara and grinned to me.

"You will be joining, without objections. We might let you go today, but we are coming back to get you. Escape is futile." Those were Madara's last words

They left.

I stood there, staring at their walking backsides. This world seems to be full of lies. Does true peace ever exists?

I ambled in the sinister night forest towards the next town. I wasn't thinking about anything.