Chapter 199 - 94: Kijima’s Concerns (Part 2)
"Later, I found out that behind Bulbasaur Tarou was the financial backing of Iwagakure - Hidden Stone Village. The entire Akatsuki Organization was nothing more than a pawn of Iwagakure. The revolutionary mentor you so admire is just that! How could you ever break free from such shackles? I suspect his death wasn’t the work of the Hourglass Group but rather a scheme by Iwagakure!"
"That’s impossible!" Yahiko exclaimed in shock.
"Why not? The Akatsuki rebellion brought no benefits to the Hourglass Group! So many Akatsuki members and workers of the Hourglass Group died! The only party that gained anything was Iwagakure! This failed rebellion was clearly a plot by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, to delay Sunagakure’s punitive expedition. Akatsuki was merely being used as a tool!"
As Kijima spoke, his voice grew more agitated, almost deafening Yahiko.
Yahiko was stunned. The complete collapse of his idol’s image caused him to question his revolutionary ideals, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"Leader, the reason I joined the Akatsuki Organization in the first place was because I saw how different you and Bulbasaur Tarou were. From the beginning, you built everything from scratch, relying on your own efforts and a revolutionary spirit to establish this foundation. But now that we’ve seized power in Amegakure, the situation has changed. We must adopt strategies and methods; otherwise, we’ll end up as mere fish on someone else’s chopping block."
Kijima advised patiently.
"Strategies? Methods?" Yahiko muttered.
"I’m not good at grand theories, so let me tell you a little story. Back when I was just a street thug, I was always bullied by other thugs. So, I decided to join forces with the biggest gang leader on Naniwa Street. After that, those bullies didn’t dare touch me anymore. I think the same logic applies to villages. Let’s find a strong ally first, build our strength, and then we can truly stand firm."