Mastermind of the Akatsuki

From the first moment Orochimaru laid eyes on Byakuya, a sense of alarm filled his mind. He instinctively took a few steps back to keep a safe distance.

This seemingly cheerful young man was anything but kind. Heck, he was more like a cunning old fox.

In a few short years, he had not only allied with the Akatsuki members to bring down Hanzo the Salamander from his position as the leader of Amegakure, but he also managed to fight the Fourth Raikage to a draw, single-handedly halting the war between Konoha and Kumogakure and even bringing Yugakure under his control.

Such astonishing achievements meant that, despite being one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru wouldn't dare to underestimate him.

Thinking back to his first encounter with Byakuya years ago, Orochimaru even felt his former self had been too naive, imagining that he could control such a monster.

Though he still had some contact with Byakuya in secret, could people like them truly rely on "friendship"?

At that moment, Byakuya leapt down from a branch and, walking towards Orochimaru, said with a smile, "Isn't this Orochimaru, Konoha's S-Class rogue ninja? Seems like I'm in luck today—I might just make a fortune…"

Orochimaru's heart sank, though he maintained a calm expression as he replied, "Byakuya, surely you jest. Even though I'm Konoha's S-Class rogue ninja, don't you also secretly have connections with Danzo?"

"Are you threatening me?"

Byakuya's eyes flashed with displeasure, and he slowly pulled out a kunai, saying, "I detest being threatened, and you've just fought Jiraiya, right? You probably don't have much chakra left. So, if I catch you now and turn you in to Konohagakure, how much do you think I'd make?"

Hearing this, Orochimaru thought, as expected, that their encounter wasn't by chance but a premeditated move.

If he had truly been severely injured in a fight with Jiraiya, both of them would probably have ended up in Byakuya's hands.

With this realization, Orochimaru frowned and said, "What is it that you want, Byakuya? If you truly intended to act, you wouldn't have waited until now."

Byakuya nodded, saying, "As expected of Orochimaru, seeing through my thoughts so easily. I don't actually harbor much killing intent towards you. I sought you out this time because, after you left Konoha, I wanted to invite you to join Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki?" Orochimaru squinted slightly; he had heard of this group before.

Wasn't it the organization Jiraiya's three students had established? Orochimaru had once considered joining, but given that Akatsuki was founded by Jiraiya's students, it would be dangerous to join with his current status.

Seeing Orochimaru's hesitation, Byakuya smiled and said, "Don't worry. Currently, I'm the leader of Akatsuki and the true ruler of both Amegakure and Yugakure. If you're willing to join Akatsuki, I'll ensure that Yahiko and the others never find out."

Hearing this, Orochimaru felt slightly tempted.

For months he had been on the run, pursued by Konoha's ANBU and Danzo's Root ninjas. He had also earned a fair share of enemies during his time as a front-line commander, many of whom had sent assassins after him.

Although none of them could kill him, they could hinder his recovery.

However, he reminded himself that he left Konoha to live a life of complete freedom, not bound to anyone else's control. Joining another organization now would defeat the purpose.

"Byakuya, given my status as a rogue ninja, joining Akatsuki might bring negative effects to Amegakure. Moreover, I don't wish to be bound by any constraints, so—"

Before he could finish, he noticed Byakuya's expression change.

The smile vanished from Byakuya's face, replaced by a chilling coldness. Stepping towards Orochimaru, he said, "I apologize, Orochimaru, but I'm not asking for your opinion. This is an ultimatum. With your current strength, I don't think you're in a position to refuse me."

With that, Byakuya vanished from sight, soaring into the air as explosive tags began to rain down toward the ground.

Explosive tags rained down like a torrential shower, forming mushroom clouds across the ground, and the powerful shockwaves whipped around Orochimaru, sending his robes flapping wildly.

Without giving him any time to react, Byakuya took advantage of the chaos. Slamming his hands onto the ground, thick vines sprouted up instantly, winding tightly around Orochimaru and absorbing his chakra.

Already weakened, Orochimaru had no chance to resist and quickly became a captive.

Witnessing Byakuya's actions from start to finish, Orochimaru was shocked beyond words. He had known Byakuya was strong—strong enough to hold his own against the Fourth Raikage, a monster comparable to Minato. But he hadn't realized Byakuya was so powerful that he couldn't even put up a fight.

Using the Paper Release alone was impressive enough, but when had Byakuya also mastered Wood Release? This was the legendary First Hokage's Bloodline Limit, thought to be lost to the shinobi world for decades.

Although Konoha had conducted extensive experiments with Hashirama's cells over the past ten years, only one Wood Release user, Tenzo, had emerged. Now, right before him, Byakuya was using Wood Release with apparent ease.

With this realization, Orochimaru suddenly understood a great deal. It explained why Akatsuki was able to defeat Hanzo and seize control of Amegakure, why Byakuya carried himself with such confidence, and why he was brave enough to befriend both Jiraiya and the Third Hokage.

The reason was simple: Byakuya possessed Kage-level strength from the start, perhaps even surpassing the average Kage.

Orochimaru refocused, looking back at Byakuya, now with a mix of respect and a growing curiosity. Byakuya's display of Wood Release gave him a reason to join Akatsuki that he could not ignore. Whatever Byakuya's intentions in recruiting him, Orochimaru now had his own motives—to get close to Byakuya and study him.

Such a rare and powerful specimen didn't come along often. If he could unlock Byakuya's secrets, he might uncover the true limits of ninjutsu.

Walking up to him, Byakuya smiled slightly and asked, "Orochimaru, have you calmed down now? Will you choose to become my subordinate, or do you still wish to resist?"

Orochimaru stared at Byakuya without hesitation and replied, "I'll join Akatsuki, but as a condition, I want to study you. You're hiding too many secrets."

"Oh? Interested in me?" Byakuya chuckled, nodding lightly. "If there's ever a time when I'm injured, you're free to collect my blood. But I'm not easily hurt."