Yes, Akatsuki's "diplomatic" representative had already visited the Hidden Leaf Village.

Although the attitude toward Akatsuki was one of faint disdain—hence the quotation marks around "diplomatic"—the fact remained: they had come. At present, there were very few members in Akatsuki, and the term "diplomatic" was only used because the organization's three founders were all students of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.

Additionally, Akatsuki was highly regarded by none other than the greatest and wisest Uchiha in history—Lord Kei. So within the Hidden Leaf, this visit was officially termed a "diplomatic" mission.

As for why the great Lord Kei would favor this obscure and insignificant Akatsuki group…

Well, if Lord Kei did it, then he must have had his reasons. He must have foreseen something others could not!

To that, Uchiha Kei merely said: "Hey, for once, your wild guesses weren't wrong."

Indeed, Akatsuki was little more than a fledgling group now. But anyone who had read the original Naruto would know just what this group would eventually become—its potential could not be underestimated.

When Uchiha Kei first learned Akatsuki had sent someone to the Hidden Leaf seeking aid, he was genuinely surprised. After all, that kind of plotline didn't exist in the original story.

But upon considering the butterfly effect he had caused within the ninja world, Uchiha Kei relaxed—this world had already diverged wildly from canon, so it was perfectly normal for Akatsuki to act differently.

In truth, it was Jiraiya who informed Uchiha Kei that Akatsuki was visiting the village. They were hoping to receive support in the field of genjutsu games—specifically, access to the uncensored versions, which were considered a strategic resource of the Hidden Leaf and not casually shared with outsiders.

Even though Akatsuki had been founded by Jiraiya's students, that didn't mean they could just receive such things freely.

Jiraiya clearly wished to help his disciples, and in his internal struggle, he sought Uchiha Kei's advice—not asking for support, but simply wanting a wise opinion. After all, everyone said "the great Lord Kei is unmatched in wisdom, with foresight that pierces the future," so Jiraiya turned to his younger brother-like comrade for guidance.

And that was how Uchiha Kei reacted as mentioned above. Out of curiosity, he sought out Jiraiya and met with Akatsuki's representatives.

That was when Uchiha Kei met Yahiko and Konan.

Of the trio, Nagato was absent—he had remained in the Land of Rain. After all, the Rinnegan was an extremely sensitive secret. Letting it be seen would cause no end of trouble. Though disguise was possible, the Hidden Leaf had many powerful shinobi. Any deception could easily be uncovered. Even with Jiraiya present, it would bring Akatsuki immense trouble.

At fifteen years old, Yahiko and Konan were still quite different from the Deva Path Pain and the angelic Konan that Uchiha Kei remembered. Still, he could see glimmers of their future selves.

To Kei, however, this meeting was little more than curiosity and a casual investment—after all, to him, Akatsuki wasn't particularly valuable right now. And as for Nagato, who bore the Rinnegan—he couldn't be touched. Madara Uchiha was still alive. Though the old man now acted like a reclusive gamer, if anyone dared to lay hands on the Rinnegan, he would rise from his grave in fury.

What's more, Madara had awakened his second pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, allowing him to temporarily regain his youth. His power was enough to crush any current faction in the ninja world.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Uchiha Kei had no intention of provoking Old Man Madara. Better to let him remain immersed in his gaming obsession.

In short, Kei's investment in Akatsuki was just a casual move—like what he had done with Zetsu.

Yes, he hoped Akatsuki would someday surprise him like Zetsu had.

To Yahiko and Konan, who faced Kei directly, the meeting was nerve-wracking.

As the saying goes, a person's reputation precedes them. Though Uchiha Kei's real name wasn't widely known in the ninja world, his identity as the creator of genjutsu games, the reformer of the Hidden Leaf, and the great sage of the Uchiha clan had already spread far and wide with the rise of genjutsu games and the transformation of the village.

Yahiko and his group had heard legends of Uchiha Kei many times. They couldn't help but develop admiration for this man who had changed the Uchiha, the Hidden Leaf, and the entire ninja world.

Yes, a living legend—Uchiha Kei was now one. And the only comparison people could make was to the First Hokage, a legend of the past.

Though Kei's accomplishments didn't yet rival Hashirama Senju's, people always related more strongly to living legends. In the ninja world—shaped heavily by island nation culture—praise was often taken to absurd levels.

Uchiha Kei himself hadn't really noticed the fame. Living in the village, he'd adapted gradually to people's changing attitudes.

It might sound unbelievable, but to Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, Uchiha Kei—only a few years their senior—had already become an idol, a role model, and a source of inspiration. They didn't wish to be as great as him, only to bring positive change to the Land of Rain, just as he had for the Leaf.

So when the outgoing and passionate Yahiko brought out a pen and paper and asked for an autograph, Kei was stunned. His first reaction was to suspect a trick—after all, in the ninja world, it wasn't rare to use handwriting for sinister means.

The misunderstanding was soon cleared, and for the first time, Uchiha Kei realized the extent of his reputation beyond the Hidden Leaf.

Honestly, it felt novel—but that was all. His current status in the village was already near the top of the pyramid, so he'd grown used to such things.

Rather than dwell on fame, Kei preferred to focus on developing new games.

After that, Yahiko and his companions left the Hidden Leaf satisfied.

They had secured Uchiha Kei's investment, which meant access to uncensored genjutsu games.

And because of Akatsuki's arrival, Kei immediately thought of Kakuzu, who was now under his employ. With a mischievous grin, he ordered Kakuzu to go interface with Akatsuki directly.

Yahiko and the others understood the Hidden Leaf needed to remain publicly neutral. Working with an external civilian company made things much cleaner—and probably safer.

If people in the Land of Rain found out Akatsuki was working directly with the Hidden Leaf, they might be branded as spies and wiped out.

Now, back to the present—Kakuzu observed Yahiko and his group. His first impression: young, not particularly strong. He couldn't understand what Lord Kei saw in them.

Still, since it was Lord Kei's order, it had to have meaning. As a self-proclaimed loyal follower of Kei-sama, Kakuzu wouldn't question it. Every word and action of his now affected how much money he could make.

So Kakuzu had learned to speak carefully. Even if insulted, he'd investigate before reacting—unlike his old bounty hunter days, where he'd kill on the spot.

Being insulted stung, yes. But if it jeopardized his income, Kakuzu would feel like dying.

Taking this partnership seriously, Kakuzu gave it his all. After learning what Akatsuki wanted, he asked detailed follow-up questions.

And when he heard their crude and naive proposal, Kakuzu frowned. He immediately pointed out its flaws with a no-nonsense tone, listing all the issues they'd likely encounter.

Having lived for decades, Kakuzu had valuable insights—he'd eaten more salt than Yahiko's group had eaten rice.

Of course, he didn't expect them to listen. Most kids were prideful, unable to accept outside advice—he'd seen it too many times.

To his surprise, Akatsuki actually listened—and their eyes lit up. Yahiko, instead of being embarrassed that his plan was dismissed, earnestly thanked Kakuzu and began asking thoughtful questions like a student eager to learn.

Kakuzu was stunned. He hadn't expected such humility and open-mindedness from this group's leader.

In that moment, he understood why Lord Kei valued Akatsuki. With a leader like that, the group had limitless potential—if they weren't destroyed halfway, they could become a major force in the Land of Rain and beyond.

Motivated, Kakuzu doubled down on his guidance. He truly became a seasoned strategist, overturning their rough ideas and helping craft a new, comprehensive, and highly feasible plan.

To Yahiko, receiving that plan felt like Liu Bei getting Zhuge Liang's Longzhong Plan—he was ecstatic. Now Akatsuki had a clear path and concrete steps forward.

If not for knowing Kakuzu wouldn't agree, Yahiko would've invited him to join Akatsuki as their official strategist.

In the end, with a detailed development plan in hand, Yahiko and his companions returned to the Land of Rain, carrying a stack of uncensored genjutsu games and funds provided by Uchiha Kei.

This marked the beginning of Akatsuki's rapid development—and a turning point for the Land of Rain.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Tobirama Senju finally cleared the enhanced version of *Dark Souls 3*.

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