"Akatsuki—its original meaning is 'dawn,' a symbol of light."
"I think it perfectly matches the future you're trying to create and the ideals you hold."
"Akatsuki Organization, parting the mist to reveal the light... Tsk, I must say, I'm just too cultured."
Kazuyama Gekkō was completely immersed in his own ego. He didn't care that he was just copying the original timeline. As far as he was concerned, he said it first—so the name was his.
No matter what happens in the future, the title of "the one who named Akatsuki" would belong to him.
The moment Yahiko heard the word "Akatsuki," his body trembled. That single character carved its way deep into his heart.
It was just a word, yet it seemed to carry boundless power. In an instant, his tired body felt invigorated.
And it wasn't just him. Even Nagato and Konan felt as if a brand-new door had opened in their lives.
"Hahaha! Just look at your faces—I can tell you're all loving the name I came up with!"
"Not just you—I'm loving it myself!"
"Yugito, you see? Read more books when you've got free time. Have you even finished the ones I gave you?"
"Knowledge is power! Hahaha!"
Kazuyama laughed heartily, full of pride.
Chōmei stared at him in shock. Suddenly, he felt Kazuyama might actually have some depth.
That name... it was kind of impressive.
"No way... I've got to brush up on my own learning. Damn, the way these kids are reacting... this feels kind of amazing."
"So this is what being admired feels like? Huh... why didn't I notice this before?"
"Entertaining yourself isn't enough—you've got to make others look up to you. That's the real pinnacle!"
[Ding! The host has unintentionally influenced Chōmei's aspirations, filling him with anticipation for showing off in front of others. Special reward: Tailed Beast Ball Optimization +10%!]
[Ding! Current optimization progress: 50%. Bonus skill: Handheld Mode, Compressed Bomb.]
Kazuyama's laughter abruptly stopped. The sudden system prompt had completely blindsided him—and the content? Even more insane.
"Manifesting holiness in front of others?" Why hadn't he thought of that?
Seriously, nothing beat basking in admiration.
"You're kidding me, Kazuyama! You came up with such a meaningful name?"
"I really underestimated you."
Suddenly, Tagitsuhime crawled out from beside Yugito, looking just as shocked.
Yugito, meanwhile, looked annoyed and mumbled, "Why didn't I think of such a good name..."
"Akatsuki... Akatsuki Organization... Ugh! I want to start my own group too!"
A long red snake suddenly spoke, scaring the hell out of Yahiko and the others.
"The snake... the snake just talked!"
"A yōkai!"
Kazuyama: ...
Tagitsuhime: ...
"You little punks! I'm a Sage from Ryūchi Cave!"
"Who are you calling a yōkai?! Want me to turn you into grilled meat?"
Tagitsuhime transformed instantly, revealing a graceful figure—but her face was furious.
Those vertical pupils of hers were practically saying: Try calling me that again!
"Ryūchi Cave? Isn't that one of the legendary places, like Mount Myōboku?"
"Jiraiya-sensei talked about it—I didn't think it really existed!"
"A snake sage, huh? Looks pretty nice... but not as pretty as Konan. Yeah, Konan's still the prettiest."
Yahiko stared seriously at Tagitsuhime, then at Konan, before giving his completely honest verdict.
The result? He got simultaneous death stares from both.
"Alright, enough with the side talk. So? What do you think?"
"Why not call your group the Akatsuki Organization?"
"And me? I'll be the guy who named it. Tsk, not bad."
Seeing things veer off in a weird direction, Kazuyama quickly dragged the conversation back to the point.
After all, his reward hadn't come in yet—proof the matter wasn't finished.
Yahiko nodded. He was very pleased with the name Kazuyama had suggested. Judging by the looks on his teammates' faces, they were just as into it.
"Yes! Akatsuki Organization!"
"I accept the name!"
"For the liberation of the Land of Rain, for peace, and to resist war—everyone, let's work together!"
"From this moment on, we are Akatsuki! Born for the light!"
Right then, Yahiko radiated a leader's confidence—even Kazuyama had to admit, this orange-haired guy really had the presence of a leader.
No wonder Yahiko founded Akatsuki in the original story. It was just a shame fate hadn't been kind—everything he tried to build was twisted in the end.
But things were different now. Kazuyama wasn't about to let this hothead die—not if he wanted to stay alive himself.
He glanced at Nagato, the boy with the Rinnegan. Right now, Nagato was too caught up in excitement to notice Kazuyama's stare.
Kazuyama only looked for a moment before turning away. In his mind, he was already figuring out how to get Nagato—this unstable factor—out of the picture.
After all, Nagato was Madara Uchiha's backup plan. Those Rinnegan eyes? They were originally Madara's.
Countless thoughts ran through Kazuyama's head, but none offered a good solution. He could only sigh inwardly.
Guess he'd have to play it by ear.
"Kazuyama, thank you!"
"Even though you're a Konoha shinobi, you helped us create Akatsuki. In my eyes, you're our comrade!"
Yahiko stepped forward and grabbed Kazuyama's shoulder, eyes full of sincerity.
Kazuyama's mouth twitched.
Damn, this guy's a total hot-blooded type—getting fired up over everything.
Just then, the long-awaited system reward finally dropped.
[Ding! Host intercepted the naming of Akatsuki, demonstrating peak shamelessness and earning recognition from eight members of the organization, including Yahiko and Konan. Special reward: Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique!]
Oh? Another Madara Uchiha-style Fire Release? Not bad!
Kazuyama was thrilled by the reward—but something about the system message made him pause.
Eight members?
There were nine people present. Yahiko and Konan were mentioned by name, but Nagato wasn't.
Thinking back to how Nagato had treated him, Kazuyama understood—Nagato didn't see him as one of them.
And that made sense. Nagato's parents had been killed by Konoha shinobi. Even though he'd become Jiraiya's student, that grudge still lay hidden deep inside.
Maybe it was for the best. After all, Kazuyama didn't consider Nagato part of his faction either. Those eyes would eventually become an enemy—that much was inevitable.