The countdown in Kakuzu's mind hadn't started from the moment the Akatsuki agreed to the deal.
No—it started the moment he accepted Kirigakure's commission.
In other words, every second the Akatsuki spent hesitating now was another second burning through fifty million ryo!
A crushing weight of invisible monetary pressure bore down on the Akatsuki's fragile little shoulders.
Even if the money wasn't coming from their own pockets, Yahiko was finally experiencing the truth of the phrase: spending money like water!
So that's why your Kage is called the Mizukage, huh?
I feel bad for him! Doesn't your heart ache at all? Are you really that rich!?
Grumbling to himself internally, Yahiko gathered the Akatsuki members for a third meeting.
It had to be said—after summarizing everything, Kirigakure really had covered all angles.
They offered cold hard cash along with long-term promises. Once the alliance was made official, the Akatsuki would be acting under the name of one of the Five Great Hidden Villages—Kirigakure. Who wouldn't be tempted by that?
The proposed benefits for the common people lined up perfectly with the Akatsuki's ideals of peace. It made sense that, among all the underground organizations in Amegakure, Kirigakure had chosen them.
And they'd gone so far as to hire the S-rank rogue ninja Kakuzu to join Akatsuki, helping the still-weak Yahiko-led group stand up to Hanzō the Salamander's looming threat.
...
More than half of the Akatsuki voted in favor.
As the leader, the final decision still had to come from Yahiko.
"Yahiko."
Konan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He blinked, scrambled to respond, "Ah, ah—what is it, Konan? You have a different opinion?"
Girls could always get to the point quickly.
Konan's mind flashed to the private conversation she'd had with the Kirigakure ninja, to the vision they painted of a village untouched by war.
She looked at her two childhood friends, exhaled deeply, and said,
"Yahiko, Nagato, I want to go to Kirigakure."
—!
Yahiko and Nagato's expressions froze in shock.
But the words were out, and Konan's resolve had already settled. She explained her decision and reasons calmly:
"I want to see with my own eyes whether what that Kirigakure ninja said is true—whether the people of the Land of Rain could also one day live peaceful, war-free lives."
"As for whether we accept Kirigakure's proposal or not..."
Her gaze dropped to the scroll in Yahiko's hands before lifting again to meet his eyes.
"You can wait for my message. That ninja said Kirigakure is willing to give us a few days to think it over."
Nagato raised his hand slightly, hesitant.
"But Konan, going alone... it's dangerous."
The Land of Water was far away and unfamiliar. None of them could guarantee Konan's safety on the road—or even after she arrived in Kirigakure.
Konan smiled gently. "We've all been prepared for this path. If we get a chance like this, how could we turn it down just because it's dangerous?"
It was clear to everyone—Konan, the only girl in Jiraiya's old team, had already made up her mind.
And the Kirigakure ninja standing beside them gave a firm nod, affirming everything she said.
"Konan... gosh, you're really smarter than me."
Yahiko scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment, then turned to Nagato with a grin.
"Nagato, looks like we lost to Konan this time, huh?"
Nagato gave up trying to persuade her, nodding with a soft smile.
"Yeah. You're right, Konan."
Taking a deep breath, Yahiko met her expectant gaze and, as the captain of their little team, gave his approval.
"Alright then! The future of the Akatsuki's path—Konan, we'll leave that to you!"
He slung an arm around Nagato's shoulders and laughed.
"And don't worry about things here! Me and Nagato will hold down the fort!"
With the decision made, Konan returned to her room and quickly packed for the journey.
Until now, the furthest they'd ever traveled was to the borders of the Land of Rain.
This time, she was crossing the continent—leaving their homeland behind to visit the distant and unfamiliar Land of Water. Even while packing, Konan couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety.
But she had already made a promise with her companions: she would become the bridge between Yahiko, Nagato, and a peaceful future.
"Konan, take care on the road."
"If you run into Jiraiya-sensei, tell him we said hi!"
"I will. You guys be careful too."
Their farewell was brief and quiet.
Konan folded a small bouquet of paper flowers using her Paper Jutsu and walked over to Kakuzu, handing it to him.
"Kakuzu-san."
He frowned at the non-monetary object. "?"
"Sorry to trouble you with watching over them for a while."
"Ah... yeah..."
Kakuzu's brows dipped as he took the paper flowers a bit stiffly. Nearly eighty years old, and this was the first time he'd ever received a gift like this—from someone younger than his great-granddaughter, no less.
He muttered internally that it would've been better if the flowers were folded out of banknotes.
Wait no—how could sacred money be used for this kind of thing? Wasteful. Absolutely wasteful.
After saying her goodbyes to the rest of the Akatsuki, Konan shouldered her pack and followed the Kirigakure ninja out of the Land of Rain.
Compared to the endless sandstorms of the Land of Wind, the forests and roads of the Land of Fire were far easier to travel.
As they walked, the two girls chatted. Konan peppered her companion with questions about Kirigakure, and while the ninja avoided classified information, they answered everything else.
From those conversations, Konan gathered three important points:
Before the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure had been much like the Land of Rain.
It was only during that war, thanks to maintaining peace, that Kirigakure began to change.
The source of that change was the Fourth Mizukage.
Due to his age, the Fourth Mizukage hadn't yet undergone an official coronation ceremony—so technically, Yagura was still acting as the Mizukage.
But among the citizens of Kirigakure and even the greater Land of Water, the twelve-year-old Yagura was already widely accepted as the destined Fourth.
...
Late November.
While passing through the Land of Fire, Konan and the Kirigakure ninja caught wind of some explosive news out of Konoha:
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had publicly announced his resignation—accepting responsibility for the more than thirty thousand Konoha shinobi who had died during the Third Great Ninja War!
...
Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't wanted to resign.
He'd sat in that chair for decades, his grip on Konoha's power structure rock solid.
Under normal circumstances, his position would have been unshakable. As long as nothing catastrophic happened, he could've ruled until the end of his life.
But the Third Great Ninja War wasn't normal.
Yes, Konoha had won. They'd fought and triumphed against three other nations.
But it was a pyrrhic victory.
In just four years, over thirty thousand shinobi were buried in Konoha's cemeteries. The ninja hospital overflowed with the injured.
Among the dead were many children under twelve—thrust into the war during its final stages. As long as a child could mold chakra, they were rushed through the academy and thrown onto the battlefield.
Someone had to take responsibility.
And the man who'd allowed this war to happen during his term—the Hokage—was the prime target.
Not to mention Kirigakure's schemes during the war. Hiruzen had failed to detect them. He even supported them by hiring Kirigakure shinobi to guard supply ships, leading to massive economic losses for Konoha.
All of it became ammo for his political enemies.
Hiruzen was at fault. The war had shattered the legacy he'd spent decades building.
And now, in the war's aftermath, unable to withstand the pressure, Hiruzen Sarutobi announced his intent to resign in disgrace.
With the Hokage's seat soon to be vacant, the race for the Fourth Hokage began.
All eyes turned to the top contenders: Shimura Danzo and the Uchiha Clan—both preparing to make their move.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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