"Lord Kakuzu, I'm ready!"
Nagato stood before Kakuzu, a travel bag slung over his shoulder. He had already said his goodbyes to his companions and no longer had any lingering attachments.
"Yahiko said he will follow your instructions, Lord Kakuzu. He will focus solely on defending Amegakure and will not get involved in conflicts elsewhere… Oh, and according to intelligence reports, the long-standing friction between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire has escalated from localized skirmishes into full-scale war. At the same time, the Land of Earth, seeing an opportunity for profit, has also launched an attack on the Land of Fire."
This last piece of information was a message Yahiko had entrusted to Nagato to deliver to Kakuzu. Yahiko wanted to convey that the ninja world was on the brink of crisis—the Third Great Ninja War had already begun. He also wanted to remind Kakuzu to ensure the safety of the Land of Dragons.
Kakuzu nodded after hearing this. Yahiko was both intelligent and politically astute. With him in charge, even though Amegakure was caught between the great nations, it was unlikely to face any major issues.
"Let's go."
Kakuzu stood up, donned his rain cloak, and stepped out of Amegakure alongside Nagato.
The journey back to the Land of Dragons was relatively uneventful. They traveled through various towns along the way, as the five great nations were still adhering to wartime treaties. At least in the early stages of the war, they exercised a degree of restraint, trying to avoid spreading conflict into civilian areas. However, once the war reached its peak and emotions ran high, it was uncertain whether such restraint would hold.
Throughout the journey, both Kakuzu and Nagato remained mostly silent. Although Nagato had chosen to follow Kakuzu willingly, it was clear that having never left Amegakure—never even having been apart from Yahiko and Konan—he was nervous. His breathing was deliberately controlled, as if trying to steady himself.
Eventually, he could no longer hold back and posed his first question to Kakuzu.
"Lord Kakuzu, if my eyes are destined to bring disaster upon the future of the ninja world… would it be possible to destroy them now? That way, I would never have the chance to bring harm to the world."
Kakuzu stopped in his tracks and gave Nagato a deep, meaningful look. He had anticipated that the boy would feel uneasy, but he hadn't expected his first words to be this.
Nagato was willing to sacrifice himself for the peace of the ninja world. Right now, he was truly a good-hearted child.
As for the idea of destroying his own eyes—this kind of extreme measure was not unheard of in later years. Kakuzu himself had considered it. He vaguely recalled a certain point in the timeline where a so-called Sage's eyes had been destroyed with nothing more than a kunai. If Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan were completely eradicated, then Madara's resurrection would become impossible.
But looking deeper into the matter, Kakuzu saw a more serious issue.
Madara was not the true enemy—Black Zetsu was. The Otsutsuki were.
Destroying the Rinnegan would mean eliminating Uchiha Madara's revival altogether, but that wouldn't bring an end to Black Zetsu's mission to resurrect his mother. Because the real protagonist of this story—the one pulling the strings—was still alive. Black Zetsu wouldn't hesitate to wait another thousand years, continuing his search for an opportunity.
During the first thousand years, he had found Indra and Uchiha Madara. In the next thousand years, who knew what he might discover?
That said, in the present situation, Kakuzu held the upper hand. Both he and Black Zetsu were essentially immortal, and over such a long span of time, he could keep Black Zetsu suppressed.
If things continued as they were for centuries, who could say what might happen in the future?
Kakuzu was in the open, while Black Zetsu lurked in the shadows. Even if he turned the entire ninja world upside down, there was no guarantee he could ever truly find and eliminate Black Zetsu. Instead of chasing the unknown, it was better to settle things once and for all.
Even a lion gives its full strength when hunting a rabbit.
As long as the Rinnegan existed, Black Zetsu would never abandon this plan.
"Madara, Nagato is under my guidance now. I wonder how you'll attempt to resurrect him?"
Kakuzu pondered the question but soon dismissed it from his mind.
He reached out and patted Nagato on the head, his gaze shifting toward the horizon.
"I won't kill you, and I won't take away your light. The future isn't as bleak as you imagine. And you don't need to break your back carrying sacks of rice every day. Don't worry—everything will work out."
His eyes remained fixed on the path ahead.
"Madara, Black Zetsu—bring it on. I will only be at peace once I've settled this for good."
Nagato looked at Kakuzu, half-understanding his words, and eventually nodded.
He still didn't fully grasp what his eyes would bring him in the future, but he resolved to face the world with kindness.
Before long, Kakuzu and Nagato arrived in the Land of Dragons.
When Ni saw Nagato, she was visibly surprised. After all, the legendary Sage's eyes were too striking to ignore.
After settling Nagato into his quarters, Kakuzu turned to Ni.
"Establish a direct communication channel with Amegakure. I need to be informed of any developments there immediately."
"Understood."
Kakuzu suspected that Black Zetsu's next move would likely involve Yahiko and Konan. However, Yahiko was now the leader of an entire village, making him a difficult target.
Kakuzu would keep a close watch on Amegakure's affairs. And when the time came, he wouldn't hesitate to reveal certain truths to Nagato. By then, even if Nagato harbored resentment, it would be directed only at the true masterminds—Black Zetsu and Madara—not at the entire world.
...
After setting everything in motion, Kakuzu suddenly asked, "What about Sakumo?"
He had been back for a while now, yet he hadn't sensed Sakumo Hatake's presence at all. That was unusual.
Ni hesitated for a moment, awkwardly brushing back her hair. "Kakuzu-sama, I was just about to tell you. Something big seems to have happened in Konoha. Sakumo-sama has already rushed over there… and he took Tsunade-sama with him."
Her unease stemmed from the fact that both of them had been brought here by Kakuzu, yet they had left without his approval. Did this count as desertion?
She handed Kakuzu a letter—one that Sakumo had left behind for him.
Kakuzu tore it open and glanced at its contents. His lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile.
"Ni, given the urgency of the situation, we should try to understand. Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade are not the kind of people who would betray us. Sakumo's precious son is already on the battlefield—do you really think he could sit still? And Tsunade… she's freed herself from the shackles of her past, but Konoha is still the village built by the Senju Clan. Do you think she could truly remain indifferent?"
Ni nodded. She needed to have more faith in her comrades. She had spoken too hastily just now.
"Kakuzu-sama, in that case, should we send reinforcements to support Sakumo? After all, in a way, they also represent the honor of the Land of Dragons."
Kakuzu shook his head.
"Tsunade only went to take one last look at the village that raised her. But Sakumo… his situation is different. Konoha once labeled him a traitor, a disgrace. This time, he has his own mission. His fate is something he must decide for himself."
His gaze darkened slightly.
Deep down, Kakuzu held great expectations for Sakumo Hatake. If things went as planned, then this would be the moment of reckoning for Konoha as well.
But he pushed those thoughts aside. The war had already begun. It was time for the Land of Dragons to make its move.
"It's time to pay Kirigakure a visit."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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