"Rinnegan... I can add something."
After Kushina calmed down, Orochimaru stood up.
"When I was declared an S-rank rogue ninja, I joined an organization—the Akatsuki."
"The leader possessed the Rinnegan."
As soon as the words fell, Senju Tobirama frowned.
"I'm afraid... that eye originally belonged to Uchiha Madara."
"But if Madara chose Uchiha Obito as his successor, why didn't he transplant the Rinnegan to him?"
Naruto answered flatly:
"To resurrect himself."
"What?! Resurrection is possible?!"
Tobirama could no longer remain seated. In his era, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were unparalleled forces of nature.
"Yes, the Rinnegan enables reincarnation."
"Madara's plan was simple—he gave the Rinnegan to Nagato, an Uzumaki, intending to use him as a vessel for his revival once he was old enough."
"At the same time, he manipulated Obito, orchestrating events so that Rin's death would push Obito to despair and make him easier to control."
Boom!
Kakashi shot to his feet, cold sweat forming on his brow.
"And Madara left behind his will—Black Zetsu."
"Of course, Madara himself was deceived by Black Zetsu."
"Black Zetsu pretended to aid Obito, but in reality, it was monitoring him. Madara, ever cautious, also placed a failsafe—a seal on Obito's heart."
"So that's how it is..."
Kakashi sank back down, overwhelmed. This explained so much—why he had spoken those words to Rin back then...
"Did you witness the truth that day with your own eyes?"
Kakashi covered his head, visibly disturbed.
Had Kushina still been in the room, she would have likely punched him again, but Mikoto and Izumi had already taken her away.
"For now, our priority should be the Akatsuki."
"Orochimaru, tell us everything you know."
Orochimaru nodded, his expression growing serious.
"As I said, after becoming an S-rank rogue ninja, I joined Akatsuki. I discovered that all nine members were also S-rank rogue ninjas."
"One of them was Uchiha Itachi."
"All nine of them?"
Tobirama looked at Naruto. "Naruto, if there are only nine Uchiha Itachis, there's no need to worry, even if they all attack at once."
Orochimaru continued:
"Back then, Jiraiya stayed in the Hidden Rain Village to teach three orphans ninjutsu."
"One of them, a red-haired boy named Nagato, was from the Uzumaki Clan. He already possessed the Rinnegan."
"The second, Yahiko, was the de facto leader."
"The third was Konan, who is now the 'Angel' of the Hidden Rain Village."
"Come to think of it, Naruto-kun, you had a brief encounter with her during the third stage of the Chunin Exams, didn't you?"
"Not important."
Before Naruto could answer, Kurama dismissed the thought.
The Fourth Hokage pondered for a moment before asking, "Tsunade-sama, how long did Jiraiya stay in the Hidden Rain Village?"
"About three years," Tsunade replied after some thought.
"Then it seems that after he left, those three founded the Akatsuki."
Naruto leaned back, rubbing his chin. "I've been reading up on intelligence reports left behind by Root."
"Originally, the Akatsuki was a peace-seeking organization, opposing war."
"As their influence in the Hidden Rain Village grew, they eventually attracted the attention of Hanzo the Salamander."
At this point, everyone could guess what happened next.
"Did Hanzo act against them?"
"Most likely. Otherwise, how would a peace-oriented group willingly accept rogue ninjas of S-rank caliber?"
"What was the outcome?"
Minato gazed out the window before speaking gravely.
"Hanzo launched an assault against Akatsuki."
"And he colluded with a certain man—a man we all believed to be dead."
"Danzo, the Nabekage, huh?!"
"The darkness of Konoha's past... Whenever something terrible happens, he's always involved!"
"Sorry, Sasuke, but I'm going to need another Sharingan."
"Hmph, you Senju always act so righteous... I refuse."
"..."
As the conversation shifted to Nagato, someone muttered, "But didn't he also kill his master, Jiraiya? Why does no one call him evil for that?"
The answer was simple.
Obito despaired over the world and committed countless atrocities, only to regret it in the end. His initial conviction crumbled, his motivations became inconsistent, and he lost all principles.
Nagato was different.
First, the Hidden Rain Village and Konoha had always been hostile to each other.
Second, his master was an invader.
And most importantly—Nagato never directly killed Jiraiya. He hesitated multiple times and even implied that Jiraiya could leave peacefully. But Jiraiya refused.
From beginning to end, Nagato acted out of necessity rather than malice.
Of course, in the end, he was on the verge of death, and only after seeing Naruto's unwavering belief in peace did he surrender his vision.
When Pain invaded Konoha, his goal was simply to capture Naruto.
Had Tsunade not infuriated him, Konoha likely wouldn't have been destroyed so utterly.
And in the end, Nagato brought back all those he had killed in Konoha.
Nagato had principles and a cause. Even if his path was misguided, he wasn't evil for the sake of it.
He was a revolutionary who made the wrong choices.
His method—spreading fear akin to nuclear deterrence—was his way of securing Rain's survival.
For the Hidden Rain Village, there was no alternative. Any other choice would mean becoming a pawn of a major nation.
Bang!
Senju Tobirama slammed the table, his voice filled with anger. "That guy must have colluded with Hanzo of the Salamander just to obtain the Rinnegan!"
"And yet, Akatsuki still exists... That means he failed," he added through gritted teeth.
Minato nodded slightly. "According to the intelligence, that seems to be the case. When Nagato unleashed the full power of the Rinnegan, everyone was stunned. In the end, only Danzo managed to escape."
"So, the current leader of the Hidden Rain Village is no longer Hanzo, but Nagato and the Akatsuki organization?" Tobirama questioned.
"Hmph! Hiruzen must have known about this, right?" he added, narrowing his eyes.
"Indeed," Minato confirmed.
The people standing guard overheard the conversation, and Konohamaru just stood there in shock.
Again? It happened again!
"What about Yahiko?" someone asked. "Why did Yahiko have the Rinnegan?"
Nara Shikaku pinpointed the key issue. "Danzo made a move, didn't he? He must have used the girl, Konan, to manipulate them."
Tobirama sneered. "Typical. He took advantage of Konan."
Minato nodded in disgust. "The Second Hokage is right. Danzo played on Konan's emotions. In the end, Yahiko chose to sacrifice himself to save her. He died at Nagato's hands."
A heavy silence filled the room.
After a moment, everyone turned to Sasuke.
Bang!
"What are you looking at?!" Sasuke snapped. "I'll bring four Sharingan later if you want!"
"Sasuke is great!" someone muttered, trying to lighten the mood. The tension eased slightly.
"That reminds me—did Uchiha Itachi simply let Akatsuki continue like that?" someone asked.
Nijiru looked at Naruto with a hint of unwillingness. "What should we do about him?"
Naruto answered calmly. "Have Itachi take a message back to Nagato."
"As for Nagato, I don't want to solve this with force, even though it would be easy to do so."
"Nagato is a talent worth recruiting."
Senju Hashirama nodded, a trace of approval in his gaze. "Naruto, you haven't let power consume you."
"But if he refuses... then it's fine to use force again," Hashirama added seriously.
"Exactly!" Kurama chimed in. "The Land of Rain needs to be saved, Naruto. Destroying it would be a loss. A peaceful resolution is the best outcome."
Nara Shikaku rubbed his chin and turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I'll have to ask you to handle this."
"Uncle Shikaku, you mean… using Danzo as the bridge to communicate with Nagato?" Sasuke smirked. "First, use Izanagi to vent his anger... and then, when he's executed, use the Rinnegan… Understood!"
"Alright, that settles Akatsuki's situation. We'll discuss the details later," Naruto declared. "Now, let's talk about Uchiha Madara."
Naruto rapped his knuckles on the table to regain everyone's focus.
"To be honest, I'm not afraid of Uchiha Madara. He's not an irredeemable villain—his ultimate goal was peace, no matter the means."
Senju Tobirama nodded reluctantly. "As much as I hate to admit it, that man had a sense of honor in his actions."
"If we tell him the truth... he might become a powerful ally," he added.
Senju Hashirama turned to Naruto eagerly. "So, can we revive Madara too?"
"He was deceived by Black Zetsu and took the wrong path," Naruto replied.
See? Madara and Hashirama truly were destined rivals.
"If that's the case, then the Fourth Ninja War will never happen," Tobirama remarked.
"Because we all share a common enemy..."
Tobirama paused mid-sentence and suddenly turned to Orochimaru, his eyes gleaming with unexpected admiration. "Orochimaru, if not for your plan to destroy Konoha, the Fourth Ninja War might have already begun."
Orochimaru blinked in surprise before smirking. "As expected of the Second Hokage, your insight is sharp."
"Indeed, the alliance agreement Hiruzen made with the Sand Village was unfair."
"That's why the Sand Village agreed to cooperate with me."
"One of the reasons the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was killed was because he held the same ambitions as during the Third Ninja War."
Minato sighed, realizing the truth. "The Third Ninja War was sparked by the Sand Village... If the Konoha Crush plan hadn't happened, and Orochimaru hadn't killed the Fourth Kazekage, the Fourth Ninja War might have already begun."
As the discussion continued, Kurama quietly slipped away.
With a wealth of new information, he made his way to the Hidden Rain Village…
Meanwhile, the focus of the next meeting shifted to Orochimaru and Tobirama.
"Why can't ninjas take the lead?"
"Why are there so many wars?"
"It all comes down to resources."
"The fusion of technology and ninjutsu is the key to real power."
The ninja world's technological advancement had taken a strange path…
Naruto could only provide broad guidance. The details would depend on Orochimaru and Tobirama.
Once Naruto laid out his grand development plan, everyone's eyes lit up.
Assignments were handed out.
Senju Hashirama received the most tasks—he was, after all, the leader of the infrastructure division.
Combining ninja abilities with modern technology made development incredibly efficient.
But to build a future, heavy industry was a necessity.
And the foundation of heavy industry? Resources.
The ninja world had accumulated vast resources over the years, yet economic development remained a critical factor. Unfortunately, Kurama was nowhere to be seen.
The meeting stretched late into the night, but even as it concluded, no one seemed eager to leave. Eventually, they formed a team and took Jiraiya along to have a "heart-to-heart" with Danzo.
With the resurrection of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju officially underway, Naruto made an additional request—to also bring back Uzumaki Mito in the future. If Hashirama and Madara were to be revived, better to ensure history didn't repeat itself.
Before fully reviving them, they decided to first summon their souls using Edo Tensei and ask them directly who wished to return. Tsunade was so moved by the idea that she rewarded Naruto with a private evening together.
Within half a month, Konoha changed drastically, evolving by the day. Villagers and shinobi alike were relocated to ensure smooth progress. The only remaining task was finding the right moment to send off Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura properly.
Naruto, meanwhile, was occupied with studying the power of spirits and gods—specifically, the realm that existed beyond the material world. He recalled once following the Shinigami into the spiritual plane but being forcibly ejected. Determined to uncover the reason, he conducted countless experiments, exhausting half of the ghost masks in the process. Finally, he began to grasp some of the principles behind it.
Even with intense research, rest was necessary.
On the second floor of a teahouse, Uzuki Yugao sat across from Naruto.
"Yugao, I already told you, you don't have to push yourself so hard," Naruto said. "Besides, weren't you supposed to be protecting me and Tsunade? Funny, I don't recall seeing you anywhere near Tsunade."
Yugao lowered her head, her thoughts exposed. She dared not meet Naruto's gaze.
Naruto sighed with a helpless smile before shifting his focus to the window. Outside, villagers and shinobi moved about busily, their laughter filling the air.
"The news should be reaching them about now," he murmured. "Now we wait and see how the three great ninja villages react."
"If Nagato doesn't respond in a few days, I'll go there myself."
At that moment, at Konoha's gates, Kurama entered with two figures.
The moment they stepped into the village, their eyes widened in shock.
The bustling streets. The vibrant atmosphere. The joy on people's faces.
"See? I wasn't lying," Kurama grinned. "Konoha is different now."
"Naruto-sama… Naruto-sama is incredible!" Ajisai exclaimed. "Master Konan… maybe we should just agree already."
Konan didn't respond. She simply continued walking, taking in the unfamiliar yet oddly comforting sights of the village.
Then, she heard a familiar voice.
"It's Naruto! Naruto-sama is here!"
Ajisai had spotted him at the teahouse window.
Konan looked up, her eyes flickering with emotion.
Why did this feel… familiar?
She glanced at Kurama, as if expecting him to answer.
Ajisai had no idea of the impact her words had. In an instant, the lively streets fell into hushed silence.
A beat later—
"It's really Naruto-sama!"
"Quick! Naruto-sama is at the teahouse!"
Within moments, a wave of villagers and shinobi surged toward the small street.
Yugao immediately grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him back from the window. "Are you crazy? If you just show yourself now, they'll—"
Naruto raised a hand, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Yugao, Konoha's progress relies on the people. Their enthusiasm is our greatest strength. We must never dampen it."
He gently freed himself from her grip and stepped forward once more.
He opened the window fully and gazed down at the crowd.
A bright smile formed on his face.
He raised his hand and waved.
The crowd erupted with cheers.
Ajisai stared in awe, her eyes glimmering just like the countless other villagers and shinobi who called Konoha home.
In no time, she found herself swept away in the sea of people, celebrating like one of them.
Konan, however, remained rooted in place. She lifted her head once more, staring at the young leader who had achieved the impossible with nothing but sheer will and determination.
Kurama watched the scene unfold and smirked knowingly. "It's done."
As time passed, the overwhelming crowd eventually pushed Konan and Kurama away from the main streets.
For the first time, Konan noticed something peculiar—
Every shop sign bore different names, yet they all shared a similar color scheme.
Red.
A deep, unwavering red.
She took it all in, her heart stirring as she understood the silent message behind the color.
Meanwhile, far away, a white dove fluttered across the skies, carrying a crucial message.
In the Land of Water, within the Hidden Mist Village, a shinobi from the Intelligence Division leaped to his feet.
"A message from Konoha!"
"Hurry! Notify the Mizukage immediately!"