"Take me to Nagato."
Naruto turned his head toward Konan, who stood frozen in place, staring at him in disbelief.
After a brief silence, Konan took a step forward, walking beside him.
For the first time in a long while, the ice that never melted showed a smile—a rare, fleeting beauty, like a flower in bloom.
Naruto returned her smile, gently taking the umbrella from her hands and holding it over her.
"For you."
With a flutter of white paper, a bouquet formed in Konan's hands.
This time, the paper flowers were no longer pure white but a striking shade of crimson.
Naruto accepted the bouquet and carefully placed it on the ground with a soft chuckle.
"A gift to Amegakure."
Elsewhere in Amegakure
From a distance, Ajisai watched Konan and Naruto walking toward the tower.
"Oi! Hurry up!"
"Konan-sama agreed!"
"Understood, Kurama-sama. I'll take you to the underground vault immediately."
"Just tell me where it is and how to open it."
Ajisai quickly explained the process, and without hesitation, Kurama dashed off.
"Orochimaru, how's the progress?"
Orochimaru frowned as he gazed up at the stormy sky.
"You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you?"
Senju Tobirama hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"A canal?"
"Exactly. Amegakure's geography is unique… Constructing a canal here could significantly change the region."
"In a broad sense, a canal is an artificial waterway designed to facilitate transport between regions, often connecting natural waterways or other man-made channels."
Orochimaru nodded.
"Beyond transportation, canals can also serve irrigation, flood control, drainage, and water supply purposes."
"The Rain Country has an endless supply of water, and in the future, it could be redirected toward the Land of Earth."
"But for now, we should focus on stabilizing the situation in the Land of Wind first."
"And regarding hydroelectric power, as Naruto mentioned… We should draft the blueprints once we return."
At that moment, Gaara and Kankuro approached.
Tobirama turned to face them.
"The Land of Wind lacks natural resources and faces harsh environmental conditions."
"Kazekage-dono, do you have any suggestions?"
Gaara did not answer immediately. Instead, he bowed deeply to both of them.
"There's no need for that," Tobirama said, waving off the formality.
Gaara straightened.
"With recent improvements, the Land of Wind can now trade with Amegakure through river routes. This canal could permanently eliminate resource-driven conflicts."
"However, Amegakure's central location makes governance complicated. Thoughtful management will be crucial."
Orochimaru glanced at Gaara.
"The divide between shinobi and civilians isn't unbridgeable."
"With the right strategy, both the canal and trade operations can be handled smoothly."
Kankuro stepped forward and bowed deeply as well.
"The Land of Wind will do everything in its power to cooperate."
Before he could continue, Hashirama Senju interrupted with an eager grin.
"When do we start?"
"Don't forget, in addition to being the head of infrastructure, I am also Konoha's number-one expert in greening projects!"
Tobirama sighed.
"Brother, calm down. Let's return and finalize the details first."
"And… we still don't know Nagato's stance. Depending on how Naruto handles it, we may need to intervene later."
With that, Tobirama turned to Ajisai.
"Are you coming with us?"
"No… I need to gather the shinobi and civilians."
"Good."
Tobirama created a shadow clone and, along with the others, departed from Amegakure.
Meanwhile, at the Akatsuki Meeting
The Akatsuki members gathered in their usual meeting place.
"During Konoha's Chunin Exams, Orochimaru initiated the Konoha Collapse plan."
"But the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, staged a coup with the resurrected Fourth Hokage and the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina."
"As a result, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzo were forced to step down, along with Konoha's two advisory elders."
"The new Hokage of Konoha is Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin."
"Additionally, Konoha's First and Second Hokage, Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, have also been resurrected."
"..."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in.
Uchiha Itachi calmly relayed the latest intelligence he had gathered.
Of course, not everything was disclosed.
After a brief silence, Tendo Pain—the body of Yahiko controlled by Nagato—spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
"Konoha recently extended an invitation for me to attend the Shinobi World Peace Conference."
"They also plan to publicly execute Danzo Shimura, once the shadow ruler of Konoha's darker days."
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Itachi gave a slight nod.
"It's true."
Beside him, Kisame smirked.
"Leader, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is now a perfect Jinchuriki."
"If we plan to capture the Nine-Tails… it will take all of us."
"Hmph, let Konoha witness the greatest art the world has ever seen!"
"Idiot! True art is an explosion!"
"I'll be heading to Konoha soon."
"The great Jashin-sama has told me that Konoha is the perfect place for a blood sacrifice..."
Before Hidan could finish, Tendo Pain interrupted.
"All missions are temporarily suspended. Disperse."
With that, Pain vanished first.
"Art is an explosion!"
"The puppet is…"
And with that, the artists were gone.
"It stinks in here… Can you stop carrying severed heads around?"
Inside Amegakure
Konan guided Naruto through the dimly lit corridors of the tower.
Soon, they arrived at the highest level, where Tendo Pain stood under the pouring rain, gazing up at the gray sky.
"Has Konoha sent someone?"
Tendo Pain spoke without turning.
"Yes."
"There are quite a few of them, and each one is incredibly strong."
"However, before the power of a god, all resistance is meaningless."
"Konoha invited us to this summit. What do you think?"
Konan remained silent.
"Itachi and Kisame are still in Konoha."
"The other Akatsuki members are also converging there."
"This presents an opportunity to proceed with the Nine-Tails capture plan… but there is intelligence suggesting that the Kage of the other four great nations are also en route to Konoha."
"Konan, Danzo Shimura is currently sweeping streets and cleaning toilets alongside the Sandaime Hokage… Back then—"
Before Tendo Pain could finish, a calm voice cut through the air.
"Yes, before the execution, I will give you one minute to take revenge on Danzo Shimura."
"His life will be ended completely after the peace talks."
"Then, we will use the Edo Tensei to bring him back to life. If you're still not satisfied, we can execute him again as many times as you wish."
Tendo Pain turned around.
Standing beside Konan was Naruto Uzumaki.
A faint smile still lingered on Konan's lips.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto?"
Pain narrowed his eyes.
"Nagato, let's talk. I don't want to resort to force. Amegakure doesn't have to rely on handouts of rice to achieve peace."
Tendo Pain remained silent, his gaze shifting to Konan.
Then, he turned to Naruto.
"The power of a god cannot—"
BOOM! BOOM!
A series of loud explosions echoed in the distance.
In the sky, several Kurama clones entered their Ashura Mode, their multiple tails swinging wildly.
"Move it faster!"
"I'm rich! I'm rich!"
"Careful! This is Konan's dowry. This fox loves money and earns it honestly!"
"It's not for sale until after the peace conference!"
"Move it to Tenten's shop first!"
"Don't think I won't hit you just because you're my clone. Who scammed you?!"
Tendo Pain stood frozen as several massive Kurama clones rushed past, carrying countless explosive tags.
All around Amegakure, shinobi and civilians were left in utter shock.
"What was that?!"
"Angel-sama… Wait, that's not the point!"
"That was… That was a tailed beast, right?"
"One, two, three… NINE TAILS?!"
"They just… walked in like that? And left just as casually?"
"They're not going to attack us, right? No, Lord Pain is here!"
"But still…"
Tendo Pain widened his eyes before shifting his gaze back to Konan, who remained unnervingly calm.
Naruto simply smirked.
"Let's talk, Uzumaki Naruto."