"I'm obviously still alive…" Nagato, exasperated, looked at Konan.
He flexed his limbs a little and found not only his vigor returning, but even his legs—numb for years—beginning to move.
Law reminded him, "I only restored some of your nerves. Standing will still take a period of rest."
Nagato drew a long breath, nodded, and glanced at Law with gratitude. "Thank you, ai—"
Law shook his head and gestured at Naruto. "Thank him. I'm just following orders from Naruto-sama."
"Naruto…?" Nagato looked over, eyes complicated. "So that's your real name?"
"That's right." Naruto dipped his chin.
Nagato thought for a moment. "Why save me? By rights, you should kill an enemy like me."
Naruto smiled. "Why? I already told you—we're not enemies. We're both pacifists aiming at the same goal."
Hearing that, Nagato's eyelids twitched. He couldn't help saying, "You really think building an empire will end every war?"
"Leaving aside how hard unifying the shinobi world would be—facing all nations, making enemies of every hidden village…"
"Even if you did unify it, how do you know peace would follow? Your rule could be the start of a greater calamity."
The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked; he pulled out a chair and sat. "Because there's a precedent."
Nagato blinked, lost. The shinobi world had never had a true, lasting unification—war, or the road to war, was all its history knew. What precedent?
Law's eyes lit up; he couldn't help interjecting. "Naruto-sama, you mean the World Government, right?"
"Exactly." Naruto clapped once and grinned. "Doesn't it look pretty good? It's basically unified the entire sea, bringing all nations under its rule."
"But…" Law frowned. "Even with the World Government as the strongest power, there are still rebel groups—the Revolutionary Army, pirates, the underworld…"
He lifted his gaze to Naruto. "You invaded the Holy Land and executed the Tenryūbito (Celestial Dragons)—that's why they put a bounty on you as the 'Child of the Devil,' isn't it?"
"That only proves the World Government didn't do enough," Naruto said. "Imagine a World Government without Tenryūbito, without the Heavenly Tribute. Then what do you think of it?"
Law considered it. "That would be good. Honestly, most of the World Government's infamy comes from the Tenryūbito."
Nagato listened to their exchange, utterly lost. He understood every word, yet strung together they were nonsense.
What was the World Government? What were pirates? And a Revolutionary Army?
"Um…" Nagato finally cut in. "You're talking about an organization I've never heard of…"
"You don't even know the World Government? What is this place?" Law stared, stunned. Ever since arriving in this shinobi world he'd been in shock: land sprawling so vast it felt like a continent, not islands. With territory this big, how had neither pirates nor Marines ever found it? It was like a world sealed off from the sea.
Naruto waved Law down and gave Nagato a succinct rundown of the World Government.
Upon hearing there was a massive organization across the sea that ruled the nations upon the oceans—and that joining as a member-state granted its protection, reducing the chance of war—Nagato was astonished… then overjoyed.
To him, the World Government system was indeed promising. Fold every nation into it and wars could be avoided. As for the system's sins, they could be corrected. That's the power of standing on a giant's shoulders.
A man who had ruled Amegakure and founded Akatsuki was no fool; Nagato clearly saw the plan's feasibility.
After a pause to think, he spoke. "To build something like the World Government, the first requirement is power."
"If you don't have overwhelming force, the Five Great Nations will never submit."
"And even if you do, you'll still have to fight them. Only through that can you ensure the system's establishment."
"But once the system takes root, war in the shinobi world will drop drastically…"
His voice quickened; his heart hammered. His original plan was to revive the Ten-Tails and use its power to cow the nations into peace.
Naruto's plan was hundreds of times better. The former was mere deterrence; the latter was institution.
He wet his lips and looked at Naruto, excited. "Naruto…-sama, are you confident you can build this organization?"
"Of course." Naruto nodded without a hint of modesty. "The moment I proposed it to you, I already had absolute confidence I could crush the Five Great Nations and make them accept it."
"Then what are you going to do, Naruto-sama?"
Familiarity breeds ease; Nagato no longer hesitated to use the honorific.
Naruto stood and gazed toward the Land of Fire. "First, break Konoha. Once Konoha falls, half the system is in the bag."
"After that, we topple the other four nations. The system forms. The small countries aren't worth worrying about."
"Then, abolish all hidden villages. Ninja will be trained by the World Government itself…"
He laid out his ambition.
Nagato's blood ran hot; peace felt suddenly within reach.
While they were talking, Konan, hog-tied in gleaming chains and humiliatingly lying across Naruto's lap, couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hey, can you let me go first?"
"And, Menma, could you not keep touching me?"
Konan glared up at the blond youth, cheeks burning.
Naruto didn't mind at all. "If I let you go, you'll interfere with the treatment."
"Bastard!" she snapped, jaw clenched so hard it might crack. "What about that is treatment?"
(End of Chapter)
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