After Nagato killed Hanzo and took over Amegakure, Konan gradually realized that Nagato simply didn't have the capability to manage so many people.
In the early days of his takeover, this deficiency was hidden. However, after the incident involving Jiraiya and Naruto, and with the full-scale outbreak of war two months later, Nagato's incompetence became increasingly obvious.
Despite this, Konan remained steadfastly loyal to her childhood friend, selectively ignoring these issues and constantly telling herself that everything would get better after the war.
War always brings suffering, but when they achieved victory and accomplished all their goals, the future would shine brightly.
But Nagato had no concept of the day-to-day demands of running a village.
The Akatsuki organization didn't have a complex hierarchy; Nagato only needed to tell others what to do, and they obeyed. At its peak, there were only ten members, and this simple model worked effectively.
So he tried managing Amegakure in a similar fashion. He issued sweeping orders and unclear directives to everyone.
After taking control of the village, he executed everyone associated with Hanzo's rule, essentially destroying the entire administrative system without ever rebuilding it.
As a result, there was no quality control, no attention to detail—like a machine stripped of its essential components, unable to operate properly.
How could Nagato possibly expect everything to go according to plan? After everything they'd been through, with all the pressure on just the two of them and the surrounding village, facing the fury of the Five Great Ninja Villages, four of which had allied against them...
It was pure recklessness.
Would this drag the entire village down with them? No way—that was impossible. Even now, Nagato wouldn't allow Amegakure to fall into utter devastation. After all, protecting the village from larger nations' oppression was their original vow—the very reason they fought. Had he really forgotten that?
******
Konoha was shrouded in sorrow. With the eastern front war concluding, many ninja returned to the village to attend the funerals of fallen comrades. The entire village felt lifeless, caught in a brief moment of mourning.
However, after this brief respite, the wheels of war continued turning.
Tomorrow, a new batch of ninja would be dispatched to the western front, joining this brutal conflict.
Tension and unease filled the air as those about to head to the battlefield paced restlessly around the village, preparing to fight side by side with their comrades, though the fear in their hearts refused to fade.
On the rooftop of the Academy, Naruto stood alongside his teacher, Jiraiya, gazing out over the village.
Unlike others' worries, Naruto's heart was filled with determination, because he had already found a bold and risky plan—one that could reduce casualties on both sides.
"Great…" Naruto said with self-deprecating humor, "the only person I told about my plan to assassinate Pain is still upset with me. From your reaction just now, maybe I should keep this to myself and just go through with it."
"First off, kid," Jiraiya said with a blank expression, "I don't like plans that come with built-in abbreviations—especially when someone creates a plan just to make the abbreviation sound impressive. Second, assuming your little plan doesn't get you killed on the spot or exposed before you even start, how exactly do you plan to get out alive? Dragging yourself out in a body bag?"
"Of course not! I have a plan, believe me. This is my mission. I used to carry out S-rank infiltration missions all the time—until last time in Amegakure when you messed everything up. Then Lady Tsunade wouldn't let me go anymore."
"...Part of me wants to tell Lady Tsunade what you're planning, but damn it, I've been completely defeated every time it comes to Amegakure. So what can I really say?"
"That's right."
"You really aren't going to tell anyone what you're doing, are you?"
"That's exactly right."
Jiraiya looked at his last disciple with concern. "Kid..." he murmured, "trying to pull this off is insane enough, but to do it alone? Right when you're about to become the focal point of an entire war? That's just plain reckless."
"Ero-Sennin, if I told Shikamaru what I wanted to do, and he agreed to it, he'd change the entire army's battle plan just to keep me safe," Naruto explained to his teacher. "That won't work! The more people involved, the less chance of success."
It sounded ridiculous—but somehow, it also made sense.
Not even a thousand elite ninja could reach the edge of Amegakure.
Hundreds of Root Anbu finally breached Amegakure after Naruto and Jiraiya caused the greatest chaos in history—but even then, they only faced the Six Paths of Pain, Konan, and a quarter of the village's ninja forces.
Too many people would only slow things down.
Jiraiya and Naruto decided to act alone. To avoid suspicion, they took extreme precautions—and endured great discomfort—disguising themselves as ordinary travelers from remote villages long before they crossed the river to begin their mission.
However, Pain's rain blanketed the area. There were only two ways to evade detection.
The first was tunneling underground, but they failed because they couldn't get close enough without being detected.
The second method was entering through the air—but that was even harder.
Naruto decided he'd move with the main force—but not as himself.
"You know that if Lady Tsunade finds out, she'll rip your head off and mount it on a pike—and then string up your—"
"No matter what happens, she'll eventually understand." Naruto interrupted. Every Hokage before him had once risked everything alone to protect the village and its people. Now it was his turn to fulfill that duty. "...Unless she already knows."
"How could she know? Do you think it's the Third's crystal ball?" Jiraiya guessed. Maybe Tsunade had been keeping an eye on us all along?
They didn't intentionally hide their chakra. By locking onto anyone in the village, one could easily find them.
"I bet she's already figured out how to use it even without an instruction manual," Naruto grinned. "That thing works like magic. She once whacked me on the head with it, and not a single hair on my head was harmed."
Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh and patted Naruto's shoulder.
"Did I ever tell you that I actually stole that thing from our teacher before?"
"No way! You stole it? Why?"
"At least he had a spare. Remember how Tsunade nearly killed me for spying on her?"
"Oh yeah! Wait... Don't tell me..."
"You thought I did it myself? Noooo. I used that device to peek on her for three whole weeks, until that blasted Orochimaru caught me..."
Jiraiya wouldn't be moving out with the unit tomorrow, but he had already done everything he could to prepare Naruto.
He knew that even if Naruto never became Hokage, he'd already surpassed him.
If this was going to be the last day he could spend with his disciple, he couldn't think of a better way to spend it.
...Well, okay, he admitted there might be better ways, but Naruto definitely wouldn't agree to accompany him to spy on the hot spring. Naruto already had plenty of women around him—close ones and far-flung admirers alike. He really didn't need any more chaos.
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