"So," Naruto said slowly, looking at the seven suspiciously innocent faces, "where is Kakuzu?"
The group engaged in a synchronized performance of looking at each other. Jiraiya to Tsunade. Tsunade to Kakashi. Kakashi to Sasuke. Sasuke to Orochimaru. Orochimaru to Nine-Tails. Nine-Tails back to Jiraiya.
Finally, Jiraiya cleared his throat and stepped forward, adopting the solemn expression of someone delivering tragic news.
"Ahem. Naruto..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Kakuzu walked over to the great beyond very peacefully."
Then he and Kakashi stepped aside in perfect unison, like stagehands revealing the main act.
Naruto's eyes fell on the corpse.
Kakuzu lay sprawled on the ground, his body swollen to nearly twice its normal size. His face had puffed up like a balloon, bruises layered in every color of the rainbow. Both eyes were swollen completely shut, tear tracks running down his cheeks in two clear lines.
He looked like he'd been used as a training dummy by every combat specialist in Konoha.
Which, Naruto supposed, wasn't far from the truth.
"My condolences, Senior Brother Nagato." Naruto turned to the man beside him, sighing heavily. "We were one step too late after all."
Nagato stared at Kakuzu's remains, his expression unreadable. The immortal bounty hunter had been besieged by six people. The fact that he'd lasted even this long was testament to his skill.
After Hanzo's massacre, after Akatsuki was nearly destroyed, I rebuilt from nothing, Nagato thought distantly. Recruited missing-nin from across the continent. Kakuzu was one of the first. Mercenary. Heartless. But reliable in his own way.
He'd been a fighter who showed no mercy to enemies.
His death is just... fate. Nothing more.
If the dream of world peace could have continued, Kakuzu would have been resurrected in that peaceful world. But now...
Now everything was uncertain.
Footsteps approached from behind. Konan arrived, slightly out of breath from hurrying. Her eyes immediately found Kakuzu's body, and she sighed quietly before turning to Nagato.
"The others?" Nagato asked, though he already suspected the answer.
Konan shook her head. "Deidara, Sasori, Hidan... all dead."
The confirmation landed like a final nail in a coffin. Nagato's lips twisted into a sad smile. The Akatsuki organization. Every core member eliminated. Only Konan and I remain.
Under normal circumstances, he'd have had the confidence to rebuild. To recruit new members, to slowly restore their strength. He'd done it before, after all.
But these weren't normal circumstances.
The Akatsuki organization hadn't just been defeated. It had been dismantled by a single twelve-year-old boy in the span of an afternoon.
There was no rebuilding from that.
After a long silence, Nagato accepted the cold reality. "Forget it. Since Akatsuki no longer exists, let all of it pass."
Konan nodded. What else could they do?
The mission to the Hidden Rain Village was complete.
Jiraiya was practically glowing with happiness. Both his students alive, safe, and now aligned with Konoha's interests. In his mind, joining Naruto's farm was essentially joining Konoha anyway, since Naruto was the Hokage.
Details didn't matter. What mattered was family reunited.
"Nagato, Konan," Jiraiya said warmly, "your sensei is very happy. We can be together again now. Trust me, life with us will be much better than what you had with Akatsuki."
Konan hesitated, glancing at Nagato. Then, softly, she acknowledged their old bond. "Jiraiya-sensei."
Nagato looked at the Toad Sage, and memories surfaced unbidden. A battlefield. Three starving orphans. Two legendary ninja who could have walked past but stopped instead. Jiraiya's booming laugh. Tsunade's gentle hands offering food.
Warmth touched his chest, brief but real.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Nagato said quietly, "congratulations. You've taught another exceptional student. Naruto-niisan truly is outstanding."
"Haha!" Jiraiya's laugh boomed across the wasteland. "That's right! Do you know who I am? The students I teach are all amazing! Two of them became Hokage, and you two built an organization that rivaled nations! I've got an eye for talent!"
Kakashi, standing off to the side, couldn't let that pass. "By the way," he interjected calmly, "Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's Copy Ninja, also served as Naruto's sensei."
Naruto watched his two teachers peacefully compete over who deserved more credit for his success, neither of them acknowledging that he'd basically taught himself everything important. He decided not to ruin their fun and let them continue their mutual ego-stroking session.
Standing around chatting in a wasteland wasn't productive though. Time to organize.
"Sister Konan," Naruto said, shifting to business mode, "you'll stay in the Rain Village. Consolidate what's left of the organization, gather intelligence on remaining forces, and report to me regularly."
Konan nodded immediately. She and Nagato were Naruto's people now, which meant the Hidden Rain's resources were his as well.
"Brother Nagato, you'll come back to Konoha with us. When Sister Konan finishes consolidating things here, she can join us there."
With arrangements made, the group departed, taking Nagato with them.
The moment they arrived in Konoha, Orochimaru excused himself. "Naruto, I'm heading back to the farm."
Naruto nodded approvingly. At least someone was dedicated to their work.
Jiraiya was next. "I've got to help Tsunade repair her house. She and Shizune are still staying in a hotel." He waved cheerfully. "Plenty of time to catch up with Nagato later! He's part of Konoha now!"
The subtext was clear: I'm going to follow Tsunade around like a puppy.
Kakashi looked ready to collapse. "I need to rest. That battle drained me completely." His visible eye was already drooping. "See you all later."
Soon only Sasuke, Nine-Tails, Black Zetsu, and Nagato remained with Naruto.
"Brother Nagato," Naruto said, "let's find somewhere comfortable to talk properly."
Three minutes later, they were seated in a private tea room within the Hokage Building. The space was reserved for receiving important guests, all wood paneling and subtle elegance. The scent of brewing tea filled the air.
Naruto and Nagato sat across from each other. Sasuke and Black Zetsu occupied another pair of seats. Nine-Tails had curled up in Naruto's lap, enjoying head scratches with his eyes half-closed in contentment.
"Black Zetsu," Naruto said casually, "you can take off the mask now. You're not Kakashi-sensei. How are you supposed to eat and drink normally with that thing on?"
He paused, then added, "Besides, Brother Nagato already knows who you are."
Nagato nodded. "That's correct. Your skin gave you away the moment you stepped into the Akatsuki organization, Zetsu. I knew you were the traitor from the beginning."
Black Zetsu bristled. Another person discriminating against my skin color! Why can't this world accept someone who looks different?!
He tore off the mask, his dark face twisted with indignation. "Nagato, don't look down on me. You think you're on the third floor while I'm on the second? Actually, I'm on the fifth floor."
Naruto leaned back, recognizing the setup. Here it comes. Black Zetsu's going to shatter Nagato's entire worldview. Good. He needs to face the truth before we can move forward.
Nagato frowned at the cryptic statement. "What are you—"
"The so-called world peace," Black Zetsu interrupted, voice dripping with satisfaction, "was always a lie. Collecting the tailed beasts, resurrecting the Ten-Tails, achieving true harmony... all of it was fabricated. By me."
His grin widened. "I lied to Uchiha Madara first. Then Madara manipulated Uchiha Obito. Then Obito deceived you. It's lies all the way down, Nagato. Everything you've worked toward, everything you've sacrificed for... it was all to resurrect my mother."
He leaned forward. "So yes, I'm on the fifth floor. Do you have any objections?"
The silence that followed was absolute.
Nagato stared down at his teacup. His reflection wavered in the liquid's surface, distorted and broken.
A lie. All of it. The dream Yahiko and I shared, the purpose that kept me going after his death, the reason I transformed his body into a weapon... all based on manipulation by this creature.
He felt something inside him crumble. Not violently, not dramatically. Just a quiet dissolution, like sand castles meeting the tide.
His hands trembled slightly on the teacup.
Black Zetsu's expression mirrored what Obito's must have looked like when he'd learned the same truth. Two geniuses, two brilliant tacticians, both completely fooled by the same ancient manipulator.
The humiliation burned.
"Brother Nagato," Naruto's voice cut through the darkness, surprisingly gentle. "Don't feel too bad. Yes, you were deceived. But now that you're with us, we can work toward something real. Something better."
Nagato glanced up. Better? What could possibly be better than world peace?
Then again, Naruto had made it clear he didn't even want world peace. Just friends.
Friends, Nagato thought with bitter irony. The most powerful person I've ever met, and his dream is making friends.
"Senior Brother Nagato," Naruto continued, "do you want to resurrect Brother Yahiko?"
The question cut through Nagato's spiral of self-pity. His eyes sharpened, focusing with sudden intensity. "Of course I want Yahiko back. But how? The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique would kill me."
"There are ways," Naruto said, smiling. "You know Orochimaru, right? One of the Legendary Sannin. He has techniques that touch on resurrection."
Hope flickered in Nagato's chest.
"First, his Living Corpse Reincarnation," Naruto ticked off on his fingers. "But that's useless for our purposes. It's body-swapping for immortality, not true resurrection."
Nagato's hope dimmed.
"Second, Impure World Reincarnation. It can bring back the dead. But the technique requires sacrificing living people, so that's out."
The flicker died.
"Which brings us to your Outer Path technique," Naruto continued. "If we can solve its fatal drawback, you could resurrect anyone without dying yourself. We have two approaches to explore."
He held up one finger. "First, prevent the death price entirely. That's the harder path, requiring fundamental modifications to the technique itself."
A second finger. "Or... when you perform the jutsu, I hammer the King of Hell to death before it can claim your life."
Nagato stared at him. "You want to... hammer the King of Hell?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"That's..." Nagato struggled for words. "That's your simple solution? Punching death itself?"
"I mean, it worked on the Shinigami," Naruto said reasonably.
Of course it did, Nagato thought faintly. Why am I even surprised?
"I think," he said carefully, "we should focus on the first approach. Modifying the technique properly."
"Fair enough. From now on, you and Sasuke can research it together."
Naruto made it sound so simple. As if rewriting one of the Rinnegan's most forbidden techniques was just another project to tackle between meals.
The days that followed fell into a strange new rhythm.
Nagato took up temporary residence in Konoha, given a modest apartment near the Hokage Tower. His body needed rest, real rest, without the constant strain of maintaining six corpse puppets.
Naruto threw himself into preparations for a long journey. He began delegating responsibilities to Tsunade, repeatedly emphasizing that she needed to take the role seriously.
"Don't gamble away the village budget," he said for the fifth time.
"I heard you the first four times," Tsunade replied irritably.
"I'll keep saying it until I believe you're listening."
"I'm Hokage now! I'm not going to—"
"You've been Hokage for three days and already tried to establish a line of credit at the casino."
"That was for research purposes!"
"Research on how quickly you can lose money?"
Tsunade threw a stapler at his head. Naruto caught it without looking.
Despite his teasing, Naruto genuinely worried. Tsunade was brilliant, powerful, and had a good heart. But her impulse control regarding gambling was... questionable. He just hoped the responsibility of leadership would curb her worst tendencies.
Though if Akamaru ever stops eating garbage, I'll believe Tsunade can quit gambling, he thought cynically.
For the journey itself, Naruto's first destination was clear: the Hidden Sand Village. He hadn't seen Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro in far too long, and reports indicated Gaara had successfully become the Fifth Kazekage with Maki's support.
Perfect. A Kazekage would have access to a wider social circle, which meant more potential friends to meet.
As for traveling companions, Naruto initially planned on bringing Hinata, Nagato, Nine-Tails, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Kakashi.
Nagato and Sasuke could research the resurrection technique during travel. He could develop his relationship with Hinata during quiet evenings. Jiraiya and Kakashi would provide experienced perspective and probably comic relief.
It seemed like a solid plan.
Then people started declining.
Hinata was first. She found him during training one afternoon, looking determined despite the nervousness in her eyes.
"Naruto-kun," she said quietly, "I appreciate the invitation, but I need to stay."
"Oh?" Naruto was genuinely surprised. "Why?"
Her hands clasped together. "Your strength keeps growing. The gap between us gets wider every day. I..." She took a breath. "I need to train harder. Need to become stronger. I can't keep up with you if I'm traveling and sightseeing."
Naruto studied her face. Saw the resolution there, the fierce determination usually hidden behind shyness.
She's serious. And she's right, in a way. Though I wish she understood that strength isn't everything.
"Alright," he said gently. "I respect your decision. But I'm going to spend extra time with you before I leave."
Her face turned crimson, but she nodded.
Kakashi declined next, citing vague "Konoha business" that required his attention. Naruto suspected it had more to do with finally having time to read his Icha Icha books in peace, but didn't push.
I was being polite inviting you anyway, Naruto thought with secret satisfaction. You took it seriously and now I don't have to watch you read porn in public.
He felt much better about the whole situation.
Jiraiya's refusal was the most predictable.
"You want me to leave Konoha when Tsunade just moved back here?" The Toad Sage looked at Naruto like he'd suggested jumping into an active volcano. "Kid, I love you, but I'm not that stupid. This is my chance to finally win her over!"
"You've been trying to win her over for forty years."
"Exactly! I'm due for success!"
Naruto decided not to point out that wasn't how probability worked.
There was one unexpected addition: Sakura asked to join. But Tsunade shut that down immediately, insisting her new apprentice needed to focus on medical training.
In the end, the traveling party consisted of Naruto, Sasuke, Nagato, and Nine-Tails.
Streamlined. Efficient. Probably less chaotic than the original plan.
Before departing, Naruto had one final arrangement to make. He summoned Konan via messenger hawk.
When she arrived in Konoha three days later, he laid out his proposal.
"Sister Konan, I saw what you could do with explosive tags during our fight. The quantity, the quality, the creative applications..." He leaned forward. "That's not just combat ability. That's industrial potential."
She frowned, not following.
"I want you to stay in the Rain Village and establish a production facility. Manufacture explosive tags at scale and sell them across the continent. You'll be the sole employee and owner initially, but we can expand as profits grow."
Konan blinked. "You want me to... run a business?"
"A very profitable business," Naruto corrected. "Every village needs explosive tags. Every mercenary group. Every private security company. The demand is endless, and you're the most efficient producer I've ever seen."
She looked uncertain. "I was planning to follow Nagato to Konoha."
"And you will, eventually. But this gives you purpose, income, and keeps the Rain Village stable. Plus," he added with a smile, "legitimate business is much less stressful than international terrorism."
Despite herself, Konan's lips twitched. "I suppose that's true."
"So you'll do it?"
She glanced at Nagato, who nodded encouragingly.
"Alright," she said finally. "I'll try."
"Excellent. I'll have the initial capital transferred to you within the week."
On the third day after arrangements were finalized, morning arrived clear and bright.
Naruto sat at the kitchen table, savoring the breakfast Nine-Tails had prepared with surprising skill. The fox had insisted on cooking one final meal before they departed, and the results were impressive.
"This is really good, Kurama," Naruto said around a mouthful of rice.
"Of course it's good," Nine-Tails huffed, tail swishing with pleasure despite the gruff tone. "I don't do anything halfway."
After they finished eating, the four of them gathered at Konoha's main gate. Sasuke checked his equipment with practiced efficiency. Nagato sat in his wheelchair, looking both apprehensive and oddly excited. Nine-Tails perched on Naruto's shoulder in his miniaturized form.
"Ready?" Naruto asked.
Three nods.
They passed through the gate, stepping onto the road that led away from Konoha and into the wider shinobi world.
Naruto paused just beyond the village boundary. The sun was rising behind them, casting long shadows ahead. The path stretched out, full of possibility.
He smiled, speaking quietly but with absolute conviction.
"Friends... here I come."
Then the four of them walked forward together, leaving Konoha behind, heading toward new adventures and the promise of connections yet to be made.
The journey had begun.