Since Hiruko had directly devoured his interdimensional counterpart, from a biological standpoint, he was no longer the same species as Tsunade or Nono Yakushi. It was hardly surprising that they couldn't conceive.
Fortunately, both Tsunade and Nono were still in their prime. Moreover, with the prospect of immortality on the horizon, having children wasn't a priority. If they truly wanted an heir, Hiruko could always use their combined DNA to clone a baby in a lab.
Hiruko mounted the "saddle" once more. He had to admit, Tsunade's figure was top-tier.
The riding continued deep into the night.
For the commoners of the shinobi world, life was not always smooth sailing. Due to the skyrocketing price of millet, purchasing food had become a struggle. Many had already exhausted the meager reserves they had painstakingly hoarded.
In her home, Konan continued to manufacture paper bombs as usual.
Pain, who had been in secluded cultivation for over three months, finally stepped out of his retreat and arrived at a small village in the Land of Rain. His goal was to check if the price of millet had dropped. If the prices were lower at night, he intended to buy as much as possible and carry several sacks of rice home.
As a small nation, the Land of Rain had always been a victim of the power games between the Great Nations. Even when they didn't provoke conflict, they were forced to endure bullying or serve as a battlefield for others.
Once, Hanzo of the Salamander—the leader of Amegakure—would stand tall and fight for the rights of the Rain. But now, Hanzo had grown weak. Since being soundly defeated by Nagato, he had lost his former ambition. Life grew harder by the day, and the villagers felt as if they were living in hell.
Yet, life had to go on. Commoners were like weeds; even after a disaster, they would stubbornly draw whatever nutrients they could from their environment to grow upward. These impoverished villagers didn't understand economics. They didn't know why millet prices had soared just because of a minor drought. They didn't understand the cruel rules of this world, nor did they seek the reasons; they simply worked from dawn to dusk, tilling their small plots of land.
Their only humble wish was that by the time they passed the land to their sons, it might be a few inches larger.
Pain saw all of this as he walked through the world. The reality before him was the very hell he often described, yet now, a glimmer of light seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Some villagers were discussing heading to the factories Konoha had established in the Land of Rain to find work. Some were even more radical, planning to leave the country entirely to seek a life in the Hidden Leaf.
"Maybe we should just head to Konoha!"
"I heard that if you pass their assessment and become a resident, you get free housing based on your family size. And if you're willing to work, you can earn tens of thousands of Ryo a month."
"The most important thing is safety. Once you're a Konoha resident, no one dares bully you anymore."
"Konoha... there have been rumors everywhere lately. Apparently, a legendary Great Scientist has appeared, and the village is developing at a frightening pace."
"Word is this scientist is very compassionate toward commoners. He interacts with them often, and a lot of the things he invents are actually for the benefit of regular people."
"I heard Konoha improved a strain of wheat that yields three to five times more than the old kind. Too bad the seeds are only in Konoha; they haven't reached us yet," someone whispered.
The man then added mysteriously, "But I also heard the scientist who did all this is a total bastard—a lecher who spends all day chasing women."
"Eh, so he's a lecher. What's that got to do with us? He can have as many women as he wants, as long as we get high wages from the factories he opens."
"They say he was the one behind the millet price hike. Could that be true?"
"Oi, use your brain! He's a Great Scientist of Konoha. He has more money and women than he knows what to do with; why would he care about our pocket change? If the world is cursing him, it's probably because those wealthy merchants pushed him out to take the blame."
"That makes sense."
"But everyone is talking about it!"
The villagers' conversations were limited to complaining about their struggles and sharing gossip. Furthermore, Hiruko had opened a massive fruit processing plant here. Since the Land of Rain saw constant rainfall, the climate was perfect for certain aquatic plants like lotus roots, which were a local specialty.
Pain listened to these snippets of truth and lies as he walked. Suddenly, the name "Hiruko" caught his ear. It sounded familiar, yet the description was that of a degenerate.
Intrigued by this bizarre character profile, Pain asked a few more questions. Normally, he avoided public exposure, intending only to buy supplies and carry his rice home. But he lingered in the village to gather more information.
As it turned out, he learned quite a bit about Hiruko. Thanks to the series of "pro-gamer moves" during the millet crisis, Hiruko's name was now a household word throughout the shinobi world, known even to the lowliest peasant. Everyone who ate for a living had a reason to complain about him, but those working in his factories praised him to the heavens.
The curses and the praise formed a sharp contrast. Coupled with his scandalous love life, Hiruko had become a sensation. These elements were exactly what journalists loved, and they publicized them relentlessly. While the various Kage of Konoha were low-profile and disliked media coverage, and the other villages' leaders rarely made big news, the press was obsessed with Hiruko. They hung on every rural rumor.
Though these rumors were just fragments, they were enough to roughly sketch Hiruko's personality and appearance.
Hiruko: a leading figure in Konoha, the man in control of various enterprises. Even the fried chicken shop Konan loved so much was his. He was opening factories in the Land of Rain to provide jobs, and he apparently had a good relationship with Jiraiya-sensei.
It was staggering. During the year or so that Konoha had closed its gates to recuperate, so much had changed. It seemed the so-called peace was merely an illusion. In this world, you were either the weak being slaughtered or the strong doing the killing—or you lived in a deep abyss of fear.
What did the Sky Ninjas do wrong? They did nothing, yet they were decimated by the joint forces of the Five Great Nations. How tyrannical, how terrifying!
I must stop them, Nagato thought. Regardless of the method, I will become a God reigning over the heavens and use thunderous means to punish this sinful world.
Nagato's resolve didn't waver; it grew firmer. He ignored the conflicting reports and decided to return to his secret base. Having cultivated for many days, his strength was reaching its peak, like a hidden dragon ready to emerge.
As Pain prepared to slip away into the crowd, he spotted a group of uniquely dressed men hurrying into the village. Under the terrified gazes of the villagers, they produced money, bought food, and began devouring it ravenously. They looked as if they had been traveling for a long time and desperately needed rest.
It seemed like a common occurrence, but Pain recognized the leader instantly: Danzo!
In a flash, hatred burned like an inferno in Pain's heart. This was the man who drove his best friend to death. He was a man of Konoha.
If that's the case, I'll start the settlement with him! Pain silently removed his straw hat. Today, they would decide who was superior—and who would die.
Meanwhile, in Konoha, the construction of the theme park was in full swing, nearing completion. Such a grand project naturally attracted a massive influx of tourists. Anyone with even a bit of savings was traveling there by carriage.
While building the park, Hiruko had specifically ordered the creation of food stalls and lodging in the surrounding area. The park had two entrances: one for Konoha residents to enter freely, and another for outsiders. On opening day, residents brought their children in high spirits. The park featured thrilling rides and a wide variety of "ninja experience" activities.
The park acted like a giant magnet, drawing people from all over and making Konoha incredibly lively. Long before the opening, many had applied for residency. It was predictable that soon, the population would surpass 100,000. Only then could it truly be called a modern metropolis.
Hiruko watched the bustling crowds with a satisfied smile. Konoha still had many dilapidated houses that clashed with the current level of technology. He felt helpless about this; even as a ninja, he had to follow the laws of physics—he couldn't just manifest modern housing out of thin air. He looked down on the old wooden shacks; they were too low and primitive. His vision was a skyline of soaring skyscrapers.
Furthermore, the people of Konoha seemed to have a fatalistic mindset when it came to construction, believing their homes would eventually be destroyed anyway, so they didn't bother with proper maintenance. Hiruko found this attitude quite exasperating.
"What are you muttering about?" Rin Nohara poked his head, only to have her hair gently ruffled by Hiruko.
To be fair, Rin's head felt great to the touch. He wondered if Obito had ever ruffled her hair like this.
Hiruko smiled and said, "If you have any bad experiences at the theme park today, you have to tell me." He reached out again to pat her hair, leaning his forehead close as he spoke seriously.
Rin pouted with mock annoyance. "Don't just ruffle a girl's hair whenever you want, you big lecher!"
Despite her words, she tilted her head slightly, making no move to pull away from his palm. Instead, she leaned into his touch as if she particularly enjoyed it.
"Do you like rubbing people's heads that much?"
"Well, since you're looking forward to it so much, I guess I'll satisfy you."
"Haha, looks like Rin really likes me!"
Rin was speechless, but eventually, she let Hiruko rub her head until her hairstyle was a mess. This caused the girl to flush with shyness, while Hiruko laughed heartily.
"Eventually, we'll need to build large factories here in Konoha. We can start laying down iron rails, too."
After touring the park with Rin, Hiruko stood on a high vantage point, looking down at the architecture of the village. From the Uchiha district to the theme park and the other sectors, Konoha felt like two different worlds: one was the prototype of a modern city, the other a cluster of derelict housing.
"This is my Konoha. But it's still not good enough," Hiruko murmured.
"This is bad! Konoha has sent a massive force of ninjas to hunt us down!" White Zetsu emerged beside Obito, his expression frantic.
"We should have killed Jiraiya then. Now Nagato is in danger," Obito said coldly. "With me there, Nagato won't be in danger. Stop talking nonsense, Zetsu. Give me the intel."
This guy really thinks he's Uchiha Madara, Zetsu grumbled internally, but he dutifully reported what he knew. "Jiraiya's wounds have been healed. Konoha has learned about Nagato and dispatched over thirty Jonin-level ninjas—including Jiraiya himself—and over ninety Chunin."
"With that many people, it's going to be extremely dangerous. Plus, Jiraiya knows the secrets of the Rinnegan. Nagato! What do you plan to do?"
"Let's see Nagato first. He just recently mastered the Six Paths power and is preparing to conquer Amegakure," Obito said after a moment's thought. "You and Tobi come with me. We need to tell him."
The trio—Obito, Zetsu, and Tobi—arrived at Nagato's location. Nagato had just found a suitable corpse and was preparing to craft a new Path to replace the one Jiraiya had destroyed.
"The enemy won't give you the time for that!!!"
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