During the journey that followed, Kakuzu paid close attention to Mutsuki.
He believed that Mutsuki's ideas were impossible to achieve and were far too unrealistic.
If Mutsuki himself couldn't accomplish what he claimed, then what he proposed was undoubtedly empty talk.
Yet the more Kakuzu observed Mutsuki, the more he had to admit that the other was truly a good person in every sense.
If everything Mutsuki did was an act, then Kakuzu could only say that Mutsuki would be the Ninja with the strongest disguise ability in the entire Ninja world.
But all of Mutsuki's actions seemed genuine, showing no trace of performance.
When teaching the Ninja Ninjutsu, he treated everyone equally and never ignored those who lacked talent.
"You're almost too perfect to be of this world, but being too perfect is also a flaw. What exactly is your purpose?" Kakuzu thought carefully and still believed Mutsuki had a problem.
"You're overestimating me. I'm certainly not perfect," Mutsuki said, looking at Kakuzu with some surprise.
He hadn't expected Kakuzu to rate him so highly, thinking him excessively perfect.
In fact, Mutsuki hadn't deliberately acted; most of his behavior followed his true intentions.
If he were acting, it had been much more so in Konoha. Outside of his disciples or the Academy, most of the time Mutsuki had to perform.
Mutsuki was aware of his own shortcomings. Though his followers thought him knowledgeable, much of his knowledge remained superficial. After all, he wasn't someone who specialized in those subjects in his previous life; he had only been an ordinary person.
Mutsuki could only take some of the knowledge he knew, localize it as much as possible, and attempt to apply it.
Directly applying it was unrealistic. Setting aside differences in development, the Ninja world was still a realm of superhuman powers.
For example, Mutsuki said that the Ninja organization established by the Six Paths Sage shouldn't use a hereditary system. But in fact, even without hereditary succession, the chosen Ninja would still only be descendants of the Six Paths Sage.
Because in that era, the selected leaders, if not the strongest, would at least belong to the top tier, and the descendants of the Six Paths Sage naturally inherited extraordinary talents from him, far surpassing ordinary people.
Of course, Mutsuki still believed there was a big difference between becoming a leader through one's own ability and becoming one because of bloodline.
"As for my purpose, I guess I just want the world to be a slightly better place," Mutsuki said after thinking for a moment.
Mutsuki had never minded doing what he could to make things better. If he took Nagato as a disciple to increase his strength, he could also, at the same time, improve the Land of Rain.
"Making the world better—what benefit is that for you? With your abilities, you could form a Ninja organization and earn enough money to live luxuriously for several lifetimes in just a few years. Wouldn't that life be happier?" Kakuzu couldn't help but ask further.
Mutsuki smiled. "Then why do you keep endlessly earning money? Is it not enough to spend?"
Kakuzu froze, unable to answer Mutsuki's question for a moment.
Of course, he had more than enough. Every high-bounty mission Kakuzu completed brought in enough money for an ordinary person to indulge for several lifetimes.
He recalled his life as a black-market Ninja. Each time his assets increased after a mission, he felt a strange sense of accomplishment. Villages could betray comrades, comrades could betray him, but money never would.
"You feel happy when you earn more money, whereas I feel happy seeing people live better and the world become more peaceful. These are different pursuits," Mutsuki said calmly.
The observing disciples looked thoughtful, and some even recorded the dialogue between the two.
Ever since Kakuzu joined the team, this had become the daily routine of the Land of Rain traveling squad.
At first, some Ninja were dissatisfied, thinking that Kakuzu was not showing respect to Mutsuki.
But Mutsuki himself didn't scold Kakuzu and even said that asking questions was a good thing, so the followers didn't dare to say anything further.
Then the followers realized that Kakuzu's carefully observed questions were always very sharp. They touched on some of the doubts they themselves had, so every time Kakuzu asked something, the other followers assumed it was time for a mini-lesson and listened seriously.
As time passed, Mutsuki and his group had already traversed most of the Land of Rain. They only needed to finish the northwest border that connected to the Land of Earth to complete their journey across the Land of Rain.
At this point, Mutsuki didn't just lecture alone. He had his followers summarize what they had learned and share their insights.
"I want to go first," Yahiko said excitedly.
He had a lot to say, not only to his fellow Akatsuki members but also to Mutsuki and the Ninja traveling with them.
"Walking alongside Uncle Sosuke, I've really gained a lot. Before, I only thought about bringing peace to the Land of Rain and to the Ninja world, but I never really thought deeply about how to achieve that goal…" Yahiko spoke passionately about what he had learned along the way.
"So, boss, have you figured it out now?" Kyusuke asked with a smile.
Yahiko froze for a moment, then answered with some hesitation, "It's not that easy to figure out, but I believe that if we all work together, we'll find the right answer."
"Back to teamwork again. Boss, your speech skills are still as bad as ever," Kyusuke couldn't help but tease.
The other Akatsuki members all laughed, and even Nagato couldn't help but smile.
Yahiko's speeches had no techniques at all; they relied entirely on his enthusiasm. At first, the Akatsuki members had often teased him for it.
"Ahem, ahem, don't worry about that. In any case, learning is very necessary, and applying what we learn is equally important. This journey across the Land of Rain has given me more confidence in our future peace efforts," Yahiko coughed twice and then continued speaking.
"Back then, I didn't like the Land of Rain. I even despised it, because I was a war orphan. From the time I could remember, I had lost both my parents and wandered everywhere. The Land of Rain never gave me warmth; all I felt was the cold of war and hunger."
No one spoke, quietly listening to Yahiko's account.
Many of them could empathize with Yahiko. The Land of Rain had suffered from war for too long, creating too many orphans.
Then Yahiko spoke about the change in his mindset, gradually shifting from hating the Land of Rain to hating war and pursuing peace.
"I know firsthand how harsh life is for war orphans. I don't want the Land of Rain or the Ninja world to produce more war orphans like me in the future. Uncle Sosuke, everyone, join the Akatsuki! Let's achieve the dream of peace together!" By the end, Yahiko excitedly extended the invitation.
He believed that Ninja who recognized the Ninja sect would also recognize the Akatsuki, because both pursued peace and could strive for the same goal.
Kyusuke gave Yahiko a thumbs-up; this was indeed a good opportunity to strengthen the Akatsuki's forces.
"You certainly know how to pick the right moment, but we'll discuss other matters later," Mutsuki led the applause and smiled.
The other Ninja gave Yahiko enthusiastic applause. No doubt, Yahiko had put a lot of effort into his speech.
Next, the session would be based on voluntary participation, but no one stepped forward, so Mutsuki randomly called names.
Nagato hoped he wouldn't be chosen, as he wasn't good at this kind of thing.
Unfortunately, this activity required everyone to participate. Even though Nagato silently prayed not to be picked, he was chosen once more than half the group had been called.
Nagato walked to the temporarily built platform, feeling unsure. Looking down at the dozens of Ninja below, he opened his mouth to say something but found his mind completely blank.
In fact, Nagato usually listened attentively in class. Mutsuki's lessons were interesting enough that even if he treated them as stories, they were never boring.
But in this situation, he completely forgot everything Mutsuki had taught in class, as if he had never known it in the first place.
Nagato envied Yahiko. Although Yahiko wasn't skilled at giving speeches and was often teased, he always spoke with passion.
"Just talk about your own insights and thoughts, there's no requirement," Mutsuki said with a gentle smile, noticing the awkward atmosphere.
"If you feel nervous, just imagine everyone below as a bunch of radishes."
Mutsuki's reassurance eased Nagato's nerves, and he gradually recalled what he wanted to say.
"Nagato, look at me, look at me," Yahiko suddenly said.
Nagato looked over and saw a giant, bulky white radish—Yahiko had used Transformation Jutsu to turn into a radish.
Nagato froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Yahiko looked ridiculously funny.
"Come on, Nagato!" Yahiko cheered.
Other playful Akatsuki members also used Transformation Jutsu to turn into radishes, forming a strange spectacle in the crowd. Some non-Akatsuki Ninja found it amusing and joined in as well.
Looking at the sea of radishes below, Nagato stifled a laugh and began sharing his insights. It wasn't particularly impressive, but he managed to finish and present his points.
After everyone had spoken, Mutsuki turned to Kakuzu.
"What are you looking at me for? I'm not your student," Kakuzu said, crossing his arms.
"But it won't take much time anyway, and you have nothing else to do right now," Mutsuki replied with a smile.
Kakuzu's expression darkened slightly. If he hadn't come to the Land of Rain and encountered Mutsuki, he would now either be making money or on his way to make money.
Kakuzu snorted coldly, visibly annoyed, and directly stepped onto the platform to address everyone. In Mutsuki's team, he was mostly idle every day except for helping a bit during meals. It wouldn't be wrong to call him the team's onlooker.
In Kakuzu's eyes, Yahiko was just a hot-blooded fool, easily played in the Ninja world yet still counting money for others. Nagato kept everything bottled up, unable to communicate even with his comrades, so talking about making everyone understand each other was pointless. Ike Masaya was overly cautious, as if he might betray the team. Everyone except Mutsuki was roasted by Kakuzu using everyday events as examples.
As for Mutsuki, Kakuzu wanted most to criticize him, but truly couldn't find a single point to attack. Kakuzu's pride wouldn't allow him to make things up out of thin air.
"You really should thank Kakuzu. Not everyone is so meticulous in helping you correct your mistakes," Mutsuki teased.
The Ninja all laughed. At first, those being called out were very embarrassed—it was practically a public execution.
But as Kakuzu kept going, their embarrassment lessened. Once everyone was publicly roasted, it was as if no one was punished at all.
During dinner that night, the Ninja kept joking about Kakuzu's evaluations of them.
"Uncle Sosuke, I think we could split up and travel to different villages to give lectures and spread the philosophy of the Ninja sect. That way, we can speed up progress and also train everyone's abilities," Yahiko suggested a good idea.
Spreading the philosophy of the Ninja sect was something Mutsuki had proposed recently. Previously, their travels were just to spread the name of the Ninja sect while practicing everywhere.
After all, the Land of Rain was the Rain Ninja Village's territory, so at the start, some restraint was necessary.
"Let's see what everyone thinks. Vote on it," Mutsuki left the decision to the group.
In the end, most agreed with Yahiko's idea. Their daytime lectures had already given them individual gains.
Once the decision to split up was confirmed, Mutsuki drew up a detailed plan.
For safety, each team had to have seven or more members and couldn't stray too far. Every three days, they would report back to Mutsuki with results and attend classes.
After several days of emergency training from Mutsuki, the team split into seven groups and began their missions.
Yahiko declined the invitation from the other Akatsuki members and, along with Nagato and Konan, invited a few Ninja whose senses were sharper.
He wanted to use this opportunity to let the Ninja in the team better understand the Akatsuki.
At first, Yahiko's efforts went smoothly, both in spreading the philosophy of the Ninja Sect and helping his companions gain a deeper understanding of the Akatsuki.
But unexpected events always arrive suddenly.
In a village on the border of the Land of Rain, Yahiko and his group were attacked by Hidden Rock Ninja.
"We are Ninja of the Land of Rain. There is no war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain. Are you sure you have the right targets?" Yahiko tried to stop the pointless fight with words.
But the Hidden Rock Ninja ignored Yahiko and, seeing Yahiko leading, launched a fierce attack against him.
Yahiko then realized that these Hidden Rock Ninja were not ordinary—they were likely an elite squad of Hidden Rock.
"Do not hurt them. Subdue them first," Yahiko shouted.
He was mainly reminding Nagato, because if Nagato lost control and activated the Rinnegan's power, he could easily kill the opponents.
Nagato nodded. Killing the Hidden Rock Ninja in this situation would only bring trouble to the Land of Rain.
Yahiko and his group did not want to harm the Hidden Rock Ninja, but the Hidden Rock attackers had no such consideration. Every strike targeted Yahiko and his team's vital points.
The siege put enormous pressure on Yahiko, and in a moment of carelessness, a slash cut across his arm, drawing blood.
Seeing the blood on Yahiko, Nagato froze.
Yahiko was the person Nagato cared about most, bar none.
When Nagato had lost his parents and wandered the Ninja world, it was Yahiko who guided him forward, helping him emerge from sorrow and embrace a new life.
Although Konan was also an important companion to Nagato, Yahiko held a unique position in his heart. If one were to describe it, Yahiko was the first ray of light that reached Nagato in his darkness.
"Die!" The Hidden Rock Ninja fighting Nagato immediately seized the opportunity and thrust their sword at him.
Bang!
Nagato's Rinnegan flared violently, and an overwhelmingly terrifying aura erupted from him. The Hidden Rock Ninja attacking him was instantly sent flying, crashing hard into the ground and leaving a trail of blood.
The remaining Hidden Rock Ninja were shocked by this terrifying presence.
But before they could react, Nagato moved with incredible speed and strange, powerful techniques, killing them all.
When Nagato came back to his senses, the ground was littered with corpses, and all four of his Ninja Sect teammates looked on in shock.
They had not expected that, besides Mutsuki, there was such a strong fighter in the group—and one so young.
"Yahiko, I'm sorry, I…" Nagato lowered his head.
There was no doubt he had caused trouble.
Yahiko looked at Nagato, whose face had turned pale, and sighed, smiling to reassure him:
"Uncle Sosuke said it before: for Ninja who try to kill us, we can respond in kind. It's only natural. You didn't do anything wrong."
Nagato had only unleashed his power to protect him, so of course Yahiko had no reason to blame him.
"Nagato, are you feeling alright?" Konan asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just a bit drained from the Chakra earlier," Nagato shook his head.
"After something like this, I think it's necessary to report back to Uncle Sosuke. Let's head back early this time," Yahiko said after some thought.
No one objected, and the seven of them immediately returned to the village where Mutsuki was.
After Yahiko and the group left, several Ninja in Konoha Root uniforms appeared.
"Rinnegan… I didn't expect there to be such power in the Land of Rain," Danzo said, eyes widening as he looked at the dead Root squad.
The Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki were all descendants of the Six Paths Sage, which meant Konoha possessed extensive information on the Six Paths Sage. Danzo knew that the Six Paths Sage was not a legend, but a real person.
But Danzo did not expect that the Rinnegan of the Six Paths Sage would appear in the Land of Rain.
"Demigod Hanzo, Ninja Master Sosuke, Rinnegan… these three forces must never be allowed to come together!" Danzo's eyes flickered with intense apprehension.
In his view, the overall strength of the Land of Rain had grown too much and was already enough to threaten Konoha.
"Fortunately, I discovered this in time, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable," Danzo silently mocked Hiruzen's incompetence in his mind.
Now that Ninja Master Sosuke had joined forces with the Rinnegan, if left unchecked, the fusion of these three powers could produce an existence comparable to the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Although Danzo wanted Hanzo and Mutsuki to clash directly, his investigation revealed that the two were not enemies and had even met amicably once.
So, upon discovering that Mutsuki's group would end their journey at the border with the Land of Earth, Danzo immediately brought his subordinates to stir up trouble, hoping to create a conflict between Mutsuki and Hidden Rock.
But now Danzo felt this was not enough; he wanted to completely eliminate the possibility of cooperation between Hanzo and Mutsuki.
He had his subordinates collect the bodies of the fallen Root members, then used Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as Yahiko and the others to hunt a squad of Hidden Rock Ninja. After cleaning up the scene, Danzo took the bodies of the Hidden Rock Ninja to the Rain Ninja Village.
Upon learning that Danzo had arrived at the Rain Ninja Village, Hanzo personally went to receive him.
In the eyes of other ninja villages, Danzo was the second-in-command of Konoha and could represent Konoha officially.
"Hanzo, I truly feel indignant on your behalf," Danzo said suddenly, looking upset, as if Hanzo had suffered a great injustice.
"Why would you say that?" Hanzo asked, puzzled as he looked at Danzo.
In terms of status and strength, they were of comparable level, so Hanzo did not mind Danzo addressing him by name.
"You value the young talents of the Land of Rain so much and actively help them gain fame, yet they have not inherited your ambition for peace. Instead, they have brought war to the Land of Rain themselves," Danzo began delivering his carefully prepared speech.
Hanzo's expression grew serious, signaling Danzo to continue.
"Hanzo, as you know, Konoha is currently at war with Hidden Rock, and besides that, we also face Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist.
Although Konoha is strong and unafraid of challenges, a free-for-all among the Four Great Ninja Villages would bring immense destruction to the ninja world. Konoha cannot bear to see the world engulfed in suffering, so we hope you, Hanzo, can mediate and help Konoha negotiate peace with Hidden Rock," Danzo said with a straight face, spouting nonsense.
Within Konoha, there was no intention to negotiate with Hidden Rock, since they held the advantage.
Hanzo nodded slightly, acknowledging Danzo's reasoning, though he did not believe Konoha was genuinely concerned about civilian suffering. He simply thought Konoha wanted one less opponent to worry about.
Hanzo had no issue with Konoha asking him to mediate; after all, he was the only small-village leader who stood at the top of the ninja world, enjoying renown across all lands.
"But my ninja discovered an unfortunate situation: those claiming to represent the Ninja Sect from the Land of Rain attacked Hidden Rock ninja and killed them," Danzo said, showing a grave expression.
"Since they were wearing Rain Ninja Village headbands, my subordinates initially thought they were from the Rain Ninja Village, only to find out upon investigation that they were not."
A trace of awkwardness appeared on Hanzo's face. This was likely an unavoidable consequence for the Rain Ninja Village after the Second Ninja World War.
During that war, the Rain Ninja Village suffered devastating losses—most of their ninjas died or defected, leaving too few to complete missions, let alone maintain internal security.
To help restore the Rain Ninja Village, Hanzo issued a rule: ninjas from the Land of Rain could take exams to receive Rain Ninja Village headbands in order to carry out the village's missions, but only for A-rank or lower tasks. The mission cut for these ninjas was higher than for regular village ninjas, and those who performed well could become official Rain Ninja Village ninjas.
Therefore, a ninja from the Land of Rain wearing a Rain Ninja Village headband was not necessarily an official Rain Ninja Village ninja. Only those who wore both the headband and the village uniform were guaranteed to be genuine Rain Ninja Village ninjas.
"Although they aren't Rain Ninja Village ninjas, they are still ninjas of the Land of Rain, and they wear the Rain Ninja Village headband. Hidden Rock will likely hold the entire Land of Rain responsible," Danzo lamented, as if saddened by the impossibility of negotiating with Hidden Rock Village.
Then Danzo had his subordinates display the bodies of the Hidden Rock ninjas.
Hanzo carefully examined them and confirmed they were indeed Hidden Rock Village ninjas. Most Hidden Rock ninjas practiced Earth Release, which could be identified from the physical signs of their training. At this point, Hanzo was mostly convinced.
After all, a ninja of Danzo's level would not waste time falsely accusing a few unknown juniors.
"In my view, this Ninja Master Sosuke is no ordinary person. His ideas don't seem aimed at merely rebuilding the Ninja Sect—they seem intent on igniting an unprecedented war across the ninja world," Danzo continued to manipulate Hanzo's perception.
"And among those Ninja Sect ninjas, someone even suggested abolishing the aristocracy—what a tremendous act of defiance."
Danzo was well prepared. Not only were the Hidden Rock ninjas' bodies genuine, but most of the information he told Hanzo was also true. He had even dispatched ninjas to investigate carefully.
"My sensei, the Second Hokage, had great respect for the Six Paths Sage. If he were still alive, he would never tolerate people who tarnish the Sage's reputation. The Ninja Sect, the origin of all ninjas, being defamed like this—it's intolerable," Danzo sighed.
"Although negotiating with Hidden Rock may no longer be possible, if you, Hanzo, need to confront that Sosuke or resist Hidden Rock, Konoha can be your ally," Danzo said, exuding an air of righteous authority.
"Thank you for the intelligence, Danzo. But this is a serious matter and counts as internal affairs of the Land of Rain. I need to dispatch ninjas to investigate further," Hanzo replied gravely.
Danzo's information was highly credible, but Hanzo couldn't fully trust it without verification.
Danzo's expression remained unchanged, just as he expected.
Hanzo had been a ninja village leader for a long time. If he were to believe blindly, Danzo would only quietly despise him and continue using him as a free tool.
Danzo wasn't worried about Hanzo investigating because there were no flaws in what he had done; even Nagato and Yahiko thought they had killed Hidden Rock ninjas.
...
"Uncle Sosuke, we ran into a bit of an accident," Yahiko and the others reported to Mutsuki immediately after finding him.
"We encountered a team of Hidden Rock ninjas. They attacked us for no reason, and in our counterattack, we accidentally killed all of them," Yahiko said, scratching his head awkwardly.
He felt strange saying it—accidentally killing them all—but it was the undeniable truth.
"Are you sure they were Hidden Rock ninjas?" Mutsuki asked after hearing the report.
"They should be. They were dressed like Hidden Rock ninjas and used Earth Release Ninjutsu," Yahiko replied, not doubting their identity.
After all, the village was on the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth; encountering Hidden Rock ninjas there wasn't unusual.
Mutsuki shook his head. "Uniforms and headbands aren't hard to replicate, and Earth Release Ninjutsu isn't exclusive to Hidden Rock. Did you carefully examine the bodies?"
The seven shook their heads. They hadn't thought of that. Yahiko and the others were inexperienced and didn't understand, while the remaining four ninjas had been too stunned by Nagato's power to notice.
"Since the enemy attacked first, your counterattack was completely justified. Their deaths are on them," Mutsuki said, not blaming Nagato and the others.
"But we still need to find out who they really were. Take me there."
Yahiko and the others quickly led Mutsuki back to the site of their battle.
When they returned, they were dumbfounded—the bodies of the Hidden Rock ninjas had all vanished.
"Ask the nearby villagers. Maybe they took care of them," Konan suggested.
"That's possible, but more likely their comrades took the bodies. Recovering corpses is an important duty for ninjas," Mutsuki said, cautioning them not to get their hopes up.
As Mutsuki expected, no matter how frantically Yahiko and the others asked around the nearby villages, they couldn't find any trace of the bodies.
Nagato looked guilty. If he hadn't lost control, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Even though Jiraiya sensei taught me so many Ninjutsu, I still couldn't control my power properly," Nagato said, disappointed in himself.
Jiraiya had said he might be the reincarnation of the Six Paths Sage, the savior of the ninja world, but Nagato felt there couldn't be a savior as flawed as him.
"Uncle Sosuke, what should we do now?" Yahiko asked, looking at Mutsuki.
Yahiko was also feeling exhausted. He realized he might not be cut out to be a leader—if Mutsuki had been there, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Since the trail is gone, focus on the tasks at hand. If they really were Hidden Rock ninjas, the Hidden Rock Village will definitely come looking again," Mutsuki said thoughtfully.
In fact, Mutsuki knew the whole truth.
He had sent a Shadow Clone to follow Yahiko and the others.
So Mutsuki knew that the so-called Hidden Rock ninjas were actually Danzo's Root ninjas.
With just a little guess, Mutsuki could figure out what Danzo wanted—to provoke a conflict between them and Hidden Rock, and possibly involve Hanzo as well.
But while Danzo had his schemes of sowing discord, Mutsuki had his own plans.
The philosophy of the ninja sect Mutsuki founded was inevitably at odds with the current generation of ninjas. Conflict was only a matter of time.
Rather than exposing Danzo's plot, it was better to turn it to their advantage, using it to train the ninja sect and the Akatsuki, improving their abilities.
After all, Mutsuki was still in the Land of Rain and could cover for them.
Mutsuki also had a personal motive—hard times reveal true feelings, and a crisis was the best way to earn Nagato's favor.
"This is probably the best we can do for now," Yahiko said, feeling that Mutsuki's reasoning made sense.
Seeing Yahiko's helpless expression, Nagato felt even more guilty. He returned to the village in silence.
Yahiko and Konan noticed Nagato's mood and spoke to comfort him.
Not wanting them to worry, Nagato pretended to be fine, only showing his true emotions once he was in his room.
Knock, knock!
Just as Nagato curled up with his arms around his legs, feeling low, someone knocked at his door.
Nagato hurriedly adjusted his expression before opening it, thinking it was Yahiko or Konan.
But to his surprise, it was Mutsuki—carrying a bowl of ramen.
Nagato looked at Mutsuki, puzzled.
Mutsuki placed the ramen on the table. "Eat. When you're feeling down, good food makes you feel much better."
"But calling my own cooking 'good' is a bit narcissistic, isn't it? Good thing Kakuzu isn't here," Mutsuki joked to himself.
Since cooking was also one of Mutsuki Yumi's notable skills, he rarely cooked while in the Land of Rain.
"How, you don't like ramen?" Seeing Nagato hesitate, Mutsuki asked curiously.
"No." Nagato shook his head. His long life of wandering had never made him picky about food.
He was just a little overwhelmed by the attention. He hadn't expected Mutsuki to notice his mood—and to make him ramen.
"Eat it while it's hot. Cold noodles don't taste as good," Mutsuki said with a smile.
Looking at the steaming bowl in front of him, the aroma filling the air, Nagato glanced at his stomach. He was indeed a bit hungry; using the Rinnegan had consumed a lot of energy.
Nagato thanked Mutsuki, said "Itadakimasu" and began eating.
Once he started, he was amazed. Nagato's eyes widened—he had never tasted ramen this good, no, this good a meal.
Nagato, not good with words, couldn't describe his feelings. Each bite of noodles followed by a sip of broth made his whole body feel warm, as if he had been reborn.
The moment of happiness lasted until the bowl was empty. Nagato realized he had eaten every last noodle without noticing.
"Uncle Sosuke, thank you," Nagato said again.
If two words of thanks could earn such an incredibly delicious bowl of ramen, Nagato thought the line of people wanting to thank Mutsuki could stretch from the Rain Ninja Village to the Land of Rain border.
"If you trust me, tell me what's bothering you. Keeping your frustrations inside will only make you feel worse," Mutsuki said, sitting cross-legged.
Nagato was silent for a moment. In his mind, he recalled Mutsuki's travels across the Land of Rain, the care he showed to his followers in daily life, and that incredibly delicious bowl of ramen just now.
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