The rain poured relentlessly.
In a secret underground chamber in Amegakure, Nagato and Konan sat in silence.
The battle in the Land of Taki still weighed heavily on their minds.
For Nagato in particular, the defeat in that battle was a devastating blow.
He had even lost Yahiko's body.
"Nagato, this isn't your fault."
Konan looked at the silent Nagato, her heart aching. She couldn't help but try to console him.
"The situation back then was too complicated."
"No, it was my carelessness."
Nagato shook his head, closing his eyes with a sigh.
"If I had brought a few clones along, the outcome might have been different. That boy's talent is even more terrifying than I imagined."
His tone was calm, but his heart was far from at peace.
The battle with Kitagawa Minamoto had made him truly realize the power of space-time ninjutsu.
Moreover, he had witnessed Minamoto's cunning and sharp sense for intelligence.
He had been just one second away.
If he had been able to use Shinra Tensei again, even if Minamoto's relentless storm of attacks continued in the next five seconds, he might have been able to retreat with Yahiko's body.
"Or, if I had other clones present, the situation would have been much better!"
The Rinnegan was no joke.
If the Preta Path had been there, it could have absorbed long-range ninjutsu. The Animal Path could have summoned creatures to disrupt the enemy.
"Even if I had just stalled for time, I could have used the Nine Phantom Dragons Sealing, Chibaku Tensei, or even..."
His gaze shifted briefly to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path behind him, which was still absorbing his Chakra.
Although the Demonic Statue hadn't fully recovered, it was still usable in battle. After all, he had once used it to fight Hanzō.
But in that battle, he had been helpless, forced to watch as Kitagawa Minamoto crushed Yahiko's body.
Even worse, Minamoto had severed his control over Yahiko's body entirely.
The pain was indescribable.
"I must find Yahiko's body. No matter what, I can't let this go..."
Nagato opened his eyes, his voice low as he spoke to Konan. His words made her visibly uneasy.
"Nagato, don't do anything reckless!"
"Don't worry, I—hmm?"
Nagato nodded, about to say something, when he suddenly paused. Konan also sensed something unusual.
"Don't worry, it's just me."
Before they could speak, a plant-like figure emerged from the ground—a Zetsu.
"You?"
Nagato frowned but didn't make a move.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his turbulent emotions, he asked in a low voice,
"Why are you here? What do you want?"
"I do have some business, but more importantly, I have something to return to you."
Black Zetsu spoke calmly as he took out a scroll, unfurling it on the ground.
Poof!
With a puff of smoke, a figure appeared.
Nagato and Konan, initially on guard, froze the moment they saw the figure.
Yahiko lay quietly on the ground. Though half of his body was still damaged, it was evident that repairs and treatment had been done.
"You..."
Nagato stared at Black Zetsu in disbelief, his voice trembling.
"No need to be surprised. I was there the whole time."
Black Zetsu waved dismissively, explaining,
"The explosion was indeed terrifying, but Kitagawa Minamoto didn't dare approach. So, I stepped in.
However, I couldn't bring the body to you immediately. I had to ensure there were no Flying Thunder God marks left on it.
Now that I've confirmed it's safe, I'm returning it to you. But this is as much as I can repair. The rest..."
He trailed off, though in truth, he could have done more.
Black Zetsu had plenty of White Zetsu bodies at his disposal, but he didn't dare use them on Nagato, even for a puppet.
Who knew what complications might arise? It was better to be cautious.
"Why are you doing this?"
Nagato was silent for a long time before finally asking. Black Zetsu's response was calm.
"This is your friend, someone important to you. And you are important to us."
Black Zetsu paused, then continued with a serious tone,
"The current situation isn't favorable for us. Konohagakure is pressing us on all sides, and we've suffered consecutive defeats.
That boy, Kitagawa Minamoto, is particularly troublesome. We always seem to be at a disadvantage against him.
As he grows stronger, so will the threat Konohagakure poses to us."
Nagato didn't respond, but he didn't deny it either.
After all, he had experienced Minamoto's "heavy-handed approach" firsthand.
Kitagawa Minamoto was no ordinary opponent.
"So, I hope seeing your friend will remind you of everything that happened that day."
Black Zetsu's voice was calm as he continued,
"That boy, and the Konohagakure behind him, will likely influence our future plans. We must be more cautious and serious moving forward."
"Indeed."
Nagato silently agreed. His lack of preparation and underestimation of the enemy had led to the current situation.
Before he could say more, Black Zetsu added,
"At the very least, think about your friend.
You wouldn't want his body to be destroyed by that boy again, would you?"
"..."
The words were true, but why did they sound so strange?
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure...
"Kakashi-sensei, what's this about this time?"
Kitagawa Minamoto followed Kakashi curiously as they walked toward the village gates.
"Is the Fourth Raikage still outside?"
"Yes. The Hokage won't let him enter the village—it would cause too much trouble."
Kakashi shrugged, still holding his book as he explained,
"But most matters have been settled. Only a few loose ends remain. Still, you really put a lot of pressure on him this time."
Thinking back to the negotiations, Kakashi couldn't help but smile.
He remembered how, years ago, Kumogakure had acted so arrogantly.
Back then, war had nearly broken out, but the Hyūga Clan's compromise had prevented Konohagakure from being dragged into another conflict.
Now, things were different.
The Fourth Raikage was still as prideful as ever, but Konohagakure was no longer the same as it had been back then.
Especially with Kitagawa Minamoto leaving a Flying Thunder God mark on the Raikage—it had proven to be quite effective.
"Really?"
Minamoto tilted his head, smiling as he asked,
"But the Fourth Raikage doesn't seem like someone who would compromise easily. He struck me as the type who'd rather die and start a war than yield.
Letting him go might just make him angrier, and that could still lead to war. Negotiating with him must not have been easy."
"True, but we're not afraid."
Kakashi nodded, not hiding the truth from Minamoto.
"The Third Hokage told him that Konohagakure values peace and is willing to make a gesture of goodwill.
We've proposed a treatment plan for his arm and are waiting for the Kumogakure delegation to escort him back.
Of course, if he insists on war, we're ready to respond. But the responsibility will fall entirely on them.
Besides, we're well aware of what they've been up to in the Land of Suna."
"So assertive?"
Minamoto was surprised. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage, who seemed to grow more cautious with age, to take such a firm stance.
"Well, times have changed."
Kakashi patted Minamoto on the shoulder with a smile.
"The Fourth Raikage may be hot-headed, but he's still a Kage. The agreement has already been signed."
"Can such an agreement really be trusted?"
Minamoto raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of Kumogakure. Kakashi shared his doubts.
"Of course not. But at least they won't act recklessly in the open. Whatever they do in secret, we'll deal with it.
Otherwise, why do you think we're walking there instead of using the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"..."
Minamoto stared silently at Kakashi, feeling that his own "educational gaps" might have stemmed from his mentors.
Aside from Guy, none of them seemed entirely normal.
"By the way, you still haven't told me how you managed to deal with Obito last time."
Suddenly, Kakashi looked at Minamoto with curiosity.
"Care to share? It might come in handy someday."
"...Instead of worrying about Obito, maybe you should focus on Kumogakure."
Minamoto's lips twitched as he lowered his voice.
"This time, I'm supposed to remove the Flying Thunder God mark from the Fourth Raikage, right?"
"Yes. Wait, you're not planning anything, are you?"
"Actually, I am. How about I pretend to remove the mark, then have the Hokage gather a team? I'll use the mark to tail them."
"..."
"Once they're resting, we ambush them, eliminate everyone, and bury them somewhere no one will find.
Then we can blame it on the Akatsuki and drag Kumogakure into investigating them with us. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
"..."
"Kakashi-sensei, say something?"
"..."
Kakashi remained silent, walking ahead as if he hadn't heard anything.
For a moment, he genuinely believed Minamoto was better suited for the ANBU than he had ever been.
Back in his ANBU days, Kakashi had carried out countless assassinations, but he had always acted openly and directly.
Minamoto's methods, on the other hand, were far too devious.
"Sensei..."
Kakashi glanced at the Hokage Rock, its figures bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun.
The monument looked so dignified, so solemn.
"The village is thriving, and talent is abundant. But in some ways, we seem to have gone astray."
Kakashi sighed inwardly, wondering how he could guide Minamoto back on track.
As he pondered, his gaze shifted from the Fourth Hokage's face to the Second Hokage's.
Stories of the Second Hokage filled his mind, and after a long silence, he muttered to himself,
"Could it be... that Minamoto has always been most like the Second Hokage?"
(End of Chapter)
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