Although Takeshi had mastered a brand new Sage Mode, he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
After several days of training in Senjutsu under Fukasaku, Takeshi sat alone one night atop a massive plant, pondering the meaning behind the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
From the literal sense, the "white snake" mentioned by the Great Toad could either refer to Orochimaru, or perhaps a literal white serpent.
Either interpretation seemed plausible.
"Fifth..."
A familiar voice came from behind.
"Long time no see, Nagato. How's your Sage Mode training going?"
Takeshi didn't even need to look back to recognize the voice.
Nagato smiled helplessly and walked over, lowering his voice to ask Takeshi some questions about Sage Mode.
Takeshi didn't hold anything back. Everything he knew, he explained in detail; as for what he didn't, he pretended to understand, tossing out a few profound-sounding terms to maintain the illusion.
"By the way, Nagato—does the Akatsuki still operate outside the Land of Rain?"
In the middle of their conversation, Takeshi suddenly remembered that the Akatsuki had been driven out of the Land of Rain by Yōwan, and asked curiously about their current situation.
"Yes," Nagato nodded. "Yahiko said the situation in the Land of Rain is still unclear—it's not the right time to return yet."
At this point in time, the Land of Rain had escaped from the control of the Akatsuki Organization, but the other villages remained wary, fearing that the group might have left traps or agents behind. Squads from various nations continued to investigate within its borders.
Fortunately, all the shinobi involved followed the principle of avoiding harm to civilians, so the daily lives of the people of the Land of Rain weren't severely disrupted.
When Yahiko said "the situation is unclear," he meant he feared the other nations might mistake Akatsuki for a successor to the Akatsuki Organization, viewing them with hostility and possibly moving to destroy them.
"Yahiko's reasoning is sound," Takeshi nodded in approval.
"But it's not ideal for Amegakure to remain unrestored. With the Akatsuki Organization gone, all sorts of petty warlords and self-proclaimed rulers have started emerging again."
Before leaving, Takeshi had received reports about Amegakure. With the Akatsuki Organization confirmed to have retreated, those who had once lurked in the shadows were now resurfacing under all kinds of banners, seeking to seize control of the village.
There were no fewer than ten different groups claiming to be Hanzo's successors alone.
"Once your training's complete, tell Yahiko that Konoha is willing to assist Akatsuki in rebuilding Amegakure."
Takeshi squinted slightly, studying Nagato's eyes, half-hidden behind his long hair.
"Really?"
Nagato's voice trembled slightly. Returning to the Land of Rain and leading it out of chaos had always been Yahiko's dream.
As Yahiko's closest comrade, Nagato had long since made that dream his own.
Unfortunately, reality had proven harsh. Each incident, each betrayal, had shown Nagato how difficult that dream truly was to achieve.
So when Takeshi offered help, Nagato felt genuine happiness.
But after the initial excitement faded, his expression steadied once more.
He knew—every gift in life comes with a hidden price tag.
Takeshi wasn't a philanthropist. Though he looked like a young boy, he bore the title of Kage.
Everything he did was calculated with Konoha's benefit in mind.
"I'll tell Yahiko about this. If you have any other requests, please tell me as well," Nagato said cautiously.
Takeshi didn't change his tone in the slightest.
Smiling lightly, he replied in a casual voice,
"My terms are the same as when we first met. I'll send someone to discuss the details of deeper cooperation with Yahiko—you don't need to worry about that."
After pausing briefly, he added, "Just deliver my goodwill, that's all you need to do, Nagato."
"I understand. I'll inform Yahiko as soon as possible." Nagato seemed eager to return to Akatsuki.
"No rush," Takeshi said, stopping him. "Jiraiya sent you here so you could grasp Sage Mode and prepare for the battles ahead."
He looked at Nagato seriously.
"To be frank, once Yahiko takes back Amegakure, you'll need to join the Shinobi Alliance and stand with us against the Ōtsutsuki."
"Of course," Nagato nodded firmly.
Their conversation went on for quite some time before finally ending.
After watching Nagato leave, Takeshi stretched lazily, ready to find a comfortable spot to sleep for the night—when another familiar voice reached his ears.
"You? Doing something that kindhearted?"
The mocking tone immediately gave away who it was.
Takeshi flopped back onto the plant's top with no regard for his image, replying irritably,
"I'm really curious, what kind of person am I in your mind, Hikari?"
"Hmph. Rude little brat."
Uchiha Hikari clenched her fist upon hearing the nickname.
If not for the presence of the toads, she would've smacked him already.
...
At the border of the Land of Fire, under the shade of a tree, Kakashi pulled out his well-hidden Icha Icha Paradise and began reading it openly in front of Naruto and the others.
"Kakashi-san still really loves that book," Karin whispered to Naruto.
Back in the village, they had often seen Kakashi sneaking peeks at that same book—only to be caught by the police force.
They didn't know what kind of content it contained, but judging by the looks on the officers' faces when they arrested him, it must have been something... incredible.
"I get the feeling Kakashi's getting less and less reliable," Sasuke muttered coldly, clearly displeased with their sensei's laid-back attitude.
Their previous instructor hadn't been exactly dependable either—but at least he'd been serious about missions.
But this guy...
They were supposed to be on a mission to hunt down bandits.
And he was sitting under a tree reading that book in broad daylight.
Wasn't he worried about being spotted?
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