Because Jiraiya was so familiar with his own methods, Senju Haruto had no intention of interfering. He simply followed along at Jiraiya's side, watching as he drew out information from taverns and searched for his true target.
The process was much the same as it had been in the original story.
Through Jiraiya's careful maneuvering, Haruto soon found himself within the towering spire at the heart of Amegakure.
Although the village was shrouded year-round in endless rain, the atmosphere inside was not gloomy. In fact, it felt surprisingly harmonious, almost carefree.
In a world like that of the shinobi—where large and small wars erupted with alarming frequency—calling Amegakure a hidden paradise was no exaggeration.
"I've got to admit, this man called Pain… he's got some skill," Jiraiya remarked as the two moved deeper into the tower, searching for clues among the corpses left behind.
Haruto nodded. "True. Even though there's never a sunny day here, everyone seems to enjoy their current way of life."
"But this kind of false peace won't last forever," Jiraiya added.
"The stability of Amegakure rests entirely on Pain's shoulders. If one day he disappears, the balance will collapse."
"Only true peace can change anything."
To Haruto, the peace Pain had forged in Amegakure was not so different from the peace Senju Hashirama once tried to maintain.
In fact… their philosophies were strikingly similar.
Both relied on the power of the tailed beasts to instill fear among nations, preventing them from starting wars. Both sought to enforce peace by making conflict too costly to attempt.
The difference was in method. Hashirama had distributed the tailed beasts evenly to maintain balance. Pain sought to crush everything beneath the overwhelming might of the Ten-Tails.
The tragedy was that Hashirama had already proven such methods would eventually fail.
And Pain's approach carried even greater flaws.
After all, Hashirama was the "God of Shinobi," blessed with an unusually long life.
Pain, on the other hand, was nothing more than Nagato's puppet. His real body was frail and withering. Even without his eventual battle against Naruto, Nagato's life was already dwindling—he had little time left.
His plan was doomed from the start.
"What is true peace?"
As Haruto was speaking with Jiraiya, a gentle voice drifted down from above.
Both men looked up.
A woman in the black cloak patterned with red clouds stood there, her long blue hair flowing.
It was Konan—member of the Akatsuki.
Jiraiya's eyes went wide, not because of her beauty, but because of her face.
"You… you're Konan?" His voice was filled with disbelief. He could never have imagined that his kind, gentle student would one day join the Akatsuki.
"Then Nagato and Yahiko…"
Memories stirred within him—those three had always acted together. If Konan stood with the Akatsuki, then surely Nagato and Yahiko were with them as well.
"It's been a long time, Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said softly, ignoring his questions.
"So, this must be the student you told me about?" Haruto spoke casually, his gaze sweeping over her. "But with that cloak… she's Akatsuki, no doubt. Same as the ones I met before—Kakuzu and Hidan."
Konan froze.
She had assumed the young man with Jiraiya was his new disciple. But he had spoken their names so freely.
"You… you must be Senju Haruto?" Her brows furrowed as unease gripped her.
"Looks like you've heard of me." Haruto gave a faint smile, making no move to attack.
With her strength, unless she unleashed all six hundred billion paper bombs, Jiraiya alone was already enough to drive her back.
"If I'm not mistaken," Haruto continued calmly, "you're gathering the tailed beasts to wield their power as a weapon of deterrence—so the great nations won't dare to start wars lightly."
"As long as there's no war, that counts as peace. Isn't that right?"
Konan fell silent.
It was indeed Nagato's plan, the true aim of the Akatsuki. But for Haruto to know this much left her shaken.
"So you admit it," Haruto pressed.
Having once seen Naruto's story unfold, Haruto understood Nagato's intentions clearly. Tragically, Nagato had been nothing more than Obito's pawn from the very beginning.
"But the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, already tried this path. And it failed."
"Do you really think such peace through intimidation can last? Ten years? Twenty? Fifty? A century?"
"No matter how powerful a shinobi, their life is limited. Once he dies, do you think anyone will still fear his power?"
Haruto's "he" naturally referred to Nagato.
Konan knew better than anyone how weak Nagato's body had become. Forget decades—five years might already be too much to hope for.
He had only the Rinnegan, not immortality. Once Nagato was gone, an even bloodier war would erupt.
"Then what do you believe true peace is?" Konan's brows knit tighter as she asked again.
Unlike Nagato, she was not obsessed with concepts of war and peace. Her wish had always been simpler—just to stay at Nagato and Yahiko's side.
But Haruto's words had shaken her. She wanted to hear what answer he would give.
"To end war with war," Haruto said firmly.
"Great nations, small nations—erase them all. Create only one nation in this world."
"Only then can there be true peace."
His eyes locked with Konan's as he spoke, his tone unyielding.
Only by erasing the divisions between countries, forging humanity into a single shared destiny, could real peace be achieved.
"Using an even greater war… to destroy all war?" Konan murmured, recalling the way Haruto had already conquered the Land of Water.
Perhaps he really could unify the shinobi world.
But whether such a peace would endure—she could not say.
"So this is your answer."
A sudden figure appeared beside her.
Blond hair tied into a ponytail, an imposing presence—it was the Animal Path of Pain's Six Paths.
Because of his concern for Konan, Nagato had summoned the Six Paths of Pain as reinforcements.
"Those eyes!"
Jiraiya's breath caught as his gaze fixed on the rippling rings within the Animal Path's eyes.
The legendary Rinnegan—Nagato's eyes.
"Are you… Nagato?"
"Jiraiya-sensei."
The Animal Path cast him a glance, but did not strike. Instead, his eyes turned to Haruto.
The two locked gazes, and behind those eyes, Nagato weighed Haruto's words carefully.
Different methods… yet perhaps the same ultimate goal.
To bring to this world…
True peace!