After his subordinates left, Shun casually opened a black spatial gate and stepped into it.
The next second, the surrounding scenery changed.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived in the secret room of the Land of Akatsuki's base.
Nagato sat in the center of the secret room, a flicker of vigilance in his eyes as he saw Shun's sudden appearance.
Shun, however, appeared much more composed. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down without ceremony.
"Nagato, I am preparing to unify the Ninja World. Are you willing to give up the Land of Akatsuki that you established?"
Nagato's expression remained unchanged, as if it had nothing to do with him.
"From the day you asked me to establish the Land of Akatsuki, I knew this day would come."
Upon hearing this, Shun's smile deepened a few shades. "You certainly understand things clearly. I'm looking for you this time because there's something I need you to do. I want you to take the lead in forming an alliance with the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning, to have them attack the Land of Water together."
Nagato was stunned, then quickly understood. "You want to find an excuse to unify the Ninja World. As long as they make the first move, you can retaliate in the name of 'defending the Land of Water' and completely eliminate the forces of the Four Nations."
Shun nodded, his tone tinged with approval. "They are already greedy for the Water of Life formula, and they harbor resentment towards me because of the sale of common people. With a little guidance, they will surely agree to the alliance."
"You just need to make them believe that a joint attack can reclaim their gold and common people, and also allow them to share the Water of Life formula, and they will readily fall into the trap."
Nagato was silent for a moment, then slowly sai, "I understand. I will have Deva Path come forward to persuade the Daimyo of the three countries one by one to form the alliance. At that time, the Four Nations Allied Forces will attack the Land of Water together, giving you a reason to retaliate."
Shun nodded slightly. "Nagato, I await your good news."
Immediately after, his figure suddenly vanished, as if he had never been there.
Nagato quietly gazed at the empty space, deep in thought.
—
A month passed in a flash, and news of the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning selling common people in exchange for gold and Water of Life quickly spread throughout the territories of various countries.
In a village in the southern part of the Land of Wind, common people held wooden signs saying "Give Us Back Our Relatives" and surrounded the city lord's residence.
In the Land of Earth, the mines had long ceased operation because the miners had been sent away, and large areas of farmland lay barren.
In the border towns of the Land of Lightning, small-scale rebellions even broke out, with common people looting granaries and resisting the Daimyo's rule.
Public discontent was like a suppressed volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
It was at this time that Deva Path began his persuasion.
Late at night, a strange figure suddenly appeared in the palace of the Land of Wind.
Feeling the powerful oppressive aura from the other party, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind instantly stood up.
"You... Pain... What do you want?"
Pain said coldly, "Although our two countries had some unpleasantness in the past, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. I am here to form an alliance with you to jointly resist the Land of Water."
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind was slightly startled, then asked warily, "An alliance to resist the Land of Water... Why should I trust you?"
Pain said, "Currently, our biggest threat is the Land of Water. The Land of Water has emptied your treasury with the Water of Life, stolen your common people, yet refuses to share the formula. Now, the Land of Akatsuki is willing to lead an alliance, uniting the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning to attack the Land of Water."
"If successful, you will not only reclaim your gold and common people, but also receive the core formula for the Water of Life, ensuring eternal youth."
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind's expression changed slightly. The temptation of eternal youth swayed his heart.
He finally gritted his teeth and said, "Will the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning agree to the alliance?"
Pain calmly said, "They have already agreed. Seven days from now, the Daimyo of the Four Nations will meet in Black Stone City on the border of the Land of Earth to discuss the plan to attack the Land of Water. Will you come or not?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind clenched his fist, then finally nodded. "I'll go."
At the same time, the same scene was playing out in the daimyo's residence of the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
Pain's persuasion precisely struck the greed and fear of the Daimyo of the three countries, quickly forming the alliance.
Seven days later, in Black Stone City on the border of the Land of Earth, the Daimyo of the Land of Akatsuki, Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning gathered.
Deva Path, dressed in a black cloak, sat upright, exuding a powerful oppressive aura.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind was the first to break the silence, his tone tinged with urgency. "Pain, since the Four Nations have formed an alliance, how does the Land of Akatsuki plan to deploy the attack? Shun's strength is formidable, and the ninjas of the Land of Water are not to be underestimated. We must come up with a foolproof plan."
Pain slowly raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry. In this campaign against the Land of Water, the Land of Akatsuki will be the main force. The Land of Akatsuki will first invade the Land of Water, and you will simply provide support. Furthermore, if Shun appears, I will personally restrain him."
Upon hearing this, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Lightning were all stunned.
They had not expected the Land of Akatsuki to voluntarily take on the main force role, and that Pain actually intended to restrain Shun.
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth was clearly somewhat distrustful and asked, "Pain, Shun can use a Susanoo hundreds of meters tall. Are you confident you can restrain him?"
Pain's face showed no change. "Of course. If you gentlemen don't believe me, I can demonstrate my strength."
He slowly walked to the balcony, overlooking the distant landscape.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
With that low roar, an invisible force rapidly spread out.
Distant trees and boulders were pushed away like waves, and even a hundred-meter-tall hill was toppled by the immense force.
When the dust settled from this force, the three Daimyo gazed at the flattened wilderness, their eyes filled with shock and awe.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind was the first to recover, gulping with difficulty.
"With Pain's terrifying power, restraining Shun should not be difficult."
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, their faces pale, nodded.
They appeared respectful and convinced on the surface, but in their hearts, they thought, 'I didn't expect Pain of the Land of Akatsuki to also possess such terrifying power. I hope when he fights Shun, they both perish together.'
Pain, expressionless, returned to his seat after delivering that blow.
"Ten days from now, the main force of the Land of Akatsuki will launch the first attack, drawing the main forces of the Land of Water. As for you, you only need to have Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure perform a flanking maneuver. Let's set a small goal first: drive the forces of the Land of Water out of the original Land of Fire territory."
The Daimyo of the three countries nodded in agreement. "Good, we'll follow your plan. We will certainly ensure the ninja villages cooperate."