Chapter 165: The Fragmented Indra Power, Changmen: You Want Me to Control

"Hmm, what's going on."

"Amid the rain curtain, Ziraiye had already prepared to fight desperately, but at that moment the six clones before his eyes suddenly halted, and then each of them went limp and collapsed to the ground!"

"Seeing the six clones suddenly lose consciousness and collapse to the ground together, Ziraiye, Zhi Ma Sage, Shen Zuo Sage, and even the toad Ha Ma Wentai at their feet were dumbfounded."

"A second before, they were ready to team up with Ziraiye for a fight, and a second later, these strong opponents inexplicably fell to the ground."

"This abrupt change was truly hard for them to imagine; for a moment they couldn't figure out what was happening."

"What is this?"

"In the air, Xiao Nan, who had a cold expression, suddenly changed demeanor, her face unable to hide a hint of panic."

"She naturally knew Changmen's exact situation; seeing this scene, she immediately realized that Changmen's true self was probably in trouble!"

"So she instantly performed a spin in the air, her body turning into sheets of paper that drifted toward Changmen's hiding place."

"Little Ziraiye, what's going on?"

"Shen Zuo Sage looked at Ziraiye with puzzlement, and Ziraiye's expression was also odd; however, he seemed to know something and immediately guessed the crux."

"We should follow; these people before us are all puppets, and Changmen's true body is probably in trouble!"

"Ziraiye nodded; he seemed to have some understanding of the information in his mind."

"Ziraiye thought for a while, and finally decided to keep this matter unsaid for now; he still needed to learn more."

"Is that so?"

"This made Changmen a bit nervous for a moment, but his choice was already made; now he just had to respond properly."

"He thought it better to ask, even though Myo-ki Mountain wasn't omnipotent; at least on Changmen's side, Myo-ki Mountain had some issues."

"Spacetime traversal?"

"Has it arrived?"

"Moreover, Ziraiye's earlier battle seemed odd; the kid appeared to know the opponent very well—could it be that Leaf Village had complete intel?"

"What's up, little Ziraiye, why did you suddenly ask that?"

"Changmen's legs were broken, so he could only sit inside a small wooden shed; his robe covered his legs so he didn't look too disheveled."

"\"But after creating a spatial distortion, it's hard to pinpoint the destination; of course it's not impossible, yet few would study it because... \""

"\"Also, we've arrived; be careful. \""

"\"Fifth Hokage, and Hokage's wife, greetings. \""

"\"Because any disclosure of information about people, events, or things not belonging to this world will bring unimaginable changes. \""

"Shen Zuo Sage looked at Ziraiye with some doubt; according to his understanding, Ziraiye wouldn't casually ask such irrelevant questions."

"Although Yuzhi was confident that he would eventually awaken the Reincarnation Eye, he also needed to consider others' situations."

"Zhi Ma Sage stood on Ziraiye's shoulder, thought for a while, then suddenly asked, while Shen Zuo Sage wore a puzzled expression."

"\"Indeed, those eyes are rather strange; do you have more information? \""

"This made Yuzhi puzzled, and an involuntary thought arose—should I snatch this guy's Reincarnation Eye?"

"\"I don't know why you're asking this, but spacetime traversal does have a probability of occurring. \""

"Zhi Ma Sage took over Shen Zuo Sage's words, and as Ziraiye kept running, he gently shook his head."

"Shen Zuo Sage also nodded beside him and added."

"However, after pondering for a while, he finally asked obliquely."

"And in the next instant, as the two silhouettes crossed the rain curtain and arrived before him, Changmen's expression grew especially solemn!"

"Ziraiye hesitated; for a moment he didn't know whether to reveal the 'prophecy' he had encountered."

"\"Tch, what a hassle. \""

"Although not certain, Ziraiye felt this must be it; otherwise he couldn't explain the problems he faced!"

"Zhi Ma and Shen Zuo, the two toads, glanced at each other, and after a moment Zhi Ma Sage spoke."

"\"I have a puzzling question about spacetime traversal; two sages, what are your views on it? \""

"At first Ziraiye hadn't thought much about spacetime traversal, but after experiencing that 'prophecy' and the issue of the 'alternate-dimensional Madara Uchiha', it was indeed worth probing."

"\"No, I don't know much, but... \""

"Even if insufficient, we must separate the Akatsuki Organization from the Rain Country!"

"They can be despised by Leaf Village, that's no big deal, but the civilians of Rain Country cannot."

"These two coming together really put immense pressure on him, especially since he had lost before, and Xiao Nan had almost no resistance against the woman called Uchiha Ying."

"\"Could it be that because we learned Madara Uchiha's true identity, abnormal changes appeared in me? \""

"Yuzhi, however, appeared expressionless; based on the wooden clone's intel, he had already guessed Changmen's and Ziraiye's battle purpose, likely to meet him."

"\"Nothing much, just curious, since Leaf Village keeps encountering inexplicable situations nowadays. \""

"\"I'm not sure exactly what will happen, but it's probably some massive changes that will bring unpredictable effects to the future. \""

"\"Those guys... no, those puppets' eyes—are they all Reincarnation Eyes, little Ziraiye? \""

"As they spoke, they had already passed through the dense forest, and there he suddenly saw two familiar figures."

"Amid the rain curtain, as the two silhouettes drew nearer, Changmen's complexion grew increasingly strange."

"Changmen murmured, evidently one of the two was the one he had been waiting for, or rather, the one he wanted to try to meet."

"\"As long as there's a massive chakra eruption, there's a high probability of forming a spacetime distortion. \""

"Ha Ma Wentai couldn't help but complain, but he leapt up quickly and chased after the flying Xiao Nan."

"Moreover, Changmen's potential truly shocked Yuzhi; if this guy remained in a deranged state, preemptively eliminating him seemed a good choice."

"This time he wanted to meet him, likely without having contacted Obito or Heijue, meaning that once he acted, Heijue wouldn't have time to rescue anyone."

"But should I actually do it?"

"【New Side Quest Acquired】"

1. Kill Nagato and take the Rinnegan.

2. Spare Nagato and try to bring him under control.

Task reward unknown.

Just as Yuzhi was hesitating, his retina suddenly refreshed, and he unexpectedly received a new Side Quest!

Seeing this task, Yuzhi fell somewhat silent; indeed, whatever he thought seemed to manifest.

Fortunately, as a seasoned quest master, Yuzhi's experience in completing missions was as abundantly rich as Obito's experience in failing, so he decided to observe for a while first.

"No need for polite words, you want to see me, I'm here."

Yuzhi did not claim the quest for the moment; instead he stood in the rain curtain, quietly watching Nagato. After a while he shook his head and spoke.

"Appearing before me still requires courage; courage is commendable. So speak, and let me see what you actually think."

Bastard.

Nagato heard this and his fists almost clenched; he understood what it meant.

In translation, it means: "You have the courage to appear before me, so I won't kill you right away; let's see what you have to say."

This arrogant attitude genuinely makes Nagato hard to tolerate; even if he once 'lost narrowly', you still can't humiliate him, can you?

However, considering Konan's safety, and that he indeed needs to explain and cut off the Rain Country, he now truly must endure.

"Being overly proud isn't a good thing, Fifth Hokage."

Nagato strained to control his emotions, and looked at Yuzhi, speaking softly.

"This meeting I have already shown great sincerity; at least up to now I haven't taken down Ziraiye, and that's already… hmm?!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly found Yuzhi appear abruptly before him; this unannounced appearance made his heart race.

He seemed to have returned to that night three years ago, the night that was resolved by that 'real deal' with a single technique.

Buzz—

Suddenly, his body floated up into the air, and at the same time unleashed a powerful repulsive force!

The surrounding trees collapsed instantly at that moment, yet as he moved, Yuzhi had already vanished from sight.

Looking around, Yuzhi had returned to his original spot, and a deep red chakra enveloped him; Nagato recognized it as Susanoo.

And the one releasing Susanoo this time was the woman called Uchiha Ying!

"Now, Ziraiye is completely safe."

Yuzhi's tone was utterly calm, yet watching Nagato floating in the air left him somewhat speechless, because the guy's reaction speed was absurdly fast!

Heaven knows whether this guy was messed up by me using the 'Obito' identity; he seemed a bit agitated.

He immediately employed the Shinra Tensei, then used the Bansho Ten'in to lift himself and avoid the next attack.

Nevertheless, this meant Yuzhi's goal was achieved; after all, the main body used force, so the clone's control would inevitably weaken.

If luck is on his side, the control over there fails outright, making Ziraiye less dangerous.

"Hmph!"

Nagato let out a cold snort; his gaze remained extremely alert, as he hadn't figured out how Yuzhi got here.

He knew Yuzhi could use the Flying Thunder God, but saw no kunai; however, now wasn't the time to scrutinize such details.

He gave Yuzhi a deep look, his Rinnegan scanning the surroundings alertly, then Nagato spoke.

"Fifth Hokage, meeting you this time, I truly have no ill intent; otherwise I wouldn't have refrained from dealing a heavy blow to Ziraiye."

"State your purpose; stop saying these useless things."

Yuzhi shook his head, also pondering what Nagato's purpose in meeting him was.

In his view, Nagato's grudge against the Leaf Village ran deep; no one could read his mind.

After all, under Madara Uchiha's arrangement, his parents died at the hands of Leaf ninjas, and his close friend was eliminated by Danzo and Sasuke together.

Could it be the Rain Country?

"I want to thank you for taking down Danzo."

While Yuzhi was pondering, Nagato spoke at that moment.

"Danzo once participated in the incident that killed my dear friend; although I yearn to exact personal revenge, I cannot ignore what you have done."

"Besides that, I also wish to clarify some matters with you, such as the Rain Country."

"Danzo betrayed the Leaf; his death is justified, no need for your thanks."

Yuzhi, upon hearing this, instantly understood Nagato's meaning; indeed, the guy's aim was to use his own killing of Danzo as a pretext to thank, ultimately to get in touch with him.

And his main purpose was still the Rain Country.

This made Yuzhi somewhat both laugh and sigh; he knows very well the situation of the Rain Country.

Nevertheless, he went along with Nagato's line and spoke directly.

"As for the Rain Country, I indeed have some doubts; I won't speak of Sasuke's matter, that's meaningless."

"What I'm more curious about is you and your Akatsuki Organization—why are you here, and what is your purpose?"

"The Rain Country hired us to deal with Sasuke."

Nagato, hearing Yuzhi's question, immediately breathed a sigh of relief; he feared Yuzhi had already assumed the Rain Country was the Akatsuki's base.

If this guy were to act violently, the Rain Country's situation would become terrible!

After discussing with Konan, he had clarified one thing: the support from other villages could never match that of the Leaf.

Moreover, the 'real deal' advised him to align with the Leaf, since only the Leaf possessed sufficient resources.

"The Akatsuki Organization hires ninjas; anyone who pays can hire us. You should know that Rock Village once hired us to deal with the Leaf."

"However, later Rock Village was wiped out by that Madara Uchiha, so our contract was terminated."

"I know, it's just that that bastard Da Ye Mu didn't mention it."

Yuzhi stared at Nagato expressionlessly, yet couldn't help to mutter that that bastard Da Ye Mu still wants to hide this, probably planning to cause trouble for the Leaf later.

"Now the Rain Country hires us; its purpose is also to protect them."

Nagato, seeing Yuzhi remain silent, simply went on to speak.

"After all, they have now given you the entire share of the mission; they can no longer train ninja, so they need strong power to protect themselves."

"We, however, have taken over Rain Country's defense, but because the Akatsuki Organization has constantly conflicted with Leaf Village, I chose to meet you to clarify these matters."

"Strictly speaking, I was once a person of Rain Country, and I don't want these misunderstandings to cause any trouble for Rain Country."

Nagato's words were very balanced, yet also cut cleanly and decisively; after all, the Akatsuki Organization is a hired organization, so this decision is not surprising at all.

Moreover, Yuzhi thought of a question: could it be that by using the Obito identity to promise Miyabi's revival, he unintentionally caused Nagato to undergo a certain shift in thinking?

Thinking carefully, there really is that possibility!

Nagato's greatest conviction lies in Miyabi, and Miyabi's death is what fully turned Nagato dark.

Now, as time passes, the "Self-Generated Reincarnation" over at Chiyoda is probably already largely researched, and his mindset has begun to weigh heavier.

Then

"Can I make some attempts?"

At that thought, Yuzhi suddenly understood why he had abruptly taken that mission: it turned out Nagato already had the idea of turning the Akatsuki Organization into a "distillery"!

Boom—

Just as Yuzhi was pondering, a huge roar suddenly came from behind him; turning his head, he saw Konan and Ziraiye rushing over one after another.

However, Ziraiye was still standing on the head of the giant toad Benta, and any movement of that massive toad shook the ground.

"Nagato!"

"Yuzhi—no, Fifth Hokage, so you are the ones who came!"

Konan flew straight to Nagato's side, and Ziraiye, after seeing Yuzhi and Hikari, immediately jumped down from Benta's head.

He hurried to Yuzhi's side, then quickly spoke.

"Fifth Hokage, don't rush to act; there may be some misunderstanding between us—they are my disciples!"

Ziraiye might be a bit double‑standard, but he's still good to his own people; seeing the scene, even though they were still fighting before, he now can't help but plead.

"Don't worry, we're still talking; you stay quiet."

Yuzhi, hearing that, couldn't help but scoff: "I already showed you how you died; how can you still be pleading?"

But he glanced at Ziraiye's odd "Sage Mode" makeup, then at the two toads on his shoulders, and immediately laughed.

"Senior Ziraiye, your Sage Mode doesn't seem as perfect as I imagined."

"This…"

Ziraiye was a bit embarrassed, but Yuzhi didn't linger on the topic and instead turned his head toward Nagato.

"I understand your meaning now; you want me not to take my anger out on Rain Country, right?"

"…"

Nagato and Konan were momentarily speechless, wondering if such words needed to be so blunt.

Ziraiye was also a bit bewildered; he had been on edge before, how did he suddenly calm down?

"Don't worry, I'll take my anger out on Rain Country, and coincidentally, didn't you say you're a hired organization?"

Seeing that they were silent, Yuzhi seized the moment to speak.

"And you also said you once were people of Rain Country; then, would you be interested in giving me a hand?"

"…"

At that moment, Hikari couldn't help but look at Yuzhi; he always felt Yuzhi was holding some trick, and Nagato's expression grew even worse.

Damn, miscalculated; this Uchiha Haori is being a bit over the line, huh?

Ignoring Konan and Ziraiye's bewilderment, Yuzhi calmly said.

"Since you're a hired organization, you work for money, fame, or whatever else, and I won't pry into that."

But since it's a hired group, everyone gets a bonus; I once saw a top‑secret file indicating your organization once worked to improve Rain Country and to bring peace to the ninja world.

It only fell apart because some major incident occurred, and they never expected it to become like this.

However, your words just now also prove your original intention hasn't changed; at least you still worry that Leaf Village might lose everything because of you.

"…"

Nagato could no longer restrain himself; despite that reason, can you shut up?

"After all, I am a Shadow; I won't let shallow hatred dictate my emotions. What I need to protect is Leaf Village's interests."

While speaking, Yuzhi glanced at Ziraiye, saw him frown as if to speak, and immediately continued, giving Ziraiye no chance.

"The village's system is no longer the old clan system; a clan only needs to consider the livelihood of its few hundred or perhaps a few thousand members."

But a village, with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people, requires resources beyond imagination!

Moreover, a village's ninja settlement, though nominally still radiating from a great lord, has in essence long become centered on the ninja village itself.

The village's Shadow is the only jewel, which forces the village to balance many things; without those resources, what can be done?

War—war is the simplest way to seize those resources; whether it's the First, Second, or Third War, the essence is always war launched for the village's benefit.

Perhaps from an individual ninja's perspective, war stems from brewed hatred, but from a higher level it is different.

Yuzhi's words were actually addressed to Ziraiye, yet they made Nagato and Konan nod silently; after controlling Rain Country for so long, they had gradually grasped this principle.

For the livelihood of a nation or a ninja village, sometimes they truly must consider matters beyond personal hatred.

Doing so is too shallow and might even drag the whole village down!

Ziraiye fell silent now; Yuzhi's viewpoint left him unable to refute, because his stance truly was "from an ordinary ninja's perspective."

War will kill relatives and friends; seeking revenge for the dead, once such belief is passed down, hatred will inevitably continue.

But if viewed from another angle, the situation seems somewhat different.

"And what about hatred?"

But Ziraiye still felt quite displeased; after a moment of silence, he opened his mouth and asked.

"Since war isn't for hatred, then why is every war mentioned?"

"Senior Ziraiye, you might become a good Hokage."

Yuzhi was startled for a moment, then looked at Ziraiye speechlessly.

"After all, you understand nothing; your subordinates will be delighted and can better showcase their abilities."

"You bastard"

Ziraiye was stung by Yuzhi's remark and for a moment didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.

Nagato and Konan's gazes also turned; they listened to see what this youngest, apparently the strongest Hokage among all Kage, had to say.

"War requires mobilization; hatred is the best medicine."

Yuzhi spoke calmly, but his words were especially cruel.

"After all, every village has fought; countless people's relatives and even family have died in war.

When you win, morale soars and avenging a great hatred makes everyone especially happy, but there are also deaths, and hatred persists.

If you lose, hatred intensifies; whether winning or losing, hatred spreads, and hatred can be used again to rally everyone."

Yuzhi's words made Konan and Nagato sigh; as the de facto rulers of Rain Country, they became increasingly aware of this.

"Little Ziraiye, are you okay?"

Ziraiye lowered his head; he felt his conviction was shaken, and the Deep Work Immortal and Zhi Ma Immortal on his shoulders couldn't help but worry.

"I know my words may be hard for everyone to accept, but the fact is as such."

Yuzhi glanced at Hikari beside him, saw she was also pondering, and simply took her hand before continuing.

"So hatred is actually a tool to stir war; from the Shadow's standpoint, I have no need to continue this hatred with you.

On the contrary, I need you to help me forge peace, to create a true peace!"

The word 'peace' coming from Yuzhi, who had just clarified the 'nature of war', felt somewhat discordant.

At least Nagato and Konan were conflicted now, because they didn't know what Yuzhi would say next, or what his purpose was.

Ziraiye's mind buzzed now; though his mood was low, he still lifted his head.

"As everyone knows, peace isn't achieved by words, but by fighting it into existence."

Yuzhi again voiced a bombastic claim, which left Ziraiye completely rattled; he constantly felt Yuzhi was targeting him!

Otherwise it wouldn't be such a precise strike, stepping on his sore spot each time, right?

"You were once members of Rain Country; I'm sure you know some things about the Second Shinobi World War."

Yuzhi guessed Ziraiye would certainly argue with him, but Yuzhi didn't stop and kept speaking.

"Hanzo, because of Rain Country's development, ultimately decided to launch a war, which led to the Second Shinobi World War.

Hanzo and Rain Country were defeated, but it cannot be denied that his great strength and the combat style of Rain Country's ninja earned Rain Country respect.

At least no major ninja village dared ignore Rain Country, and the Third Shinobi World War certainly didn't use Rain Country as a battlefield, right?"

Nagato and Konan remained silent, unsure how to respond; indeed they harbored great hatred toward Hanzo, even having eliminated him.

But they could not deny what Hanzo brought to Rain Country; without him, Rain Country wouldn't be so stable now.

"Then what about Leaf Village?"

Ziraiye finally seized the chance, looked at Yuzhi and asked.

"Leaf Village has won so many times; why does the war still continue?"

"Because of Leaf Village's geography, and also because Leaf Village isn't strong enough."

Yuzhi raised a finger and gently shook his head, then continued.

"Leaf Village occupies the most abundant resources in the Shinobi World; any village that wants to develop will inevitably have to take a bite from Leaf Village.

Being not strong is relative; think of when the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha were still alive—could war have broken out in Leaf Village then?"

Moreover, in later wars, some compromise policies of the Third Hokage did bring peace, but the vision was short-sighted; after a brief peace, everyone resumed hostilities.

"So, what will happen next?"

What will happen? Naturally, war!

Ziraiye now felt his mindset completely muddled by Yuzhi's words, and he was also pondering a question.

Leaf Village's resources are abundant, while other villages lack many things; so will Leaf Village give them?

The answer is clearly impossible!

And viewing it this way, extending to the great wars across the Shinobi World, it seems everything has an answer.

The First Shinobi World War, though said to be the rebellion of the two dimwitted brothers Gold Horn and Silver Horn, was also because Cloud Village 'wanted to progress'.

The Second was even more direct; Hanzo of Rain Country openly declared his desire to 'progress', sparking the war.

As for the Third Shinobi World War, Ziraiye participated throughout, and he naturally knows it was also a war ignited for self-development.

Suna went mad, using 'progress' as an excuse, thereby igniting the war.

The three wars had different pretexts, but their essential purpose was the same.

It indeed seems not a war sparked by hatred, but a war triggered for one's own village's benefit!

The First Hokage indeed had no war back then, because—what? He was too strong; who would dare provoke him?!

Thinking this, Ziraiye became even more confused, feeling his mind numb.

He even began to doubt whether he was wrong.

"You've said so much, trying to tell us the nature of war; then what do you want us to do?"

Nagato felt deeply moved; he suddenly realized he was still not as capable as someone much younger than himself.

Or perhaps Leaf Village excels at cultivating such talent?

But when he thought of Rain Country, he couldn't help sighing; now he wanted to see why Yuzhi wanted to hire them.

Even though he had already guessed it wasn't something good.

"It's simple: you were hired by Rain Country for defense work, so you'll inevitably have the chance to encounter more things."

Yuzhi touched his chin, then deliberately smiled and said.

"For example, their new leader—Banzang is already dead; we know that, we just never announced it."

"I want to know all of Rain Country's movements, all decisions, and even, if possible, help me keep that guy under control so he obeys."

Yuzhi's words instantly hardened Nagato's fists; if Konan hadn't covertly grabbed Nagato, he might have gone berserk by now.

"You want me to control myself—what are you thinking!?"

Ziraiye also snapped out of his confusion from Yuzhi's words; he wanted to warn not to be fooled by Nagato, but before he could speak, Yuzhi kept talking.

"Leaf Village will provide Rain Country with massive aid, including infrastructure construction, mining development, and we can grant Rain Country the necessary autonomy."

"For instance, autonomous economic construction, and even opening the border with Rain Country to allow more thorough personnel flow, among other things."

"This not only makes Rain Country better, but also improves the lives of its residents, yet Leaf Village always has its bottom line."

"We do this for peace; we need to send officials to reside there, and to protect the results, Leaf Village's army will garrison Rain Country to guard the border."

Yuzhi's remarks laid his thoughts bare; even Nagato and Konan had already speculated whether this guy intended to swallow Rain Country, or even other regions.

But when they actually heard him say it, they couldn't help but clench their fists.

Ziraiye was also immensely stunned; he had missed many meetings, so naturally he didn't know so many details—though he had guessed some, this was still his first time hearing it!

"Do you know what your actions mean?"

Nagato clenched his fists, and after a while gritted his teeth to ask.

"I know."

Yuzhi nodded, then deliberately showed a puzzled expression.

"You're not from Rain Country—why are you so agitated?"

"We once were."

Konan saw Nagato's agitation and immediately spoke up.

"And Hokage, isn't your approach too excessive?"

"Excessive?"

Yuzhi shook his head, then asked curiously.

"What differences are there between Rain Country and Land of Fire—racial differences? Language differences? Cultural differences? Please tell me."

"This..."

Konan didn't understand what Yuzhi meant, but after a moment she spoke.

"If you look at it that way, there truly is no difference."

"Right, no difference; we are the same people, and years ago neither Land of Fire nor Rain Country even existed."

Yuzhi smiled and nodded, calmly looking at Nagato and Konan as he spoke.

"Everyone is the same—culture shares the same origin, race the same, language identical—so why draw such a divide?"

"Leaf Village can't let outsiders take its resources; what about its own people?"

"I know some may find it hard to accept with simple hearts, but reality is always a zero‑sum game where big fish eat small fish."

"Moreover, are you truly sure most people don't want to integrate into Leaf Village, especially after we invest heavily to help them improve?"

"Besides, you 'former Rain Country residents' seem to have no reason to oppose, right?"

"But we are the actual controllers of Rain Country!"

At that moment Nagato and Konan were somewhat at a loss; they didn't know how to address the issue.

Fortunately Yuzhi wasn't overly extreme; he painted a picture that showed them some necessary benefits.

Although he may have spoken too much this time, it was also a display of sincerity, especially since Yuzhi has other methods.

"That's the Obito alias—Konan trusts that alias greatly; Nagato is annoyed but obeys each time."

"It's a good outcome; proper use always yields unexpected benefits!"

"Alright, that's enough talk; if you want Rain Country's peaceful and stable development, go back and think it over."

Yuzhi waved his hand, seeming not to continue further.

"Of course, you can also tell the controller of Rain Country about what we discussed today."

"He could choose to cooperate with other villages; I'm also curious whether other villages can do what Leaf Village does."

"Or you can observe the subsequent changes Leaf Village brings to Rain Country, then decide."

Ziraiye came this time specifically to have a good talk with Rain Country's leader about future development.

"Having said all this, I hope you consider it carefully; besides that, there's one more thing I want to tell you."

At this point Yuzhi paused briefly, looked at the pensive Nagato and Konan, and slowly began speaking.

"I've always thought the First Hokage's policies were flawed; if the entire ninja world had been unified back then, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many wars."

"Even if issues arose, internal negotiations could have allocated resources, but unfortunately the rise of great ninja villages became the root of conflict."

Having said that, Yuzhi finally looked at Ziraiye.

"Are you still going to visit Rain Country's leader?"

"Naturally, I must go; I also need some quiet."

Ziraiye gave a wry smile, but forced himself to take it seriously.

"Then thank you for your effort; I've read your book—though a bit naive, it truly provokes deep thought."

Yuzhi smiled at Ziraiye, then took Hikari's hand and turned to leave.

At the moment he left, he suddenly realized his retinal task had changed.

—

"Hokage, Ziraiye's report from over there has come back."

Inside the Hokage's office, Yuzhi leaned on the chair belonging to the Hokage, looking outside, while Kakashi, with a dark face, held a document and spoke from the side.

Because of Yuzhi's delegation of authority, Nara Shikaku is now especially busy, and the things he needs to handle each day have increased.

Of course, this also makes Nara Shikaku especially excited, after all, this is a chance to show his ability.

But when Shikaku gets busy, sometimes the task of reporting work details falls on us these Anbu.

Hikari can indeed do it, but everyone knows this Yuzhi won't let his Hokage wife bear the burden, so only the Anbu can do it.

Kakashi truly doesn't want to get involved in this kind of thing, although Yuzhi promised to let him be the Anbu Captain, but the problem is he just finds it troublesome.

Besides, from time to time when people come in, they might see some 'face-reddening' or even 'unsightly' scenes; even if Kakashi loves reading Makeout Paradise, he can't stand it.

But there's nothing he can do about it.

"Just the two of us, no need to be so polite."

Yuzhi continued to bask in the sunlight, and after a while he lazily asked.

"As long as the report has come back, has anyone else returned?"

The broken environment of the Rain Country makes Yuzhi unable to complain; who knows if it's leaking heaven there, with rain pouring down solely onto that place.

Although Yuzhi isn't afraid of rain, he still prefers an environment with ample sunlight.

"Not yet."

Although Kakashi was happy to hear Yuzhi's words, he still felt a little down inside, but fortunately he could overcome his emotions.

"However, the report that Ziraiye also brought back seems somewhat harsh."

"It's fine, anyway, once we settle the daimyo, Leaf Village will have money; more is no problem, just treat it as a hiring fee."

Yuzhi spoke indifferently, looking at Kakashi's bewildered head, and Yuzhi didn't explain further.

"We'll know when Ziraiye comes back; for now, there's no need to rush."

"This is, I understand."

Kakashi finds it somewhat difficult, talking big about just killing the daimyo— isn't that a bit excessive?

But he also couldn't be bothered to dwell on this issue; looking at the absent-minded Yuzhi, he couldn't help but ask softly.

"Yuzhi, is something on your mind? Looking at your condition today, you don't seem too good."

"It's fine, I'm just thinking about something else."

Yuzhi gave a light laugh; he's completely fine now, and can even be said to be better!

Because he never expected it, that guy Nagato—or rather, Nagato with the Rinnegan—actually gave him such a big surprise!

【Completed Side Quest: Spare Nagato, and attempt to gather Nagato】

【Obtained Reward: Incomplete Indra's Power】