Senshi: (O_O)???
He couldn't help sighing inwardly, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes: "This kid… he doesn't even realize yet just how complicated the world around him is."
His mind rapidly cycled through a series of information.
Naruto still didn't know that Hatake Kakashi was serving as a temporary instructor for him and Sasuke, and that Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato, had been Kakashi's teacher.
As for the Jiraiya standing right in front of him—he had been Minato's master.
Now this was interesting: following Kakashi's lineage, not only was Jiraiya Naruto's 'grand-teacher,' but in terms of Naruto's father, Jiraiya was also his father's master, which would make him Naruto's 'master-grandfather.'
From Naruto's own standpoint, Jiraiya was about to become his new master, meaning Naruto was on the verge of being peers with his own father in the sense of them sharing the same master.
"Jiraiya is his grand-teacher, his master's master, and his own master, all in one. This web of ties… who'd dare look down on that?" Senshi silently muttered as he eyed Naruto, who was scratching his head in confusion.
After a brief hesitation, Senshi decided not to explain all these intertwined relationships to Naruto.
Because Naruto, who hadn't even processed the basic info yet, would have his brain burn out if they dumped all that on him now.
"Never mind, let him slowly figure it out on his own," Senshi thought helplessly, worried for Naruto.
Opposite him, Jiraiya was carefully noting the little "marketing pitch" Senshi had just delivered.
"Wow, Senshi's introduction of me is far more thorough than if I introduced myself! As expected of the ninja world's top intel specialist—his reputation is well-deserved!"
But Jiraiya didn't dwell on that for too long.
He flashed a friendly smile at Naruto and beckoned him over. "Naruto, starting today, I'm your teacher. I'll teach you ninjutsu and what it means to live as a person."
Naruto tilted his head, thought for a second, and scratched his golden hair. "But I'm already a student of Senshi-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. Can I still be your student, too?"
Then, his eyes lit up. Looking expectant, he added, "And, Pervy Sage, once I become your student, will you buy me Ichiraku Ramen? Kakashi-sensei, Senshi-sensei, and Iruka-sensei from the Ninja Academy have all treated me to Ichiraku Ramen!"
(O_O)???
Jiraiya froze, the smile on his face stiffening.
His lips twitched, his mind roaring in protest:
What the heck? Senshi just rattled off so many of my grand titles, and out of them all, Naruto picks the worst nickname?
Although a bit bewildered by Naruto's way of addressing him, Jiraiya soon pulled himself together and let out a hearty laugh.
After a moment, his laughter subsided and he looked at Naruto seriously. "Naruto, as your teacher, of course I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen. But are you prepared to undertake the toughest, hardest, most grueling training?"
Naruto, hearing that, nodded vigorously, eyes shining with innocence. "Pervy Sage, I'm all set to have you buy me Ichiraku Ramen! So, when do we go?"
Senshi: (O_O)???
Karin: (O_O)???
Standing on the side, Senshi and Karin both covered their faces at once, looking like they had no connection to Naruto, mentally drawing a line to separate themselves from him.
Jiraiya could only stare at Naruto, then at Senshi, his expression screaming exasperation.
Seeing the awkward vibe, Senshi quickly gave a light cough to smooth things over. "Bro-iya, calm down—let's phrase it differently."
That said, he turned to Naruto, speaking solemnly: "Naruto, suppose Sasuke were captured by an enemy so powerful that you absolutely couldn't beat them. You'd not only fail to rescue him, you'd be killed if you tried. Would you give up on saving Sasuke under those circumstances?"
Those words seemed to press a button in Naruto's heart; his mind raced, picturing Sasuke kidnapped by the enemy. He felt a surge of urgency.
This question not only set Naruto thinking, but also drew Jiraiya's keen interest.
He nodded inwardly: "The core of this question is straightforward—would Naruto abandon his comrade? Would he back down in the face of overwhelming odds?"
Karin, too, widened her lovely eyes, locking her gaze on Naruto.
Though she usually had a haughty manner, she couldn't help feeling curious: "What answer will that big goofball give?"
After a brief silence, Naruto slowly raised his head. For once, there was a look of unprecedented seriousness on his face.
His gaze was rock-solid with determination. He clenched his fists, his tone decisive, speaking every word with force: "I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely wouldn't give up! If the enemy breaks my legs, I'll crawl after them to save my friend. If they break my arms, I'll still fight on using my teeth!"
As Naruto spoke, Senshi's expression changed drastically: "Dang! Somebody switch off his speaker!"
Because as Naruto said those words, his fervor soared and Senshi could practically hear a stirring BGM playing in his mind.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, was deeply moved by Naruto's response.
He saw a flash of admiration in Jiraiya's eyes.
Never backing down from hardship, willing to sacrifice his life to save his comrade—that was exactly what the "Child of Prophecy" was all about.
But just as Jiraiya was touched by Naruto's fervor, Karin pouted disdainfully, hugging Senshi's arm. "If it were me facing an unbeatable foe, I wouldn't charge in head-on! I'd run away first, then get Senshi to rescue Sasuke. With Senshi around, it doesn't matter how strong the enemy is—he'd definitely save Sasuke, right?"
Hearing that, Senshi gave a helpless tap on Karin's head. "What're you doing? That one line of yours nearly destroyed the Child of Prophecy's moral foundation. And what do you think we should do about that?"
Karin, having been tapped, flailed her arms dramatically. "You jerk, Senshi! Now we have to duel! ┗|｀O′|┛ Rawrrr!"
As she yelled, she spun her arms like a little pinwheel, launching a "frenzied attack" on Senshi.
But her fists were just light taps on Senshi's arm, minimal force but plenty of bravado.
Senshi teased while messing up Karin's neatly combed red hair, turning it into a bird's nest. "Karin, didn't you eat anything? You've got zero strength."
Karin: (O_O)???
She paused, then tipped her head back, pouting. "Senshi, if you bully me again, I'm gonna cry!"
Senshi merely smiled wryly.
"All right, all right, you silly girl, enough."
Naruto suddenly interjected, "Senshi-sensei, that Karin-chan is so lame! I never cry when facing trouble!"
Hearing that, Karin promptly stopped her spat with Senshi and marched up to Naruto. With one swift kick, she booted him away. "Get lost, Naruto! Considering how fast you grow, you can probably take a few dozen of my unstoppable beast-cutting Kamui shuriken. Let's go find somewhere to spar!"
On the side, Senshi and Jiraiya were quietly pleased with Naruto's attitude, exchanging a glance and sharing a tacit grin.
And on that note, Obito's plan was quietly drawing to a close.
With no interference from Senshi, everything had progressed swimmingly for him.
He only had to leverage White Zetsu's abilities to keep piling on trouble for Nagato, who, as the "Amegakure Leader," was forced to run in circles.
Right now, Nagato was on the tower balcony, gazing solemnly over the bustling Amegakure below.
Raindrops pattered against the window.
His brow was furrowed, his mind weighing the pros and cons of each decision.
"Given how dire things are, should I recall the core members of the Akatsuki to help manage this crisis?"
The thought spun through his mind repeatedly.
He immediately thought of Senshi, Sasori, and Deidara, who were in Iwagakure capturing tailed beasts.
He was well aware that capturing tailed beasts was one of the organization's main objectives; it was non-negotiable.
"Then there's Hidan…"
His mind turned to that fanatical worshipper of the evil god.
Hidan was stationed in Kumogakure, keeping an eye on Killer Bee, host of the Eight Tails. The Eight Tails was important, but it wasn't likely to vanish suddenly, so maybe Hidan could be recalled, too.
Then there was Itachi and Kisame.
While their branch tasks were important, the main base was in urgent need. Possibly they could set aside their external assignments.
"And then Orochimaru…"
Nagato's brows creased deeper.
His recent actions got harder and harder to read.
Not only was he frequently traveling outside on missions, but he'd also re-entered Konoha, apparently intending to settle down there.
Although that might be beneficial, he couldn't just ignore headquarters forever, right?
Besides those core members, the others were… kinda complicated.
Among them, Kakuzu had been with the group a long time, but he'd apparently gone AWOL from doing mission after mission. They had no clue where he'd gone with Fū.
And then Zetsu—Kakuzu was half-missing, Zetsu was basically wholly missing.
Lately, it seemed like Zetsu was obsessed with unearthing gold and silver treasures. The occasional rumor said he was hauling around a sack of gold and silver, doing who knows what.
Beyond Kakuzu and Zetsu, the Akatsuki also had one major ally who'd been gone for ages: Uchiha Madara.
Ever since that time he and Nagato disagreed over Senshi, Madara had stormed off in a huff, disappearing.
"Pfft, so-called hero of the Warring States, but no tolerance for differing opinions," Nagato thought.
He decided that if he saw Madara again, he'd definitely have a good talk with him.
Little did Nagato know that the person behind all these troubles was in fact Tobi, acting under the name of Madara.
In this period, Tobi's actions had plunged the Amegakure into unprecedented chaos, forcing Nagato, the "firefighter," to work around the clock.
Thanks to his efforts, many villagers and shinobi were spared, and he'd earned the gratitude of the townsfolk.
More and more people had started calling him "Amekage."
"Amekage?"
Nagato repeated the title under his breath, a faint, wry smile on his lips.
Though he never formally acknowledged it, in everyone's eyes he was the village's protective, guiding "Kage."
At that moment, Konan silently appeared in the office doorway.
She looked pained by how exhausted Nagato was.
Her voice was soft with concern: "Nagato, we've basically contained the crisis. You should get some rest."
Nagato lifted his head slightly, giving a tired smile.
Even though he carried a super soldier serum in his body and the Uzumaki Clan's powerful constitution, working himself beyond human limits still left him drastically drained.
Hearing Konan's gentle suggestion warmed his heart, and he half-teased: "You think this 'Amekage' of ours did all right?"
A faint flush rose on Konan's cheeks.
Though Nagato never publicly claimed the "Kage" title, everyone knew he was the Amegakure's leader in reality.
Now he'd not only borne all the Kage duties but had also taken on responsibilities akin to the "F4" of old.
Konan's workload was just as huge, leaving her to run off her feet as well.
She thought for a bit, then said, "Nagato, how about a day off? Things have calmed considerably. We can recall the other core members to handle the troubles, or… we can grit our teeth and pay a big enough fee for Senshi to take it on. We've done everything we can ourselves."
Nagato nodded, an exhausted acceptance showing in his gaze. "You're right, but I can't rest yet. The Land of Rivers has a bunch of vital deals with us, and this crisis has impacted them too. Right now, I have to stay in the village, so I'll have to trouble you to go there yourself. Once you're back, I'll take a good rest."
Konan nodded firmly. "Fine. I'll leave now, finish everything quickly so you can rest soon."
She was well aware that even with the super soldier serum and Uzumaki genes, Nagato was running purely on fumes.
He was probably pushing himself to the brink. She had to get the Land of Rivers matter done fast and return.
Konan wasted no time. After quickly packing her things, her figure vanished into the Amegakure night, like a gust of wind.
Meanwhile, in a thick forest outside the Amegakure, Tobi was stretched out on a sturdy tree trunk, resting with his eyes closed.
He'd practically been a "forest dweller" these last few days, rarely leaving, blending into the natural surroundings.
Abruptly, Tobi's eyes snapped open, scanning a nearby tree.
From the trunk emerged half of a White Zetsu, wearing an excited grin. "Good news, good news!"
Tobi frowned, sounding annoyed: "What's that? Why are you in a hurry.."
White Zetsu: (O_O)???
It paused, then rephrased with excitement still in its voice: "I mean it's a major boon! Nagato fell for it again—he sent Konan to the Land of Rivers to handle the troubles we stirred up! Now Amegakure only has Nagato, none of the other core members are around!"
Hearing that, Tobi's face lit with delight.
"How about Senshi's Wood-Release clones?"
White Zetsu answered without hesitation: "He only left a small number of clones to keep the Ninja Academy, Senshi Bank, and the refugee center running. The rest have either been reassigned or are busy doing other tasks."
"Perfect!" Tobi thought triumphantly.
Originally, he planned for Nagato to keep working day and night until he effectively worked himself to death. But Nagato had proved so tough that Tobi had to act like a wild man in the forest all this time waiting for an opening.
Now that it arrived, Tobi knew well Nagato was at his limit, even with his strong Uzumaki body.
He glanced at the sky, deciding to wait just a bit more, then launch his attack on Nagato.
As night's wind blew, Tobi pressed his mask, eyes cold, and activated Kamui, vanishing from the forest.
…
Amegakure tower, Nagato's office.
Late at night, Nagato was still at his desk, pen never stopping.
His face was drawn with exhaustion, huge circles under his eyes like a panda, and his body looked frighteningly skinny.
Even so, he methodically processed various papers, occasionally writing directives.
Becoming a "Kage" basically means working oneself to the bone—and as an Uzumaki, apparently that fate was inescapable.
Though in fairness, he was tackling far heavier workloads than Naruto did.
Just as Nagato set one document down, prepared to catch his breath, a familiar swirling distortion rippled through the office.
He blinked, startled.
"Madara? He actually came?"
He'd been thinking earlier that day about how to find Uchiha Madara, patch things up, and show him that Senshi wasn't an enemy. Now, here "Madara" was, dropping by unannounced.
As Tobi teleported in, he still expected to see Nagato reduced to "skin and bones," a pushover.
But once he properly looked around, what greeted him made him gape.
"This… something's off! Did I walk into a trap? Why's Gaara from Sunagakure doing here?"
Tobi's mind reeled, but quickly stabilized.
He took a closer look and realized the black-eyed man in front of him wasn't Gaara. They just shared a similarly exaggerated set of dark circles, though this man's were even worse.
It was indeed Nagato, who looked dreadful but apparently still alive.
In fact, Nagato stepped over excitedly, though his steps were shaky, obviously at his limit.
He greeted Tobi with a tired, complaining tone: "Madara, you can't be more tolerant? Senshi might not have stuck to our plan for capturing tailed beasts, but he completed his tasks without causing any harm to the Akatsuki, so was it necessary to cut ties so dramatically and vanish all this time? Where on earth did you go?"
Tobi: (O_O)???
That caught Tobi completely off guard. This was nothing like what he'd imagined.
He'd assumed Nagato sold him out, leading to him clashing with Senshi. But from Nagato's words, that was obviously not true.
Could it be that Tobi's earlier assumptions were all wrong and Nagato hadn't betrayed him after all?
While Tobi was still processing, Nagato kept complaining, sounding weary and annoyed:
"Honestly, just because of a minor disagreement, you disappeared for so long? You really think that was necessary?"
Tobi, behind his mask, grew cautious. But Nagato didn't notice, continuing:
"For the sake of our grand ultimate goal, can't you overcome a tiny dispute like that? Well, anyway, it doesn't matter now. The Amegakure and Akatsuki are thriving, and we're making good progress."
"It's perfect timing that you're here—I can talk you out of your prejudice and misunderstanding of Senshi. The three of us cooperating would be stronger in the future."
Tobi: (O_O)???
Seeing Nagato's sincere face, Tobi realized he'd truly misjudged Nagato.
As far as Tobi could tell, Nagato was speaking from the heart, with zero hostility.
He'd previously thought Nagato and Senshi conspired to harm him, but that was clearly false.
Otherwise, at first sight, Nagato would have attacked, or tried calling in Senshi as backup. But all he did was complain about Tobi's disappearance.
So Tobi hesitated.
Nagato still trusted him, and right now Nagato was obviously in wretched shape, close to collapsing.
Tobi's mind flashed with two thoughts:
1. Seize the Rinnegan now—the best chance. Nagato was exhausted, so Tobi would face no resistance.
2. Persuade Nagato to join forces in taking down Senshi. Even if Nagato was physically wrecked, after some recovery, the Rinnegan's power was still formidable. Maybe the two could stand a chance.
But that second idea didn't last. Tobi quickly decided.
"No! I can't keep dwelling on teaming up with Nagato to face Senshi. I already gave him a chance before, and he didn't appreciate it, leaving me to nearly get killed by Senshi. Now I must seize the moment while he's weak and finish him off. Perfect timing!"
He snorted in his mind.
"The heavens gift it—I either take it, or I'm a fool. Sorry, Nagato."
Just then, the overexerted Nagato's body wobbled, nearly collapsing.
Reacting swiftly, Tobi reached out to catch him, feigning concern. "Look at you, exhausting yourself so badly. Plans take time. You're almost out of chakra."
Nagato gave a bitter laugh, voice shaky. "Can't help it. Amegakure had some emergencies, and now that you're here, we can figure something out together."
Tobi nodded curtly. His face stayed impassive, but inside, he was already planning the next move: "Fine."
The instant he spoke that word, Tobi moved in a flash, faster than the eye could follow, driving his fingers like knives straight toward Nagato's eyes. In the blink of an eye, he'd ripped out those Rinnegan.
It all happened so abruptly.
"Ah—!"
A tortured scream tore through the silent night.
Nagato's howl of agony echoed in the empty office, loaded with despair and unwillingness.
The pain of having one's eyes ripped out was indescribably hellish. Add to that his drained chakra and exhaustion, and after that scream, Nagato's vision went dark—he slumped onto the cold floor, unconscious.
Tobi stood beside him, holding the newly taken Rinnegan, euphoria blazing in his eyes.
His lips curved under his mask in a proud, icy grin.
"As expected, once Senshi's not around, even the hardest tasks fold under my careful planning. It was easy to snatch it in the end."
He glanced down at the Rinnegan in his hand, that symbol of ultimate power lying quietly in his palm.
"Now that I have the Rinnegan, I can resurrect Uchiha Madara soon enough!"
As for Nagato—Tobi felt no guilt.
Illusory worlds are so much better, after all.
Reality is too harsh!
Heh.
"Nagato, once I cast the illusion, I'll let you truly be the Amekage. You'll be thanking me for it."
With that chilling thought, Tobi's eyes glinted.
He lingered no longer in Nagato's office.
Activating Kamui, he vanished, leaving Nagato lying alone on the floor, blood trickling from his empty eye sockets, staining the cold tiles.
That same moment, all over the Amegakure and the outlying areas, fresh chaos and panic spread.
The six Pains overseeing the village's six departments collapsed simultaneously, as though someone had yanked out their souls.
In that instant, the entire village's functioning ground to a halt. Crowds of villagers milled in fear and confusion on once-orderly streets.
Outside the Amegakure, in some hidden forest, Uzumaki Musen and friends were following the Naraka Path Pain on a sweep of nearby bandits and shady mercs.
But just then, the Naraka Path staggered like a lifeless puppet and collapsed with no warning.
Seeing this, Musen tensed and ran over, supporting him anxiously. "Lord Naraka Path, what happened? Wake up!"
Lanyu and Lanwu hurried over as well.
Lanyu examined the Naraka Path's condition, frowning.
He was fine on the surface, no external injuries, but it was as though his very soul had been sucked away.
"Naraka Path's in trouble; it's like some power's disrupted him," Lanwu said solemnly, scanning the vicinity warily. "This area's too unsafe. We must return to the Amegakure immediately and report to the Angel-sama and the Leader!"
Lanyu nodded decisively: "All right, everyone, we're heading back to Amegakure at top speed!"
At his order, they took off, the three of them pushing their Shunshin no Jutsu to the limit, racing for the village.
But arriving in Ame, they found the situation even more shocking.
The village was in chaos. Where everything had been orderly, confusion and panic now reigned.
Alarms and anxious cries rang through the streets.
Lanyu questioned a few villagers to get a sense of what happened, and his face darkened.
He quickly returned to Musen and Lanwu, speaking quietly, "It's bad! Moments ago, the other five Pains controlling the village collapsed just like Naraka Path. We can't contact the Leader, the Angel's on her way to the Land of Rivers, and Senshi plus most of his clones—including Karin—are out of town. Our situation is dire. Got any ideas?"
Lanwu frowned, eyes showing alarm.
Before she could speak, Musen clenched his fists, eyes glowing with firm resolve.
"From now on, I am the Amekage! I'll protect the Amegakure!"
But Lanyu and Lanwu just rolled their eyes in unison.
Both looked ready to smack Musen down for a lesson.
Panic was spreading through the townsfolk like an invisible plague; the previously calm streets now roiled with anxiety and dread.
Musen and a handful of other ninjas were barely keeping their composure, but the rest were quickly succumbing to the mood, plunging into chaos.
Rumors flew everywhere, wild speculation spreading like wildfire.
"Crap! It's all over for us! Ame grew so fast, Iwa must be jealous and launched an attack!"
"Don't spout nonsense! Where's your proof? How do you know it's Iwagakure?"
"Isn't it obvious? They've been eyeing us for ages. Now's their chance!"
As Musen's group hurried through the streets toward the core area, they kept hearing stuff like this, sometimes even crazier.
At first, they tried to correct the rumors, but that proved futile. You couldn't quell panic that easily.
If they wanted a real fix, they had to tackle the root cause.
Then they overheard a downright ridiculous rumor.
"You're all wrong! This isn't some Iwa scheme, it's Hanzō's revenge!"
"Hanzō? Didn't the Leader and Angel-sama kill him ages ago?"
"Nope! You're totally wrong. I just got a letter from Hanzō himself—he says he survived somehow! Now if I invest 500 ryō to support his army, once he returns to conquer the Amegakure, he'll make me a privileged citizen! If I invest more, I will get an even better rank!"
Musen: (O_O)???
Lanyu: (O_O)???
Lanwu: (O_O)???
Hearing that, all three got chills, speechless beyond belief.
They never imagined villagers would actually believe such nonsense.
But something even more absurd followed.
No sooner had the first guy finished talking about Hanzō than a second villager sidled up, timidly asking, "Er… can you put me in touch with Lord Hanzō? I'd like to invest a bit myself. If I want to become a jōnin, how much do I have to pitch in?"
At this point, Musen couldn't hold back.
He strode over and gave each villager a firm flick on the forehead, scolding them, "Stop spouting lies and stirring panic! Hanzō's grave's so old, the grass on it is who-knows-how tall—did water get in your brains?"
Both villagers shrank back sheepishly, not daring to retort. But their eyes showed they didn't entirely believe him.
Done scolding them, Musen returned to Lanyu and Lanwu, his brow furrowed. "When the Pains collapsed, the Anbu immediately headed for the Land of Rivers to notify the Angel-sama. Once she's back, hopefully Ame can calm down."
Lanyu shook his head, sounding worried. "Not so easy. The Amegakure grew too fast but never fully stabilized. Aside from the older citizens, no one else has been here more than a year. If nothing had happened, maybe we could've cultivated their sense of belonging gradually. But this huge crisis is a massive blow to the village's growth."
Lanwu nodded, adding, "Exactly. The Leader's unreachable, and the six Pains have all gone down. That means the seven major departments are basically paralyzed. Until Angel-sama returns, we can only do our best to maintain order. Many parts of the village are already in turmoil. We have to move fast."
Musen and Lanyu both nodded firmly.
Suddenly, Musen's eyes lit up.
He slapped his hand on his palm, brimming with confidence. "I have an idea—this can bring the Amegakure out of the darkness and restore its vitality!"
~~~
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