There were too many projects and too much work in the laboratory. Even though Konoha was now the strongest ninja village in the world, the leadership remained acutely aware of the threats they faced. No one dared to relax, and the entire village was caught in a state of intense internal competition.
Amidst this calm yet tense atmosphere, news arrived from Konoha Hospital, Nagato had woken up.
After losing his Rinnegan and realizing he was not the so-called Child of Destiny, Nagato had fallen into a deep coma, both gravely injured and emotionally devastated.
For nearly a year, Konan had tirelessly traveled back and forth between Amegakure and Konoha, maintaining the stability of Amegakure while hoping Nagato would eventually wake up.
The relationship between Konan and Nagato was complicated. In the past, Konan and Yahiko had been a couple, and Yahiko was the person Nagato respected the most.
After Yahiko's death, things between them became awkward. It was impossible to say there were no feelings between them, but both carried heavy emotional burdens. On top of that, Nagato saw himself as the destined savior of the shinobi world and devoted himself to that mission, keeping their relationship purely as comrades.
However, after Nagato lost his identity as the Child of Destiny, Konan could no longer suppress the emotions she had been holding back.
Night after night, she kept vigil by Nagato's bedside, hoping he would wake up.
Konoha had used every possible medical technique. Physically, Nagato was completely healed, his prolonged coma was purely a matter of will.
He couldn't face the reality that he had merely been a pawn. He couldn't face his feelings for Konan. He couldn't face the expectations of the people of Amegakure.
But Konoha's technology was far more advanced. As the research lab continued its developments, Konan was soon able to use a special ninja tool to enter Nagato's consciousness and confront him directly.
After countless attempts at persuasion, possibly with some other emotional factors involved, Nagato finally accepted reality and chose to wake up.
Upon receiving the news, Aoba immediately rushed over.
In truth, without the Rinnegan, Nagato's combat ability was no longer a major factor for Konoha.
To Aoba, Nagato's greatest value was that he was an Uzumaki.
In Aoba's view, the Uzumaki clan was even more valuable than the Senju. Their physical constitution, chakra reserves, and unique bloodline abilities were among the strongest in the entire ninja world.
He had initially worried that Nagato might not be able to handle the loss of his past identity, but after seeing how he and Konan interacted, Aoba knew there was nothing to be concerned about.
Nagato had been bedridden for almost a year, yet instead of physical deterioration, his body had fully recovered, possibly even surpassing his previous condition thanks to Konoha's advanced medical techniques.
After a series of tests, Aoba discovered something shocking: even without a chakra cloak, Nagato's chakra reserves were nearly on par with Aoba's own when he was fully enhanced by one.
With such innate talent, it was no wonder Madara had chosen him in the past.
Upon waking up, Nagato felt a bit awkward, given that he was still, in theory, a wanted criminal in Konoha.
But Aoba no longer cared about such trivial matters. Though Nagato had lost the Rinnegan and suffered a significant drop in combat ability, his foundation was still solid. With proper training, he could at least reach the level of the Third Hokage, so he was still an impressive asset to Konoha.
Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Konan had followed Konoha's example by eliminating the country's feudal lord. The village had now fully taken over the entire nation.
The next step was to formally integrate Amegakure into Konoha.
This marked a turning point, the official beginning of Konoha's unification campaign.
Aoba no longer wanted to wait. He had no idea what Obito and Hashirama were plotting, nor what the Sage of Six Paths intended to do.
But he could sense that they did not approve of his actions.
Since the enemy didn't like it, then all the more reason to move forward.
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Currently on Chapter 347 - Sasuke Loses His Cool Against Hashirama