Bone and Blood Succession
After seizing control of the leadership in Kusagakure, Amegakure partially opened its borders with the village, establishing trade posts along the frontier. These outposts facilitated commerce between the citizens of the Land of Rain and those of the Land of Grass.
However, new challenges quickly arose. The war-torn and impoverished people of the Land of Rain lacked the financial means to purchase goods outright. Instead, they resorted to bartering essentials like food and fabric for industrial products of higher value.
Even the self-proclaimed God and Angel of Amegakure had no immediate solution to this dilemma.
They could not simply mandate merchants to distribute goods for free. Doing so would deter traders from coming to the border, disrupting economic activity, and ultimately leaving the Rain's citizens even poorer in the long run.
The only viable path forward was to further recruit skilled individuals and accelerate Amegakure's industrial development.
The weight of these policies left Nagato restless. He had never anticipated that governing a nation would be so arduous. The difficulties made him momentarily yearn for the days when the Land of Rain had remained isolated, though he knew that was not the future he envisioned.
At that moment, sensing a flicker of chakra behind him, Nagato turned to see a familiar blue figure suspended midair. He furrowed his brows.
"Konan, is Iwagakure stirring up trouble at the border again?"
Since Amegakure had taken control of Kusagakure, Iwagakure's military activity along the border had become more frequent.
If not for Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, and the presence of two Jinchūriki capable of wielding the Tailed Beast Ball, Nagato would have already dispatched Akatsuki operatives to raze their forces within the Land of Earth.
However, Amegakure and Kusagakure's geographical positioning restricted their strategic influence.
To the west and south lay only small nations like the Land of Stone and the Land of Rivers. Meanwhile, the Land of Rain was surrounded by major shinobi villages, making outright annexation of the Land of Grass unfeasible—even with control over its leadership.
This same predicament had constrained Hanzō of the Salamander in his time.
The difference now was that Nagato had surpassed Hanzō in power. Furthermore, Uzushio, the newly revived shinobi village, had emerged alongside them, creating a new balance of power and sharing some of Amegakure's burden.
Konan's gaze softened as she looked at Nagato, who remained confined to his mechanical chair. She felt both pain and admiration—Nagato had rekindled Yahiko's dream of peace. But their pursuit of the Tailed Beasts was an audacious gamble. If they failed, the Land of Rain itself would bear the cost.
"It's quieter on Iwagakure's side for now," Konan informed him. "There are reports that Ōnoki had a falling out with the Jinchūriki, so the immediate threat has subsided."
Nagato's expression eased slightly. "That's good news. If we've secured the northern border for now, we can focus on expanding trade through Kusagakure. With that, our people can finally live better lives."
Konan hesitated before speaking again. After a long pause, she finally relayed the most critical news.
"Nagato… Jiraiya-sama has become the Fifth Hokage. We are now officially enemies."
Nagato's fingers tightened slightly.
"Jiraiya-sensei… became Hokage?"
He remained motionless for a moment before smiling faintly. "Perhaps we can use this opportunity to congratulate my old teacher and propose negotiations with Konoha? The Land of Fire is the wealthiest nation…"
Konan's face remained impassive.
"Our enemy Danzō has become a rogue shinobi."
Nagato's smile vanished. His expression hardened. "When did this happen? Do we have any leads on Danzō's whereabouts?"
If Konoha was a looming threat, then Danzō was an enemy of personal significance.
It wasn't just the destruction of Akatsuki's early movement that fueled his hatred. Danzō had played a key role in Yahiko's death and was responsible for the deaths of many of their comrades.
"According to intel from Zetsu, Danzō is currently in the Land of Rivers, though there's a possibility he may flee to the Land of Wind."
Nagato fell into deep thought. He had never fully trusted Zetsu, whose presence was almost always linked to the masked man's agenda. But this was an opportunity to eliminate Danzō—one he wasn't willing to let slip.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Konan with determination.
"Send someone immediately—no. I'll handle Danzō myself and avenge Yahiko."
Konan did not try to dissuade him. Instead, she met his gaze with quiet resolve. "I'm coming with you."
Nagato shook his head.
"No. You must stay in Amegakure. For the sake of our future, we cannot both be absent."
---
In Uzushiogakure
Meanwhile, in the recently rebuilt Uzushiogakure, Naruto received Kakashi's report. His gifts had successfully reached Sasuke and Hinata.
Sasuke had received an Uchiha training manual, a carefully preserved relic from the clan's archives. Though the exiled Uchiha elders in Uzushio still harbored resentment toward him, they had taken the manual's creation seriously, concerned for the future of their kin in Konoha.
Hinata's gift, on the other hand, came from a combination of Kirigakure's resources and rewards from Naruto's system.
Ever since befriending Kurama, Naruto had paid less attention to the system, though its benefits remained available. His warehouse was still filled with unclaimed rewards he rarely bothered to open.
Among them was the Shikotsumyaku, the legendary Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai.
For Naruto, the ability to manipulate bones held little appeal. So, he had simply gifted it to Hinata.
He couldn't help but wonder, though—how would Hiashi react when he saw his daughter wielding Kaguya's ancient bone techniques?
As for the genetic risks associated with Shikotsumyaku—such as the deadly osteoporosis-like condition that plagued the Kaguya clan—Naruto had little concern. Despite her gentle nature, Hinata possessed the purest Byakugan of the Hyūga. The Shikotsumyaku was merely an ancestral trait of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and her strong lineage should mitigate any negative side effects.
At that moment, Naruto received an unexpected signal from a summoning contract. Frowning, he performed the Kuchiyose no Jutsu.
As the thick smoke cleared, a small snake slithered onto the ground, delivering a scroll from its mouth.
After purifying the document with Wind Release and Water Release, Naruto unrolled it and examined its contents.
It was a message from Orochimaru.
The rogue Sannin had caught wind of Naruto's successful mastery of Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode and sought insights into the training. In exchange, he was offering intel on Konoha.
Naruto smirked.
"Konoha's secrets aren't worth my Senjutsu knowledge. He'll need to throw in Curse Mark research as well. Also, it's time he delivered the experimental data on White Zetsu's remains that he promised."
Releasing the small snake to relay his demands, Naruto received Orochimaru's response shortly after.
Predictably, Orochimaru refused to share the Curse Mark secrets, offering only the Zetsu data. Instead, he casually slipped in information that Danzō had entered the Land of Wind.
Naruto chuckled, crushing the scroll with a flick of Wind Release.
So, Orochimaru wanted to keep the Curse Mark hidden—likely to protect Jūgo, the original Sage Body host. And now he was conveniently passing off Danzō's whereabouts to Naruto.
Typical. The old snake always knew how to play his cards.
Still… the prospect of obtaining Danzō's collection of Sharingan was undeniably tempting.
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