After being away for two months, Nagato returned to Amegakure.
Amegakure still lay beneath a gray, gloomy sky. Cold rain splashed against Nagato's calves, yet he did not feel cold. Instead, he felt a faint sense of peace.
No matter how wonderful the outside world was, it belonged to others. Only this place was his hometown.
Just as he had abandoned the Uzumaki surname, he was merely Nagato of the Land of Rain.
A few dozen minutes later, Konan found Nagato and asked worriedly, "Nagato, you fought the Leader of Uzushio during this trip. How is your body?"
Seeing that Konan was concerned about him rather than Akatsuki's strategy, Nagato felt a warmth in his heart and smiled. "Don't worry. Menma and I merely exchanged pointers. Neither of us used our trump cards. I'm just a little displeased when I think about how he played me."
Konan's expression was somewhat strange. Nagato's assessment of Menma left her confused, so she asked, "Nagato, what kind of person is this clansman of yours? What exactly happened between you two?"
"It was just some minor friction. But our plan to collect the Tailed Beasts will probably have to be postponed indefinitely..." Nagato said casually, dropping words that shocked Konan. Before she could question him further, he continued in a tone filled with nostalgia for an old friend, "As for what kind of person Menma is?"
"His way of doing things carries traces of Yahiko, as well as Pain's shadow. I learned a great deal from him. Unfortunately, we were destined to be unable to cooperate and could only become enemies. That is quite regrettable."
Konan's expression became exceedingly grave as she stared into the distance, lost in thought.
The person Nagato respected most was Yahiko. Such an evaluation was enough to prove Menma's