What was initially thought to be a lifeline turned into yet another burden weighing on them.
Nagato had absolutely no idea why she had gotten herself into such a mess.
Why is everything I've believed in all these years, everything I've pursued, no different from what those despicable great powers have achieved???
Ren, who was unsure of Nagato's specific thoughts but could glean some insight from Nagato's complete loss of composure, chose to deliver the final blow.
"It's rare to encounter a ninja with such insightful views in a small country. Although you have some flaws, they don't outweigh your merits. As the Hokage of Hidden Leaf Village, I acknowledge your resolve!"
After saying that, Ren gave Nagato a thumbs up, and then his smile widened.
"Instead of your immature view of tying peace to one person, I think it's better for the Five Great Nations to check and balance each other. What if that person forgets about peace and needs others to bring him suffering? The more participants in the cause of peace, the better. Would you be interested in joining us?"
After asking the questions, Ren immediately followed up by outlining the benefits.
"With Konoha's support, your Land of Rain only needs a few years of hard work to become the sixth largest country. From now on, the Land of Rain will no longer be the weeping country you speak of!"
Faced with Ren's invitation and attempts to entice him with benefits, Nagato had no desire to speak.
A person's thoughts and cognition are a concentrated reflection of their past experiences.
Nagato, who thinks he has seen through the essence of the world, is merely summarizing his own experiences.
Born in the Land of Rain, which is besieged by powerful nations, what he saw and heard was a microcosm of the great power wars.
The Shinobi World War, initiated by a major power, naturally aligned perfectly with Nagato's ideology, without any discrepancies or oversights.
Even if it wasn't Ren, any one of the Kage from the other four major ninja villages could see this clearly.
The only difference is whether they have the power to make Nagato listen to them quietly.
Ren felt it was about time to make Nagato realize his own strength and overturn Nagato's will.
At least in the short term, Nagato probably won't be planning anything.
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Think it over carefully. Konoha will welcome you anytime!"
After saying that, Ren left.
With Ren's departure, the cave once again descended into darkness.
The Rinnegan can clearly see everything inside the cave, but that's all.
Many things cannot be seen simply by possessing advanced Dōjutsu.
Nagato, Nagato bowed, stared intently at a small pebble on the ground, its surface so clearly visible.
But why is everything in front of me dark?
Flying in the air, Ren reflected on his previous performances and felt they were alright, still deserving an 82 out of 100.
Ignorance breeds happiness; the truth is never kind.
Hopefully, Nagato can get through this!
Ren sincerely wished Nagato, after all, Nagato was more stable than Obito.
Nagato has Konan, and that alone makes Nagato seem like a little lamb in Ren's eyes.
Obito, having lost Rin, is the opposite of Nagato. Mentally ill people have broad minds, and their behavior is much more unpredictable than Nagato's.
Before they had flown far, Ren spotted Shisui and Konan.
Shisui naturally smiled, while Konan looked at Ren, whose clothes were not torn, with worry in her eyes.
As he landed beside the two, Ren said with a grin.
"We just had a very pleasant conversation. It's hard to believe that the Akatsuki could understand Konoha's good intentions!"
While speaking, he released Konan's seal.
Hearing Ren's words and witnessing his actions, Ren Konan completely bewildered.
Akatsuki!
Konoha!
Why do these completely unrelated words appear so harmoniously in a single sentence?
However, I sensed no hostility from Ren, and his smile was very comforting.
Konan has confirmed one thing: Ren Hokage have reached some kind of agreement with the Akatsuki!
Could it have been Nagato who did it?
Konan recalled Nagato's long-held beliefs. Having also been influenced by both Yahiko's and Nagato's ideologies, Konan firmly believed in Nagato's ideas and thought that the world was just as it was!
The consequences of not reading are vividly demonstrated in Konan and Nagato, whose views on everything are so simplistic and crude, a binary choice between one thing and the other!
The world is chaotic, and human nature is complex.
Many issues are not simply black and white, nor can they be explained in just a few words.
A flimsy and flawed explanation can actually fool people in the Shinobi World.
Ren likes these simple and straightforward things in the Shinobi World, whether it's Konoha's Will of Fire or Nagato's "rice-carrying theory".
With a little thought, one can make it work for oneself.
After removing all the seals from Konan's body, Ren spoke.
"Now, you can choose to return to Konoha with us and continue leading the team in the Chunin Ninja Exams, or you can choose to return to Amegakure. Ultimately, as long as you love peace, both Amegakure and Akatsuki are friends of Konoha, and Konoha welcomes you at any time."