Southern Dream

Dream of the South

After leaving Orochimaru's hideout, it was already dusk.

Nagato returned to the Heaven-Earth Bridge and was somewhat surprised to see Sasori still waiting here.

Sasori... didn't he hate waiting for people the most?

Yet this time Sasori took the initiative; he was a man who saw things through to the end.

Facing Nagato, Sasori spoke in a tone that remained distant and aloof, "I have already helped you find Orochimaru. The favor I owed you in the desert is now repaid."

Nagato smiled and expressed his gratitude to him, "Thank you, Sasori. Right, you should take back this human puppet of the Third Kazekage."

Sasori gazed past him at the Third Kazekage human puppet, which had already been transformed into the Asura Path. During the daytime battle, Sasori had already witnessed its might.

He said nothing of it aloud, but in the depths of his heart, he admitted... some things were beyond human reach.

However, he possessed his own persistence and stubbornness.

"No need. Things I throw away, I never pick back up. Besides, that is not my art."

Sasori turned and left, saying silently in his heart, One day, I will prove it. The Eternal Puppet Art that harbors the soul and craftsmanship of me, Sasori of the Red Sands, will not lose to your cold pupil power, even if... this pupil power belongs to the Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan!

"Sasori." Gazing at the receding figure, Nagato called out to Sasori, tossing him an olive branch.

However, it was not an olive branch to join the Akatsuki.

"Six months from now, if you have nowhere to go, come to Amegakure."

The Akatsuki was, after all, only a mercenary organization. Placed in the three-dimensional world, it was something akin to Blackwater.

For Konan's feelings, he might keep the Akatsuki, but the focus of his future development would be placed on ninja village construction.

Scouting out powerful ninjas like Sasori early on was also paving the way for the future.

After pondering for a long time, being invited by the person behind him made him feel deeply honored from the bottom of his heart, but... really, nobody liked being looked down upon.

Glancing at the "Amegakure rogue ninja" forehead protector on Nagato's forehead, he said in a deep voice, "The leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander—surely you know how ninjas refer to him?"

"I know, the demigod ninja, right." Nagato replied with a smile, his breezy and light tone making it seem as though a "demigod" was nothing much after all.

Sasori looked at him deeply, leaving behind one last remark before departing, "If you truly can replace him, it might not be out of the question for me to work for you."

Nagato laughed, "Then half a year from now, I will wait for you in the new Amegakure."

After Sasori left, Konan walked over from the grassy field, worry lingering in her orange eyes, "In half months, are you prepared to fight a decisive battle to the death with Hanzo? Isn't that... too hasty?"

In the night sky, a light drizzle began to fall. The sound of pattering rain was exceptionally ethereal across the wide wilderness of the Hidden Grass Village.

Konan's words were not without reason. Back then, Nagato's retaking of Ame with the Six Paths of Pain also happened at least ten years later... By that time, Hanzo had already grown old—old not only in physique, but in will as well.

Therefore, the Six Paths of Pain almost effortlessly annihilated the forces of Hanzo, who had once been at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.

Surpassing the demigod, he became a "god."

Nagato had no particular obsession with the title of a god; each generation had its own version of a god, that was all.

What he wanted was merely a stable strategic rear, and... a stable home with Konan.

Of course, he could not let Konan know his thoughts at this moment, so he spoke.

"That fellow Hanzo, at the height of his power, chose to join forces with Danzo to persecute up-and-coming generations like us. It shows that his vision and boldness as the pinnacle of the shinobi world gradually weakened as he aged."

"Waiting another few years, eliminating him should be a simple matter."

"However, how could I be reconciled to eliminating such a Hanzo? Konan, think about it—Yahiko, how... deeply he yearned for Hanzo."

"Yahiko was killed by the very person he yearned for. Therefore, while Hanzo has not yet fallen from his divine pedestal, I will avenge Yahiko for this injustice!"

Konan gazed at the figure of the person before her in the rain, her gaze complex, "Nagato..."

"Have you and Orochimaru reached a consensus?"

She had taken the initiative to act as a lookout outside during the secret discussion in Orochimaru's hideout, choosing not to follow them in.

In truth, she wanted to know how "Nagato" was scheming nowadays more than anyone else, but since it involved Orochimaru, it could not possibly be completely fair and square.

A man's reputation was like the shadow of a tree—what kind of person was Orochimaru? How could she not know?

On the contrary... she was the most sensitive in thought among the three of them back then.

During their initial encounter with the Legendary Sannin years ago, Orochimaru had even proposed killing all three of them.

So much so that during their subsequent training, Konan had probed Jiraiya on several occasions, asking him about matters concerning Orochimaru... including his ideological nature, ninjutsu traits... weaknesses, and so on.

It was precisely because she profoundly understood what kind of person Orochimaru was that Konan was certain if she had been present, Nagato might not have been able to speak his mind so bluntly.

She did not want to become his obstacle, so she suppressed her curiosity.

"Yes, he and I have reached a consensus."

Even upon learning that terms had been struck, she did not ask what they were specifically plotting, only asking, "Then for our next step, how shall we act?"

In the rain, Nagato turned, gazing at the southeastern horizon of the Hidden Grass Village, and smiled, "For the next period of time, we are going to deal with Konoha."

Konan's gaze held surprise, "Konoha..."

Nagato's gaze was deep, "To be precise, it is the Uchiha clan of Konoha."

In the fabrication of another body, he needed to use the blood samples of five Uchiha clansmen.

Those five people... would become candidate eyes for his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in the future.

In his mind, he already had candidates for those five people, but it seemed none of them were pushovers who would be easily handled, especially... the last one.

Hidden Grass Village bordered the Fire Country, and Nagato and Konan traveled through the starry night, crossed the national border, and arrived within the territory of the Fire Country.

The night was already deep, so they found a rugged and dangerous place to pitch a tent, preparing to rest for the night before acting.

Over these past few years, Konan seemed to have grown accustomed to the life of camping outdoors, falling asleep even faster than she would have at a hot spring inn.

Yet tonight... she had a dream.

Clatter!!!

Inside the tent, Konan sat up abruptly, gasping heavily.

Hoo, ha, hoo, ha...

Sweat soaked her thin undergarment, and her panicked gaze struggled for a long time to calm down.

Why... would I have a dream like this?

"Konan... are you still awake?" From outside the tent came a familiar greeting.

Konan hurried to lie back down, closing her eyes to feign sleep.

Rustle.

The sound of the tent flap being lifted—even with her eyes closed, she could sense... an intense gaze lingering before her for a long time.

"Good night." After softly whispering good night, Nagato left the tent.

Konan opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat dazed and at a loss.

If Nagato really has that kind of feeling for me, should I... submit to him?